Autopsy reveals cause of death for Thai teen allegedly murdered by Aussie man

Thai police have revealed the cause of death for a teenage girl found naked in a suitcase after she was allegedly murdered .

Australian expat Simon Peter Carman , 45, has been charged over 17-year-old Tunchanok Donhomla’s death.

The former truck driver allegedly met the girl, known locally as “Cake”, on the beach of bustling resort city Pattaya after drinking at a red light district bar until about 2am on June.

CCTV shows Carman returning to his apartment with Donhomla, where police will allege they got into an argument about money.

Carman denies murder, but Pattaya City Police Colonel Anek Sarathongy allege Carman previously told police he “may have strangled her, causing her to lose consciousness and eventually die”.

Sarathongy said Carman allegedly told him he “panicked” and put the girl’s body in a suitcase, which was found near train tracks 10 minutes from Carman’s apartment two days later.

Sarathongyu said Carman had “fingernail scratches across his body that are consistent with a struggle”.

Now the Pattaya City Police Chief has confirmed to 7NEWS that autopsy results found Donhomla suffered a brain injury and died of suffocation.

Carman, who is detained in Pattaya Remand Prison, has not had any visitors since he was arrested.

He was taken into custody while trying to flee Thailand on a Jetstar flight back to Perth — he had been living in Rockingham, before he moved to Thailand eight months before the alleged murder.

He faces charges including abducting a minor for indecent purposes, murder, and concealing and moving a body. Carman has denied murdering the teen and claimed self defence, saying the girl had threatened him.

Police footage of the alleged killer captured Carman expressing regret and denial over the death: “I feel bad for what happened to your daughter — it was out of my control,” he said. “It shouldn’t happen. Please tell other girls just to be careful.”

Police are due to submit their case on Friday, with the next court date likely to be scheduled some time within the next month.

Thai police told ABC that sentencing could be rapidly imposed based on the DNA was allegedly “found on Cake’s body”.