Deputy Interior Minister Worasit warns foreigners nobody is above Thai law after an Israeli man was charged with threatening a Koh Samui business owner. He vows to protect Thais from intimidation as police order strict enforcement.
Deputy Interior Minister Worasit Liengprasit has issued a blunt warning to foreign tourists and expatriates after an Israeli man was charged with threatening a Koh Samui business owner. He vowed to protect Thais from intimidation, declaring that no one was above Thai law, regardless of nationality. The August 5 confrontation triggered a multi-agency operation involving police, immigration and district officials. Surat Thani’s police chief has also ordered strict enforcement to protect public safety and Koh Samui’s tourism image. Mr Worasit stressed the action was not racial and foreigners remained welcome. However, unacceptable behaviour would face the law without exception. During Saturday’s visit, he also pledged action on Koh Samui’s tap-water shortage.
A cabinet minister has again warned foreign nationals against abusing their position as tourists or expatriates in Thailand. Deputy Interior Minister Worasit Liengprasit said Thai people must be protected from intimidation and bullying. He also insisted that everyone must respect Thai law, regardless of nationality.
His warning followed a confrontation between an Israeli man and a business owner on Koh Samui. The dispute triggered a multi-agency investigation on Wednesday, August 5. Police subsequently registered a criminal case against the Israeli national over threats made against the owner.
On Saturday, Mr Worasit travelled to Koh Samui and reviewed the official response. He chaired a meeting at the Koh Samui District Administration Office in Surat Thani province. Officials also briefed him on wider problems affecting residents across the holiday island.
Worasit says Thai law applies to all as agencies investigate threats against Koh Samui business owner
Notably, Mr Worasit said the government would not tolerate people acting above the law. However, he stressed that the August 5 case was not about ethnicity. Instead, enforcement must depend on behaviour and compliance with Thai law.
The confrontation emerged publicly after reports circulated on social media. According to officials, the Israeli man threatened a Koh Samui business owner with physical harm. He was also accused of attempting to force the owner to close the business.
In response, Koh Samui District Chief Amorn Chumchay led an investigation that afternoon. The operation began at approximately 2.10 pm on August 5. Koh Samui Police Station officers joined district officials in examining the confrontation.
As part of this, officials from several other government agencies joined the investigation. They included the Forestry Department and the Department of Livestock Development. Administrative officials also participated in the operation.
Separately, the Surat Thani Immigration Office on Koh Samui became involved in establishing the facts. Officers then apprehended the Israeli national and brought him in for questioning. Officials also arranged a reconciliation meeting between the man and the business owner.
Israeli man faces criminal charge after reconciliation meeting fails to halt Koh Samui police action
Despite that meeting, the dispute proceeded into the criminal justice system. An investigating officer formally registered a complaint following the confrontation. Police recorded the matter as criminal case number 364/2569.
The Israeli man was then charged with causing fear and alarm to another person through threats. Police proceeded with legal action following the complaint. The supplied information did not identify the foreign national by name.
Three days later, Mr Worasit put the incident firmly on the agenda during his Koh Samui visit. He reviewed the investigation and response by the agencies involved. Those agencies included police, immigration officers and local administrative officials.
Furthermore, Forestry Department and Livestock Department officials had participated in the investigation. Mr Worasit said investigating officers acted promptly after examining the circumstances. He said their subsequent legal action was intended to ensure justice within society.
Deputy Interior Minister rejects racial dimension and vows protection from bullying on Koh Samui
At the same time, the Deputy Interior Minister rejected any racial dimension to the government’s response. He said nationality was irrelevant when somebody behaved improperly. Likewise, nobody should be permitted to place themselves above Thai law.
“This is our home, and we must all help protect it,” Mr Worasit said.
His comments also focused on protecting Thai people from bullying and intimidation. Yet he stressed that enforcement should apply equally, regardless of ethnicity. Anyone behaving inappropriately must face the law, he said.
In parallel, Mr Worasit highlighted Koh Samui’s importance as a major Thai tourism destination. He said unacceptable conduct could damage the island’s reputation. Therefore, residents and government agencies needed to work together to protect it.
“Let me reiterate that anyone who behaves inappropriately must be dealt with according to the law without exception,” he said.
Mr Worasit then delivered a direct warning about behaviour on the island.
Worasit warns unacceptable behaviour cannot be allowed to damage Koh Samui’s wider tourism reputation
“Because here in Koh Samui, one of Thailand’s top tourist destinations, we cannot allow inappropriate or unacceptable behaviour to harm our home,” he said.
He also linked law enforcement with protecting Koh Samui’s wider tourism image. The island must remain welcoming for people living there and those visiting it.
“We must all work together to maintain the overall image of Koh Samui as a tourist destination, a livable city, and a place of happiness for everyone.”
Against that backdrop, Mr Worasit thanked agencies involved in handling the August 5 confrontation. He praised their cooperation in investigating the circumstances and pursuing the case. He also expressed confidence in continued joint efforts across the island.
Meanwhile, Surat Thani’s provincial police commander has ordered firm enforcement in cases affecting public order. Pol Maj Gen Suwat Suksi issued instructions to police station chiefs across the province. He told them to strictly enforce the law when incidents threaten public order.
Surat Thani police chief orders strict enforcement to protect public safety and island tourism image
In particular, Pol Maj Gen Suwat linked enforcement with public safety and Surat Thani’s tourism image. His instructions followed the intervention involving the Israeli national and Koh Samui business owner.
The August 5 operation brought together an unusually broad group of government agencies. District officials worked alongside police officers and immigration officials. Forestry and livestock officials also joined the response before police registered the criminal complaint.
On another front, Saturday’s meeting extended beyond the confrontation involving the foreign national. Mr Worasit reviewed progress on wider Interior Ministry responsibilities across Koh Samui. Local officials also presented problems requiring further government assistance.
Worasit reviews wider Interior Ministry work as Koh Samui officials seek further government support
Chief among them was the shortage of tap water on Koh Samui. Mr Worasit listened to feedback concerning the problem and possible solutions. Officials also discussed measures requiring support from the Interior Ministry and central government.
Following those discussions, Mr Worasit promised to address the island’s water shortage. The problem formed a significant part of Saturday’s official meeting. His visit therefore combined public-order concerns with practical problems affecting Koh Samui residents.
Nevertheless, the August 5 confrontation dominated his public warning on the treatment of Thai people. Mr Worasit said improper behaviour could not be accepted from anyone. Crucially, he said the same legal standard applied regardless of nationality.
The Deputy Interior Minister also made clear that Koh Samui remained open and welcoming to international visitors. His comments included tourists and foreign residents living on the island. However, their presence did not place them outside Thai law.
Police pursue criminal case as Surat Thani commanders demand strict enforcement to protect tourism
For police, the August 5 case has already moved beyond an administrative intervention. Officers registered criminal case number 364/2569 following the business owner’s complaint. The Israeli national was then charged over threats which caused fear and alarm.
For provincial commanders, the case has also prompted instructions on public-order enforcement. Station chiefs must strictly enforce the law when incidents threaten safety. They must also protect confidence in Surat Thani as a tourism destination.
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For Mr Worasit, the position was equally firm. Foreigners remained welcome on Koh Samui, while Thai people must be protected from intimidation. At the same time, enforcement would not distinguish between nationalities.
Ultimately, his warning centred on compliance with Thai law. Visitors and expatriates must follow the same legal requirements while staying in Thailand. Anyone behaving inappropriately, he said, must be dealt with under the law without exception.
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Further reading:
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