26/07/2026
The Thai have never tolerated their s**t. Even a decade ago on Koh Phi Phi I saw signs with "No Israelis" in bars and restaurants.
'This is Thailand': minister hits back after 'Israeli territory' claim in Patong
A routine inspection in Patong turned into a viral moment after a man inside the area's Chabad House reportedly told Thai officials they were standing on "Israeli territory." The deputy interior minister's reply was instant, and it has set the tone for a widening crackdown across Phuket.
Deputy Interior Minister Polapee Suwannachawi led officials from the Interior Ministry, immigration police and tourist police into the Jewish community centre in Patong, Kathu district, on July 25. The team was checking for nominee shareholding and unlicensed business activity, part of the government's island-wide sweep of foreign-run operations.
According to Nation TV, a man inside the centre confronted the officials and asked whether they knew the site was "Israeli territory."
Polapee did not let it slide.
"This is Thailand. Everyone on Thai soil lives under Thai law. Nobody has the right to claim sovereignty over Thai territory," he replied, according to the report.
The minister stressed that the government does not discriminate against any nationality, source of capital or religion. Foreigners remain free to live, worship and do business in Thailand, he said, as long as they follow the same laws as everyone else.
Inspections expand to more than 360 businesses
The exchange has consequences. The Interior Ministry ordered an immediate expansion of inspections covering more than 360 at-risk businesses across Phuket, targeting hotels, luxury villas, restaurants, tour companies and any operation suspected of hiding foreign control behind Thai shareholders.
The order builds on Polapee's earlier visit to Patong on July 11, when officials [found two hotels operating without licences](https://thethaiger.com/news/phuket/two-illegal-phuket-hotels-found-360-firms-face-nominee-probe) and flagged hundreds of firms for nominee checks.
"The government will pursue legal action to the fullest extent against every offender, to protect fair competition for Thai people and defend the country's economic sovereignty," the ministry said.
What is the Chabad House?
The Chabad House in Patong is one of six or seven centres operated under the Chabad Foundation of Thailand, with branches in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Koh Pha Ngan, Mae Hong Son and Phuket. The centres host Jewish religious services and festivals, and provide kosher food and accommodation support for Israeli travellers.
Thai authorities have visited the Patong centre several times before. Officials say religious freedom is fully protected under the constitution, but they have warned the centre that its activities must stay within Thai law and cannot be used as a front for unlicensed business or nominee arrangements. The surrounding streets of Rat-U-Thit 200 P*e Road have drawn scrutiny from local business operators, who say Israeli-run shops, restaurants and rental services dominate the strip.
Phuket at the centre of a national campaign
The confrontation lands in the middle of Thailand's biggest-ever push against nominee businesses. Officials have identified more than 11,000 companies in Phuket suspected of nominee links,roughly 40% of businesses on the island a. Academics have urged the government to use the crackdown to reset Phuket entirely, warning that murky ownership damages the island's global reputation.
The campaign stretches well beyond the Andaman coast. Police raided 18 sites across Chiang Mai last week in phase five of the national operation, and this week smashed a Chinese nominee property scheme in Bangkok built on 33 shell companies.
For the man in Patong who invoked Israeli territory, the minister's message was blunt. There is only one flag over Phuket, and only one set of laws.
