3 hours ago, MalcolmB said:

They are banned from many countries. 
And historically been restricted in what they can and can not in many more.

Tell me about one NON-MUSLIM country that banned Israelis from visiting them

Some background on Chabad, the organisation behind the opening of Jewish centres in Pai and Ko Phangan recently:

 

The secrets of Chabad’s global expansion

 

Chabad, in its entirety, raises between $1- and $2-billion a year in donations, just for operating costs, he said.

 

https://thecjn.ca/opinion/perspectives/the-secrets-of-chabads-global-expansion/

 

https://momentmag.com/chabad-thirty-years-later/?srsltid=AfmBOopKKwCedI_jKV5nnjmvqjo30_ujRgiCYp4eYTGpW1Wd5s9MRJ7w

 

https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/2346206/jewish/Facts-and-Statistics.htm

 

Chabad is basically a Jewish missionary organization, with the usual acoutrements, schools, world view teachings, religious life, etc.

6 pages and I'm still wondering why anyone here would be affected by this. Take away prejudice and what do you have? Israelis are everywhere, and I'm guessing most regular ones aren't causing any problems where they live. In NYC, millions visit their delis for sandwiches and food, and no one cares that they're there as they fit in. Law breakers come in all nationalities, races and creeds. 

7 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

6 pages and I'm still wondering why anyone here would be affected by this.

 

A bit surprising, as it's very self evident how we are affected by this. Take Pai, Chabad have promoted Pai as a "Jewish Oasis" in Thailand, which has led to a building of a Chabad house there, which causes major loud noise disturbances for locals and tourists alike.

 

I have also posted many accounts of locals saying their every day life is degraded and disrupted by Israelis smoking weed, giving the middle finger to public order, rioting in hospitals, paying with fake banknotes, parking in areas not designated for this and all of this had created calls for police to target foreigners. Israelis in particular, but all foreigners will be tarred with this "unruly" brush.

 

In addition the massive disproportional presence of Israelis in Pai is offensive in an of itself, as you go there to experience Thai life, not Kosher restaurants, Synagogues and Jewish spirtual life. So the influx of Israelis has massively degraded the tourist experience for Non Jews who wish to visit Pai, only to be disappointed as they are instead confronted with a mini-Tel Aviv.

2 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

I am genuinely surprised, shocked even, at the amount of anti Jewish sentiment on this forum ,  on this thread, and  indeed globally 

 There’s nothing surprising here. Take 2 billion Muslims and add a huge number of good old antisemites from around the world. The funny thing is, Israel is actually a very small country with a tiny population. Yet after reading a thread like this, you’d think Israel were another India or China - Israelis everywhere, supposedly plotting to “conquer” Thailand and who knows where else.

3 hours ago, CallumWK said:

 

The big real estate scams in Pattaya, and probably elsewhere in Thailand, arf run by Israelies.

 

Waterfront, the Avenue residence and centara avenue, all built by Israeli scammers

Great rewiews on those places. Cant afford them?

15 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

Chabad is basically a Jewish missionary organization, with the usual acoutrements, schools, world view teachings, religious life, etc.

Chabad doesnt seek to convert and must, for religiouis reasons, do charity in the local community.

15 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

 

A bit surprising, as it's very self evident how we are affected by this. Take Pai, Chabad have promoted Pai as a "Jewish Oasis" in Thailand, which has led to a building of a Chabad house there, which causes major loud noise disturbances for locals and tourists alike.

 

I have also posted many accounts of locals saying their every day life is degraded and disrupted by Israelis smoking weed, giving the middle finger to public order, rioting in hospitals, paying with fake banknotes, parking in areas not designated for this and all of this had created calls for police to target foreigners. Israelis in particular, but all foreigners will be tarred with this "unruly" brush.

 

In addition the massive disproportional presence of Israelis in Pai is offensive in an of itself, as you go there to experience Thai life, not Kosher restaurants, Synagogues and Jewish spirtual life. So the influx of Israelis has massively degraded the tourist experience for Non Jews who wish to visit Pai, only to be disappointed as they are instead confronted with a mini-Tel Aviv.

But we're expats, and aren't affected by anything besides what hits us personally. If you're actually living in Pai, then you might see how it really is there and not go by second hand opinions. This is Thailand, and it's still up to them what they allow in just like all other countries. If an Israeli did something wrong to someone personally, then they would have a legitimate beef against that Israeli. other than that, it's pissing into the wind.

