Pictures courtesy of Daily News

 

Immigration officers in Surat Thani have arrested a 22-year-old Israeli man wanted in his home country for armed robbery. The suspect, identified as Mr. Osher Farhi, was detained at Samui International Airport on 2 November 2025 while attempting to flee the area. Authorities say he faces extradition to Israel to stand trial for serious criminal offences, including robbery with a firearm and drug-related activities.

 

The arrest followed a coordinated operation by Surat Thani Immigration Police and Provincial Investigation officers, led by Pol. Col. Naruwat Phuttawiro, Superintendent of Surat Thani Immigration. The investigation began after The Royal Thai Police received a formal request for assistance from the Police and Security Attaché at the Israeli Embassy in Bangkok. Israeli authorities reported that Farhi and two accomplices had allegedly used firearms to rob, threaten and break into a victim’s home in Israel, stealing valuables including jewellery, passports and a laptop computer.

 

Investigators were able to trace Farhi’s whereabouts in Thailand after detecting a signal from the stolen laptop, which was being used in Koh Samui, Surat Thani Province. Further checks revealed he had a criminal record for drug trafficking and violent offences. Immigration and provincial police began monitoring locations in the island’s Chaweng Beach area, where he was believed to be hiding. Although he had registered to stay at a local hotel in Bo Phut Subdistrict, officers found he was not actually staying there.

 

On 27 October 2025, Farhi reportedly booked a flight from Koh Samui, prompting police to set up surveillance at the airport. When he arrived by taxi on 2 November, officers intercepted him, verified his identity. He was immediately detained under immigration laws pending deportation and extradition proceedings.

 

Pol. Lt. Gen. Phanumas Boonyalak, Commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, reaffirmed the policy of tightening enforcement against foreign nationals committing crimes in Thailand or using the country as a refuge. He emphasised the importance of respecting Thai laws and local culture, warning that foreign offenders will face strict legal action. Authorities confirmed that Farhi will be placed on a blacklist, permanently banning his re-entry into Thailand.

 

 

Key Takeaways

 

• Israeli fugitive Osher Farhi, 22, was arrested at Samui Airport for armed robbery charges in Israel.

• The arrest followed a joint Thai-Israeli police operation tracking a stolen laptop signal to Koh Samui.

• Thai Immigration will deport and blacklist Farhi, preventing future entry into Thailand.

 

Related Stories

 

Two-Israelis-arrested-in-Koh-Phangan-business-raids

 

Two-Israelis-arrested-for-exchanging-fake-dollars-on-Koh-Samui

 

 

  Adapted  by  Asean  Now from Dailynews 2025-11-03

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seems like Thailand is a growing refuge for Israeli criminals.

There was the daily Israeli story! Glad that the result is at least one less.

23 hours ago, JimHuaHin said:

Seems like Thailand is a growing refuge for Israeli criminals.

Seems like it, not only Israelis though. 

1 minute ago, kiwikeith said:

Seems like it, not only Israelis though. 

Lately it seems that it’s mostly been “foreigners” and “Israelis” in the news.

On 11/3/2025 at 8:42 AM, JimHuaHin said:

Seems like Thailand is a growing refuge for Israeli criminals.

Not just Israelis...

Good work by both police forces.

I wonder what religion the person he robbed was.......

Probably the fact Bangkok airways is the only company running and flying from samui made catching him a lot easier to find on their system.

so he used the stolen laptop.  wonder if a VPN would have really hidden it from the web?  But even if it could once vpn was activated he would initially had to have logged in and the laptop would have been visible and some record of its usage would be out there

I am guessing that with a surname like Farhi this guy is an Arab Israeli.

 

If he had been a Jewish Israeli the Jewish Embassy would have ensured his release.

On 11/3/2025 at 6:13 AM, Georgealbert said:

including robbery with a firearm

Quite a lot of robbery with firearms going on in the last two years over there.

 

I wonder how our resident apologists will spin this one?

Perfect candidate for IDF recruit on his return. 

3 hours ago, brian69 said:

I wonder what religion the person he robbed was.......

Jewish,I’m betting this criminal isn’t though.

3 hours ago, Advocate said:

I am guessing that with a surname like Farhi this guy is an Arab Israeli.

 

If he had been a Jewish Israeli the Jewish Embassy would have ensured his release.

 

   Cannot tell whether that post is satire or serious 

Enjoy prison baby!

