Activists Plan Phuket Protest Against Israel and Chabad Amid Thai Investigations
Activist groups in Thailand are holding a large protest against Israel and Chabad in Phuket today, amid a widening government investigation into Chabad leadership and local business assets.
Political organizations and activists in Thailand are preparing for a major demonstration against Israel and Chabad, scheduled to take place on Saturday in Phuket. The protest is set to run from 16:00 to 22:00 at Saphan Hin Park in Phuket Town, with participants expected from roughly 20 local and national organizations. Among the prominent figures slated to attend is Sondhi Limthongkul, a well-known political personality in Thailand and former leader of the Yellow Shirts movement.
Ahead of the rally, organizers have escalated their rhetoric against Israelis and Jewish institutions. Saichol Nuchat, one of the protest leaders, called for the expulsion of elements associated with Chabad from Thailand and urged the uprooting of what he termed the Israeli network in the country. Organizers accuse Chabad and Israeli entities of illegal business activities and taking over properties, though these sweeping allegations have not been substantiated by local authorities.
Today's planned demonstration follows a protest held in September outside the Chabad House in Patong, which drew hundreds of participants and featured anti-Israel and anti-Jewish slogans. Due to security concerns, a Rosh Hashanah dinner planned for hundreds of Israelis was canceled at the time. Authorities have not reported any new concrete threats or special police security deployments ahead of today's event.
Meanwhile, Thai Deputy Interior Minister Polaphi Suwancheewin announced that authorities are investigating 19 companies linked to Rabbi Yosef Chaim Kantor, who heads Chabad in Thailand, as well as real estate assets and the citizenship status of his family members. The investigation expanded after Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul revoked the Rabbi's Thai citizenship this week, claiming he continued to use his US citizenship after naturalizing in Thailand in 2013.
Authorities warned that if legal violations are uncovered, asset freezes and forced land sales could follow. Currently, no assets have been seized, and no criminal charges have been filed against the Rabbi in connection with the corporate investigation. Chabad stated that it is challenging the revocation of citizenship through legal means and that Chabad Houses across the country continue to operate as usual.
