Koh Phangan Officials Seek to Strip Visa of Israeli Woman After Staff Disputes
A local committee recommended ending the stay of a 33-year-old visitor after police complaints alleged she shouted at and threatened hotel employees.
By Mei Ling ·
Einav Ashuel, a 33-year-old Israeli citizen, faces a formal recommendation to have her Thai visa revoked. The Special Committee for Reviewing the Behavior of Foreign Nationals on Koh Phangan voted to take this step on Thursday. The decision follows two police complaints regarding her conduct toward hotel staff and other visitors.
District Chief Paisit Thongcharoen chaired the meeting, which included local police commanders, immigration officials, and tourist police representatives. The committee has referred the case to the immigration police for further action. Authorities have not yet confirmed whether the visa has been canceled or if Ashuel has left the country.
The Koh Phangan district administration stated that complaints alleged Ashuel used services without payment during visits to a hotel and Than Sadet National Park. Officials said she shouted, cursed, and insulted staff. The administration also claimed she threatened to physically harm employees and tourists.
This case fits a recent pattern of stricter enforcement against foreign visitors in Thailand’s island regions. In late March, the same committee recommended revoking the visas of three Israelis on nearby Koh Tao. Those individuals had displayed Chabad flags and promoted Passover activities, which local officials said worried residents and could disrupt public order. A Chabad website later reported that the three were deported.
In September, Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul signed a deportation order for Yaakov Ohayon, an Israeli citizen convicted of making threats during a dispute at a zoo on Koh Samui. A court had given Ohayon a suspended 15-day prison sentence and a fine of 5,000 baht. A deportation order was also issued against the French owner of the zoo for his conduct in the same incident.
The enforcement wave is not limited to Israeli nationals. In early April, the Koh Phangan district chief announced that the visas of 13 foreign tourists were revoked for inappropriate behavior. He stated that inspections would continue to protect the safety of residents and visitors. In May, the Israeli Embassy in Bangkok issued a warning to travelers after Phuket authorities began imposing stricter penalties, including visa revocation, for serious violations of local laws.
Source: The Jerusalem Post
