Thais rally against Israeli tourists in protest laced with antisemitism

Hundreds of Thais rallied against Israeli tourists outside Israel’s embassy in Bangkok on Thursday, and protesters are expected to picket a Chabad-hosted Rosh Hashanah event on the resort island of Phuket on Friday after unsuccessfully trying to get it canceled.

The protest at the embassy was led by Thai conspiracy theorist Sondhi Limthongkul, who read out a letter to Israel’s ambassador Alona Fisher-Kamm claiming Chabad centers were buying up Thai land to “advance the objectives orchestrated and funded by international Zionist networks,” the Bangkok Post reported.

The letter also reportedly demanded Israel halt its offensive in Gaza and help prosecute misbehaving Israelis in Thailand whom Limthongkul accused of disrespecting local customs and failing to pay bills.

“The era of gentle diplomatic pleasantries and calculated silence, which has been misinterpreted as tacit consent, has come to an end,” said Limthongkul. “Generosity must never be mistaken for weakness, hospitality does not equate to submission to exploitation and courtesy is not an open license for anyone to act with impunity on our sovereign soil.”

Some protesters displayed antisemitic messages, including “Jews out” and “You Jewish folks don’t understand Thai culture, so get out.” Other signs read “Thailand is not for sale” and “boycott Israel.”

Recent tourist-reported controversies in Thailand have involved people of various nationalities, but one of the highest-profile involved an Israeli deported last week after he was convicted of threatening the owner of a zoo on the resort island of Koh Samui that had displayed a Palestinian flag.

In a video posted to Facebook after the protest Thursday morning, Israeli embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Rami Teplitskiy said the embassy was not ignoring news and negative sentiments about Israeli tourists in Thailand.

“The embassy will continue to work hard to foster sustainable friendship and ensure everyone enjoys Thailand with mutual respect,” he said in a message delivered in Hebrew with English and Thai subtitles.

The relevant agencies in both countries are working to resolve the issues together and Israeli visitors to Thailand will receive official travel guidance asking them to respect Thai laws and culture, Teplitskiy said.

Fisher-Kamm also met Tuesday with Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow to address concerns and discuss possible solutions.

The Thai foreign minister said after the meeting that Thailand felt it could not “stand idly by” if visitors are acting detrimentally toward the country or people.

“Thailand is a country that welcomes tourists, but at the same time, our hospitality doesn’t mean that tourists, regardless of their nationality, can do whatever they want in Thailand,” Sihasak told reporters in Bangkok.

The Israeli embassy told The Associated Press on Wednesday it takes the concerns seriously and has provided practical guidance about Thailand to Israeli.

Tourists who break the law should face appropriate consequences, but public attention may be disproportionate to the scale of incidents involving Israelis and should not be taken as representative of all Israelis in Thailand, the embassy added.

Thailand’s economy is heavily dependent on tourism, but has also implemented new measures to ensure visitors respect the country’s norms.

The government has also cracked down on foreigners who overstay visas or seek to circumvent property-ownership regulations, while also shortening visa-free stays from 60 days to 30.

Thailand is a highly popular destination for Israeli tourists, who last year generated about $1.2 billion of the $48 billion Thailand saw from tourists.

More than 277,000 Israelis visited Thailand in the first eight months of 2026, up about 7% over the same period last year, according to Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

Many Israelis who are abroad for the holidays mark them at events hosted by the Chabad Hasidic sect, which maintains multiple centers that cater to Jewish tourists in Thailand and elsewhere. Rosh Hashanah events at Chabad centers in South and East Asia regularly draw hundreds of guests.

This week, local activists in Phuket petitioned authorities to cancel the Rosh Hashanah event at the island’s Chabad center, citing concern that “a big gathering amid the Middle East conflict, especially between Israel and Iran, would cause anxiety for local people and foreign visitors,” according to the Bangkok Post.

Nonetheless, organizers of the Rosh Hashanah event confirmed the event would go ahead, but would end at 9 p.m. and scale back from 1,000 to 800 guests because of security concerns, the outlet said.

Phuket Deputy Governor Pol Capt Khetrat Chansilp was cited by the outlet as saying the organizers had argued that canceling the event would harm Phuket’s image and cause financial losses.

The deputy governor said Wednesday that authorities would let people protest against the event on Friday, the Bangkok Post reported, adding that police would be on site to prevent clashes.

On Thursday, a local group called “Save Phuket” announced it would rally at a square some 550 meters (600 yards) away from the Chabad center against the event, the Bangkok Post said.

The group reportedly brings together local taxi and tuk-tuk drivers as well as activists from a national Thai pro-Palestinian network.