Thai Deputy Minister Orders Probe Into Israeli Land Purchases

BANGKOK — 22 September 2026, Deputy Interior Minister Phonphir Suwannachawi has ordered authorities to investigate reported land purchases in Thailand's three southernmost provinces by Israeli-linked businesses, saying he wants to establish who owns the properties and their intended use.

Speaking on Tuesday, Phonphir also discussed reports of new Chabad centers being established in southern Thailand and called for checks on their land ownership, construction permits, funding and activities.

He said Thailand currently has around eight or nine Chabad centers nationwide. In Phuket, he had instructed the provincial governor to conduct more thorough inspections.

According to Phonphir, authorities had found irregularities involving permits at a Chabad facility in Phuket, including construction work on the sixth floor. The facility had been given 30 days to obtain the necessary permits or submit the required documents. If it fails to do so, demolition may be required, he said.

Phonphir also said officials had found products being sold at the Phuket Chabad facility that were mostly imported goods without approval from Thailand's Food and Drug Administration (FDA). He questioned how the products had entered the country and said relevant agencies would issue documents to seize the goods and prevent them from being sold.

For Chabad facilities under construction elsewhere in southern Thailand, Phonphir said provincial governors should inspect the sites. He said he had also coordinated with relevant agencies to check whether the land was legally owned, whether construction permits had been properly obtained and where the funding for the projects came from.

He questioned the source of funding for projects that, in his description, were not intended to generate income.

"If they are investing 20 million baht or 100 million baht, I want to know where the money comes from," Phonphir said.

The deputy interior minister also said several members of parliament had approached him with information alleging that an Israeli network, including companies involved in cemetery and other businesses, had purchased land worth nearly 100 million baht across Thailand's three southern border provinces.

Phonphir said he planned to visit the area himself in the near future to investigate who owns the land and why it was purchased.

He said he was concerned that if the properties were used for certain activities, they could potentially lead to tensions involving religion or local culture.

The allegations about the reported land purchases and their intended use have not been independently verified.