Police arrested an Israeli man and a Romanian woman after searching an unlicensed childcare centre on Koh Pha Ngan on July 4, following a tip-off that foreign nationals were allegedly operating the business illegally. Officers found 42 foreign children at the Little Panda childcare centre during the inspection.

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The operation formed part of an ongoing crackdown on foreigners allegedly running businesses unlawfully in Surat Thani province. Immigration officers, district officials and Koh Pha Ngan police carried out the search after receiving information from a member of the public.

Inside the centre, officers found children aged between two and six taking part in classroom and outdoor activities under the supervision of Thai and foreign staff. The centre charged 45,000 baht per four-month term and was equipped with classrooms, teaching materials, furniture, meals and an outdoor activity area.

Police said 39-year-old Singkhamorn Wongsasawan identified himself as a childcare employee and assisted officers during the inspection. Authorities counted three Thai nationals, three foreign nationals and 10 Myanmar nationals working at the premises as childcare assistants, gardeners and cleaners.

During the inspection, 55-year-old Israeli national Ziv Radomsky identified himself as the owner of the business. Police said he entered Thailand through Suvarnabhumi Airport on June 7 on a Non-Immigrant Visa O valid until September 4 but was unable to produce either a work permit or a licence to operate a childcare centre.

Investigators alleged Radomsky managed the childcare centre through Sunshine Shop Co., Ltd., with three other company directors handling company documents, bank accounts, tuition fees, communications with parents and company finances.

Officers also examined the documents of 13 foreign workers. Police said 12 had valid documentation, while 25-year-old Romanian national Meda Andreea Capilna was allegedly working outside the conditions of her work permit.

Capilna had entered Thailand on a Non-Immigrant Visa B valid until May 28, 2027, with a work permit as a marketing manager. Investigators alleged she was instead working as a childcare supervisor and coordinating learning activities. During questioning, she said she had worked at Little Panda since about November 2024, received a monthly salary of 33,000 baht from Radomsky and had not notified authorities of a change in employer or job description.

Radomsky also told investigators the childcare centre had been operating since 2024 without an operating licence. He said the business was preparing documents to apply for one and confirmed he managed the company, signed documents, communicated with parents and oversaw its finances despite not holding a work permit.

Daily News reported that police arrested Radomsky and Capilna before charging them with jointly establishing or operating a childcare centre without a licence, working as foreign nationals without work permits, and failing to notify authorities of the employment of a foreign worker within the legally required period.

Pictures courtesy of Daily News

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Adapted by ASEAN Now Dailynews 6 July 2026

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A friend of mine who lives on Koh Phangan, tells me that the island has more or less been taken over by young Israelis, who hang out in small cliques, and monopolize many restaurants and coffee shops. He tried to enter a temple that they had set up, as he is half Jewish, and he was denied entry after realizing the place was being guarded by seven local policemen, who are obviously being paid off by the local rabbi. They questioned him, asked him where he was from and then told him to leave. The locals seem to support them as they are signing two and three year leases, and paying cash in advance for the rentals, as a lot of other people are fleeing the island.

I used to love that island. Gorgeous place. But yikes. Not now, and likely never again. Everything seems to be changing and shifting in today's world.

4 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

42 foreign children at the Little Panda childcare centre

4 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Immigration officers, district officials and Koh Pha Ngan police carried out the search after receiving information from a member of the public. (my bold)

So authorities have no monitoring of their own to detect such illegal and highly visible businesses and fall back to community complaints for enforcement? Perhaps the authorities themselves need review as to reason for their ineffectiveness.

8 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

So authorities have no monitoring of their own to detect such illegal and highly visible businesses and fall back to community complaints for enforcement? Perhaps the authorities themselves need review as to reason for their ineffectiveness.

Members of the public can tip-off police by phoning or sending a text message to 1599 or e-mailing policespokesman(at)police.go.t

The whole complaint structure is that someone has found something wrong or is an injured party rather than the police go looking for something wrong and find something wrong when there isn't.

Wasn't this place raided, or "inspected" just a month or so ago?

I thought the case had gone down the memory-hole as so often happens here after some suitable "fines" are paid.

It is encouraging to see that it is being followed up on.

Send Ziv back to the Promised Land, ASAP.

A variation of the old joke: "A Jew and a gypsy walk into a daycare center....."

I'm curious as to who drafted the lesson plans and what curriculum it included. At least they didn't cheap out on the supervision. Wealthy foreigners arrive at an island full of poor locals and it rains shekels. Can't blame them for turning a blind eye.

4 hours ago, JerryM said:

Members of the public can tip-off police by phoning or sending a text message to 1599 or e-mailing policespokesman(at)police.go.t

The whole complaint structure is that someone has found something wrong or is an injured party rather than the police go looking for something wrong and find something wrong when there isn't.

They call it the Rat-line. (Dog-line if your Australian.)

Think of the children! Sounds like the kids had decent supervision, meals aso. I don't see a problem if the kids are treated well and the parents are satisfied.

u r a muppet,it is illegal,

6 hours ago, JerryM said:

Members of the public can tip-off police by phoning or sending a text message to 1599 or e-mailing policespokesman(at)police.go.t

The whole complaint structure is that someone has found something wrong or is an injured party rather than the police go looking for something wrong and find something wrong when there isn't.

"The whole complaint structure is that someone has found something wrong or is an injured party rather than the police go looking for something wrong and find something wrong when there isn't."

And this has more impact than you think.

The story of Radomsky and Capilna sounds to me as a soft case if breaching the law. OK, it was illegal, but 24 out of 25 foreigners had permits, and the one missing was allowed to do marketing, but did something else.

What i mean is, there are thousands of cases by foreigners far more illegal, and they stay below the surface, because as you stated "...someone found something wrong or is an injured party" has to ring the bell.

Other, much more illegal and criminal businesses are led by people who know how to stay out of the spotlights. The police should search for these cases. The nominee structure in Villa and Land ownerships on Koh Samui, recently in the news, is only the tip of the iceberg.

It sounds like a sizable operation. What a fool not to get it properly licensed.

Off topic troll post removed @suspectdevice

20 hours ago, oustaristocrats said:

The police should search for these cases

Who says they aren't?

Too much whataboutism in threads like this. Why wasn't the daycare licensed? What were they putting into the kids' heads? We live in strange times and the people in charge of this operation was a strange pairing.

On 7/6/2026 at 3:42 PM, oustaristocrats said:

"The whole complaint structure is that someone has found something wrong or is an injured party rather than the police go looking for something wrong and find something wrong when there isn't."

And this has more impact than you think.

Whatever it is I think, it has taken me months to be able to describe the situation above in one sentence. Any previous attempt get the response: Well if XYZ is illegal in Thailand, how come no one is arrested, HUH? Or as one gent likes to put it, if the law isn't enforced then it is irrelevant.

Well maybe now with increased computer horseower to link widely divergent data, that maybe soon not be the case.