Inside look into accused WA suitcase murderer Simon Carman’s Thailand life leading up to alleged killing

New details have surfaced revealing the life Perth man Simon Carman lived in Thailand in the months leading up to the alleged horrific murder of a Thai teenager. 

Headshot of Fraser Williams
Fraser Williams
The West Australian
An inside look at Simon Carman's life in Thailand.

New details have surfaced revealing the life Perth man Simon Carman lived in Thailand in the months leading up to the alleged horrific murder of a Thai teenager.

Mr Carman has been in a Pattaya remand prison for nearly three months since being charged over the murder of 17-year-old local Tunchanok Donhomla, also known as “Cake”, in June.

The 45-year-old had set up his life in Thailand after previously living in Albany with his family and Perth’s southern suburb of Casuarina for several years.

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After moving to Thailand, Mr Carman appears to have maintained a weekly tradition of sitting down for a Sunday roast with a friend.

Multiple videos from a Thai British pub The Welcome Inn posted to Facebook show the Perth man was a local at the joint, tucking into the classic lamb roast with veggies and a Yorkshire pudding.

Mr Carman’s latest meal at the venue was posted just three weeks before his alleged murder on June 25.

The friend who sat down with him for each meal had a playful jab at Mr Carman as they were filmed before enjoying one of their meals.

“Here we go again . . . what was it, three weeks,” he said. “You got upset last week.”

To which Mr Carman, wearing the West Coast Eagles guernsey which he was holding when detained by police, replied: “No I wasn’t upset.”

Simon Peter Carman was taken into police custody after Tunchanok Donhomla was reported missing
Simon Peter Carman was taken into police custody after Tunchanok Donhomla was reported missing Credit: The Pattaya News/The Pattaya News

Little did his friend know that it was their last Sunday roast together, with Mr Carman currently being held in prison for the alleged murder of a Thai teenager.

The Perth man, originally from Ballarat in Victoria, has pleaded guilty to concealing the teenager’s body but continues to deny murdering her.

He has claimed Cake followed him home after they met in Pattaya and that he did not know she was underage.

Mr Carman alleges that he paid her 500 baht ($21) before she demanded more money and threatened him with a knife.

He denies strangling the teenager, claiming he squeezed her jaw during a struggle.

Tunchanok Donhomla was last seen entering a hotel in Pattaya.
Tunchanok Donhomla was last seen entering a hotel in Pattaya. Credit: The Pattaya News/The Pattaya News

Mr Carman was initially charged with four offences — intentional murder, concealing a corpse, moving or destroying a corpse and abducting a minor for indecent purposes.

He initially denied all charges before changing his plea to concealing a corpse after the judge cited CCTV footage allegedly showing him carrying a suitcase from his accommodation.

Police allege that he later strapped the suitcase to a moped and rode away.

Cake’s body was discovered near railway tracks.

An autopsy found the teenager suffered a brain injury and died from suffocation, according to Pattaya City Police. Authorities said she had no other injuries.

Police also collected Mr Carman’s DNA and matched it to DNA found on Cake’s body, Colonel Anek Srathongyoo said.

Mr Carman was detained in June after attempting to leave Thailand on a flight to Perth.

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