Thai Teen Found in Suitcase Died from Suffocation, Police Confirm

PHNOM PENH, August 19, 2026 – A 17-year-old Thai girl whose body was found in a suitcase in Pattaya in June died from suffocation, police have revealed, as they prepare to submit charges against an Australian man accused of her murder.

Pattaya City police chief Anek Srathongyoo told the BBC that autopsy results showed Tunchanok Donhomla died from suffocation. She also suffered brain injuries, which police said may have occurred after her death when her body was moved.

DNA found on the victim's body matched that of 45-year-old Australian national Simon Peter Carman, police said. Carman was arrested on June 27, just 15 minutes before Tunchanok's body was discovered near a railway track.

CCTV footage showed Carman entering a condominium with the teenager on June 25. Hours later, he was seen leaving alone carrying a large suitcase, which he loaded onto a motorbike and drove toward the railway line.

Carman faces four charges: murder, concealing or moving a body, kidnapping a minor, and taking a minor for an indecent act. He initially admitted to taking the victim out but has denied the charges, claiming self-defence. He reportedly told police he had agreed to pay Tunchanok 1,000 baht for sexual services but an argument broke out when he offered only 500 baht.

Police said they are ready to submit the case to prosecutors by August 21, with the indictment deadline set for September 18.

Tunchanok, nicknamed "Cake," was an only child from Kalasin province. She had told her parents she was going on holiday with a friend and traveled to Pattaya on June 16. Her father, Thongchai Donhomla, said he was "deeply saddened" by her death, while her stepmother, Oradee Bussarakum, expressed grief and said she wanted the suspect executed.

If convicted of murder, Carman could face the death penalty in Thailand.

— Source: BBC News

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c141605846jo

Reported by The Khmer Today