Koh Phangan Panel Recommends Visa Cancellation
Thai officials voted to refer the case of a 33-year-old Israeli visitor to immigration police after two complaints about her conduct.
By Jisoo Vega ·
A local committee on the Thai island of Koh Phangan recommended revoking the visa of Einav Ashuel, a 33-year-old Israeli national, on Thursday. The recommendation followed a review of two police complaints alleging she behaved aggressively toward hotel staff and other tourists.
District Chief Paisit Thongcharoen chaired the Special Committee for Reviewing the Behavior of Foreign Nationals, which included local police commanders, immigration officers, and tourist police representatives. The group referred the case to immigration police for further action.
The Koh Phangan district administration stated that Ashuel used services at Than Sadet National Park and a hotel without paying. Officials said she shouted, cursed, insulted employees, and threatened physical harm to staff and tourists during these visits.
Authorities have not yet confirmed whether the visa has been formally canceled or if Ashuel has been deported. Neither Ashuel nor the Israeli Foreign Ministry has responded to inquiries about the case.
This action follows a pattern of enforcement against Israeli visitors in Thailand. In late March, the same committee recommended revoking the visas of three Israelis who displayed Chabad Messiah flags and distributed leaflets for Passover events on nearby Koh Tao. A Chabad website report indicated the three were subsequently deported.
In September, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul signed a deportation order for Israeli citizen Yaakov Ohayon. He had been convicted of making threats during a dispute at a zoo on Koh Samui and received a suspended 15-day prison sentence and a 5,000 baht fine. A French citizen who owned the zoo also received a deportation order related to the same incident.
The district chief noted that the stricter approach applies to all foreign nationals. In early April, he announced that 13 foreign tourists had their visas revoked for inappropriate behavior. The Israeli Embassy in Bangkok issued a warning to travelers in May, advising them to follow local rules as authorities in Phuket and other areas imposed stricter penalties.
Source: The Jerusalem Post
