Thailand revokes visa over alleged Koh Samui zoo bounty

Thailand has revoked the visa of a foreign tourist linked to an alleged bounty against the owner of Samui Exotic Park on Koh Samui, Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul said on Tuesday, describing the action as a firm measure intended to prevent the dispute from escalating.

Speaking at Government House at 10am on Tuesday (August 25, 2026), before the Cabinet meeting, Surasak said he had received a report on the case and that the individual involved was no longer permitted to remain in Thailand.

Surasak did not identify the tourist or disclose the legal basis for the immigration order. He also did not say whether the revocation concerned an Israeli man already sentenced over threats in the dispute or another person linked to the wider case.

“Thailand is ready to welcome every tourist who respects Thai law and culture, but we will not allow the country to become a venue for symbolic expressions of conflicts that have nothing to do with Thailand,” he said.

Surasak said visitors who came to cause trouble or use Thailand to express conflicts originating elsewhere were not welcome. The prime minister had instructed provincial authorities, Tourist Police and regional police commands to respond as quickly as possible when incidents arose.

Visa action will target individuals

Asked whether visas issued to visitors from particular countries would be reviewed, Surasak said authorities would consider each case individually.

Misconduct by one national would not be used to presume that other visitors from the same country would behave in the same way, he said.

Authorities would accelerate the revocation process when an individual caused problems, but the decision would be based on that person’s conduct rather than nationality.

The approach follows earlier warnings that foreign tourists who break Thai law or seriously disrupt public order may face prosecution and the loss of their right to remain in the country. The Israeli embassy has also advised its nationals travelling in Thailand to obey local laws and respect Thai customs.

Island disputes intensify online

The visa decision comes amid rising social-media tension involving some Thai residents and business operators and some Israeli tourists and long-term residents on Koh Samui and Koh Phangan.

Local complaints have included allegations of disrespectful behaviour, intimidation and unlawful business activity. Israeli visitors have, in turn, reported discrimination and assaults, with several individual disputes generating increasingly hostile reactions online.

Claims have also circulated online that Israeli nationals were trying to establish a permanent community on the two islands.

Official immigration figures, however, describe a mixture of short-term visitors and long-term visa holders and do not by themselves establish a coordinated attempt to settle permanently.

In May, immigration officials estimated that between 2,000 and 3,000 Israelis were on Koh Phangan, including both short-term tourists and long-term residents. The figures attracted further attention after authorities found 89 Israeli children at an unlicensed school operating from premises authorised to care for only 18 children aged two to five.

Authorities have separately investigated suspected illegal businesses and nominee ownership arrangements involving several foreign nationalities, including some operations linked to Israeli investors. These investigations concern individual companies and suspects rather than Israeli visitors as a whole.

At least one restaurant on Koh Phangan and Samui Exotic Park were reported to have displayed signs refusing entry to Israeli customers. Their operators cited alleged repeated misconduct by some previous visitors.

The exclusions prompted accusations of nationality-based discrimination. Some operators alleged that they were subsequently targeted by boycott campaigns, hostile online reviews, threats and intimidation.

The Koh Samui dispute escalated after an Israeli family said it had been denied entry to the animal park because of its nationality and alleged that the father was assaulted. The park’s operators disputed the family’s account and said their decision followed repeated breaches of park rules by some Israeli visitors.

An Israeli man was later fined 5,000 baht and given a two-year suspended sentence for making threats against the zoo owners. Police also investigated a separate allegation that another person had offered a 500,000-baht bounty online.

Ambassador urges protection and responsible conduct

Israeli Ambassador to Thailand Alona Fisher-Kamm visited Surat Thani in mid-August and met provincial and Tourist Police officials to discuss the safety and welfare of Israeli tourists, residents and business operators.

She sought closer communication between the embassy and Thai authorities so that individual incidents could be addressed promptly.

Fisher-Kamm said most Israeli visitors were law-abiding and well-behaved, while acknowledging that some individuals could commit offences. She also said social-media content could create misunderstandings and make people feel unsafe, urging officials to contact the embassy directly when problems involving Israeli nationals arose.

Surasak’s case-by-case approach reflects that distinction. He said Thailand would protect local people and law-abiding visitors while acting against individuals whose conduct threatened public order.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand has coordinated with foreign embassies and asked airlines to provide passengers with information about Thai law, permitted and prohibited conduct, local customs and the importance of mutual respect before they disembark.

Visitors who encounter problems or feel unsafe can contact the Tourist Police through its 24-hour hotline on 1155.