BANGKOK – Thailand has revoked the citizenship of Rabbi Yosef Chaim Kantor, a leader of the country’s Jewish community, after an investigation found that he continued to use his former US nationality following his naturalisation as a Thai citizen.
The Interior Ministry announcement, signed by Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on 28 October, said Kantor had obtained Thai citizenship under Section 10 of the Nationality Act of 1965.
His citizenship was officially granted through a Royal Gazette announcement on 11 April 2013, and he received his first Thai national ID card on 2 May that year.
According to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) under the Ministry of Justice, Kantor used his US nationality to enter and leave Australia 16 times, most recently on 26 January 2026.
The ministry said the use of his former nationality breached the conditions of his naturalisation, which he had acknowledged when applying for Thai citizenship.
The order cited Section 19(2) of the Nationality Act, which allows citizenship to be revoked when a naturalised citizen is found to have continued using their former nationality. It said delaying action could cause serious harm to the public and the country.
Kantor heads the Chabad network in Thailand, which serves the country’s Jewish community.