Koh Phangan Panel Recommends Ending Visa of Israeli Visitor Over 2 Police Complaints

A committee on Thailand's Koh Phangan island recommended on Thursday, Oct. 22, that the visa of Israeli national Einav Ashuel, 33, be revoked, citing two police complaints that allege she threatened and abused staff and tourists. The panel's decision now rests with immigration police, who received the file for further action.

The Special Committee for Reviewing the Behavior of Foreign Nationals met Thursday under the chairmanship of District Chief Paisit Thongcharoen. Local police commanders, immigration and tourist police representatives, and senior officials attended the gathering. The Koh Phangan district administration said the complaints against Ashuel include allegations that she used services at Than Sadet National Park and at a hotel without paying, shouted, swore at staff, and threatened physical harm to employees and tourists.

Officials have not confirmed whether Ashuel's visa has been canceled or whether she has left the country. Neither Ashuel nor Israel's Foreign Ministry has commented on the recommendation.

The Koh Phangan committee has addressed conduct cases involving Israeli nationals before. In late March, it recommended revoking visas held by three Israelis who displayed Chabad "Messiah" flags, distributed leaflets, and used WhatsApp to invite people to Passover events on nearby Koh Tao. Thai officials said at the time that the activities worried residents, business owners, and tourists. A report on a Chabad website said the three were later deported.

Enforcement actions have also reached other Thai islands. In September, Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul signed a deportation order for Israeli citizen Yaakov Ohayon, who had been convicted of making threats during a dispute involving a zoo on Koh Samui. A court gave him a suspended 15-day sentence and a 5,000 baht fine. A deportation order was later issued against the zoo's owner, a French citizen, over his conduct in the same matter.

The scrutiny extends beyond Israeli travelers. In early April, the Koh Phangan district chief said visas for 13 foreign tourists had been revoked during the preceding period for inappropriate behavior, adding that inspections and monitoring would continue. In May, the Israeli Embassy in Bangkok told its citizens that officials in Phuket province had been instructed to impose stricter penalties on violators, including visa revocation in serious cases.

The Koh Phangan district administration's statement on Thursday said two police complaints had been filed against Ashuel, and the committee forwarded the case to immigration police.