An Australian man named Simon Peter Carman has been arrested in Thailand and charged with murder. A 17-year-old Thai girl's body was found in a suitcase in Pattaya, a beach city near Bangkok. Carman says he is not guilty of the charges.

He faces multiple charges, not just murder. According to South China Morning Post and Channel NewsAsia, he is also accused of hiding a body, moving a body, and a crime against a minor. Together, these charges suggest investigators believe he killed the girl and then tried to conceal it.

Carman was stopped at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport on Friday night around 9:30 pm local time—about 12:30 am Saturday in Australia—while trying to catch a flight to Perth. Reports say he was either at the ticket counter or preparing to board a Jetstar plane when police caught him, according to The Guardian and Nine.

Pattaya is a popular tourist destination about 150 kilometres south-east of Bangkok. It is also known as a place where human trafficking and exploitation sometimes occur. When someone commits a crime in Thailand, Thai courts handle the case—Thailand does not extradite its own citizens. Carman will be tried in Thai courts. If found guilty of murder, he could face death penalty or life in prison.

The accusation involving the minor is serious under Thai law, just as it would be in most countries. Laws that protect children carry extra-strong penalties, and prosecutors typically highlight these charges prominently in court.

The Australian government helps Australian citizens who are arrested overseas. This includes providing a lawyer and letting family know. It is unclear whether officials have been in touch with Carman yet.

That Carman was arrested at the airport before leaving the country suggests police had his movements tracked or worked together smoothly with airport security. Thai police have not explained publicly how they identified him as a suspect or how fast they moved after finding the body.

A lot of questions remain unanswered right now. The girl's name has not been released. We do not know exactly when her body was discovered and when he was arrested. There is no public account of how Carman knew the girl. All these details are typical at this early stage and will be central to the trial. In Thailand, criminal cases can move more slowly than in some other countries, and people charged with serious crimes usually stay in jail while awaiting trial.

Carman says he is innocent. According to The Guardian, Pattaya police confirmed his denial. Under the law, he is presumed innocent until a Thai court finds him guilty.