Foreigners Accused of Illegal Business Control on Koh Phangan

2 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

these groups have set their own informal rules in some areas and, in certain cases, shown disregard for local laws and cultural norms. Complaints include unfair business competition due to greater access to foreign capital, as well as disruptive behaviour such as excessive noise and conflicts with locals.

What is the difference with the netizens?? They also disregard the laws and rules. A few days ago we could read that a lot of businesses in the entertainment venue were not licensed. And which local is following the law and rules no matter which one..

and than the disruptive behavior as excessive noise... Thai people are the noise polluters all over the country.How many times have we read that the festivals, parties and activities have too many decibels ?? just now in my place Robinson Shopping Centre has an activity of 3 days music festival. From my house as the crow flies 3 km away, but I have to turn up the sound volume of my TV as it seems they are in my soi... So why complain about things the netizens are doing???

And Thailand should be happy that foreign money is brought into the country. But the conservative attitude and laws will hold the country back from any progress..

Do in Rome as the Romans do, but here in Thailand sadly enough only the Romans can do, and all others are culprits

From what I see online from friends posts and complaints it seems half of Israel is living there now and treating the island like it's theirs.

Then add the amount of Israelis that seem to get busted working in jobs they shouldn't be doing or dealing drugs . I wonder if immigration ever go to the bars and clubs on the island and check work permits for DJs , as I constantly see places where the DJ seems to change every hour and would bet my life most don't have a work permit and think they can DJ as they do it for free at times.

KPY has always had a wild west kind of feel to it. Even 10 to 15 yrs ago. Near the resort called 'The Sancutuary' which has been owned by a British couple for ages, they have many foreigners working unofficially as yoga teachers and therapists. Theres a huge party close to that resort with many different DJ's. I think envelopes are passed by someone to allow all this. I think its ok.

3 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

What is the difference with the netizens?? They also disregard the laws and rules. A few days ago we could read that a lot of businesses in the entertainment venue were not licensed. And which local is following the law and rules no matter which one..

and than the disruptive behavior as excessive noise... Thai people are the noise polluters all over the country.How many times have we read that the festivals, parties and activities have too many decibels ?? just now in my place Robinson Shopping Centre has an activity of 3 days music festival. From my house as the crow flies 3 km away, but I have to turn up the sound volume of my TV as it seems they are in my soi... So why complain about things the netizens are doing???

And Thailand should be happy that foreign money is brought into the country. But the conservative attitude and laws will hold the country back from any progress..

Do in Rome as the Romans do, but here in Thailand sadly enough only the Romans can do, and all others are culprits

sure all others are culprits since they are farang and have no license!

this is the way it is and honestly i think it's the right way.

let other farangs stay long time in Tland without money? why? you try that in another country...

so K.P. is like a magnet to farangs, they cán go there but they can't do any bizz...

take it or leave it

8 minutes ago, khunpeer said:

sure all others are culprits since they are farang and have no license!

this is the way it is and honestly i think it's the right way.

let other farangs stay long time in Tland without money? why? you try that in another country...

so K.P. is like a magnet to farangs, they cán go there but they can't do any bizz...

take it or leave it

But there are always Thais involved. If not it is just impossible to start a business here. Indeed rules and laws must be followed, but maybe they should start with the netizens as many don't do it. Niw being involved with foreigbers the foreigners are the culprits but own people are not to blame

1 hour ago, ronster said:

From what I see online from friends posts and complaints it seems half of Israel is living there now and treating the island like it's theirs.

Then add the amount of Israelis that seem to get busted working in jobs they shouldn't be doing or dealing drugs . I wonder if immigration ever go to the bars and clubs on the island and check work permits for DJs , as I constantly see places where the DJ seems to change every hour and would bet my life most don't have a work permit and think they can DJ as they do it for free at times.

You are using this issue as an opportunity to push disinformation Go over the news for the past 12 months. The number of Israelis is negligible compared to the Europeans caught violating immigration and business rules. Of the Europeans caught, no one from Spain, Bulgaria, lithuania, Romania, Hungary and many other EU states has been caught. However, Italians, and Germans have.

