THAI police have arrested a 46-year-old Australian man after the body of a 17-year-old girl was discovered in a suitcase near a railway track in the seaside resort city of Pattaya.
The suspect, Simon Peter Carman, was taken into custody on Friday at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport as he attempted to purchase a ticket for a flight to Perth, Australia.
He denies involvement in the teenager’s alleged abduction and murder, according to a police official who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity.
Authorities are awaiting the results of a post-mortem examination and other forensic evidence before formally filing charges, which could include child abduction, murder, hiding a corpse, and “abduction of a minor for sexual purposes”.
CCTV footage reportedly shows the suspect entering a condominium in Pattaya during the early hours of Thursday alongside the 17-year-old Thai girl.
He emerged from the building several hours later carrying a large black suitcase, which he then transported on the back of a motorcycle.
The suitcase was discovered by police on Friday near a railway track, with the victim’s body inside bearing signs of violence, local website Pattaya News reported.
The arrest comes just a month after Thailand drastically reduced the length of visa-free stays for tourists, following a series of high-profile arrests of foreigners for drug offences, sex trafficking, and operating unlicensed businesses.
Investigations are ongoing.
