Australian accused of Thai teen's murder tells her family 'I feel bad'

Australian accused of Thai teen's murder tells her family death was 'out of my control' Sun 28 Jun 2026 at 11:53am In short: A 45-year-old Australian man accused of murdering a 17-year-old girl in Thailand has told her family he feels "bad for what happened" to their daughter. Simon Peter Carman was arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok overnight on Friday after Tunchanok Donhomla was reported missing. What's next? A court date will not be announced until police have completed their investigation. An Australian man charged with the murder of a 17-year-old girl in Thailand has told her family her death was "out of my control". Simon Peter Carman was arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport overnight on Friday. Shortly after, police found a large suitcase near railway tracks, which contained a naked body identified as that of Tunchanok Donhomla. Police retraced her last moments to a Pattaya hotel room she entered with Mr Carman in the early hours of Friday morning. He has been charged with four offences: murder, concealment of a body, moving or destroying a body, and taking a minor aged between 15 and 18 for sexual purposes. Police told the ABC Mr Carman denied all charges, and that he said she "disappeared from the room while I was asleep". Loading...Mr Carman reportedly also told authorities he acted in self-defence, alleging Ms Tunchanok threatened him with a knife. According to Thai media, he said he had not known Ms Tunchanok before they met in Pattaya and went to his condo, and that they initially agreed on a payment of 1,000 baht ($43), but they argued after he offered 500 baht instead. Police did not confirm this report to the ABC. In a video recorded while he was in custody, Mr Carman told Ms Tunchanok's family he felt bad for "what happened to your daughter". "It was out of my control," he said. "Um, I hope you — I know you'll be very sad, upset; same-same me." "Um, it shouldn't happen and I hope you're OK. I know you're not, but I hope. Um, and please tell other girls to be not — just to be careful, and not — I don't wanna talk [unintelligible]." The ABC understands Mr Carman is now in detention in Pattaya Prison. "We believe he killed her, and he is being questioned on suspicion of murder," said Police Colonel Anek Sarathongyu, Superintendent of the Pattaya City Police Station. "He has fingernail scratches across his body that are consistent with a struggle, but he denies killing her." In a video taken after his arrest, Mr Carmen was asked about scratches on his neck. "I think it's a spider; they always get in here," he said. Police release timeline The Pattaya City Police Station outlined how its investigation unfolded in an AI infographic posted on social media. - June 25, 3:34am: CCTV footage from a condo lobby shows Mr Carman and Ms Tunchanok walking hand-in-hand and entering an elevator. - June 25, 9:25pm to 9:48pm: CCTV captures Mr Carman dragging a large suitcase out of his room and leaving the condo on a motorcycle with the suitcase strapped to the back. He then sped alongside the railway tracks, disappearing from view for nine minutes. - June 25, 9:57pm to 10:06pm: CCTV footage shows Mr Carman returning to the accommodation. - June 26, 11:36am: A friend lodged a missing person report for Ms Tunchanok, telling police they had last seen her with a foreign man. - June 26, 2:26pm: Mr Carman is seen leaving his condo. - June 26, no time provided: Police gather evidence to request an arrest warrant from the Pattaya Court. Officers find Mr Carman's passport during the inspection of a hotel room. - June 27, 1:15am: Investigative teams from the Pattaya City Police Station and the Immigration Bureau arrest Mr Carman at Suvarnabhumi Airport. - June 27, 1:30am: Police discover a suitcase near railway tracks about a 10-minute drive from Mr Carman's hotel, which contains Ms Tunchanok's body. The exact timings are unclear, as this timeline contains some discrepancies from previous reports. A court date will not be announced until police have completed their investigation, which they have 84 days to do. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a statement to the ABC that it was providing consular assistance to an Australian detained in Thailand.