Police summons issued for Phuket’s seastead couple

[snoop1130]

Police summons issued for Phuket’s seastead couple

By Kritsada Mueanhawong

 

 

Wichit Police have issued a summons for the ‘seastead’ couple after Phuket Immigration pressed another charged against the couple.

 

Phuket Immigration have now pressed charges saying that the pair departed the kingdom without rclearing through the immigration officer. The charge follows the couple heading out more than 12 nautical miles offshore from Phuket to set up and live in the ‘seastead’. Immigration officials say that constitutes a departure from the Kingdom without clearing Immigration formalities.

 

Officers cannot confirm if the couple are in Thailand but say the immigration systems indicate that they are still in Thailand and haven’t yet cleared immigration at any departure points.

 

Full Story: https://thethaiger.com/news/phuket/police-summons-issued-for-phukets-seastead-couple

 

-- © Copyright The Thaiger 2019-05-03

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

[impulse]

Their seastead was either in Thailand, or it wasn't. 

 

Can't have it both ways.

 

If it wasn't in Thailand, someone should be on the dock for stealing property in international waters.

 

 

Edited May 3, 2019 by impulse

[anon7854]

Physically  they are not in Thailand. Their motive of "hey because you didn't passed through immigration , you are still in Thailand" is hilarious.

Edited May 3, 2019 by anon7854

[beechbum]

Phuket Immigration have now pressed charges saying that the pair departed the kingdom

Officers cannot confirm if the couple are in Thailand but say the immigration systems indicate that they are still in Thailand

 

Cue the clown music or a bit of Benny Hill chasing the couple around a hedge!

[sammieuk1]

How is it possible to look more stupid? it seams they have found a way????

[Oziex1]

If they need to punish this couple, give them back their seastead and tell them to go live on it. 

[YetAnother]

10 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Immigration officials say that constitutes a departure from the Kingdom without clearing Immigration formalities.

We all detest Thai immigration but this 'logic' is a scary new low; after this, does anyone here think Thai immigration will get better? 

[bluesofa]

11 hours ago, impulse said:

Their seastead was either in Thailand, or it wasn't.

Can't have it both ways.

If it wasn't in Thailand, someone should be on the dock for stealing property in international waters.

Isn't that also known as piracy?

[oldrunner]

Depends. If Thailand has declared a 32 mile economic zone, then the two were violating Thai law. If the couple were to proceed with their little floating village, everyone involved should be required to sign a disclaimer stating they will not call for Rescue should the Oceans become unfriendly.

[yellowboat]

Hope the foxes have long since left Thailand and the immigration hounds.   Pretty sure they got help and are gone, once death threats were made.  Pretty sure the Thai government is not looking too hard for them.  A show trial would be bad for business.   

[bluesofa]

20 minutes ago, oldrunner said:

Depends. If Thailand has declared a 32 mile economic zone, then the two were violating Thai law. If the couple were to proceed with their little floating village, everyone involved should be required to sign a disclaimer stating they will not call for Rescue should the Oceans become unfriendly.

We have a 12 mile limit that Immigration apply, but there's now also a 32 mile economic 'zone' that appears to have been declared unilaterally in what I thought were international waters? The military seem to police that one.

 

I can't resist asking an almost pointless question: If a foreigner was working for a Thai company in the self-declared economic zone, would they need a work permit as it's out of immigration's jurisdiction?

[Old Croc]

Territorial waters are 12nmi. Special economic zones stretch to 200nmi. Under the UN Convention, a country has exclusive rights in this zone for exploration and mining under the surface. The surface water is considered international waters and the country cannot stop it's use by all.

A commercial venture (seasteading resort?) would seem to be in breech.

Apparently production of energy from wind or wave is also not allowed. This would probably affect every vessel travelling through!

 

I would have thought the normal "punishment" for illegal departure would be blacklisting.

It is an interesting conundrum, they want to charge them for departing illegally, but insist they are still here. If so, an illegal entry charge should also be levied?

 

Should everyone who ventures out more than 12nmi, perhaps on a sailing boat cruise, be charged?

 

 

 

Edited May 4, 2019 by Old Croc

[richabb1]

I thought the girlfriend was Thai

[Srikcir]

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

the pair departed the kingdom without rclearing through the immigration officer.

Saw this previous TV thread in August 2017:

No exit stamp in passport, kept departure card when leaving Thailand

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/998021-no-exit-stamp-in-passport-kept-departure-card-when-leaving-thailand/

The short of the issue arising seems focused on being able to prove date of departure. Otherwise, one is on overstay to the extent of staying beyond the term allowed by the person's legal entry into Thailand (in the case of the thread, based on the person's previous entry date). So the American in the subject case may have overstayed (no details made available) and liable for penalties.

 

The Thai GF is not subjected to Thai overstay penalties. If Thailand claims complete sovereignty for the area of the seastead location, then she never left Thailand to require an exit stamp (which may not be required upon proof of Thai citizenship). Similarly, the American never left Thailand, needs no exit stamp but might have overstayed his visa (no details made available).

Thailand government wants it both ways: the couple committed sedition through an intent to declare their seastead location as an independent sovereign (without making an legal measures to do so) but that they have illegally left Thailand's territorial waters as defined by international law. If the case gets into the International Court, the Thai government will have quite a legal challenge. Maybe even in Thai court.

[bluesofa]

23 minutes ago, Old Croc said:

Territorial waters are 12nmi. Special economic zones stretch to 200nmi. Under the UN Convention, a country has exclusive rights in this zone for exploration and mining under the surface. The surface water is considered international waters and the country cannot stop it's use by all.

A commercial venture (seasteading resort?) would seem to be in breech.

Apparently production of energy from wind or wave is also not allowed. This would probably affect every vessel travelling through!

{snipped}

This whole scenario is becoming more complicated now.

I wonder what's the rationale behind not allowing wind or wave energy production, as "surface water is considered international waters"?

 

Might solar power be included as well, as it seems just as bizarre to me as prohibiting the first two?

[Justgrazing]

18 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The charge follows the couple heading out more than 12 nautical miles offshore from Phuket to set up and live in the ‘seastead’. Immigration officials say that constitutes a departure from the Kingdom without clearing Immigration formalities.

Yea but is there an Immigration Hall 12 miles offshore ..