Surat Thani security officials are seeking visa revocation and deportation for an Israeli restaurant owner and a French businessman after a Palestinian flag dispute on Koh Samui escalated into online threats and concerns for tourism.
Col Thitiphong Inwasa, deputy director of the Internal Security Operations Command in Surat Thani, said on 22 August that officials were preparing information for a provincial committee to consider action against Israeli national Jacob and French national Kevin.
Dispute began at Samui attraction
The row began when an Israeli tourist visited Samui Exotic Park, operated by Kevin, and became involved in an argument with him. Kevin had displayed a Palestinian flag and a sign welcoming Palestinians at the attraction.
Jacob later contacted Kevin and asked him to remove the flag, but Kevin refused. Their exchange was later circulated on social media, bringing the dispute into the public eye and leading to legal action.
The Samui Provincial Court subsequently fined Jacob 5,000 baht and gave him a two-year suspended prison sentence.
Officials said the situation worsened after an Israeli influencer based in France offered a 500,000-baht bounty for information leading to Kevin’s death.
Officials warn of tourism and security impact
According to security officials, the dispute spread widely online and created the impression that Israeli visitors were threatening people on Samui, while local residents were hostile towards Israeli tourists.
They warned that such perceptions could harm Koh Samui's tourism industry and raise security concerns. However, officials stressed that the matter began as a personal dispute between two individuals, not a conflict involving Israeli tourists and local residents.
Authorities also cautioned against attempts to portray the case as a wider anti-Israel issue, saying this could potentially develop into religious or ethnic tensions.
Checkpoints in place since 15 August
Officials cited the pair's failure to cooperate in resolving the dispute, as well as concerns that it could escalate, in seeking the visa review.
Immigration records show Jacob has lived on Koh Samui for about five years on a business visa and operates a restaurant. Kevin, who is married to a Thai woman from Rayong, has lived on the island and run Samui Exotic Park for about nine years.
Samui police have kept security checkpoints outside the attraction and near the two men's homes since 15 August to prevent further confrontations. Authorities said the measures were intended to stop the dispute developing into a wider conflict that could damage Samui's standing as an international tourist destination.
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23 August 2026
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