Immigration authorities in Phuket raided five businesses in Patong suspected of operating under illegal foreign ownership structures, commonly referred to as “nominee arrangements.”

The Phuket Immigration told the Phuket Express that the operation targeted establishments offering motorcycle rentals, tour programs, barber services, and restaurants. Officials executed search warrants at five locations, primarily along the Phra Baramee Road and the Rat-Uthit 200 Pi Road.

 

 

https://thephuketexpress.com/2025/10/25/israelis-arrested-after-five-businesses-raided-for-suspected-nominee-violations/

The lawyers are going to be busy.

Surprised they are not suspended when caught out doing this.

And a lot of foreigners are losing money.

Falling like dominoes now.

As an ''old hand'' of this country who have been in several business in the 80' and 90' I can tell you that that almost all foreign owned business is on a nominee arrangements, mine were too, but in those years, it didn't mattered unlike now.

7 minutes ago, ezzra said:

As an ''old hand'' of this country who have been in several business in the 80' and 90' I can tell you that that almost all foreign owned business is on a nominee arrangements, mine were too, but in those years, it didn't mattered unlike now.

Yes, it looks like these raids were targeted to a certain demographic that have been in the Thai news a lot this year.

Hopefully they will clean them out and leave the rest of us to carry on as normal.

 

I am envious of your experiences, you would be very interesting to talk to. I imagine things were a lot different here back in the 80s 

 

 

Oldest trick in the book.

 

Turn a blind eye to it, let foreigners get confident enough to invest a ton of money in businesses and then swoop in and confiscate the ones you want. 

7 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Oldest trick in the book.

 

Turn a blind eye to it, let foreigners get confident enough to invest a ton of money in businesses and then swoop in and confiscate the ones you want. 

Perhaps more to it.

As you state they did allow this loophole for many years.

Then the Russians started taking the piss and causing social problems which lead to that crackdown.

The Thai language media has been full of reports of a certain demographic this year and especially in the last month.

That they seem to be targeting on this one group makes me think there is a bit more behind it.

2 hours ago, MalcolmB said:

And a lot of foreigners are losing money.

Falling like dominoes now.

 

I'm sure, Thailand's economic growth next year will benefit from such measures... 😆 

6 minutes ago, StayinThailand2much said:

 

I'm sure, Thailand's economic growth next year will benefit from such measures... 😆 

No doubt the officials in charge of this crackdown will be making a pretty penny.

i don’t think it will show up in official figures though.

2 hours ago, MalcolmB said:

Yes, it looks like these raids were targeted to a certain demographic that have been in the Thai news a lot this year.

Hopefully they will clean them out and leave the rest of us to carry on as normal.

 

I am envious of your experiences, you would be very interesting to talk to. I imagine things were a lot different here back in the 80s 

 

 

In deed, and as Mary Hopkin sang: Those were the days, my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose

Yes, those 80'-90' and early 2000 were a blast,

sadly, they have gone now and not to be back again, ever.

2 minutes ago, ezzra said:

In deed, and as Mary Hopkin sang: Those were the days, my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose

Yes, those 80'-90' and early 2000 were a blast,

sadly, they have gone now and not to be back again, ever.

Have you ever seen the “ No Israeli” signs posted?

Are the current problems different to back in the day or just more of the same?

4 minutes ago, MalcolmB said:

Have you ever seen the “ No Israeli” signs posted?

Are the current problems different to back in the day or just more of the same?

Never ever, back than Israelis were just any other Joe blow on the entertainment strips and no issues in doing any kind of business what so ever much less mentioning Palestine, people didn't know how to spell Palestine, much less where it even was.

but as they say, nothing good last forever and without getting into the why and how, I'm just glad that they were not any Free Palestine parades and marches in Thailand, even though nearly 40 innocents Thai laborers were kidnaped by Hamas, some will never return, even the Thai government kept its mouth shut with no comments what so ever on their people dying i Hamas tunnels, and yet, no marches, no anegre mobs, no burning of synagogues and Jewish centers, Amazing.

15 of the 25 posts made here have been removed.

 

If you cant discuss the topic and prefer to just attack each other and go off topic all the time this can be closed.

I'm afraid that I cannot concur with @ezzra's fantasy. I don't know anything about the 80's, but I was around from the very early 90's and even then the Israeli authorities were forced to publish announcements to remind their people to behave.

54 minutes ago, ezzra said:

I'm just glad that they were not any Free Palestine parades and marches in Thailand,

Er, ah, do you ever watch the news in Thailand?

 

How could you actually miss all this?

Ignorance can be bliss I suppose.

 

Thai Facebook is full of anti Israel stuff and has been for two years.

 

They have had enough of the genocide generally but more recently they are red hot on the Chabad houses and illegal businesses.

 

 

2 minutes ago, MalcolmB said:

Er, ah, do you ever watch the news in Thailand?

