Bitcoin couple fears death penalty for ‘seasteading’ off Thailand - National | Globalnews.ca - Josh K. Elliott:
April 18, 2019 - "An American investor and his girlfriend have gone into hiding after Thailand declared their floating ocean home in violation of its sovereign territory — a crime punishable by death or life in prison.
"Bitcoin entrepreneurs Chad Elwartowski and Nadia Supranee Thepdet say they’ve fled the floating concrete home where they’d been living as part of a libertarian-inspired movement known as 'seasteading.' 'We lived on a floating houseboat for a few weeks, and now Thailand wants us killed,' Elwartowski wrote in a Facebook post on April 15. He deleted the post and a followup post on Thursday morning.
"Thailand’s government says the two seasteaders were living as a micro-nation inside its sovereign territory in violation of the country’s criminal code. Thai officials are also concerned the seastead might obstruct international shipping lanes and put cargo ships at risk.
"The Third Thai Naval Area Command has filed a police complaint against the couple, the Bangkok Post reports. The Navy says the ocean home is 12 nautical miles off the coast of Phuket and therefore still within Thai territory.
"Elwartowski argues the home is more than 13 nautical miles offshore and therefore in international waters.... He says he’s gone into hiding with Thepdet and that they now fear for their lives. They’re also worried about losing all of their possessions if the Thai navy decides to destroy the tiny structure.
"Thailand has not publicly threatened to execute the couple.
"Seasteaders seek to live free of government interference on international waters, according to Ocean Builders, the company that built Elwartowski’s home.... Ocean Builders says it designed and paid for the seastead and it’s concerned for the safety of the building’s first occupants....
"Ocean Builders had planned to start collecting money for 20 new seasteads on April 15, according to its website. However, the company has postponed the collection process until it gets 'everything straightened out' with the Thai government."
Read more: https://globalnews.ca/news/5180644/seasteading-thailand-american-death-penalty/
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April 18, 2019 - "An American investor and his girlfriend have gone into hiding after Thailand declared their floating ocean home in violation of its sovereign territory — a crime punishable by death or life in prison.
"Bitcoin entrepreneurs Chad Elwartowski and Nadia Supranee Thepdet say they’ve fled the floating concrete home where they’d been living as part of a libertarian-inspired movement known as 'seasteading.' 'We lived on a floating houseboat for a few weeks, and now Thailand wants us killed,' Elwartowski wrote in a Facebook post on April 15. He deleted the post and a followup post on Thursday morning.
"Thailand’s government says the two seasteaders were living as a micro-nation inside its sovereign territory in violation of the country’s criminal code. Thai officials are also concerned the seastead might obstruct international shipping lanes and put cargo ships at risk.
"The Third Thai Naval Area Command has filed a police complaint against the couple, the Bangkok Post reports. The Navy says the ocean home is 12 nautical miles off the coast of Phuket and therefore still within Thai territory.
"Elwartowski argues the home is more than 13 nautical miles offshore and therefore in international waters.... He says he’s gone into hiding with Thepdet and that they now fear for their lives. They’re also worried about losing all of their possessions if the Thai navy decides to destroy the tiny structure.
"Thailand has not publicly threatened to execute the couple.
"Seasteaders seek to live free of government interference on international waters, according to Ocean Builders, the company that built Elwartowski’s home.... Ocean Builders says it designed and paid for the seastead and it’s concerned for the safety of the building’s first occupants....
"Ocean Builders had planned to start collecting money for 20 new seasteads on April 15, according to its website. However, the company has postponed the collection process until it gets 'everything straightened out' with the Thai government."
Read more: https://globalnews.ca/news/5180644/seasteading-thailand-american-death-penalty/
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