Phuket probes Israeli restaurant over refused Thai service claims

9 hours ago, Sato said:

Now I'm confused. This restaurant is acting against Thai law by refusing entry based on nationality, but in another case, that's perfectly legitimate? So, do the laws in Thailand not apply to everyone?

🙂

Have you been to Thailand?

16 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Khetarat said businesses must serve customers equally regardless of nationality. He warned against venues operating exclusively for foreign clients.

He also instructed officers to keep watch on establishments advertising mainly in Hebrew or appearing to target international visitors only.

Doesn't this seem entirely reasonable? I mean this extends to the French guy refusing access to Israelis. But to me, the main message is treat everyone equally. If you have a problem with Israeli or Chinese or whatever visitors, hand them a leaflet in their language that makes it clear that if they vialate the rules they will be expelled. The reaction against the French guy internationally, including fire bombing of his mother's home in France is beyond cowerdly. Let's hope if the cops don't get them, someone else 'will'

2 hours ago, blaze master said:

Does an owner of a business have the right to refuse customers ?

I remember many moons ago, and maybe still today that Thais were not allowed into GoGos on walking street by Thai door staff. Supposedly because they were worried that they could be police, or boyfriends/husbands of the staff inside.

3 minutes ago, Joe Farang said:

I remember many moons ago, and maybe still today that Thais were not allowed into GoGos on walking street by Thai door staff. Supposedly because they were worried that they could be police, or boyfriends/husbands of the staff inside.

So the owners of a private business do have the right to refuse entry.

who said such structures can undermine fair competition.

How can competition be fair when foreign businesses face ownership restrictions that Thai businesses do not? In sectors such as restaurants and hotels, foreign investors may be limited to 49% ownership unless they obtain specific permission or qualify for an exemption. If foreigners are expected to compete fairly with Thai businesses, shouldn't the rules of the game be fair to both sides?

who said such structures can undermine fair competition.

How can competition be fair when foreign businesses face ownership restrictions that Thai businesses do not?

In sectors such as restaurants and hotels, foreign investors may be limited to 49% ownership unless they obtain specific permission or qualify for an exemption.

If foreigners are expected to compete fairly with Thai businesses, shouldn't the rules of the game be fair to both sides?

This would not surprise me at all some Israelis can be quite arrogant.

A friend of mine who lives on Koh Phangan, tells me that the island has more or less been taken over by young Israelis, who hang out in small cliques, and monopolize many restaurants and coffee shops. He tried to enter a temple that they had set up, as he is half Jewish, and he was denied entry after realizing the place was being guarded by seven local policemen, who are obviously being paid off by the local rabbi. They questioned him asked him where he was from and then told him to leave. The locals seem to support them as they are signing two and three year leases, and paying cash in advance for the rentals, as a lot of other people are fleeing the island.

I was over in Phuket over the weekend (awful place, absolutely destroyed by greedy property developers), and there is alot of anger in the place towards Isreali tourists.

Authorities need to listen up and address the concerns. Giving one guy a 5000 baht fine is extremely lenient.

23 hours ago, NorthernRyland said:

when it's your house you get to make the rules.

No you don't if it not 'your house'.

When you are running a business, open to the public, you shouldn't get to make rules regarding who does and doesn't get served, unless it is a private club.

I'm a Yank, old enough to remember when segregation was legal. Ugly bit of racism that took massive efforts and loss of life to get the simple "If you're open for business, you're open to everyone" as law of the land. Then of course we had S African apartheid.

Israélien people seem to be getting a lofs of bad publicity all over Thailand.

Why the sudden invasion ? Lots of agression around and they seem to be defending themselves well enough. I find this new (?) situation very uncomfortable and doesn’t bode well.

20 hours ago, blaze master said:

Does an owner of a business have the right to refuse customers ?

Business owners in Thailand generally have broad practical latitude to refuse service, but their legal right to do so arbitrarily is gray and largely unaddressed by specific public accommodation anti-discrimination statutes.Legal Context and Gray AreasAbsence of Specific Laws: Thailand does not have a comprehensive public accommodation law equivalent to the Civil Rights Act in the United States, meaning general service refusal isn't explicitly codified as illegal based on race, nationality, or background.Consumer Protection Act: Thailand's Consumer Protection Act focuses heavily on commercial fairness, contract safety, and truthful advertising rather than dictating who a private business must let through its doors.Constitutional Principles: While the Thai Constitution upholds human dignity and equality, private businesses routinely turn away specific nationalities, tourists with poor track records, or even locals based on internal policies without facing swift legal repercussions.Acceptable Grounds for RefusalSafety and Order: Owners can legally refuse entry or eject customers whose behavior threatens staff, disrupts operations, or endangers other patrons.Capacity and Dress Codes: Private establishments enforce standard house rules regarding attire, operational hours, or maximum capacity.Discriminatory Policies (De Facto): Some private clubs or venues in tourist hotspots occasionally enforce bans on specific demographics or nationalities due to past conduct, and while socially contested, explicit statutory enforcement against this in private commerce remains rare.

17 hours ago, Joe Farang said:

I remember many moons ago, and maybe still today that Thais were not allowed into GoGos on walking street by Thai door staff. Supposedly because they were worried that they could be police, or boyfriends/husbands of the staff inside.

Years ago, maybe still the case, westerners were not allowed into the Japanese-themed bars on Soi Thaniya (Sala Daeng). The Japanese felt the presence of westerners would make them feel uncomfortable and change the mood of the place.