Authorities inspect Ao Nang restaurant over nominee concerns and Chabad gatherings
A multi-agency team inspected an Ao Nang restaurant over suspected nominee business practices, undocumented Israeli imports and Jewish religious gatherings. Investigators seized food and drinks and are examining a B600,000 bank transfer.
Authorities in Krabi inspected a restaurant in Ao Nang on 29 September 2026 over concerns about possible nominee business practices, undocumented imports and religious gatherings held at the premises.
Krabi Governor Angkura Silathewakul and Police Major General Sukkasem Nakhonwilai, commander of Krabi Provincial Police, led the multi-agency operation at the four-storey commercial building in Mueang Krabi district. The premises are leased by a company registered entirely under Thai ownership and operate as a restaurant serving mainly foreign tourists.
Officials found seven Thai employees, including the manager. They also found food and beverages imported from Israel, mostly through a Chabad centre in Bangkok, without proper customs declaration documents. The items were seized as evidence.
Inspectors found a room converted for Jewish religious ceremonies associated with a Chabad, with capacity for about 20 to 25 people. Staff told authorities that groups of Israeli nationals regularly gathered there on Fridays and Saturdays for meals and religious rites led by an Israeli man named Simon, who lives in Krabi town. Donation signs were displayed around the restaurant, while the upper floors contained small storage rooms with no residential occupants.
Governor Angkura said the inspection was part of measures to address possible nominee businesses and foreign violations of Thai law. He said Jewish religious activities are permissible provided they do not affect national security or public order.
Police are also examining a B600,000 transfer from the restaurant manager to a foreign man identified as Sogrev. The transfer has been retained as evidence while authorities investigate the business’s ownership structure, import practices and related financial transactions. The inquiry remains at the evidence-gathering and preliminary fact-finding stage.
