Thai authorities are investigating a potential link between an Australian man charged with the murder of a 17-year-old girl and two other unsolved cases in the same region, sparking concerns about possible connections to the adult industry in Pattaya. Simon Peter Carman, 45, was charged over the weekend in connection with the death of Thunchanok Donhomla, whose body was discovered in a suitcase near railway tracks in Pattaya.
According to Colonel Anek Srathongyoo, superintendent at Pattaya City police station, while there is currently no definitive evidence directly connecting Carman to the two earlier cases, similarities in circumstances warrant further investigation. The two unsolved cases from the last two years involved women's bodies found in suitcases, making them particularly difficult to solve due to the time elapsed between death and discovery.
These victims are believed to have been involved in the region's adult industry, with their bodies located in Huay Yai district, within the same province as Pattaya, and Ban Chang district in a neighbouring province. CCTV footage reportedly shows Donhomla holding hands with Carman in the lobby of his rented condo in Jomtien Beach on Thursday morning.
Further footage from later that day depicts Carman leaving the condo for food, but Donhomla was not seen exiting. Subsequently, Carman allegedly left the condo via motorbike with a substantial suitcase, which he transported without it, according to Colonel Srathongyoo. This raises questions about the circumstances of Donhomla's death and possible attempts to conceal evidence.
Carman, who had rented the condo for a year and entered Thailand on a tourist visa in December, was apprehended at Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok as he attempted to depart the country. Initially, he told police that Donhomla had left the condo while he was asleep, but police allege that upon being informed of the discovery of the luggage, Carman admitted to killing her following an argument.
A medical examination of Donhomla's body indicated no signs of beating, suggesting suffocation as the likely cause of death. Donhomla, known by her nickname Cake, was from Kalasin province in north-eastern Thailand and had only arrived in Pattaya a week prior to visit a friend, where she reportedly met Carman on Jomtien beach with two other friends.
Police are also investigating whether one of these friends, who was from the same village as Donhomla, was working in the sex industry. The last messages on Donhomla's phone included a text to her friend stating, "don't worry I already arrived in the room. It's messy." Donhomla's family has since taken her body back to Kalasin.
Colonel Srathongyoo is collaborating with police colleagues in the districts where the other unsolved cases occurred, as those areas fall outside his immediate command. There is no record of Carman overstaying his visa or having a criminal record in Thailand.