 

There are many thousands of Thais smoking weed here, along with giving the finger, but what's done about them? Nothing, because no one cares. If you don't want to see Israelis, it's easy to go and find many thousands of other places without them, or at least an abundance of them. Like I mentioned, you go to NYC, or any other large city, you'll see all types of people. In a smaller city, you'll see more, but again, how are they bothering anyone here? When I worked in NYC, and having most of my family from the New York area, I saw them hundreds of times, and they didn't bother anyone besides the prejudiced. As far as crimes, locals can't complain about anyone, as it's mostly them committing them.

7 minutes ago, Hellfire said:

The funny thing is, Israel is actually a very small country with a tiny population

 

This ignores that there are not just jews in Israel but also in the US, Britain, France, Germany, etc., indeed Chabad market their centres not just at Israeli jews, but specifically at all jews, as this means millions more profit for them.

 

 

6 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

Chabad doesnt seek to convert and must, for religiouis reasons, do charity in the local community.

 

Good point, well made, indeed looking at Chabad's website, the idea is more for their centres to serve Jews as a "Jewish home away from home", with spiritual life, schools, kosher food and so on.

 

However, the net result is always an influx of jews, drawn to these Chabad houses, we saw it in Ko Phangan and we see it in Pai. This, given the large influx of jews, of course results in inter-marrying with locals and no doubt conversions to Judaism, even if the ultimate aim is not specifically conversion.

2 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

I am genuinely surprised, shocked even, at the amount of anti Jewish sentiment on this forum ,  on this thread, and  indeed globally 

 

You're falling into the deliberately set trap of conflating complaints about the behavior of Israeli tourists with being anti-Jewish.

 

Nobody's saying anything about the Jews visiting from New York, or Europe, or... or...

 

That's become a tactic to try to back down anyone complaining about the government of Israel by claiming they're antisemitic to shut them up.  Yet, there are anti gub'ment protests all the time in Israel.  I suppose that's anti Jewish sentiment?

 

 

 

11 hours ago, impulse said:

Yet, there are anti gub'ment protests all the time in Israel.  I suppose that's anti Jewish sentiment?

 

And there are some Israelis fleeing and relocating because they oppose their govt's policies. 

 

49 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

 

Yes, they are. They are on a drive to establish Chabad houses in Thailand, there are now 9 Chabad houses in Thailand alone, and of course, they need Israelis to come there to fund these "missionary outposts".

 

Currently, nine Chabad rabbis and several rabbinical students on internships are on hand to assist both residents and transients in all their Jewish needs and wants.

Besides answering to the social and spiritual requirements of a small but vibrant local Jewish community, Chabad of Thailand provides visiting Jews with a home away from home and with sanctuaries of authentic Jewish spirituality. 

 

https://chai.org.au/causes/chabad-of-thailand/

That is so incredibly STUPID.

Chabad goes where the Jews are.

They are not involved in promoting destinations.

Whatever their budget that's for the entire planet.

Say a big number like you do suggesting that's about Pai is garden variety Jew baiting / fear mongering.

As expected.

11 hours ago, Cameroni said:

Good point

 

Well from your link, Thai officials do appear to be concerned about Pai's tourism industry being harmed. 

 

https://www.nationthailand.com/news/tourism/40046434

 

Hotel operator warns against false rumours that could harm Pai’s tourism industry.

7 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

 

This ignores that there are not just jews in Israel but also in the US, Britain, France, Germany, etc., indeed Chabad market their centres not just at Israeli jews, but specifically at all jews, as this means millions more profit for them.

 

 

Chabad is not a profit making entity.

 

I know a whole bunch of Jewish-Americans that never even care that there is a chabad anywhere. Chabad is Orthodox, takes care of religious needs and charitable. If you arent religious or Kosher, why bother.

22 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

But we're expats, and aren't affected by anything besides what hits us personally.

 

That's nonsense of course. I may be an expat, but I certainly would have liked to do tourism in the Pai region. Now, of course, I won't go there. I've experiernced the Chinese bastardisation of Lake Toba, and have no wish to experience the Jewish bastardisation of Pai. This is not an "anti-Jewish" thing, I equally disliked the Chinese takeover in Lake Toba. I go to these places to experience real local culture, not to see Synagogues, Jewish shops, kosher restaurants and such. If I wanted to see that I'd go to Israel.

 

22 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

his is Thailand, and it's still up to them what they allow in just like all other countries.

 

In Chiang Mai people are long aware of the neglect Bangkok practices with the north. This was again evidenced when the residents of Pai complained about the Israeli influx, only to be told by the now disgraced Shinawatra lady that their complaint was nonsense, and equally Anutin made a cursory PR trip to visit Chabad there, and predictably said "no action required".

