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Israeli family says Koh Samui park refused entry

An Israeli family visiting Koh Samui says it was refused entry to Samui Exotic Park in Mae Nam because of its nationality, before a confrontation with a man representing the attraction.

Videos shared online on 14 August show the family, who were accompanied by two young daughters, challenging staff at the park entrance. Later posts on the park's official Instagram Story appeared to endorse the exclusion of Israeli visitors.

Family records confrontation

Footage filmed by the mother, and widely circulated online, begins with her speaking to staff behind a counter.

"Because we're from Israel? What have we done to you? We haven't done anything," she says in the recording.

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Picture courtesy of Khoasod

The footage then cuts to a man described as representing the zoo telling the family to leave. "Okay, bye. Bye-bye," he says.

When the woman asks for his name, the man responds with profanity. As she repeats the question, he approaches the group and says: "Move off my place."

The man then appears to attempt to headbutt the woman's husband. She replies, "Okay, okay, we're leaving. We're leaving," before he throws a small white sign in her direction while she continues recording.

Park account posts anti-Israeli imagery

Samui Exotic Park also posted silent CCTV footage of the confrontation, filmed from behind the counter. The wider-angle video appears to show the family, including the two girls, leaving the entrance area after the dispute.

Further Instagram Stories on the park's official account appeared to reinforce its position. One clip showed an Israeli flag carrying a red no-entry symbol beside a shooting target marked with holes.

As the camera moved from the sign to a nearby Free Palestine flag, the person filming could be heard whistling.

Those later posts do not independently confirm the family's account of events before recording began. However, they appeared to show that the attraction's official social-media account supported refusing Israeli visitors after the confrontation.

The park had previously drawn online criticism for displaying Palestinian flags and a "Free Palestine" sign. At that time, Samui Exotic Park said it welcomed visitors of all nationalities, while expecting guests to respect its rules.


Related story

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15 August 2026

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Somjot Gold Member

Somjot

Advanced Member
44 minutes ago, Captain Flack said:

Posts breaking forum rules removed.

Rule 18. Social media content is acceptable in most forums. However, in factual areas such as, but not limited to news, current affairs and health topics, social media cannot be used unless it is from a credible news media source or a government agency and must include a link to the original source.

The source, The Critics Live is a highly active Thai online news and political analysis channel that broadcasts daily updates, in-depth reports, and discussions. The channel streams a variety of programs every day from 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM

Primary Live Stream: The Critics Live YouTube Channel.

The report from which I took the screenshots and translated them is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lms_puTREg0

I live in Thailand and I think it is important for us, no matter if expats or regular visitors, to know how our hosts see certain incidents and not only judge them in our "farang" bubble.

Also I did not want to post the whole report as some parts of it are disturbing.

So, if it is acceptable, please "unremove" my post, as I doubt everyone here understands enough Thai to fully understand the report as even English subtitles sometimes translate it wrong.

And if not, then please remove this post and accept my apologies for wasting your time.

Somjot Gold Member

Somjot

Advanced Member
2 hours ago, Nick Carter icp said:

How many times do you need to have that same discussion ?

You have the same discussion with the same people where you both say exactly the same thing as you said last time .

You are going to say that 70 000 people have been killed .

I am going to say that terrorists were targeted .

You are going to say schools and hospitals were targetted

I will then say Hamas hid in schools and hospitals .

You will then say there is no evidence of that , to prove that you will mention beheaded babies in ovens.

I will then say Israel never claimmed that .

You will then mention Joe Biden claimed it was true ......and on and on and on it will go .

Same as last time .

How many times do you need to go through the process ?

Such a great strategy of soft silencing someone:

"Stop criticizing my misdeeds as I will come up with the same outlandish excuses, ludicrous lies and pathetic explanations as usual."

Did that ever work for you?

KhunHeineken Diamond Member

KhunHeineken

Advanced Member
10 minutes ago, Somjot said:

I live in Thailand and I think it is important for us, no matter if expats or regular visitors, to know how our hosts see certain incidents and not only judge them in our "farang" bubble.

I live in Thailand also, and let's be honest, Thailand only sees money, and they want it, and will take it, from any nationality.

This is why they do their best to stop incidents like this getting into the public domain, mainly over the internet, as it "tarnishes" Thailand's image in the international tourism industry.

Thailand has skirmishes on their southern border, is at war with Cambodia, and has killed and trafficked Rohingya people. I haven't even mentioned the systematic corruption here.

My point is, just keep it real about who our hosts are.

Somjot Gold Member

Somjot

Advanced Member
15 minutes ago, KhunHeineken said:

I live in Thailand also, and let's be honest, Thailand only sees money, and they want it, and will take it, from any nationality.

This is why they do their best to stop incidents like this getting into the public domain, mainly over the internet, as it "tarnishes" Thailand's image in the international tourism industry.

Thailand has skirmishes on their southern border, is at war with Cambodia, and has killed and trafficked Rohingya people. I haven't even mentioned the systematic corruption here.

My point is, just keep it real about who our hosts are.

No offense, but you come over like the typical Farang who lives in Thailand and somehow only looks for facts to feed his negative prejudice towards the host country which always leads me to this question which hasn't been answered till today: “why are you still here?.

1.      Thailand and Cambodia are not in an official state of total war, but experienced major escalations and deadly armed confrontations

2.      Thailand faces a long-running, violent separatist insurgency in its southernmost Malay-Muslim provinces

3.      Thailand´s official policy professes a "zero tolerance" stance against trafficking that’s why in 2017, a high-profile mass trial resulted in the conviction of over 60 people, including a high-ranking Thai military general and local municipal officials, for trafficking Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants.

However, I wasn't writing about Thailand as a country or its policy at their borders but about its people and how they respond to certain incidents in connection with certain nationalities.

Assuming from your nick, that you are not a Malai Muslim insurgent or a trafficked Rohingya refugee this is as real as it can get for people like you and me. 

wensiensheng Platinum Member

wensiensheng

Advanced Member
11 hours ago, hughrection said:

While I do admire the owners for his principals in this regard, the rules in Thailand clearly state that a business owner has a broad legal right to deny entry based on behavioral or safety reasons, but they cannot legally refuse service based on arbitrary or discriminatory grounds.

It seems this family are experiencing the latter. It is unfortunate, but it is the way of the world, and some Thai's feel very strongly about what's going on in that part of the world.

I’m not sure the guy refusing entry is Thai. He seems a genuine Arab or Arab supporter rather than pure Thai.

But anyway I suspect Thai antipathy toward Israelis in Samui is more based on their interactions with Israelis locally, than it is the actions of the Israeli government. A lot of locals don’t like them in Samui based on conversations during my visit a few months back. Not saying it’s right or wrong, just saying that’s how it is.

GoodieAfterDark Silver Member

GoodieAfterDark

Advanced Member
14 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

This is a concept known as blowback, they belong to a nationality that's extremely unpopular these days and there are ramifications. When you come from a nation where the majority of the population serves in the army and commits atrocities against a defenseless civilian population including women and children, there's bound to be some blowback.

This appears to be a private part and all owners have the right to refuse admission to anybody they like.

It is interesting the Israelis always seem to be the Jews getting all the blame for what is happening in Palestine. Obvious that they live there, it is already a good reason for that. But there are a vast network in the West with lots money and influence that turned this possible. People like Jeff Epstein, Donald Trump, and so many others. Many people from different countries serve in the Israel's military. Some get special training and go back to their respective countries and start some shade business like the "baron of cocaine". So many Sayanim in the West helping Israel.

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