Security officials in Surat Thani are seeking the visa revocation and deportation of two foreign nationals following a personal dispute on Koh Samui that began over a Palestinian flag and has since escalated into threats and concerns over its impact on tourism.
Col Thitiphong Inwasa, deputy director of the Internal Security Operations Command in Surat Thani, said on 22 August that the dispute involved Israeli restaurant owner Jacob and French businessman Kevin, who operates Samui Exotic Park.
The dispute began when an Israeli tourist visited Samui Exotic Park and became involved in an argument with Kevin. Kevin subsequently displayed a Palestinian flag and a sign welcoming Palestinians at the attraction.
Jacob later contacted Kevin and asked him to remove the flag, but Kevin refused. Their exchange was subsequently shared on social media, escalating the dispute and leading to legal action.
The Samui Provincial Court later fined Jacob 5,000 baht and handed him a two-year suspended prison sentence.
Authorities said the situation escalated further after an Israeli influencer based in France offered a 500,000-baht bounty for information leading to Kevin.
The dispute then spread widely online, creating a perception that Israeli visitors were threatening people on Samui and that local residents were hostile toward Israeli tourists.
Security officials warned that such perceptions could damage Samui’s tourism industry and create security concerns. They stressed, however, that the original dispute was a personal conflict between the two individuals, rather than a conflict between Israeli tourists and local residents.
Authorities also warned against attempts to turn the dispute into a broader anti-Israel issue, saying it could potentially escalate into religious or ethnic tensions.
Thitiphong said Thailand remains open to tourists of all nationalities but would not allow foreigners to bring personal disputes into the country that could affect local security or tourism.
Security officials are now compiling information to submit to a provincial committee to consider revoking the visas of both men and deporting them, citing their failure to cooperate in resolving the dispute and concerns over the potential escalation.
Immigration records show that Jacob, an Israeli national, has lived on Samui for about five years on a business visa and operates a restaurant. Kevin, a French national married to a Thai woman from Rayong, has lived on the island and operated Samui Exotic Park for about nine years.
Samui police have maintained security checkpoints outside the attraction and near the two men’s residences since 15 August to prevent further confrontations.
Authorities said the measures are intended to prevent the personal dispute from developing into a wider conflict that could affect Samui’s reputation as an international tourist destination.