Phuket orders seven-day review of Chabad Patong

Phuket authorities have ordered a comprehensive investigation into Chabad Patong to be completed within seven days, according to Deputy Government Spokeswoman Ploytalay Laksameesang.

The review will cover the land, its acquisition, land-use approvals, building permits and commercial permissions relating to trading activities inside Chabad Patong. Authorities will also examine whether its shareholders overlap with those of a company linked to a Jewish cemetery in Phuket.

Laksameesang said available information indicated that the company that built the cemetery had three shareholders or founders, all Israeli nationals who hold Thai citizenship, and that they owned the land. She said the information might be connected to Chabad in Phuket.

The Phuket provincial administration will announce the results of the investigation to the public after it is completed, she said.

Laksameesang also said Phuket had more than 32,000 registered legal entities, including more than 11,000 with foreign shareholders, representing 34.59% of the total. The largest foreign shareholder groups were Russian, Chinese, British, French and Australian.

Of 6,682 legal entities identified as potentially involving nominee shareholders, authorities said there was sufficient evidence to bring cases against 196. Nine cases had received court judgments, six were under consideration and 191 remained under investigation, according to Laksameesang.

She said tighter scrutiny had contributed to a decline of more than 60% in registrations of legal entities with foreign shareholders, while cancellations of legal entities had increased by about 30%.