No tears, no emotion, just 'nothing'. Inside the mind of Aussie accused of Thai teen suitcase murder - as family ghost him and prison chiefs move to protect him: 'It is very bad'

By JONICA BRAY, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 08:06, 2 July 2026 | Updated: 08:07, 2 July 2026 The Australian truck driver accused of murdering a teenage Thai girl has been moved to the hospital wing of Pattaya Remand Prison for protection from other inmates. Simon Carman, 45, from Perth, allegedly strangled Tunchanok Donhomla, 17, before stuffing her body into a suitcase and dumping it in long grass near railway tracks. Carman, from Perth's southern suburbs, was arrested at Bangkok's main international airport on Friday after police alleged he was 'preparing to flee the country' by boarding a flight back to Australia. On Thursday, prison chiefs told the Daily Mail that Carman had been completely emotionless since his arrest and hadn't shed a tear for himself or his alleged victim. His family have not visited him since his arrest, and have made no arrangements to do so, and he has not even been visited by any local ex-pats or friends.  Carman was moved from the police station holding cells to the Pattaya Remand Prison hospital wing on Tuesday, but is being kept away from the main jail population for safety reasons. 'He is in a ward with around five other men,' a jail commander told the Daily Mail. 'He is not sick, but we keep him there because he is a hard prisoner. This is our policy when you are a hard prisoner.' On Thursday, prison chiefs told the Daily Mail that Simon Carman had been completely emotionless since his arrest and hadn't shed a tear for himself or his alleged victim Simon Carman, 45, from Perth, allegedly strangled Tunchanok Donhomla, 17, (pictured) before stuffing her body into a suitcase and dumping it in long grass near railway tracks The Australian truck driver has been moved to the hospital wing of Pattaya Remand Prison for protection from other inmates The commander said Carman was not considered a threat to other inmates, but feared his safety could be at risk if he was placed in the general prison population. She did not disclose the offences of his current hospital wing cellmates, but said they were not serious or violent cases. 'They are in the hospital for treatment because they are sick or injured,' she added. Pattaya Remand Centre follows a strict daily routine starting with a 5.30am wake-up. Inmates then have around 30 minutes to wash and clean their cells before a basic breakfast, followed by an 8am assembly, which often includes the national anthem. Pre-approved visitors are permitted Monday to Friday between 9am and 2pm, although time slots can be as short as 10 minutes. Daily Mail can reveal that Carman, who will not be permitted visitors for the next ten days, has had no requests for visits from himself or his family.  'Visitors must bring ID to prove they are family, or he must submit names for us to check,' she said. 'No visitors are coming. He has not asked, and no one has come here.' Simon Carman, from Perth, was arrested at Bangkok's main international airport on Friday after police alleged he was 'preparing to flee the country' by boarding a flight back to Australia  Carman could face life in prison or the death penalty if found guilty of Tunchanok Donhomla's murder Pattaya Remand Centre follows a strict daily routine starting with a 5.30am wake-up The commander, who has worked in the role for more than a decade, said Carman had shown no visible signs of distress since his arrest.  'He does not cry, he does not look sad,' she said. 'He is normal. Just normal. Not even a little bit. Nothing. He is fine. 'He is not a problem prisoner for us but he cannot be in a cell because it would be very dangerous for him if he was inside with Thai. It is very bad.' Carman could face life in prison or the death penalty if found guilty. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing Carman consular assistance.  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.