Anti-Israel rally scheduled in Phuket as organisers intensify rhetoric
A rally is scheduled for October 31 at Saphan Hin in Phuket Town after organisers and supporters issued increasingly hostile statements about Israel, Chabad-linked venues and members of Thailand’s Jewish community.
An anti-Israel rally organised by the Phuket Land Protection Group (PLPG) and the “Reclaim Thailand” group is scheduled to take place from 4pm to 10pm on Saturday, October 31, at Saphan Hin in Phuket Town.
National political activist Akkarawut Kraisisombat, known as “Tae Acheewa”, said in a Facebook post on October 29 that he would attend to state his opposition to Israel. He wrote that he was coming to Phuket “not to help with the flood relief” but to show that he was “not afraid” of Israel.
PLPG leader Saichol Nuchet used stronger language in a separate post, calling for the removal of people who had obtained Thai citizenship and venues associated with Chabad. He described those venues as hubs for fundraising and front operations for what he called an “Israel network”, and called for the network to be eradicated from Thailand.
Former People’s Alliance for Democracy leader Sondhi Limthongkul promoted the rally in a Facebook post on October 30, saying he would attend with Panthep, lawyer Nokkhao and Pichit Chaimongkol, known as “Tum KPT”, along with their teams. The PLPG said the stage at Saphan Hin was ready for the event.
The statements followed a PLPG protest outside Chabad House Patong on September 11 during a Jewish New Year celebration. More than 100 people attended, and anti-Jewish and anti-Israel messages were displayed, according to the report.
Authorities have investigated complaints involving Chabad House Patong, including building-use issues, imported products and business arrangements. A provincial investigation reported on September 30 that preliminary checks had found no irregularities in the financial transactions examined at that stage. Officials identified building-related issues, including the use of a parking-designated area as a restaurant or cafe and an unauthorised rooftop steel structure. Other matters remained under investigation.
Deputy Interior Minister Polapee Suwunchwee, who led the investigations into Chabad House Patong, said on October 29 that Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul had signed an order revoking the Thai citizenship of Joseph Haim Cantor. Polapee identified Cantor as a director and founder of Chabad House, also known as Gan Chabad, and a leader in Thailand’s Jewish community.
The Interior Ministry said the revocation, announced on October 28, followed findings that Cantor had continued using his former US citizenship to enter and leave Australia on 16 occasions, most recently on January 26, 2026. It also cited information from the Department of Special Investigation concerning conduct that could potentially affect national security and economic and social stability.
Polapee ended his post with the hashtag “#LetItEndWithOurGeneration”, which was also used by Saichol in his call for people associated with what he described as an Israeli network to be eradicated from Thailand.