37 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

You are using this issue as an opportunity to push disinformation Go over the news for the past 12 months. The number of Israelis is negligible compared to the Europeans caught violating immigration and business rules. Of the Europeans caught, no one from Spain, Bulgaria, lithuania, Romania, Hungary and many other EU states has been caught. However, Italians, and Germans have.

Nonsense. Almost all of the large drugs cases were Israeli as were the people running companies using nominees or just working illegally.

This is a serious matter. Any foreigner in violation of Thailand's business laws should have all their assets confiscated, their Thai bank balances seized and be permanently banned from Thailand. Obviously, this should not apply to the Chinese.

What locals are left on KPG? There are some families who own most of the land (and are making a fortune leasing it to these foreigners) and then Burmese workers.

This is nothing new. Cheap Charlie here took his sweet, young wife to Ko Phangan to honeymoon, in 1990. All was already taken over by foreigners with Thai business partners.

I used to live on Samui and I used to spend a fair amount of time on Phangan. I have friends who live there and they tell me that the island is essentially controlled by Russians and Israelis at this point. The Israelis have set up their own Temple which is guarded by the local police department and they control a lot of business interests. Samui, KPG and Dark Tao have always been relatively lawless, and the police are available for a price and the laws are made to be circumvented.

I don't know how much influence the locals still hold there, as the presence of tourists and ex-pats are so rampant.

5 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

But there are always Thais involved. If not it is just impossible to start a business here. Indeed rules and laws must be followed, but maybe they should start with the netizens as many don't do it. Niw being involved with foreigbers the foreigners are the culprits but own people are not to blame

If you want to follow Thai laws by the book, you open a bar, for example. You are supposed to own it only. You can't help in any way, you can't clean the floor, you can't hang a picture. All these jobs need to be done by Thais. Do you get the gist of the situation?

First thing to consider, is who has the money to spend on various services in Thailand. Of course, the foreigners.

Next, what language do these foreigners speak mostly ?

Third, do the local services run by locals have sufficient proficency in English ?

So start by teaching better english to the locals. Make the local merchant websites in better english. Respect fair trade policies like giving the refund if not satisfied, not overcharging, not cheating with low grade materials, unqualified staff, or unfinished jobs, bad food etc etc etc...

And then the foreigners who spend big money in Thailand who are mostly the foreigner retirees who own house or condo....then they will start to use local Thai services.

Simple.

5 hours ago, ronster said:

Nonsense. Almost all of the large drugs cases were Israeli as were the people running companies using nominees or just working illegally.

Really??? I read this forum everyday, not much about Israeli Drug Dealers, care to share some of the storeies?? Might add a bit of credibility to your claim of Israeli drug dealers. Peace

41 minutes ago, Shocked farang said:

If you want to follow Thai laws by the book, you open a bar, for example. You are supposed to own it only. You can't help in any way, you can't clean the floor, you can't hang a picture. All these jobs need to be done by Thais. Do you get the gist of the situation?

I know and you have only 49% of the shares. The result of outdated laws and protectionism. Even Thais can't follow the laws as many businesses are operating illegal

10 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

What is the difference with the netizens?? They also disregard the laws and rules. A few days ago we could read that a lot of businesses in the entertainment venue were not licensed. And which local is following the law and rules no matter which one..

and than the disruptive behavior as excessive noise... Thai people are the noise polluters all over the country.How many times have we read that the festivals, parties and activities have too many decibels ?? just now in my place Robinson Shopping Centre has an activity of 3 days music festival. From my house as the crow flies 3 km away, but I have to turn up the sound volume of my TV as it seems they are in my soi... So why complain about things the netizens are doing???

And Thailand should be happy that foreign money is brought into the country. But the conservative attitude and laws will hold the country back from any progress..

