A convicted paedophile who spent five months sailing solo across the ocean to reach his girlfriend in Thailand — in flagrant violation of a travel ban and mandatory reporting requirements — has been arrested by armed police in the early hours of the morning wearing nothing but his boxer shorts.
Richard Carl Skrinjar, 57, was required by Australian law to notify authorities of his whereabouts at all times and was prohibited from leaving the country. He ignored both conditions and embarked on a clandestine solo voyage, navigating a small yacht through the hazardous waters of Indochesia before reaching the Gulf of Thailand. After making landfall, he reportedly continued by bus to the home of his partner in Khon Kaen province in northeast Thailand.
Officers raided the property in the early hours of 28 April following a tip-off from Queensland Police. Footage of the operation, reported by The Sun, shows armed Thai police surrounding the house as Skrinjar emerges through the door in his underwear, raising his hands in surrender before being taken into custody. During the raid, he allegedly attempted to destroy a laptop. Four electronic devices were seized at the scene. An Interpol Green Notice has been issued for him.
Police Colonel Suriyasak Jirawat said officers had tracked Skrinjar’s movements closely before obtaining a search warrant. During questioning, Skrinjar admitted he was fully aware of his legal obligation to report his address following his imprisonment. He told investigators he had followed his Thai girlfriend to Thailand after she left Australia approximately two years ago. Police believe he used “unofficial channels” throughout the journey and later docked at a pier in Prachuap Khiri Khan, where he paid a monthly storage fee for his yacht.
Skrinjar’s criminal history is extensive and serious. Between 2007 and 2011, he was convicted of multiple sexual offences involving victims aged 14 and younger. He was subsequently placed on the sex offender register after being convicted of producing child exploitation material, with lifelong reporting requirements imposed as a result. His record also includes assault and drug smuggling convictions.
This was not his first attempt to flee Australian jurisdiction. In February 2024, he was intercepted while sailing towards Daru Island in Papua New Guinea, approximately 200 kilometres off Australia’s coast, reportedly planning to continue to Port Moresby before flying to Thailand. That attempt came as he was approaching the end of a two-and-a-half-year suspended sentence for allegedly grooming a 14-year-old girl in August 2022.
Skrinjar has been remanded in custody and faces further charges.
