French 'Cult Leader' Held for 3-Month Visa Overstay in Thailand

[webfact]

 

Thai police have detained a French tourist, Evariste Doabu Kudukuho, who self-identified as a religious leader and had allegedly overstayed his visa by three months in the popular tourist destination of Koh Pha Ngan, Surat Thani Province.

 

Local authorities reported the arrest came after numerous complaints from residents near Bula Malayu Mosque. Kudukuho, a 39-year-old French national, was actively engaging in and inviting international visitors to join Islamic ceremonies, presenting himself as a spiritual leader.

 

Police Major General Saksira Phueak-am, Commander of the Tourist Police, directed the operations led by Police Lieutenant Colonel Winich Boonchit to apprehend Kudukuho on June 22.

 

The community had grown increasingly concerned by Kudukuho's activities and his apparent encroachment on local religious practices.

 

Residents observed that Kudukuho seemed to reside near the mosque and was recruiting foreign tourists for religious gatherings. These persistent reports prompted the authorities to take action.

 

When officers approached Kudukuho, they noted his anxious demeanour. He claimed his passport was stored in a nearby tent, where he had been living. Upon retrieving it, police discovered that he had entered Thailand on a 30-day tourist visa, which had expired 78 days prior, confirming his illegal overstay.

 

Kudukuho now faces charges for his unauthorized extended stay in Thailand and was transferred to Koh Pha Ngan Police Station for further processing. Authorities are treating the case with gravity, given the potential implications of his activities on the local and tourist communities.

 

In related developments, Thai police have also arrested an Austrian man, Harald Rothauer, for overstaying his visa by over two years in Buriram. Local residents had reported Rothauer for erratic behaviour and harassment, leading to his detention and highlighting an ongoing issue of foreign nationals flouting visa regulations in Thailand.

 

Picture courtesy: True Thai News

 

-- 2024-06-24

 

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[ryandb]

I just knew this would be Koh Phangan but I expected it to be one of the Yogi cults

[save the frogs]

I wonder if cult leaders will be able to stay in thailand on a DTV visa

[cardinalblue]

Guy was living in a tent…a real threat or just low hanging fruit?

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Kudukuho, a 39-year-old French national, was actively engaging in and inviting international visitors to join Islamic ceremonies, presenting himself as a spiritual leader.

Spirit him back to France

[rocketboy2]

27 minutes ago, ryandb said:

I just knew this would be Koh Phangan but I expected it to be one of the Yogi cults

 

Naughty Yogi, maybe, there's a picnic basket.

 

[Mywayboy]

Put him on the first Baguette 🥖 out.

[neeray]

Gotta watch those cult leaders carefully. Some even try to take over political parties and then complete countries with goals of turning the country into a dictatorship.

[ezzra]

All would be well had those cult leaders were preaching for peace and love FOR ALL RELIGIONS,

not for Islam only and hate the others, specially the Jews, as it is very commonly done now days...

[Sig]

36 minutes ago, cardinalblue said:

Guy was living in a tent…a real threat or just low hanging fruit?

Highly doubtful that they viewed him as a threat, but apparently he was making people uncomfortable and if he's overstaying his visa, none of that really matters anyway. He should be booted and banned for at least 5 years IMO.

 

[Sig]

4 minutes ago, AustinRacing said:

You mean deport him back to Africa?……again with “related” news? The cases are not related. 

I believe the intention is to highlight another case that is related regarding people overstaying visas.

[Crash999]

Sacre bleu! 

[Sig]

7 minutes ago, ezzra said:

All would be well had those cult leaders were preaching for peace and love FOR ALL RELIGIONS,

not for Islam only and hate the others, specially the Jews, as it is very commonly done now days...

I could be wrong, of course, but I don't think religion has anything to do with the guy being judged as right or wrong. The issue is his overstaying his visa. The article was only bringing up what the guy was supposedly doing because it is what he was doing that was making people in the community uncomfortable, which is what led to the police finding out that he was overstaying his visa, which is what he will be judged about, not religion.
The case at the end of the article is related, in that it's also a visa overstay case in which the culprit was also doing something against the social norms, which got him reported to the police and they found he was overstaying. If these criminals would have behaved like a decent normal person (which they aren't, so they can't), they probably could have gotten away with living here MUCH longer, regardless of any religion.
I'm glad they'll be gone! And I hope they'll be banned too.