Do in Rome as the Romans do, but here in Thailand sadly enough only the Romans can do, and all others are culprits

Sounds Israeli to me.

Many tourist destinations in Thailand are dominated by or afflicted with large numbers of foreigners running semi-legitimate businesses.

They usually offer tourist-based activities and services that are not previously familiar in Thailand – e.g., water sports, scuba, gyms and "alternative" therapies, quack therapies, yoga and "self-improvement" classes. They also run childcare facilities (which is very disturbing!).

Another field is construction and home improvement – which certainly seems to have a very broad interpretation of what foreigners can or cannot do.

A lot of the gyms are run by British ex-military; jet skis seem to be the Russians'. The alternative side is ex-hippies from the UK, the EU and the States – yachting/boating has a maze of regulations that foreigners look like they are complying with...on the surface.

Some nationalities provide services for their countrymen – in the form of eateries catering and bars

A lot of bribery goes on with local enforcement – either between the business itself or, more often, using an "agent" as an intermediary.

The result is most of these businesses are running outside or on the grey edge of the law and don't conform to proper safety regulations or any professional certification.

Thailand has a strict legal framework regarding foreign labour, with a specific "List of Occupations Prohibited for Foreigners". Generally, foreigners are restricted from performing unskilled labour, traditional crafts, or roles that can be filled by Thai nationals, and it is fairly obvious that in places like KPN and Samui there are many foreigners engaged in work that is in reality outside what the law intends.

48 minutes ago, Explorator en Action said:

Really??? I read this forum everyday, not much about Israeli Drug Dealers, care to share some of the storeies?? Might add a bit of credibility to your claim of Israeli drug dealers. Peace

Try Google or Thai news . 🙄

6 hours ago, ronster said:

Nonsense. Almost all of the large drugs cases were Israeli as were the people running companies using nominees or just working illegally.

If we’re already on the topic of our Israeli friends : last week, a video by a Filipino from Siargao, a well-known surfing paradise, spread on TikTok and Facebook and at times came across almost like a cry for help. In it, he alleges that Israelis are increasingly dominating his island and often behaving in a disrespectful and arrogant manner. He also raises concerns about problematic developments related to drugs.

2 minutes ago, Feingeist said:

If we’re already on the topic of our Israeli friends : last week, a video by a Filipino from Siargao, a well-known surfing paradise, spread on TikTok and Facebook and at times came across almost like a cry for help. In it, he alleges that Israelis are increasingly dominating his island and often behaving in a disrespectful and arrogant manner. He also raises concerns about problematic developments related to drugs.

There is a thread bout that on these forums .

Some Isrealis jumped of bridge into the water below

12 hours ago, ronster said:

Nonsense. Almost all of the large drugs cases were Israeli as were the people running companies using nominees or just working illegally.

Name them. In the past 12 months, how many cases were there, and who were the people arrested and charged? There was one big case in February where Shay Alfasi a North African of Israeli nationality, age 42, owner of a bar and restaurant in the Hat Hin Kong area. He was arrested with 2 Australians for cannabis trafficking. They were alleged to be selling drugs via Whatsapp. The same event has been referenced in multiple social media postings as if they were multiple events.

The Israelis have almost exclusively been associated with cannabis. Hardly, the most dangerous of regulated drugs.

On the other hand, Thaiger reported on the Russian DJ accused of operating a drug sales network through Telegram, in what authorities describe as a highly organised scheme tailored to the island’s party scene. According to investigators, the suspect allegedly used automated messaging, digital payments and GPS-marked drop points to distribute narcotics without needing direct face-to-face exchange. Officers said they seized a range of substances including cocaine, ketamine, MDMA and colourful 2CB pills,

The March 5 arrest of the Brazillian dealer exposed a foreign drug trafficking network that was part of a Russian gang scheme. An Israeli dealer was picked up. He was alleged to be working for the Russian gang like the Brazilian. A German national was arrested too.

