Immigration police in Surat Thani have arrested an Israeli national accused of dealing drugs to tourists on Koh Phangan, seizing cocaine and several other narcotics during a raid on March 8.

Get today's headlines by email

Police said the suspect, identified himself only as Pedro, was detained in Coconut Lane on Koh Phangan after investigators linked him to a drug distribution network operating on the island. Officers later searched his accommodation and discovered a large quantity of illegal substances, including 389.35 grams of cocaine, some of which appeared as cloudy white blocks believed to have been recently smuggled into Thailand by concealing them inside the body.

Authorities also seized other drugs including ecstasy in both powder and tablet form, ketamine, and cannabis resin. Equipment used for packaging and distributing narcotics was also found in the room, suggesting preparations for sale to tourists visiting the island.

The arrest followed earlier investigations after police apprehended a Brazilian national, also named Pedro, suspected of drug trafficking on Koh Phangan on March 5, 2026. According to Pol Maj Gen Chutharet Yingyongdamrongsakul, commander of Immigration Division 6, the initial arrest led officers to expand their investigation and identify additional foreign nationals believed to be connected to the drug supply network targeting tourists.

Immigration officers from Surat Thani, led by Pol Col Naruawat Phutthawiro, conducted surveillance using CCTV footage and local intelligence to track the suspects. Their investigation eventually led them to the Israeli suspect’s residence, where the drugs were found and seized.

During the operation, police also encountered two other foreign nationals displaying suspicious behaviour near the property. They were later identified as Australian nationals Kian and Mika.

Authorities reported that Kian tested positive for cocaine use and was arrested on charges of illegal drug consumption. Mika allegedly refused to comply with an order from narcotics control officers to undergo a drug test and was subsequently charged with resisting the lawful order of an officer from the Office of the Narcotics Control Board.

All suspects have been transferred to investigators at Koh Phangan Police Station for further legal proceedings. Police confirmed that the seized narcotics were confiscated as evidence and that the case will proceed under Thailand’s strict drug laws.

Pol Maj Gen Chutharet stated that the operation followed directives from the government, including Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and national police chief Pol Gen Kitrat Phanphet, to intensify efforts against transnational crime and foreign nationals violating Thai law.

He added that authorities are continuing to expand the investigation in order to identify additional members of the network and dismantle the drug distribution operation on Koh Phangan. Matichon reported that officials said the crackdown forms part of broader efforts to maintain public safety and protect Thailand’s reputation as a secure tourist destination.

Pictures courtesy of Matichon

Join the discussion?

Already a member?

Adapted by ASEAN Now Matichon 9 Mar 2026

View full record

Tatts and the pyramid hand sign.

Definitely a shady character.

This MF-er never should've never been granted entry to the Kingdom.

Ban for life so he can't kill any more kids with his damned drugs.

Why let him hide his face? He's banged to rights as a drug dealer....

Don't ban him from Thailand... yet. Let him consider the error of his ways with a 10-year stretch in a Thai prison.

Seems that these Israeli "tourists" are competing with the Chinese and Russians to become the largest foreign criminal group in Thailand.

2 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Immigration police in Surat Thani have arrested an Israeli national accused of dealing drugs to tourists on Koh Phangan, seizing cocaine and several other narcotics during a raid on March 8.

Deport him to Iran

It´s the Tattooed Beat Messiah

Seems to be the go to job for Israelis that have left the land they love so much and constantly fight over 🙄🙈

Seems the scumbag tried to throw the Brazilian under the bus...

1 hour ago, JimHuaHin said:

Seems that these Israeli "tourists" are competing with the Chinese and Russians to become the largest foreign criminal group in Thailand.

It didn't take you long to offer a false accusation. How many stories featuring Israeli arrests have you seen in Thaiger/ Asean Now, since November 2025? I believe that this is the first 1. Maybe I missed another one. How many stories have there been of Dutch or Danish tourists since then? 1 each too.. However, how many stories featuring Indians, French Arabs, British Arabs, Australians, non British Arabs have there been? Hint: Most of the crime stories have featured them. Are you going to generalize about them as well?

5 hours ago, Woke to Sounds said:

Tatts and the pyramid hand sign.

Definitely a shady character.

This MF-er never should've never been granted entry to the Kingdom.

Ban for life so he can't kill any more kids with his damned drugs.

I guess Scubba was right about the tats

No doubt the Israeli ambassador will intervene and get this guy on a flight out of Thailand.

5 hours ago, Woke to Sounds said:

Tatts and the pyramid hand sign.

Definitely a shady character.

This MF-er never should've never been granted entry to the Kingdom.

Ban for life so he can't kill any more kids with his damned drugs.

I hope he spends a long time in the Thai prison system before he is then deported

What an ugly piece of scum he is

Antisemites turned him in, right, Yagoda???

Obviously, ex-IDF (they accept all cannon fodder and murderous instinct equally), unless he came here to dodge the draft.

If I was in charge of Border Security I would instruct all officers to take aside al persons with the name Pedro and search their cake hole thoroughly! 💩

7 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

...large quantity of illegal substances, including 389.35 grams of cocaine, some of which appeared as cloudy white blocks believed to have been recently smuggled into Thailand by concealing them inside the body.

Authorities also seized other drugs including ecstasy in both powder and tablet form, ketamine, and cannabis resin. Equipment used for packaging and distributing narcotics was also found in the room, suggesting preparations for sale to tourists visiting the island.

