Bangkok – The Deputy Spokesman for the Royal Thai Police (RTP) has announced that the construction of a house in the middle of the sea off the Phuket coast was outside the Kingdom’s jurisdiction and the Attorney General is now responsible for the case. Thai authorities have also decided to inspect the shipyard in Mai Khao subdistrict that built the house, to establish whether it had legally asked for permission to do so.
RTP Deputy Spokesman Pol Col Krissana Phatthanacharoen disclosed Saturday that the case is now divided into two parts: in the sea and on land. Concerning its presence in the sea, the inquiry officer has already received a complaint about the house but it has been determined the structure lies outside the Kingdom’s territorial waters.
Pol Col Krissana said there is an offense to answer under the Navigation Act as the construction of a house in the middle of the sea creates a barrier to navigation.
The investigation found that the owner of the house is American citizen Chad Elwartowski, a foreigner present in the Kingdom of Thailand as a tourist. At this early stage, the owner has been interrogated by a police officer from the Immigration Bureau.
