Thailand cites public order in Koh Samui deportations

Thailand's Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA) says deportation is just one of several tools available to preserve public order, following removal orders against two foreigners connected to a long-running dispute on Koh Samui.

DOPA director-general Nuchara Kosivil said on 10 September 2026, that a 2026 Prime Minister's Office regulation clearly provides for deportation as a measure to maintain public order. He warned that foreigners who break the law could now face stronger legal action.

The two recnt cases concern French national Kevin Dimino and Israeli national Yaacov Ohayon, whose dispute on Koh Samui, Surat Thani, escalated and made headlines for weeks.

For foreigners in Thailand, the comments underline that criminal proceedings are not necessarily the only consequence of alleged misconduct. Immigration and Interior Ministry action can also result in removal from the country where authorities consider an individual to pose a public-order threat.

Orders against Dimino and Ohayon

Mr Ohayon was ordered deported on 4 September after the Interior Ministry cited alleged threats to public order. The Koh Samui Provincial Court had previously sentenced him to up to one month in prison and a 10,000-baht fine for making threats that caused another person to fear for their safety.

After he pleaded guilty and received a sentence reduction, the final penalty was 15 days in prison and a 5,000-baht fine, with the prison term suspended for two years. Mr Ohayon has appealed the deportation order.

Mr Dimino was the second person ordered deported after Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul signed the order on Monday. He had been ordered deported on 7 September over several alleged incidents, including verbally harassing and abusing the owner and teachers of a language school, assaulting a Turkish national and threatening him with a knife.

The Interior Ministry later ordered his deportation, also citing his alleged conduct as a threat to public order.

Mr Dimino, who owns a zoo on Koh Samui, has lived in Thailand for about nine years and is married to a Thai woman, Jindarat. He was taken to Koh Samui police stations for detention pending deportation, while Mr Ohayon was held separately at Bo Phut police station to prevent a confrontation.

Jindarat said she would appeal the deportation order against her husband.

DOPA says cases are individual

Mr Nuchara said many foreigners live peacefully in Thailand and that each case must be considered individually. Asked whether the arrival of Israeli nationals had become a concern, he did not suggest a wider action against any nationality.

He also addressed a Jewish cemetery in Chachoengsao, saying the site had originally been legally authorised. However, its permit was not renewed after it expired because the site no longer met current requirements.

Join the discussion?

11 September 2026