US man could face death penalty over Thailand 'sea home' bbc.com

A US man and his partner could face the death penalty after they were accused of building a "sea home" off Thailand. Chad Elwartowski has gone into hiding with his girlfriend, Supranee Thepdet, after the navy said they had threatened the country's sovereignty. Their home, which sits atop a 20m (65ft) platform, is located around 12 miles (19km) off the coast of Phuket. But Mr Elwartowski insists it is 13 miles from the shore and therefore outside of Thailand's jurisdiction. "The navy and its team… found a concrete tank floating on the sea but there was no-one on it," police colonel Nikorn Somsuk told AFP news agency.