UPDATE: Thailand expands probe into Israeli nationals’ citizenship and Phuket businesses

Thailand’s Interior Ministry has widened its investigation into whether an Israeli national in Phuket lawfully obtained Thai citizenship and whether businesses linked to him complied with Thailand’s rules on foreign business ownership.

Deputy Interior Minister Polapee Suwanchawee said the man obtained Thai citizenship about 10 years ago after submitting documents that led officials to determine that he qualified for nationality. The ministry is examining whether the process complied with the law.

The inquiry follows a Phuket Times report published on 9 August 2026. The report said the man had obtained Thai citizenship and a Thai identification card and was operating businesses in Phuket that reportedly generated more than B5 billion in revenue. It described him as a major businessman and a spiritual and religious leader and linked him to the founder of a Chabad centre in Phuket.

An Instagram post published on 12 August reported that the expanded probe followed a ministry field inspection of a Sabbath centre in Phuket. It said Israeli nationals who obtained Thai citizenship were linked to more than 100 companies, which reportedly generated more than B5 billion in annual revenue.

Polapee disputed the description of the man as a religious leader. He said the man owned the property where the Chabad centre was established, that the property was registered as a business and that the business was suspected of operating through a nominee arrangement. The Interior Ministry will examine that issue alongside the citizenship matter.

The Phuket Times report also described concerns raised by residents about the number of Israeli nationals in Patong, particularly around Rat Uthit 200 Years Road. It said businesses in the area included kosher restaurants, hotels, convenience stores, laundry shops, barbers, gyms, car rental businesses and travel agencies serving Israeli nationals.

The report said access to the Chabad centre was restricted to Israeli nationals, prompting some residents to question its activities. It said those concerns led social media users to call for an investigation into businesses reportedly owned or operated by foreigners in Patong.

Polapee said more than one Israeli national holds Thai citizenship but did not provide further details. He urged the public not to be concerned while the authorities investigate and said anyone found to have broken Thai law would face legal action regardless of nationality.