[RichardColeman]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

was actively engaging in and inviting international visitors to join Islamic ceremonies, presenting himself as a spiritual leader.

So, nut job then. Enough of these idiots in France already, not sure Le Pen would want another one back

[roo860]

I think they spelt 'cult' wrong. 🙂

[tandor]

1 hour ago, cardinalblue said:

Guy was living in a tent…a real threat or just low hanging fruit?

cap on the wrong way was a dead give away

[rocketboy2]

58 minutes ago, neeray said:

Gotta watch those cult leaders carefully. Some even try to take over political parties and then complete countries with goals of turning the country into a dictatorship.

 

Yes, keep one eye on them all. 

As very bad things can happen down the road.

 

 

[klauskunkel]

1 hour ago, cardinalblue said:

Guy was living in a tent…a real threat or just low hanging fruit?

Tentative cult leader

[ezzra]

39 minutes ago, Sig said:

I could be wrong, of course, but I don't think religion has anything to do with the guy being judged as right or wrong. The issue is his overstaying his visa.

In general Thailand is very protective of it's religion and don't see too kindly to foreign preachers

trying to sway Thai people's minds from buddhism, so just as well the guy overstayed his visa so

he can kicked out on that reason only for now...(and probably be blacklisted too)

Edited Monday at 12:30 AM by ezzra

[AboutThaim]

1 hour ago, neeray said:

Gotta watch those cult leaders carefully. Some even try to take over political parties and then complete countries with goals of turning the country into a dictatorship.

Or making it great again!  What a diabolical plot!

[Ironmike]

Au revoir now piss off back to France with this idiot

[wensiensheng]

9 minutes ago, ezzra said:

In general Thailand is very protective of it's religion and don't see too kindly to foreign preachers

trying to sway Thai people's minds from buddhism, so just as well the guy overstayed his visa so

he can kicked out on that reason only for now...(and probably be blacklisted too)

Weren’t his activities near a mosque? 
 

which is another of Thailands religions. Very popular in the South.

[soalbundy]

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

Spirit him back to France

His name and his religion indicate that his roots lie further afield.

[Iron Tongue]

1 hour ago, Sig said:

Highly doubtful that they viewed him as a threat, but apparently he was making people uncomfortable and if he's overstaying his visa, none of that really matters anyway. He should be booted and banned for at least 5 years IMO.

 

 

6 hours ago, webfact said:

 

Handcuffs for overstaying?  Ever see that before?  I haven't.

...or could it be because of his skin tone?

 

[charleskerins]

53 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

His name and his religion indicate that his roots lie further afield.

 

55 minutes ago, wensiensheng said:

Weren’t his activities near a mosque? 
 

which is another of Thailands religions. Very popular in the South.

The article says foreigners and Islam is a religion that is practiced in Thailand.

[hotchilli]

54 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

His name and his religion indicate that his roots lie further afield.

Root spread far from the mother-land

[cncltd1973]

sounds like a backpacker trying a hustle, at least he wasn't wearing a robe and carrying an empty basket

[ChaiyaTH]

3 hours ago, save the frogs said:

I wonder if cult leaders will be able to stay in thailand on a DTV visa

They will be able to even do a BOI visa or Elite visa easily, this is the entire reason they can't clean up Phangan as these tourists pay them easily 5-10K for a day or even 50K for a week course in whatever it is. Those with success ones gain a lot cashflow very fast, this fool just mistakingly thought he could play arrogant at a mosque for sure, that is what took him out. He likely expected the European treatment from authorities, thinking he could do whatever forever.

Edited Monday at 02:03 AM by ChaiyaTH

[ryandb]

3 minutes ago, ChaiyaTH said:

They will be able to even do a BOI visa or Elite visa easily, this is the entire reason they can't clean up Phangan as these tourists pay them easily 5-10K for a day or even 50K for a week course in whatever it is. Those with success ones gain a lot cashflow very fast, this fool just mistakingly thought he could play arrogant at a mosque for sure, that is what took him out. He likely expected the European treatment from authorities, thinking he could do whatever forever.

You are right, they have this weird coaching economy on KPG where they feast on the new arrivals or most often broken people trying to find meaning/escapism from their Western lives for a month and drain their savings. 

[rocketboy2]

Send him back to France. ASAP.

 

 

Edited Monday at 02:14 AM by rocketboy2