Autopsy Findings Revealed
Pattaya City police chief Anek Srathongyoo told the BBC that Tunchanok Donhomla, 17, died from suffocation. The autopsy also showed she suffered a brain injury, but that was not the cause of death, Anek said, suggesting it may have occurred after she died as her body was moved in a suitcase. DNA found on her body matched that of Simon Peter Carman, the 45-year-old Australian charged in connection with her death.
Tunchanok's body was discovered in a suitcase near railway tracks in Pattaya in the early hours of 27 June, just 15 minutes after Carman was arrested at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport while allegedly attempting to board a flight to Australia.
Charges and Investigation
Carman faces four charges: murder, concealing or moving a body, kidnapping a child over 15 but under 18, and taking away a child over 15 but under 18 for an indecent act. Police Colonel Anek Srathongyoo said Carman did not completely deny all the charges initially, admitting to taking her out. However, Anek expressed confidence in the evidence collected, stating, "I believe we have collected all the evidence thoroughly and closed every loophole in the case."
The investigation is set to be submitted to prosecutors by Friday, with a deadline of 18 September for them to indict Carman.
Carman's Account
In an exclusive interview with the ABC's Foreign Correspondent program at Pattaya Remand Prison, Carman claimed he acted in self-defence. He said he met Tunchanok on the street and that she followed him back to his accommodation. He told the ABC he believed she was roughly 25 to 35 years old and did not know she was a minor.
Carman said the pair argued over money—he had agreed to pay 1,000 baht but offered 500 baht. He claimed she pulled a knife and that he tried to restrain her. "All I was trying to do was restrain her from stabbing me," he said. He said he did not call an ambulance because he did not trust the police.
He maintained his innocence, saying, "I have not done anything wrong. I shouldn't be here." He said he had not yet obtained a lawyer and had not received visitors except Australian embassy officials. In a video message to Tunchanok's family, he said, "I feel bad for what happened to your daughter. It was out of my control."
Police have pointed to evidence they say contradicts his account. CCTV footage allegedly showed Carman entering a condominium with Tunchanok at 03:34 on 25 June, and later emerging alone carrying a large suitcase, which he loaded onto a motorbike and drove towards the railway line. Police Colonel Anek also said Carman had fingernail scratches across his body consistent with a struggle. Carman attributed the scratches to a spider, saying, "I think it's a spider; they always get in here."
Family Reactions
Tunchanok, known affectionately as "Cake," was an only child who lived with her father and stepmother in Kalasin and had travelled to Pattaya on 16 June. Her father, Thongchai Donhomla, said he was "relieved" to hear there was progress in his daughter's case. He expressed a desire for the harshest punishment, saying he wanted Carman to receive the death penalty or a life sentence as a lesson for others. Her stepmother, Oradee Bussarakum, also wanted the death penalty and said she asked the police if she could hit or beat him.
Next Steps
Carman remains detained at Pattaya Remand Prison, which houses 3,200 inmates including 200 foreigners. If convicted of murder, he faces the death penalty or life imprisonment. No court date has been set yet.