Thai police have arrested a 46-year-old Australian man suspected of murdering a 17-year-old girl whose body was found inside a suitcase near the resort city of Pattaya, according to police and local media reports.
The suspect, identified as Simon Carman, was detained on Friday evening at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok as he was about to board a flight to Perth, Australia.
Investigations revealed that security cameras captured the teenager entering an apartment building with the man in the early hours of Thursday. Hours later, footage showed the man leaving the building carrying a large black suitcase, which he loaded onto the back of a motorcycle and drove away.
The girl's naked body was later discovered inside the suitcase, discarded near railway tracks not far from where she was last seen. Police stated that the victim had been severely assaulted, with multiple bruises on her face.
The case came to light after the teenager's friends reported her missing on Friday afternoon. Authorities traced her final movements to the room she had entered with the suspect, then alerted immigration officials, who intercepted the suspect at the airport.
Simon Carman has denied murdering the girl. Police Colonel Anek Sarathongyu, head of Pattaya City Police Station, said investigators believe he is the perpetrator and are interrogating him on charges of murder. He added that the suspect had scratch marks on his body 'consistent with a struggle.'
In a video recorded after his arrest, when asked about the scratches on his neck, the suspect blamed a spider.
Simon Carman faces multiple charges, including murder, concealing a body, and involving a minor in indecent acts. The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was providing consular assistance but could not comment further.
The arrest comes weeks after Thailand sharply reduced visa-free stays for tourists, following a series of incidents involving foreigners accused of drug offenses, human trafficking, and operating illegal businesses.
