A French Polynesian man named Chad Andrew Elwartowski and his wife named Nadia built an Octagon shaped structure in the middle of the ocean in Phuket. The couple used their own personal savings with an amount of approximately 4.77 million THB. Together, with the idea of Seasteading, they wished to create an independent state separate from the rule of Phuket, Thailand.
The structure was about 12 miles away from Racha Island in Phuket City. The couple also advertised their goal to other people who were interested in being a part of a new independent state. The couple continued their project for some time, then the Royal Thai navy went to inspect the structure.
The Thai Third Naval Area which is the Phuket security on the Law of the Sea and the Thai law has made an official complaint on the couple. The investigation team has also discovered that the official names of the couple are linked to other names in websites advertising and inviting other people who want to belong in a new state. The invitation states that their goal is to create an independent state that governs itself with a new community of people who believe in the same ideas.
The structure is in violation of the Thai Criminal Code under Chapter 3 Offenses Against The External Security of the Kingdom, Section 11 which states, “Whoever, does any act with intent to cause the Country or any part thereof to descend under the sovereignty of any foreign State, or to deteriorate the independence of the State, shall be punished with death or imprisonment for life.”.
The Couples Actions is also said to be in violation of the United Nations Convention on The Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in which Thailand is a State Party to the Convention.
