Protest in Thailand’s Phuket targets misbehaving Israelis

About 150 to 200 people gathered on Friday in a Thai resort town to protest misbehavior by tourists, with a particular focus on Israelis.

The protest on a beach in Patong, on the island of Phuket in Thailand, was titled “Save Phuket.” While organizers said it opposed inappropriate conduct by tourists in general, reports in Thai and Hebrew media say the protest emphasized criticism of Israelis, and Israel as a country.

“We do not want Phuket to be portrayed negatively in the news because of violence, disrespect towards business operators, violations of the law, refusing to pay for food or services, or certain individuals receiving special privileges,” one of the organizers, Saichon Nuchet, told the Straits Times.

He added, “We are not targeting anyone. Those who respect Thai law and culture and behave appropriately are doing the right thing. We can coexist without any problems.”

The protest came as the Thai government is cracking down on misbehavior by tourists, who are an engine of the Southeast Asian nation’s economy. The country has long been a popular destination for Israelis, and according to the Straits Times, last year some 420,000 Israelis entered Thailand, and some 30,000 live there full-time.

Protesters at the event on Friday reportedly pointed to patterns of inappropriate conduct by Israelis, including not paying for meals, arguing with drivers of tuk-tuks, or three-wheeled taxis, and other disruptive actions.

The Straits Times cited a reported case of an Israeli man putting a bounty of some $15,000 on the head of a zoo owner in Koh Samui after the man allegedly denied entry to Israelis on the basis of their nationality.

The protest and materials advertising it reportedly included anti-Israel imagery, such as an Israeli flag being crossed out and statements against Israeli policy, according to The Phuket News. The publication reported that at the protest itself, “only a handful of people held up posters showing images of the Israel flag [sic] being burned.”

According to a report in the Hebrew news site Walla, one speaker at the event called for Israelis’ tourist visas to be limited to 15 days, and floated limiting the number of Israelis allowed to enter the country. That speaker, identified only as a local business owner, complained that Israelis tend to patronize Israeli-owned hotels and businesses, such that Israeli tourism doesn’t benefit Thai citizens.

The protest reportedly criticized Chinese and French tourists as well.

It comes as Thailand has increased penalties for tourists who break the law or disrespect the local culture. Foreigners who run afoul of those rules can have their visas revoked and be barred from returning.

“We do not welcome and will not tolerate tourists who disregard the law, lack morality, disrespect Thai people, or cause trouble and disrupt our social order,” said Tourism Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul, according to the Straits Times.