Australian Man Charged with Murder of Thai Teenager in Pattaya

Thai authorities have charged an Australian man with the murder of a 17-year-old Thai girl whose body was found inside a suitcase dumped near a railway line in the tourist city of Pattaya. The teenager was reported missing on Friday. Police said Simon Peter Carman, an Australian in his 40s, was arrested at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport on Saturday while attempting to board a flight to Perth. He faces charges of premeditated murder, concealment and moving of a body, and taking a minor for sexual purposes. He has denied all charges. A CCTV footage showed the victim entering a condominium with Carman in Pattaya before he was later seen leaving alone carrying a large dark-coloured suitcase. he then loaded the suitcase onto a motorcycle and rode to a deserted area near a railway line, where the girl's body was later recovered. Police said Carman was initially arrested on suspicion of raping a minor. Additional charges were filed after officers recovered the suitcase containing the girl's body. Premeditated murder carries a possible death penalty in Thailand. Carman told investigators he had restrained the girl because "she got crazy" and claimed she had threatened him with a knife while he was trying to give her 500 baht (about $15). He also apologised to the victim's family, saying, "I feel bad for what happened to your daughter. It was out of my control." The victim's family said they were devastated by her death. Her father said he was struggling to come to terms with the loss, while her stepmother called for the suspect to face the harshest punishment, saying she wanted him to be executed. Police have not said when Carman will first appear in court.