 

Locals do want this to stop, but Bangkok is not helping them.

 

22 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

here are many thousands of Thais smoking weed here, along with giving the finger, but what's done about them?

 

You know, I wonder if Israelis' rampant and extreme public consumption of weed, has led to the problems which ultimately caused Thailand to reconsider liberalisation of Cannabis laws. If so, this would be a further example of Israelis having ruined it for everyone else.

 

22 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

If you don't want to see Israelis, it's easy to go and find many thousands of other places without them

 

Yes, but I also wanted to go see Pai. Now I can't go there because the place has been turned into a Jewish wedding Disneyland.

 

Even here, in my own city, when I walk through CM I am suddenly confronted by the sight of Thai police guarding the local Chabad house. I don't know about you, but police guarding a Jewish institution does not add to my enjoyment of CM.

 

I will admit that personally, I've had only positive experiences with Jews in CM, and indeed elsewhere, and was never bothered by a Jew personally. Indeed, they've been helpful and very good clients.

Just now, save the frogs said:

 

Well from your link, Thai officials do appear to be concerned about Pai's tourism industry being harmed. 

 

https://www.nationthailand.com/news/tourism/40046434

 

Hotel operator warns against false rumours that could harm Pai’s tourism industry.

Must be Jewish money again, huh LOL

18 minutes ago, Hellfire said:

 There’s nothing surprising here. Take 2 billion Muslims and add a huge number of good old antisemites from around the world. The funny thing is, Israel is actually a very small country with a tiny population. Yet after reading a thread like this, you’d think Israel were another India or China - Israelis everywhere, supposedly plotting to “conquer” Thailand and who knows where else.

Very true. Bizarrely some of the most extremely Jew hating countries in the world contain no Jews.

I met an Isreali family in a restaurant in Chiang Mai. They were dressed in kind of loose light colored cloth clothing for the desert. They had a lot of body hair, like underarm hair and hair on legs. Their child was extremely outgoing and was walking around to tables, bluntly introducing himself and asking questions.

 

It was Ok because it was a young kid, but it just seemed strange. It felt uncomfortable sitting next to their table like I did not know how to react. I am pretty reserved and I think they do communal meals or something...

1 minute ago, Cameroni said:

Even here, in my own city, when walk through CM I am suddenly confronted by the sight of Thai police guarding the local Chabad house. I don't know about you, but police guarding a Jewish institution does not add to my enjoyment of CM.

Gee I wonder why the cops are there LOL. 

3 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

Chabad is not a profit making entity.

 

I know a whole bunch of Jewish-Americans that never even care that there is a chabad anywhere. Chabad is Orthodox, takes care of religious needs and charitable. If you arent religious or Kosher, why bother.

 

So what do they do with the 2 billion USD they raise every year?

11 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

You're falling into the deliberately set trap of conflating complaints about the behavior of Israeli tourists with being anti-Jewish.

 

Nobody's saying anything about the Jews visiting from New York, or Europe, or... or...

 

That's become a tactic to try to back down anyone complaining about the government of Israel by claiming they're antisemitic to shut them up.  Yet, there are anti gub'ment protests all the time in Israel.  I suppose that's anti Jewish sentiment?

 

 

 

 The problem is that every incident involving Israelis gets blown completely out of proportion. Like that ridiculous case — possibly even fabricated — where the owner of some establishment put up a sign saying “No Israelis” after some Israeli supposedly didn’t pay the bill. Why didn’t that owner just put up a sign saying “No men”? That would certainly protect him from at least half of the possible future troubles. All of this is being deliberately amplified by interested groups — namely, Muslims and pathological antisemites of all nationalities.

1 minute ago, Mark1969 said:

They had a lot of body hair, like underarm hair and hair on legs. T

This is a great topic, great for the reputation of this Forum LOL.

1 minute ago, Mark1969 said:

I met an Isreali family in a restaurant in Chiang Mai. They were dressed in kind of raggety light colored cloth clothing. They had a lot of body hair, like underarm hair and hair on legs. Their child was extremely outgoing and was walking arount to tables, bluntly introducing himself and asking questions.

 

It was Ok because it was a young kid, but it just seemed strange. It felt uncomfortable sitting next to their table like I did not know how to react. I am pretty reserved and I think they do communal meals or something...

How scary! Encountering people acting differently than you! Better stay home and buy better locks.

