The “First Seasteaders”, American bitcoin trader Chad Elwartowski and his girlfriend Nadia Supranee Thepdet, may face the death penalty after defying Thailand’s sovereignty by building a ‘sea home’ 12 miles off the coast of Phuket.

Mr Elwartowski was a proponent of ‘seasteads’ - platformed homes in the sea which Mr Elwartowski claims do not fall under the sovereignty of any country.

This dispute arose as he claimed “the home is outside of Thailand’s territorial waters”, but Thai authorities seem to disagree.

Colonel Kataporn Kumthieng, who serves as chief of Phuket’s immigration office, said: “By claiming they own a floating house and using social media tried to sell this kind of house, also they claimed that their house is not under any country’s sovereignty, which is not true. And this could cause other people to misunderstand and it is threatening our national security.”

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Under the nation’s Immigration Act, the couple may face life imprisonment or the death penalty.

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Mr Elwartowski said that he and Ms Thepdet are safe in a Facebook post on 16 April.

He noted he was unsure if his sea home was still standing, adding “I’m more concerned about Nadia being driven from her home country and her family. Her son is worried. I hope they can be reunited [someday] soon.”