Thai Navy Removes Seastead, Anchored off Phuket

PHUKET, April 22 (TNA) – The Royal Thai Navy started the operation to move a floating platform, anchored off Racha Yai Island in Phuket to the shore. The structure will be handed over to the Phuket police as evidence in a criminal case against an American-Thai couple related to their seasteading project. Three ships - HTMS Sriracha, HTMS Mannai and HTMS Rin are used in the operation to tow the structure to the Phuket Deep Sea Port, said Rear Admiral Vithanarat Kochaseni, Deputy Commander of the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command. He said officials would remove the octagon-shaped platform and it would be carried by HTMS Mannai while HTMS Rin would drag the structure’s floating base ashore. The operation is expected to take about a half day. The structure belongs to American man Chad Elwartowski and his Thai girlfriend, Supranee Thepdet, who sought to be pioneers in the “seasteading” movement, which promotes living in international waters to be free of any nation’s laws. Investigators have gathered evidence and will submit it to the attorney-general and seek the arrest warrants for the couple, who are in hiding. According to the police, Elwartowski’s mobile phone signal was detected near the Thai-Malaysian border. (TNA)