Just now, Cameroni said:

 

So what do they do with the 2 billion USD they raise every year?

I have no idea how much they raise, do you?

7 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

 

So what do they do with the 2 billion USD they raise every year?

Lots of things I expect. All those houses all over the world down run themselves. BTW -- source of that money figure please?

In many places Chabad is the only organized Jewish thing doing at all and for Jews to have prayers a "minion" (mininum number of Jews) is required.

Not too shocking when you're talking about a people that are only .2 percent of the global population.

I will add that yes Chabad is a Jewish thing but they don't represent all Jews.

Many find them too conservatiive (as I do). Also they are not missionaries as Jews don't seek converts by definition (if you want to you'll have to work very hard at making that happen) but yeah they do seek to encourage already Jews to connect or reconnect with their version of the religion. 

I already provided a link upthread that details the source of the 2 billion USD raised by Chabad every year.

 

Chabad, in its entirety, raises between $1- and $2-billion a year in donations, just for operating costs, he said.

 

https://thecjn.ca/opinion/perspectives/the-secrets-of-chabads-global-expansion/

 

So if Chabd spend the 2 bilion on "operating costs" this would be for salaries of people like the Rabbi co-ordinating logistics for Chabad in Thailand, and all the other employees of Chabad. So they are some kind of Jewish cultural franchise that finances itself with donations to the tune 2 billion USD every year. It's incredible.

2 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

 

That's nonsense of course. I may be an expat, but I certainly would have liked to do tourism in the Pai region. Now, of course, I won't go there. I've experiernced the Chinese bastardisation of Lake Toba, and have no wish to experience the Jewish bastardisation of Pai. This is not an "anti-Jewish" thing, I equally disliked the Chinese takeover in Lake Toba. I go to these places to experience real local culture, not to see Synagogues, Jewish shops, kosher restaurants and such. If I wanted to see that I'd go to Israel.

 

 

In Chiang Mai people are long aware of the neglect Bangkok practices with the north. This was again evidenced when the residents of Pai complained about the Israeli influx, only to be told by the now disgraced Shinawatra lady that their complaint was nonsense, and equally Anutin made a cursory PR trip to visit Chabad there, and predictably said "no action required".

 

Locals do want this to stop, but Bangkok is not helping them.

 

 

You know, I wonder if Israelis' rampant and extreme public consumption of weed, has let to the problems which ultimately caused Thailand to reconsider liberalisation of Cannabis laws. If so, this would be a further example of Israelis having ruined it for everyone else.

 

 

Yes, but I also wanted to go see Pai. Now I can't go there because the place has been turned into a Jewish wedding Disneyland.

 

Even here, in my own city, when walk through CM I am suddenly confronted by the sight of Thai police guarding the local Chabad house. I don't know about you, but police guarding a Jewish institution does not add to my enjoyment of CM.

 

I will admit that personally, I've had only positive experiences with Jews in CM, and indeed elsewhere, and was never bothered by a Jew personally. Indeed, they've been helpful and very good clients.

You can't answer for the Thais. and there are thousands of places you can go if Israelis bother you. What are any specific Israelis doing that's hurting any expats here, let alone the Thais, as it's their deal anyway what they want to do about it? Thinking Bangkok or anything else is caring enough to do something as long as money comes in is naive. It's definitely prejudiced thinking, the same with the Russians, Brits, Aussies, Americans, Chinese, Koreans, Cambodians and all others. You have to sit back and ask yourself just why they're bothering you personally. Them, and not any other people.They aren't doing anything to affect us as expats, and the locals, if they want them gone, they'll have to complain to a non listening government who's agenda is tourism, and money from it. 

2 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

So they are some kind of Jewish cultural franchise that finances itself with donations to the tune 2 billion USD every year. It's incredible.

How much does the Catholic Church rake in.

42 minutes ago, Hellfire said:

Tell me about one NON-MUSLIM country that banned Israelis from visiting them

 

Source:  Grok 3 AI.

Out of 28 UN states that don't recognize Israel, 25 are Muslim-majority, and at least 16 enforce passport bans. This stems from the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, UN Partition Plan opposition, and ongoing Palestinian issues—views echoed in non-Western sources like Iran's IRNA (calling it "anti-Zionist unity") and Russian RT (highlighting Global South resistance). Western media (e.g., BBC) notes evolving exceptions via Abraham Accords (UAE, Bahrain normalized in 2020), but core holdouts remain firm. No recent changes as of October 2025; enforcement varies at borders, sometimes leading to detentions.