Thai agencies probe tour-package network linked to Phuket Jewish New Year event

Thai authorities are investigating a reported tour-package arrangement linked to a Jewish New Year celebration in Patong, Phuket, after initial plans indicated that about 1,000 people could fly directly from Tel Aviv for the event.

Deputy Interior Minister Polpeer Suwanachawi told Nation TV that the original plan involved gatherings at Chabad Patong and the Novotel Hotel, with as many as 2,000 participants. About half were expected to be local residents and Israeli tourists already in Phuket, while the other 1,000 were reportedly due to arrive from Tel Aviv.

Polpeer said the arrangement appeared to include flights, hotels and transport, raising questions about whether it complied with Thai law. Organisers later reduced the event to about 700 attendees at Chabad Patong.

The Rosh Hashanah celebration is scheduled for 11 September 2026 and was approved by provincial officials after organisers agreed to limit it to five hours, from 16:00 to 21:00, and hold activities on private property. The Chabad Patong community has said it will proceed despite opposition from the Protect Phuket Land group.

Polpeer questioned whether the five-storey venue could accommodate the revised attendance. He estimated that about 400 people could stand on its second floor, but said it remained unclear how all 700 attendees would be accommodated.

Authorities said 50 police officers had been requested to maintain order as local activist groups prepared to protest. Officials also said private religious events fall outside the government's jurisdiction, while stressing the need to monitor reactions from people in Thailand and abroad.

Several agencies are examining the wider activities and possible tourism-related business networks, Polpeer said. The Department of Special Investigation, Anti-Money Laundering Office, National Police and Ministry of Commerce are contributing to the inquiry, which he described as a "network jigsaw". A meeting at Government House is scheduled for 15 September to review the findings.

Polpeer said the review would examine whether the activities generated legitimate economic value in Thailand or involved money leaving the country without benefiting the Thai economy. Officials have said the scrutiny is focused on compliance with Thai law and does not discriminate against any religion or nationality.

As visitors arrived at Chabad Patong on the afternoon of 11 September, local police placed traffic cones along the opposite side of the street to prevent vehicles from parking there.