PATTAYA, Thailand — An Australian national in police custody for the alleged murder of a 17-year-old Thai girl in Pattaya has claimed he acted in self-defense and expressed remorse to the victim’s family, while facing severe criminal charges including murder and concealing a corpse.

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The 46-year-old suspect, identified by local authorities as Simon, is formally charged with murder, concealing and attempting to destroy a body, and taking a minor away from her parents for sexual purposes. During formal questioning on Saturday morning, conducted through an interpreter and in the presence of his legal counsel, the suspect allegedly admitted to unintentionally causing the death of the teenager, a Kalasin province resident identified as Tanchanok.

According to his statement to investigators, the suspect met the victim at approximately 3:00 a.m. on Thursday at Jomtien Beach and persuaded her to accompany him to his rented condominium. He claimed that upon arriving at the residence, the teenager received a phone call and informed him that it was no longer convenient for her to spend the night. She subsequently requested 500 baht, but when he reached for his wallet, she allegedly demanded a larger sum of money, which he refused to provide.

The suspect told police that a physical struggle ensued after the victim allegedly threatened him with a knife. He claimed she subsequently became unresponsive, at which point he realized she had died. Admitting he did not know how to properly dispose of the remains, he allegedly placed the body inside a suitcase and left it in the bathroom for an entire day.

A disturbing video has surfaced showing Peter Carman, the Australian man accused of murdering 17-year-old Thanchanok Donhomla in Pattaya Thailand, being seen on CCTV removing her body from his hotel room.

Now a separate video has emerged of him breaking down and apologizing… https://t.co/iooEh3KUPt pic.twitter.com/U4lZZgQx2r

— Tony Lane 🇺🇸 (@TonyLaneNV) June 27, 2026

Investigators state that the suspect later transported the suitcase via motorcycle and abandoned it in a vacant lot adjacent to a railway track. Following the disposal, he reportedly returned to his condominium on Friday, packed his personal belongings, and traveled to Suvarnabhumi International Airport in an attempt to board a flight to Perth, Australia.

His escape was thwarted when immigration officers detained him at the airport, acting on an alert from Pattaya police following a missing-person report filed by the victim’s relatives. The suspect’s subsequent statements led authorities directly to the abandoned suitcase containing the teenager’s remains. Initial forensic observations reported by police indicated that the victim’s body was covered in extensive bruising, contradicting aspects of the suspect’s narrative.

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As the judicial process advances, forensic specialists and investigators are continuing to analyze the physical evidence and the crime scene to verify the suspect’s claims of self-defense and determine the exact cause of death.

-Thailand News (TN)