Thai police arrest Australian over killing of teenager found in suitcase

play Live Sign upShow navigation menu.css-15ru6p1{font-size:inherit;font-weight:normal;}Navigation menuNewsShow more news sectionsAfricaAsiaUS & CanadaLatin AmericaEuropeAsia PacificWorld CupMiddle EastExplainedOpinionVideoMoreShow more sectionsFeaturesEconomySportHuman RightsClimate CrisisInvestigationsInteractivesIn PicturesScience & TechnologyPodcastsTravelSponsored Contentplay Live Click here to searchsearchSign upNavigation menucaret-leftTrendingUS-Israel war on IranClimate CrisisWorld Cup 2026Tracking Israel's ceasefire violationsDonald Trumpcaret-rightNewsThai police arrest Australian over killing of teenager found in suitcaseSuspect was stopped at Bangkok’s main airport as he tried to fly home. xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoA 17-year-old girl's body was found inside a suitcase dumped near a railway in Pattaya, with an Australian man held over her death [Graphic: Al Jazeera]By AFPPublished On 27 Jun 202627 Jun 2026Thai police have arrested an Australian man over the suspected murder of a 17-year-old girl whose body was discovered inside a suitcase near the resort city of Pattaya. The man, identified as Simon Carman, 46, was detained on Friday evening at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport as he prepared to board a flight to the Australian city of Perth, according to police and local media. Investigators say security cameras captured the girl entering a condominium with the man in the early hours of Thursday. Hours later, separate footage showed him leaving the building with a large black suitcase, which he loaded onto the back of a motorbike and rode away. The girl’s naked body was later found inside the case, dumped near a railway line a short distance from where she was last seen. Police said she had suffered a severe assault, with heavy bruising to her face. The alarm was raised when the teenager’s friends reported her missing on Friday afternoon. Officers traced her final movements to the room she had entered with the suspect, then alerted immigration officials, who intercepted him at the airport. Police Colonel Anek Sarathongyu, who heads the Pattaya City Police Station, said officers believed he was responsible and were questioning him on suspicion of murder, adding that he bore fingernail scratches “consistent with a struggle”. Asked in a video taken after his arrest about marks on his neck, the suspect blamed a spider. He faces several charges, including murder, concealing a body and taking a minor for an indecent purpose. Australia’s 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 the length of visa-free stays for tourists, following a series of cases involving foreigners accused of drug offences, trafficking and running illegal businesses. Advertisement AboutAboutShow moreAbout UsCode of EthicsTerms and ConditionsEU/EEA Regulatory NoticePrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyCookie PreferencesAccessibility StatementSitemapWork for usConnectConnectShow moreContact UsUser Accounts HelpAdvertise with usStay ConnectedNewslettersChannel FinderTV SchedulePodcastsSubmit a TipPaid Partner ContentOur ChannelsOur ChannelsShow moreAl Jazeera ArabicAl Jazeera EnglishAl Jazeera Investigative UnitAl Jazeera MubasherAl Jazeera DocumentaryAl Jazeera BalkansAJ+Our NetworkOur NetworkShow moreAl Jazeera Centre for StudiesAl Jazeera Media InstituteLearn ArabicAl Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human RightsAl Jazeera ForumAl Jazeera Hotel PartnersFollow Al Jazeera English: