Australian man pleads not guilty to Thai suitcase murder

BANGKOK: An Australian accused of murdering a Thai teenager and stuffing her body in a suitcase pleaded not guilty on Friday (Sep 18) in a hearing in the seaside resort city of Pattaya, a court official said.

Simon Peter Carman, 45, was arrested at a Bangkok airport on Jun 26 as he prepared to take a flight back to Australia, after the 17-year-old victim's friend reported her missing.

Her body was found in a suitcase near a railway track in Pattaya, a city south of Bangkok, early the next day.

Police said she died of suffocation.

Carman appeared on Friday at Pattaya Provincial Court, where he pleaded not guilty to all charges, a court spokesperson told AFP.

He had been charged with murder, concealing a body and taking a minor for indecent purposes. The next court date was set for Oct 12.

Police previously said CCTV footage showed him entering a condominium in Pattaya with the girl in the early hours of Jun 25, and leaving that evening carrying a large black suitcase.

The case put the spotlight on Pattaya, which is popular with foreign tourists for its beaches and nightlife, but also has a reputation for sex tourism.