An Australian tourist, Simon Carman, faces the death penalty in Thailand after the body of a 17-year-old girl, Tunchanok Donhomla, known as 'little cake' to her family, was discovered naked and stuffed into a suitcase dumped in bushes. The case has sparked fresh calls for a crackdown on sex tourism in the country.
Discovery and Arrest
The teenager was reported missing at 5 p.m. local time on Friday. CCTV footage allegedly shows Donhomla holding hands with Carman in a condo lobby while waiting for an elevator shortly after 3:30 a.m. on Thursday. Further footage from between 9:25 p.m. and 9:48 p.m. allegedly shows Carman dragging a black suitcase out of the building and leaving on a motorbike with it strapped behind him. As he crosses a railway line, he disappears from view for nine minutes but is seen returning to the hotel at 10:06 p.m. without the suitcase.
A warrant was issued, and Carman was arrested while trying to board a plane back to Australia at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport. Police found his passport during an inspection of his hotel room.
Apology and Claims
In an apology to the teenager's family from custody, Carman said: 'I feel bad for what happened to your daughter; it was out of my control. Um, I know you will be very sad, upset, same me. It shouldn't happen and I hope you okay, I know you're not, but I hope. Please tell other girls … just to be careful.'
According to Thai media, Carman said he had not known Donhomla before they met in Pattaya and went to his condo. They initially agreed on a payment of 1,000 baht (£20) but got into a heated argument after he offered just 500 baht (£10) instead.
Police Investigation
Anek Sarathongyu, Superintendent of the Pattaya City Police, said Carman had initially been charged with 'taking a minor for the purpose of committing an indecent act.' 'We believe he killed her, and he is being questioned on suspicion of murder,' Sarathongyu said. 'He has fingernail scratches across his body that are consistent with a struggle, but he denies killing her. He said that she disappeared from the room while [he] was asleep and unaware of anything.'
'She was completely naked, her face showed signs of severe assault, with swelling and bruising covering the entire face, and blood was flowing from her mouth and nose,' Sarathongyu added. In a video taken after his arrest, Carman was asked about three scratches on his neck. 'I think it's a spider; they always get in here,' he told them.
Legal Context
Under Thailand's criminal code, being convicted for murder can carry the death penalty or between 15 and 20 years' imprisonment. Police released a timeline of events:
- June 25, 3:34 a.m.: CCTV shows Carman and Donhomla walking hand-in-hand and entering an elevator.
- June 25, 9:25 p.m. to 9:48 p.m.: CCTV captures Carman dragging a large suitcase out of his room and leaving on a motorcycle with it strapped to the back. He disappears for nine minutes near railway tracks.
- June 25, 9:57 p.m. to 10:06 p.m.: Carman returns to the accommodation.
- June 26, 11:36 a.m.: A friend lodges a missing person report for Donhomla.
- June 26, 2:26 p.m.: Carman leaves his condo.
- June 27, 1:15 a.m.: Carman is arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
- June 27, 1:30 a.m.: Police discover a suitcase near railway tracks containing Donhomla's body.
Family Reactions
The teenager's stepmother, Oradee Bussarakum, said she and the father had tried but failed to contact her. 'She sometimes helped her father and me by selling garlands or fruits at intersections on the road, during Songkran (water festival). We did not force her to work,' Bussarakum said. 'She was still young, so sometimes we let her go out and gave her 50 to 100 baht (£1.70 – £2.40).'
In a tearful interview outside a police station in Pattaya, Donhomla's father, Thongchai Donholma, said: 'I am deeply saddened. My daughter had no mother, so whenever she wanted anything, she would find a way herself, and she always helped me too. We were scared. We just hoped it wouldn't turn out the way we feared.'