4 hours ago, MalcolmB said:

Quite a lot of robbery with firearms going on in the last two years over there.

 

I wonder how our resident apologists will spin this one?

 

   It wS  

4 hours ago, MalcolmB said:

Quite a lot of robbery with firearms going on in the last two years over there.

 

I wonder how our resident apologists will spin this one?

 

   Seems like it was a Muslim robbing Jews .

Whose side are you on ?

5 hours ago, Advocate said:

I am guessing that with a surname like Farhi this guy is an Arab Israeli.

 

If he had been a Jewish Israeli the Jewish Embassy would have ensured his release.

First name is Hebrew. Last name Arabic or Hebrew. 

There is no Jewish embassy anywhere and no, Israeli embassies don't have either space lasers or magical powers of getting people Jewish or otherwise released. 

1 hour ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   Cannot tell whether that post is satire or serious 

Simply idiotic. 

4 hours ago, MalcolmB said:

Quite a lot of robbery with firearms going on in the last two years over there.

 

I wonder how our resident apologists will spin this one?

There is nothing to spin. 

A man who happens to be Israeli is accused of a crime.

Nothing more. Nothing less.

Just now, Jingthing said:

There is nothing to spin. 

A man who happens to be Israeli is accused of a crime.

Nothing more. Nothing less.

Yeah except that it's always bad behavior or something negative with 97% of them down south.

Just now, ChaiyaTH said:

Yeah except that it's always bad behavior or something negative with 97% of them down south.

97 percent you say?

Unbelievable. 

16 minutes ago, ChaiyaTH said:

Yeah except that it's always bad behavior or something negative with 97% of them down south.

 

   Well yeah , you don't often read stories like

"Israeli sits in restaurant and eats his food" 

"Israeli buys t-shirt from market and doesn't haggle"

"Israeli swims in the sea"

    All the stories seem to be negative.......................🫠 

7 hours ago, ronster said:

Probably the fact Bangkok airways is the only company running and flying from samui made catching him a lot easier to find on their system.

They received a signal from the laptop,Usa has new software to catch child molesters while using their device so looking like they can track stolen laptops and phones anywhere now

4 hours ago, Nick Carter icp said:

Seems like it was a Muslim robbing Jews .

Whose side are you on ?

I am not concerned by religion.

Only nationality.

An Israeli.

3 hours ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   Well yeah , you don't often read stories like

"Israeli sits in restaurant and eats his food" 

"Israeli buys t-shirt from market and doesn't haggle"

"Israeli swims in the sea"

    All the stories seem to be negative.......................🫠 

I haven’t seen any of those stories.

The only ones I can remember is Israelis go on rampage in emergency room and are deported, Israelis banned from restaurants, resorts and hair shops, Israelis caught counterfeiting, Israeli sexually assaults teen, Israelis operate illegal businesses, Israelis refuse to take off shoes and claim their money built Thailand, Israelis brawl with ladyboys, Israelis ban Thais from entering Chabad, etc etc

 

Have you got links for your stories?

3 hours ago, Jingthing said:

97 percent you say?

Unbelievable. 

I think that would be a reasonable guesstimate from my experience.

24 minutes ago, MalcolmB said:

I haven’t seen any of those stories.

The only ones I can remember is Israelis go on rampage in emergency room and are deported, Israelis banned from restaurants, resorts and hair shops, Israelis caught counterfeiting, Israeli sexually assaults teen, Israelis operate illegal businesses, Israelis refuse to take off shoes and claim their money built Thailand, Israelis brawl with ladyboys, Israelis ban Thais from entering Chabad, etc etc

 

Have you got links for your stories?

 

 

   🙂 Are you winding me up ?

Surely you cannot be serious ?

41 minutes ago, MalcolmB said:

I haven’t seen any of those stories.

The only ones I can remember is Israelis go on rampage in emergency room and are deported, Israelis banned from restaurants, resorts and hair shops, Israelis caught counterfeiting, Israeli sexually assaults teen, Israelis operate illegal businesses, Israelis refuse to take off shoes and claim their money built Thailand, Israelis brawl with ladyboys, Israelis ban Thais from entering Chabad, etc etc

 

Have you got links for your stories?

Good one.

So you're play acting as if you didn’t get the point of that post. Again, you're fooling nobody.

44 minutes ago, MalcolmB said:

I think that would be a reasonable guesstimate from my experience.

Classic.