As if arresting this guy 'saved' anyone. Did you notice none of these 'drugs' are addictive. The fact is, nobody in Thailand can afford to snort coke on a regular basis. Only the fatcats and tourists.

MDMA is a party drug, ketamine a weird-ass anaesthetic clinically used for depression. 'Cannabis resin' is hash. I mean, so what?

Looking at this guy, good chance he's a scumbag but that does not speak for the drugs, every one of which is harmless.

Look at the bright side looser - Better than getting caught dealing in Tehran.

2 hours ago, unblocktheplanet said:

As if arresting this guy 'saved' anyone. Did you notice none of these 'drugs' are addictive. The fact is, nobody in Thailand can afford to snort coke on a regular basis. Only the fatcats and tourists.

MDMA is a party drug, ketamine a weird-ass anaesthetic clinically used for depression. 'Cannabis resin' is hash. I mean, so what?

Looking at this guy, good chance he's a scumbag but that does not speak for the drugs, every one of which is harmless.

"As if arresting this guy 'saved' anyone." - agreed. The availability of all these drugs will not be affected in the slightest. For every one person caught dealing in any given place, countless others are still in business. But all the people who have no idea of the actual scale of adult recreational drug use worldwide will all feel like something has actually changed. Political points are garnered. And so it continues.

"MDMA is a party drug, ketamine a weird-ass anaesthetic clinically used for depression" - hmm - I'd say both are party drugs. In small amounts, Ketamine is highly halucinogenic, a fact most often ignored by those jumping on the "why they are taking that? It's a horse traquiliser!" bandwagon.

"the drugs, every one of which is harmless" - I can't agree with this; cocaine is addictive, I've seen the havoc it can cause to people close to me in the past. Ketamine can also prove addictive and heavy use often leads to both mental health issues and serious, permanent bladder damage - you can see the old 'K-heads' walking around the UK music festivals in summer, complete with their colostomy bags attached for the rest of their lives. But MDMA and hash - yup - I am in 100% agreement with your "so what?" on those.

Since we're on the subject, I will take the opportunity to get onto a soapbox and have my usual rant:

But none of this detracts from the real issue; that being that drugs won the war on drugs, decades ago. The proof is plain as day - drug harm has done nothing but increase since Nixon started his fateful folly back in the 60s. The damage to people's lives and society in general this ill advised approach continues to mount, year on year.

Drug harm is a serious issue that affects drug abusers, their families and society in general. Most drug users do so responsibly having done their research. Drug abusers generally fall into one of two categories:

1) Those with untreated mental health issues for whom the side effects of their drug abuse do not (initially) outweigh the relief from the suffering and symptoms of their health issues. Of course, the 'relief' can only ever be temporary, but any addiction or other health issues picked up en-route will linger, long after the 'positive' effects have faded. The initial escape turns into a prison. These people need medical attention, not a criminal conviction.

2) Those who are not sufficiently informed about the substances they are taking and so unknowingly expose themselves to uncessary risks like addiction, overdose or losing control by taking too much and winding up doing something really, really stupid or dangerous.

As I have said many, many times in these forums, if we are to tackle drug harm in all seriousness, we need to forget the fairytale in which a magic wand called "hang em high'' or "lock them up and throw away the key" or "coming down hard didn't work, let's come down even harder" can cut off the supply of drugs. These sort of naive, reactionary approaches have done nothing but criminalise the actions of otherwise law abiding citizens worldwide, thus creating misery, breaking up families and causing more harm and suffering than the actual drugs themselves. Do the world's policy makers honestly think that stopping the occasional shipment and locking up some desparate mule is really helping anyone? In the words of Einstien:

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"

Criminalising drug use, has not, does not and will not ever reduce drug harm. This is a fact. The real solution lies within increasing public awareness around both the nature of drugs (addictiveness, toxicity, warning signs, long term side effects) and most importantly, the need for the provision of effective mental health care. It is a sad fact that the majority of drug addicts (and other drug abusers) are suffering from undiagnosed (or untreated) mental health conditions. They are simply trying to numb their pain - and due to the current global policy towards reducing drug harm, have only unregulated, sometimes contaminated drugs of random / unknown strength and purity available.

Past attempts at education have all failed for one simple reason - they lack any sort of credibility. In true political style, condecending, out of touch messages that insult people's intelligence are foisted upon us. I grew up in a society that told me cannabis was a gateway drug to heroin!

The utter failure of past drug awareness campaigns can be put down to real people living in the real word hearing the 'messages' put out by our oh-so-smart policy makers and instantly calling bull<deleted>. Southpark embodied this effect in a now well know meme quite some time ago. "Just blindly believe us when we say drugs are bad, because we are wise and you are stupid" is the message received, regardless of intent:

It is also worth noting that no well informed, mentally healthy person would deliberately cause themselves harm - so when people inflict drug harm on themselves we have to ask why.

The answer more often than not includes either ignorance and / or a need to numb pain.

The cost of effective mental healthcare and education programs would be far, far less than the billions of tax dollars squandered by governments all around the world every year by authorities still clinging to the absurdly naive notion that locking up the occasional dealer / mule / user will actually reduce drug harm. It has not, does not and will not.

/rant

Another one what a surprise for the monkey house and the country he is from will have many the same inside