The Thai Examiner has explained what has been happening. The drug trafficking is no worse than before. However, the trafficking format changed. Police stressed that the activity differs from traditional Thai-to-Thai drug distribution. Instead, officers say the emerging pattern involves foreign dealers selling primarily to foreign customers. Consequently, investigators describe the trend as a new form of criminal activity within the tourism economy. In effect, what we see is that the local Thai traffickers resent losing their trade to sophisticated foreign drug traffickers who are using technology to connect with and to deliver to customers. The local Thais resent that they cannot sell their adulterated and low quality drugs to foreigners. And then along you to turn this into an opportunity to go Israeli bashing. And of course, you are joined by the usual gang of angry uneducated nonces who do not understand what is going on.

7 hours ago, Ubonian Canadian said:

Sounds Israeli to me.

And yet the only notable drug seizure reported this week was one of your fellow Canadians nicked at BKK airport. Try again. Sounds to me like you are an opportunistic bigot, who needs to be called out.

There was major bust on KPN in February; an Israeli was allegedly the boss.

For decades Israelis have come to Thailand for R&R after national service, in particular Samui and KPN... Unfortunately, they do seem to have been debriefed and carry on with their Mossad/military mindset – which, of course, meant manipulating crime and the underworld in Palestine. /Setting up drug dealerships is second nature.

1 hour ago, Patong2021 said:

Name them. In the past 12 months,

the BIB seem to be dismantling some pretty heavy-duty Israeli organised lately

Here’s a quick rundown of busts involving Israelis over the last few months:

The "Socks" Syndicate (Feb '26): A 42-year-old Israeli restaurant owner, Shai Alfasi, got nabbed with a massive haul worth 50 million baht. He was apparently running a "mafia-style" setup via WhatsApp Business, leaving drugs hidden in socks at drop-off points. Talk about a "dirty laundry" business model.

The "Labubu" Raid (Jan '26): Remember those popular art toys? Police raided a luxury villa after noise complaints and found Labubu-shaped pills—a nasty cocktail of MDMA, ketamine, and coke. Four guys in their late 20s were hauled off.

The OnlyFans/Festival Connection (Jan '26): Another villa raid saw four Israelis detained, including an OnlyFans model and a Supernova survivor. They ended up flipping on their 48-year-old "supplier," who was caught with a stash of cash and gear at his house.

Coconut Lane Bust (March '26): Just in time for the Full Moon Party, a guy was caught on Coconut Lane with 390g of the usual suspects (coke, ecstasy, K). Two Aussies were also caught up in that net.

The 77% THC "Extract" (March '26): Over in Krabi, an Israeli businessman got caught at a cannabis farm producing extracts with 77% THC. That’s a far cry from the legal 0.2% limit.

It looks like Thai authorities are working directly with Israeli security officials to clean house.  Or divide and spoil  - Most of these guys are looking at immediate visa revocation, deportation, and a permanent "no-go" stamp for Thailand.

Is it just a seasonal crackdown, or are the authorities finally getting serious about the "foreign mafia" influence on the islands? As Thai police will look after their own self-interest, it looks like the Israelis stuck their heads to high over the parapet.

9 hours ago, Sigmund said:

First thing to consider, is who has the money to spend on various services in Thailand. Of course, the foreigners.

Next, what language do these foreigners speak mostly ?

Third, do the local services run by locals have sufficient proficency in English ?

So start by teaching better english to the locals. Make the local merchant websites in better english. Respect fair trade policies like giving the refund if not satisfied, not overcharging, not cheating with low grade materials, unqualified staff, or unfinished jobs, bad food etc etc etc...

And then the foreigners who spend big money in Thailand who are mostly the foreigner retirees who own house or condo....then they will start to use local Thai services.

Simple.

sounds like racist nonsense to me

6 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

Name them. In the past 12 months, how many cases were there, and who were the people arrested and charged? There was one big case in February where Shay Alfasi a North African of Israeli nationality, age 42, owner of a bar and restaurant in the Hat Hin Kong area. He was arrested with 2 Australians for cannabis trafficking. They were alleged to be selling drugs via Whatsapp. The same event has been referenced in multiple social media postings as if they were multiple events.

