The family of a 17-year-old Thai girl whose body was found inside a suitcase in Pattaya says it is devastated by her death after Thai police arrested and charged an Australian man with murder.
Police said Simon Peter Carman, an Australian man in his 40s, was detained at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport early on Saturday as he allegedly prepared to board a flight to Australia.
He faces charges including murder, concealment of a body, moving or destroying a body, and taking a minor for sexual purposes.
Police said he denies the charges, including murder, and has claimed he acted in self-defence.
Authorities have not announced when he will first appear in court.
According to Thai police, the 17-year-old had been reported missing on Friday before officers reviewed CCTV footage from a condominium in Pattaya.
Investigators said the footage showed Carman entering the building with the girl before later leaving alone carrying a large suitcase.
Police alleged he then placed the suitcase on a motorcycle and transported it to a grassy area near a railway line, where the victim's body was later discovered.
An arrest warrant was subsequently issued, and officers detained Carman at Bangkok's airport.
While in police custody, Carman issued a brief message to the victim's family, saying, "I feel bad for what happened to your daughter. It was out of my control."
Police also said the suspect had scratch marks on his body that they described as being consistent with a struggle, while Carman denied killing the teenager.
The victim, Tunchanok Donhomla, had travelled to Pattaya after telling her family she planned to holiday with a friend.
Her father, Thongchai Donhomla, said he was struggling to accept the loss of his only child and described himself as "deeply saddened."
Her stepmother, Oradee Bussarakum, said the family had feared the worst after the teenager disappeared and now wanted the suspect to face the full legal consequences.
If convicted of murder under Thai law, Carman could face the death penalty.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities continue legal proceedings against the suspect.