Thailand's Interior Ministry has confirmed that Israeli nationals, including individuals described as business executives and religious leaders, were granted Thai citizenship more than 10 years ago.
Deputy Interior Minister Pholphir Suwanchawee said on 9 August that officials had found more than one such case and were now conducting a retrospective investigation into whether the citizenship process was legally correct.
The names and further details cannot yet be released because inquiries are still under way, he said.
Ministry examines old citizenship approvals
The review follows claims on a popular social-media page that a network of Israeli people had obtained Thai nationality and Thai national identity cards.
Pholphir said the initial check had established that the individuals in question did genuinely hold Thai citizenship, acquired more than a decade earlier.
At the time their applications were considered, he said, officials would presumably have had documents and evidence that led them to conclude the applicants were qualified for citizenship. However, the Interior Ministry must now look back at whether every part of the process complied with the law.
"Whatever nationality they hold, if they do anything illegal, they will ultimately face legal action," Pholphir said.
Chabad connection and company scrutiny
The deputy minister also addressed reports that those granted citizenship were directors of Chabad, a Jewish religious organisation.
He said they were not Chabad directors, but directors of a company that owns premises where a Chabad facility is located. The company had been registered in the form of another company with nominee characteristics, he said, prompting the investigation.
Authorities are following up on both potentially illegal business operations and financial flows, Pholphir added.
No names have been published and no findings of wrongdoing have been announced. The ministry says its review and investigation must be completed before further details can be disclosed.
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11 August 2026
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