The Israelis have almost exclusively been associated with cannabis. Hardly, the most dangerous of regulated drugs.

On the other hand, Thaiger reported on the Russian DJ accused of operating a drug sales network through Telegram, in what authorities describe as a highly organised scheme tailored to the island’s party scene. According to investigators, the suspect allegedly used automated messaging, digital payments and GPS-marked drop points to distribute narcotics without needing direct face-to-face exchange. Officers said they seized a range of substances including cocaine, ketamine, MDMA and colourful 2CB pills,

The March 5 arrest of the Brazillian dealer exposed a foreign drug trafficking network that was part of a Russian gang scheme. An Israeli dealer was picked up. He was alleged to be working for the Russian gang like the Brazilian. A German national was arrested too.

The Thai Examiner has explained what has been happening. The drug trafficking is no worse than before. However, the trafficking format changed. Police stressed that the activity differs from traditional Thai-to-Thai drug distribution. Instead, officers say the emerging pattern involves foreign dealers selling primarily to foreign customers. Consequently, investigators describe the trend as a new form of criminal activity within the tourism economy. In effect, what we see is that the local Thai traffickers resent losing their trade to sophisticated foreign drug traffickers who are using technology to connect with and to deliver to customers. The local Thais resent that they cannot sell their adulterated and low quality drugs to foreigners. And then along you to turn this into an opportunity to go Israeli bashing. And of course, you are joined by the usual gang of angry uneducated nonces who do not understand what is going on.

And yet the only notable drug seizure reported this week was one of your fellow Canadians nicked at BKK airport. Try again. Sounds to me like you are an opportunistic bigot, who needs to be called out.

If you say so 😂

Keep trying to defend the criminals , there will be more caught from Israel over the coming months on the islands than most other nationalities I would bet .

It's nothing to do with nationality bashing , it's a fact !!

14 hours ago, kwilco said:

For decades Israelis have come to Thailand for R&R after national service, in particular Samui and KPN... Unfortunately, they do seem to have been debriefed and carry on with their Mossad/military mindset – which, of course, meant manipulating crime and the underworld in Palestine. /Setting up drug dealerships is second nature.

error!

", they do seem to have been debriefed" should read... ",

"they do NOT seem to have been debriefed."

One word = Hypocrisy . Simply another free dinner 😂😂😂

On 4/25/2026 at 2:31 AM, ronster said:

From what I see online from friends posts and complaints it seems half of Israel is living there now and treating the island like it's theirs.

Then add the amount of Israelis that seem to get busted working in jobs they shouldn't be doing or dealing drugs . I wonder if immigration ever go to the bars and clubs on the island and check work permits for DJs , as I constantly see places where the DJ seems to change every hour and would bet my life most don't have a work permit and think they can DJ as they do it for free at times.

Such a nasty xenophobic post! What the hell suggested in the news article points to our Jewish Israeli brothers? You should be ashamed. Thais hate competition and dispise when someone is doing better than them. Where I used to live a popular night spot was shot up by drive by twice (until two people were actually shot) then months later a noodle shop which opened and was doing great trad it too was shot up.... so please, its in Thai nature.

On 4/25/2026 at 2:31 AM, ronster said:

From what I see online from friends posts and complaints it seems half of Israel is living there now and treating the island like it's theirs.

Then add the amount of Israelis that seem to get busted working in jobs they shouldn't be doing or dealing drugs . I wonder if immigration ever go to the bars and clubs on the island and check work permits for DJs , as I constantly see places where the DJ seems to change every hour and would bet my life most don't have a work permit and think they can DJ as they do it for free at times.

The authorities should know and probably do. Why has nothing been done ?

Thailand has community people everywhere, there is nothing you can do without someone knowing. If you open a bar tomorrow, someone will know who is running it and how it is operating.

We all know what's going on.