Surat Thani Officials Seek Visa Revocation Over Samui Conflict
Thai officials are seeking to revoke the visas of a French café owner and Israeli restaurant operator over an escalating dispute involving a Palestinian flag on Koh Samui that has damaged tourism and sparked a 500,000-baht bounty threat.
Security officials in Surat Thani have moved to revoke the visas of two foreigners involved in a dispute centered on a Palestinian flag displayed on Koh Samui, an incident that escalated to include a bounty and is now affecting tourism to the island. The conflict began when Israeli tourists visited a pet café and a dispute erupted with the owner, Kevin, a French national. In response, Kevin hung a Palestinian flag and welcome sign at his café. Jacob, an Israeli restaurant owner, contacted Kevin to have the flag removed but was refused, leading to an argument that Jacob then shared on social media, which sparked legal proceedings. The Koh Samui Provincial Court recently sentenced Jacob to a 5,000-baht fine and two years suspended imprisonment.
Despite mediation efforts by security officials, district administrators, tourism police, immigration officers, and local police to resolve the conflict and have the flag removed, attempts proved unsuccessful. The situation escalated when an Israeli influencer in France announced a 500,000-baht bounty on Kevin, causing the dispute to spread widely. The incident has created a damaging narrative suggesting Israeli tourists are being threatened and that Koh Samui residents do not welcome Israeli visitors, harming both tourism and security.
Lieutenant Colonel Thitipong Inwavasa, Deputy Commander of the Surat Thani Provincial Security Operation Center, clarified that Thailand welcomes tourists of all nationalities but will not tolerate foreigners bringing personal disputes that damage security and tourism. Officials are compiling evidence to present to provincial authorities for visa revocation and deportation of both parties for non-cooperation and creating conflict with potential religious and racial dimensions. Jacob, an Israeli, has held a business visa and operated a restaurant on Koh Samui for five years, while Kevin, a French national married to a Thai woman from Rayong, has run the pet café for approximately nine years.
Meanwhile, Koh Samui Police Commander Panya Nirattimananth reported deploying officers to monitor the pet café and both parties' residences since August 15 to prevent violence, as the personal dispute remains unresolved. Reports also indicate Kevin has prior criminal history, including a September 2024 conviction for doing a motorcycle wheelie, for which he was fined 5,000 baht. Security footage from late July also captured a foreign man in a BMW stopping in front of a residential community to live-stream with a middle finger gesture before driving away.
