Australian Man Faces Thai Court Over Teenager's Death in Pattaya

An Australian man accused of killing a teenage girl in the eastern Thai resort city of Pattaya appeared in court for the first time on Friday, police said.

Simon Peter Carman was indicted by prosecutors a day earlier on charges of murder and concealment of a body, according to Pattaya City Police. He also faces two counts of indecent acts on a minor.

The city's police chief said Carman attended Pattaya Provincial Court to give a statement in response to the indictment. Authorities are now waiting for the court to decide whether the case will proceed to trial.

Carman, who has denied all charges, is being held at Pattaya Remand Prison. A conviction on the charge of premeditated murder carries a possible death penalty.

The case dates back to June, when the 17-year-old girl was reported missing in Pattaya City, roughly 150 kilometres southeast of Bangkok. A suitcase containing her body was found shortly afterwards.

Police said security footage showed the girl walking into a condominium with Carman. He was later seen leaving the building alone with a large suitcase, which footage showed him loading onto a motorbike before riding into a deserted area along the railway.

Carman was arrested at a Bangkok airport before he could board a flight to Australia. Police said questioning after his arrest led them to the suitcase holding the girl's body.

In a police interrogation video circulated online by Thai media, Carman said he had acted in self-defence, claiming the girl had threatened him with a knife.