BANGKOK — A 46-year-old Australian man was arrested on Friday evening at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok on charges of murder and concealment of a body. The arrest followed the discovery of a 17-year-old Thai girl's body in a suitcase in Pattaya.

The man was stopped around 9:30 pm on Friday as he prepared to board a Jetstar flight destined for Perth. The body of the teenage girl was found inside a suitcase near a railway track behind the Floating Market in Pattaya on the same day. Police reported that the victim's body showed signs of violence.

Police have alleged that CCTV footage showed the suspect entering an apartment in Pattaya in the early hours of Thursday with the 17-year-old girl. Reports further state that the suspect emerged from the building several hours later, carrying a large black suitcase that he then transported on the back of a motorbike. CCTV footage shared by Pattaya 24 News showed the girl holding hands with a man of Caucasian appearance while waiting for an elevator shortly after 3:30 am on Thursday. Pattaya 24 News also shared footage of the man taking a suitcase out of the building.

The suspect denies involvement in the teenager's alleged abduction and murder. However, the Pattaya city police station had requested a watch notice to immigration officers at the airport to prevent the man from leaving Thailand. Police questioned the suspect, who then provided information about where the suitcase had been discarded. Immigration officers coordinated with investigators from Pattaya City Police Station to inspect the location based on the suspect's information, where officers found the body of the teenage girl.

A police official in Pattaya stated that investigators were awaiting postmortem examination results and other evidence before filing charges. The official indicated that potential charges could include child abduction, murder, hiding a corpse, and abduction of a minor for sexual purposes. A spokesperson for the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed the department is providing consular assistance to an Australian detained in Thailand. The spokesperson added, "Owing to our privacy obligations we are unable to provide further comment."