Thai Teen’s Death: Family Seeks Compensation While Australian Suspect Denies Murder
Thai Teen’s Death: Family Seeks Compensation While Australian Suspect Denies Murder
PATTAYA, October 12, 2026 — Australian national Simon Peter Carman has agreed to plead guilty to concealing the body of Thai teenager Tunchanok Donhomla, known as Cake, but will contest murder and two other charges in connection with her death.
The 45-year-old from Western Australia has been detained at Pattaya Remand Prison since his arrest in June. If convicted of intentional murder, he faces life imprisonment or the death penalty under Thai law.
At Pattaya Provincial Court on Monday, the presiding judge urged Carman, through an interpreter, to admit murder and argue self-defence. Carman refused, saying, “Why should I plead guilty? I would be lying to myself and everyone.”
He agreed, however, to plead guilty to concealing a corpse. He also faces charges of moving or destroying a corpse and taking a minor for indecent purposes. Carman has maintained his innocence in relation to the murder allegation.
According to reports from the hearing, Carman told a member of his defence team there was “no intention at all” to kill Tunchanok and said he did not know what to do. He also said, “Cake is responsible for her own death.”
CCTV footage cited in court
The case centres on the death of 17-year-old Tunchanok, who was last recorded on CCTV walking hand-in-hand with Carman into the lifts of his condominium building at approximately 3:30am on June 25.
Two days later, police and rescue volunteers discovered her naked body inside a discarded suitcase beside railway tracks near Carman’s accommodation. A police autopsy found that she had died from suffocation.
The judge referred to CCTV footage reportedly showing Carman dragging a suitcase from the accommodation lobby. Police also alleged that footage showed him carrying a suitcase on the back of a motorcycle.
Carman was arrested in late June while attempting to board a flight to Australia. The criminal proceedings will determine his responsibility for the charges he faces.
Family seeks 1.65 million baht in compensation
Tunchanok’s family has filed a civil compensation claim seeking 1.65 million baht from Carman. The amount is higher than the approximately A$51,000 cited in an earlier report by ABC News.
Her cousin, Khanitta Nongkhampoon, said the claim would cover funeral expenses and compensate Tunchanok’s father, Thongchai Donhomla, for the financial support his daughter might have provided in the future.
“Nobody wants money from this. They want the person’s life back,” Khanitta said. “She should have had a future that went much further than this.”
Thongchai said the loss of his only child had left his home feeling empty.
He said he wished for the death penalty but would leave the case to the legal process.
Government legal assistance for family
Thailand’s Office of Rights Protection and Legal Aid is assisting the family with an application for a government-appointed lawyer.
The office said the civil claim would be heard alongside the criminal case and that compensation would be awarded only if Carman is convicted. Filing the claim within the criminal proceedings also means the family does not have to pay court fees, according to the office.
It expects the case to receive priority because it is recent, high-profile and involves a foreign national, and said proceedings were unlikely to continue beyond the first half of 2027.
Carman is represented by lawyer Sorasit Pongin, who said he was retained by Carman’s mother. Asked whether he would compensate the family, Carman said he could not do so because he maintained his innocence, while adding that he felt bad for them.
The family is expected to attend court proceedings as the case moves forward. The criminal court will determine the charges against Carman, while the family’s compensation claim will be addressed through the legal process.
