‘I won’t trade my daughter’s dignity for money’: Father of Thai teen rejects any compensation as Australian faces murder charge

The father of a Thai teenager whose death has drawn international attention says no amount of money could persuade his family to seek leniency for the Australian man charged in the case.

Thongchai Donhomla has publicly rejected the possibility of accepting any financial compensation from Simon Carman, 45, who is facing a murder charge over the death of 17-year-old Tunchanok Donhomla.

“I may be poor, but I will not trade my daughter’s dignity for money,” Thongchai told ABC.

“I love my daughter very much.”

Carman has been charged after police alleged that Ms. Donhomla died inside his Pattaya apartment before her body was placed in a suitcase and later abandoned near railway tracks. Authorities arrested the Australian at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport on June 26 as he was preparing to board a flight out of Thailand.

He denies murdering the teenager and has told investigators he acted in self-defense. The allegations have not been proven in court.

The case has also drawn attention because of Thailand’s sentencing laws.

As previously reported by the Daily Mail, compensation paid to a victim’s family can, in some circumstances, be considered by Thai courts alongside factors such as a guilty plea and genuine remorse when determining a sentence. Such payments do not prevent prosecution or guarantee a reduced penalty.

Thongchai said his family has no intention of pursuing such an agreement.

Instead, he said they want the case to proceed through the courts without any private arrangement.

“The legal process should take its course,” he said.

The grieving father also reflected on his daughter’s difficult childhood.

He and Ms. Donhomla’s mother separated when she was still an infant, leaving the young girl to grow up in challenging circumstances.

Despite those hardships, he described her as a loving daughter who remained close to him.

“She was a good child,” he said.

“She loved her father very much because she grew up without her mother.”

Thongchai also spoke candidly about his own past, revealing he spent time in prison while his daughter was young.

During that period, members of the extended family cared for her.

“After I was released, I tried to take better care of her and pay more attention to her,” he said.

One of those relatives, Ms. Donhomla’s great-aunt Mee Boonsert, said the teenager had become like a daughter to her.

“She called me ‘mum,’” Mee said.

She recalled raising the child despite the family’s limited financial resources.

“She was an easy baby,” Mee said.

“We didn’t have much money to buy expensive formula.”

As Ms. Donhomla’s family continues to mourn, Carman remains in custody at Pattaya Remand Prison while investigators continue gathering evidence.

According to prison officials who spoke with the Daily Mail, Carman has shown little outward emotion since his arrest.

Officials said he has not received visits from family members, local expatriates or friends, and no requests for visits have been submitted on his behalf.

For security reasons, Carman was recently transferred from police holding cells to the hospital wing of Pattaya Remand Prison rather than being housed with the general prison population.

The facility operates under a tightly structured daily routine.

Prisoners begin their day at 5:30 a.m., followed by time to wash and clean their cells before breakfast. An 8 a.m. assembly, which often includes Thailand’s national anthem, is part of the daily schedule.

Approved visitors are generally permitted on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., although visits can be limited to around ten minutes.

According to the Daily Mail, Carman will not be eligible to receive visitors for approximately ten days, and prison authorities say neither he nor his relatives have requested visitation.

Under Thai law, Carman can remain in pretrial detention at Pattaya Remand Prison for up to 84 days while investigators complete their case.

Police have said he has been cooperating with the investigation.

The Perth truck driver continues to deny the murder charge, maintaining that he acted in self-defense. Thai authorities say the investigation remains ongoing, and the case will ultimately be determined by the courts.