Simon Peter Carman: Neighbours speak up about Australian truckie accused of killing Thai teenage girl

An Australian truckie accused of killing a Thai teenage girl before allegedly stuffing her body into a suitcase has been described as someone who “kept to himself”.

Simon Peter Carman, 45, has been charged after the body of 17-year-old Tunchanok Donhomla was found inside a suitcase dumped beside railway tracks in Pattaya on Friday.

Police allege Carman attempted to flee Thailand by boarding a Jetstar flight to Perth, but was intercepted at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

He is now facing multiple charges, including murder, concealing and moving a body, and abducting a minor for indecent purposes.

It is understood Carman was born in Ballarat before growing up in Jerramungup, about 440km southeast of Perth. His family later moved to Albany.

7NEWS understands Carman previously worked as a truck driver between Western Australia and regional Victoria before relocating to Thailand last year.

According to The West Australian, Carman lived for several years in Perth’s southern suburb of Casuarina, where former neighbours said they were shocked by the allegations.

One neighbour, who asked to be identified only as Shelley, said Carman mostly kept to himself but would occasionally socialise with others in the area.

She said she had not seen him in the neighbourhood for several years.

According to The Pattaya News, Carman had lived alone in a rented condominium in Jomtien for the past eight months, paying about $A479 a month in rent.

Acquaintances told the outlet he was slow in both his movements and his thinking.

“Everything about him was slow. He talked slow, he walked slow, he seemed to think slow,” one neighbour said.

A staff member at a business Carman occasionally visited described him as “a bit abnormal”, saying he spoke slowly and would often stare blankly into space for extended periods.

They described him as a loner who appeared to have few, if any, close friends.

Otherwise, acquaintances said Carman lived much like many other expatriates in Pattaya, spending time swimming, ordering food deliveries, eating at local restaurants and occasionally walking along the beach at night.

Disturbing details

Thai police allege Carman met the teenager in Pattaya, about two hours south of Bangkok, in the city’s red-light district.

CCTV footage allegedly captured him holding hands with Tunchanok as they entered an apartment building in the early hours of Thursday. 

She was never seen leaving.

According to local media reports, Carman told investigators the pair initially agreed on 1000 baht (about $A43) for sexual services at Jomtien Beach, but he later offered her 500 baht (about $A22) after they arrived at his apartment, triggering an argument.

He allegedly claimed the teenager attempted to leave and held a knife to his neck before a struggle ensued.

Local media reported Tunchanok was choked to death, which Carman allegedly claimed was an act of self-defence.

Police allege Carman had visible scratch marks on his neck and arms when he was arrested at the airport. 

He claimed the injuries were caused by “spiders”.

“I think it’s a spider, but they always get in here,” he told officers.

CCTV also captured Carman leaving the apartment building hours later while wheeling a large suitcase.

Police allege he strapped it to the back of a red Yamaha Aerox motorcycle before dumping it in scrub beside railway tracks.

After Tunchanok’s friend reported her missing on Friday morning, investigators traced her movements to the apartment building before locating the suitcase.

Police later confirmed her body was curled up inside. 

They said she had suffered facial injuries consistent with a violent assault, including swelling, bruising and blood around her mouth and nose.

Tunchanok’s parents, Thongchai Donhomla and Ordee Butrakhamare, both 46, said they wanted Carman to be “executed”.

“I am deeply saddened,” her stepmother Oradee Bussarakum said. “I told the police I want him executed. As a mother, I don’t know what else to say. I just want him executed.”

Tunchanok’s father said he was struggling to come to terms with the loss of his daughter.

“I am deeply saddened. My daughter had no mother, so whenever she wanted something, she would find a way to earn it herself. She always helped me too,” he said.

Relatives told The Pattaya News the 17-year-old would sometimes help support the household by selling flower garlands or fruit at intersections during festivals.

They said her family did not give her much spending money, and this was her first trip to Pattaya after her grandmother gave her money to enjoy a seaside holiday with a friend.

Her family described her as “helpful and independent”.

A translated introduction on Tunchanok’s Facebook profile said that she “liked money” and “it will never let her down”.

If convicted, Carman could face the death penalty or life imprisonment in Thailand.