Thai authorities raided a Jewish venue and kosher restaurant in the southern province of Krabi on Thursday, the latest inspection of a Jewish site in the country following a recent operation in Phuket.
Officials initially described the target as a Chabad center, but a subsequent examination showed that the site is called Beit Hillel and includes a synagogue and kosher restaurant in the Ao Nang area.
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Thailand raids another Jewish venue, probes foreign ownership and religious activity
(Photo: Krabi Police)
The operation was led by Krabi Governor Angkura Silathevikul and the provincial police chief, Maj. Gen. Sukasem Nakhonwilai, together with several government agencies.
Authorities inspected a four-story commercial building in Mueang Krabi district that is leased by a company registered as fully Thai-owned.
Investigators at the Chabad House in Ao Nang
(Photo: Krabi Police)
Officials said the restaurant, which primarily serves tourists, contained food and beverages imported from Israel, some of them transferred through the Chabad center in Bangkok. Authorities said appropriate customs documents were not found for some of the products, which were seized for further examination.
Investigators also found a room converted into a prayer space for about 20 to 25 people. Employees told authorities that groups of Israelis gather there on Fridays and Saturdays for meals and prayers, led by an Israeli man named Shimon who lives in Krabi. Donation signs were found in several parts of the restaurant, while small storage rooms were discovered on the upper floors.
The room used for prayers
(Photo: Krabi Police)
The governor said the investigation was part of a broader effort against so-called “nominee” businesses, in which foreign involvement may be concealed behind Thai shareholders, and to determine whether Thai laws governing business ownership and land acquisition had been violated.
He stressed that “activities by followers of Judaism are permitted in Thailand, as long as they do not affect national security or public order.”
(Photo: Krabi Police)
Police are also examining the business’s financial connections, including a transfer of 600,000 baht made by the restaurant manager to a person identified as Sugruv. Authorities retained information related to the transfer as evidence while they investigate whether it was connected to the business.
Officials emphasized that the investigation remains at an early stage and that no offense has yet been established. Checks into the company’s ownership structure, the import of food products and its financial transactions are continuing. A separate investigation of the Chabad center in Phuket found no financial irregularities.