 

How could you actually miss all this?

Ignorance can be bliss I suppose.

 

Thai Facebook is full of anti Israel stuff and has been for two years.

 

They have had enough of the genocide generally but more recently they are red hot on the Chabad houses and illegal businesses.

 

 

Any for blokes scanning school gates............🤫

13 minutes ago, MalcolmB said:

Er, ah, do you ever watch the news in Thailand?

 

How could you actually miss all this?

Ignorance can be bliss I suppose.

 

Thai Facebook is full of anti Israel stuff and has been for two years.

 

They have had enough of the genocide generally but more recently they are red hot on the Chabad houses and illegal businesses.

 

 

Thai Islamist extremists. I hope the RTP used this opportunity and compiled a complete list of the participants. These are the same people that may be responsible for deadly attacks against Thai police officers in the southern provinces.

23 minutes ago, MalcolmB said:

Er, ah, do you ever watch the news in Thailand?

 

How could you actually miss all this?

Ignorance can be bliss I suppose.

 

Thai Facebook is full of anti Israel stuff and has been for two years.

 

They have had enough of the genocide generally but more recently they are red hot on the Chabad houses and illegal businesses.

 

 

It is such a pity that most of people who post like this have no idea as to what genocide actually is. Maybe before being so righteous they need to find out the meaning of the word.

49 minutes ago, transam said:

Any for blokes scanning school gates............🤫

For uni students riding motorbikes when it suddenly starts raining you mean?

42 minutes ago, Hellfire said:

Thai Islamist extremists. I hope the RTP used this opportunity and compiled a complete list of the participants. These are the same people that may be responsible for deadly attacks against Thai police officers in the southern provinces.

Complete fabricated nonsense.

Another one who doesn’t follow the Thai news obviously.

The vast majority of the crowds have been non Muslim.

Yipee another Jew bashing thread from @MalcolmB

 

Your racism is endless. 

6 minutes ago, MalcolmB said:

Complete fabricated nonsense.

Another one who doesn’t follow the Thai news obviously.

The vast majority of the crowds have been non Muslim.

I see many people in the photos whose attire clearly indicates their religious affiliation. Which definitely contradicts your statement.

For example, these 3 muslim girls on the photo want to expel all the Israelis from Thailand.

More anti-israeli muslims in the streets of Bangkok:

Even more muslim extremists protesting the peresence of the Jews in the country of Thailand

Face it. No one likes Israelis and with good reason.

6 minutes ago, TopGun10 said:

Face it. No one likes Israelis and with good reason.

Mostly radical Muslims, generational anti-Semites, and left-leaning LGBTQ activists. I feel sorry for you if these are the only groups of people that constitute your social environment.

5 hours ago, JonnyF said:

Oldest trick in the book.

 

Turn a blind eye to it, let foreigners get confident enough to invest a ton of money in businesses and then swoop in and confiscate the ones you want. 

You forget the last part: and rinse and repeat. Anyways, we all know there is not a big issue with this before but nowadays all the house boomers come over as social media told them to do whatever they like and get rich in paradise. This ruined it entirely. 

Before it was just rare young retirees or expats and virtually all of them marry into Thai families. Maybe that does not count as most of those not need nominees either, it's as real as it gets. Nowadays it's some naive farang couple in late 20s or early 30s doing it, without hiring a single Thai, all burmese workers, which is illegal too for foreigners if not meeting the Thai quota. Same cashiers need to be Thai too.

 

Many thais break this rule too, often always are these fat hippo ladies running such places. Many of the places that do way more than 1.8M a year not charge VAT either. Essentially you are forced into bad practices as you can't compete profitable otherwise.

46 minutes ago, TopGun10 said:

Face it. No one likes Israelis and with good reason.

 

In other words, you hate Jews. 

47 minutes ago, Hellfire said:

Even more muslim extremists protesting the peresence of the Jews in the country of Thailand

 

Plenty of non-muslim faces in that crowd. Your photos are extremely selective and biased. Revulsion and disgust with Israel's Holocaust of Gaza and the West Bank over the past 75 years is shared by all decent human beings on this planet, not just muslims.

3 minutes ago, chippendale said:

 

Plenty of non-muslim faces in that crowd. Your photos are extremely selective and biased. Revulsion and disgust with Israel's Holocaust of Gaza and the West Bank over the past 75 years is shared by all decent human beings on this planet, not just muslims.

I don’t believe you. You lie.

1 hour ago, Hellfire said:

I see many people in the photos whose attire clearly indicates their religious affiliation. Which definitely contradicts your statement.

For example, these 3 muslim girls on the photo want to expel all the Israelis from Thailand.

3.

You obviously do not understand the meaning of vast majority.

Watch the news and you will see the reality. I can’t even remember seeing a Muslim on the TV discussing the problem, always non Muslims. 
 

Don’t make stuff up.