An Israeli national accused of offering a bounty against the owner of an open zoo on Koh Samui has had their permission to stay in Thailand revoked, according to Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul.
Speaking before the Cabinet meeting at Government House on 25 August 2026, Mr Surasak said he had received a report on the case, from authorities in Surat Thani province. The visitor involved had had their visa withdrawn and would not be allowed to remain in the country.
He described the move as firm action intended to stop the matter escalating into further problems.
Thailand remains open, but expects respect for laws
The Tourism and Sports Minister also stated that he supported visa revocations where there are clear cases of foreigners breaking the law, ignoring social norms or traditional ways of life, or provoking conflict.
Mr Sorawong said there had been a number of recent disputes in Samui and Phuket had reportedly involved Israelis and local people, but stressed that they concerned the behaviour of particular individuals rather than foreigners generally.
"We definitely welcome tourists of all nationalities, but on the principle that they must respect and comply with our culture and laws. The recent conflicts in those two provinces could be regarded as involving individuals, which need to be properly addressed on a case-by-case basis," he said.
He said explicit breaches should result in visa cancellation to help avoid further unrest in the affected areas. For expats and tourists, the practical message is that ordinary disputes can take more serious consequences if they involve threats, intimidation, public disorder or conduct judged to offend Thai laws and local customs.
He also said Thailand would not accept foreigners promoting national ideologies that could create wider disputes. He described Thailand as a non-conflict country and said visitors should not use it as a platform for such activity.
Minister also addresses southern security concerns
Separately, he said attacks at several locations in the four southern border provinces during the week were not expected to affect Malaysian arrivals for Malaysia's National Day holiday on 31 August.
Although the government had attempted to prevent violence, simultaneous attacks at a wide range of targets had made it difficult to protect every location fully, he said. Malaysian visitors were familiar with similar incidents and would understand that most tourist destinations had not been targeted.
Picture courtesy of Komchadluek
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26 August 2026
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