An Australian man has been detained in connection with the murder of a teenage girl in Thailand, whose unclothed body was discovered inside a suitcase near a railway line.
The 46-year-old, hailing from Ballarat, Victoria, was apprehended for the alleged murder of 17-year-old Thai girl Tunchanok Donhomla while attempting to board a flight at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport on Friday evening, according to local media reports.
At the time of his arrest, his arms and neck were reportedly covered in scratch marks.
Local reports suggest the man picked up the teenager from Pattaya’s Beach Road vice strip, a well-known coastal resort area approximately two hours from Bangkok, in the early hours of Thursday morning. The two allegedly traveled to his hotel thereafter.
Thai media shared CCTV footage online showing the pair holding hands as they passed a security guard and entered an elevator around 3:30 a.m. on Thursday.
Police Colonel Anek Sarathongyu, Superintendent of the Pattaya City Police Station, informed Viral Press, “The cameras show that nobody else entered the room. There were signs of a struggle inside.”
Later footage shows the man leaving the hotel with a black suitcase at around 9:30 p.m., according to Viral Press.
Reportedly, surveillance footage captured the man riding a motorcycle with the suitcase attached to it.
ViralPress reports that Donhomla was reported missing by her friends at 5:00 p.m. on Friday.
Two hours after the missing report, the Australian man was taken into custody by police at the airport and returned to Pattaya.
At approximately 11:00 p.m., officers reportedly discovered Donhomla’s naked body folded inside a 26-inch black suitcase along a railway line, roughly ten minutes from the hotel where the man had stayed.
Colonel Sarathongyu remarked, “The victim went to the hotel room with the suspect, but she was not seen leaving. Then, later, the Australian came out with a suitcase.
“The victim was found dead inside the same suitcase. She was completely naked, her face showed signs of severe assault, with swelling and bruising covering the entire face, and blood was flowing from her mouth and nose.
“The physical characteristics and tattoos on the body matched those of the girl on CCTV with the suspect.”
Footage online depicts police forensic teams examining the suitcase.
A ViralPress video shows a reporter questioning the man about why he killed the girl. He responded, “I don’t know how, no.”
When asked about the scratches on his neck, he answered, “I have the same on the other side, I think it’s a spider, they always get in here.”
Colonel Sarathongyu stated the suspect is initially charged with taking a minor for an indecent act.
“We believe he killed her, and he is being questioned on suspicion of murder.
“He has fingernail scratches across his body that are consistent with a struggle, but he denies killing her. He said that she disappeared from the room while I was asleep and unaware of anything.”
The man maintains his innocence, according to local media reports. He has not been charged with murder.
In Thailand, murder can result in the death penalty or life imprisonment.
News.com.au has reached out to the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade for comments.
