SURAT THANI — 8 September 2026, Immigration authorities in Surat Thani are stepping up efforts to locate a French national and owner of Samui Exotic Park after Thailand issued an order for his deportation, officials said.
Kevin Dimino, the French owner of the zoo on Koh Samui, is being sought after Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul signed an order for him to be deported from Thailand.
As of Tuesday, authorities had not been able to locate or arrest him.
According to reports, at about 13:00 on 7 September, after the deportation order was issued, Dimino was seen driving a BMW sedan at high speed before parking at his zoo. He reportedly got out of the vehicle and stood looking around the area before disappearing from view.
Surat Thani immigration officials are continuing to search for him.
If Dimino is detained, authorities are expected to take him to Bo Phut Police Station for detention pending procedures to return him to France. Officials plan to keep him at a different location from his alleged counterpart, Israeli national Yakov Ohayon, who is currently being held at Koh Samui Police Station.
The separation is intended to prevent further confrontations or renewed conflict between the two men, according to the report.
Pol. Col. Naru wat Phutthawiro, superintendent of Surat Thani Immigration, is expected to exercise powers under Section 6 of the Deportation Act to take Dimino into custody.
Under the procedure, a person subject to a deportation order has the right to appeal the order to the prime minister within seven days of being notified of the order.
Meanwhile, Ohayon is reportedly coordinating efforts to seek bail from the interior minister and is also preparing to appeal his deportation order to the prime minister within the same seven-day period.
The developments come amid an ongoing dispute involving foreign nationals on Koh Samui.
