Rarely do incidents of misbehaving foreigners in Thailand – something too numerous to count given the sheer number of tourists and expats in the country – ignite conversations that have broader security and diplomatic implications. Recent reports of ill-mannered conduct by some Israeli nationals, however, appear to be among the rare exceptions.
When the story of four Israeli men storming an emergency room at a hospital in Thailand’s mountainous northern district of Pai broke in early February, it drew significant backlash. Of course, any misbehavior toward medical personnel can easily be considered an unacceptable offense, especially in the context of Thailand’s world-class yet overworked healthcare system having to care for a rapidly ageing population while also treating a surge of overseas patients, notably from war-torn Myanmar.
The Israeli men in question quickly faced fines and deportation, but the incident has prompted a wave of Thai scrutiny against other Israelis in Pai. Beyond similar accounts of disruptive and law-breaking antics of some individuals in public spaces, there has been unease over an exclusively Israeli footprint taking hold in Pai, with the large Chabad House of Pai standing as a concrete symbol.
The increasingly dominant presence of the Russians in Phuket, Thailand’s southern tourism powerhouse, offers an interesting parallel. Perhaps even more so than Israelis in Pai, Phuket’s Russians have stretched local tolerance thin. There has been no shortage of articles about the “Russification” of the island, whether through dominance in the real estate market or by taking over local jobs through Russian-only businesses. And it goes without saying that elements of mafiaism are in the mix.
Despite certain similarities, Thai security agencies have been more alarmed by and responsive to the Israeli case, as evidenced by the Internal Security Operations Command’s probe into the matter and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s visit to Pai this week alongside Israeli Ambassador to Thailand Orna Sagiv. They have good reasons.
First, compared to Phuket, Pai has a tiny local population of around 30,000, making the presence of a dominant foreign group more palpably felt. Even though the viral claim that Pai houses over 30,000 Israeli settlers has been dismissed as overblown nonsense (and it never quite added up to begin with, because that would mean one Israeli settler for every local resident), the Israeli community is unmistakably sizeable. According to the government database, as of December 2024, 5,366 Pai residents – or around 15 percent of the total population – are foreigners. Over half of these are believed to be Israelis.
Second, whereas the general Thai public may be more concerned with the fact that nearly all Israelis have undergone military service and are seen as fighters, Thai security agencies are likely more worried that Pai could become a new target in the context of Israelis facing threats and attacks abroad, whether for political or ideological reasons. Back in 2012, an accidental explosion in Bangkok led to the uncovering of a planned bombing plot by Iranian operatives targeting Israeli diplomats, which was successfully thwarted. This incident was part of a series of coordinated plots, with similar attacks occurring around the same time in India and Georgia. Indeed, Hamas and Hezbollah networks have been active in Thailand, and Southeast Asia more broadly, for years. Seen purely from a security angle, then, the lax visa rules of the current Thai administration aimed at boosting the sluggish economy are only giving foreign operatives more room to maneuver.
Third, Pai is strategically vulnerable due to its close proximity to conflict-ridden Myanmar. The district is part of Mae Hong Son province, which shares a border of approximately 483 kilometers with Myanmar. The spillover of the fighting could make foreign communities along the border a liability for the Thai government. Any mishandling could lead to diplomatic complications.
More specifically, Pai borders Myanmar’s Shan State, home to the well-equipped United Wa State Army (UWSA). Emboldened by unclear border demarcation, the UWSA has periodically encroached into Thai territory and is growing bolder over time, compelling Thailand to respond more heavy-handedly. As I wrote for The Diplomat in December, Thailand must operate intelligently to contain the conflict. The UWSA likewise has little incentive to internationalize the issue, considering its narrow interest in guarding its influence within its autonomous territory. Still, it remains within the realm of possibility to imagine an escalation where the UWSA engages the Thai side asymmetrically, exploiting the large Israeli community in Pai through disinformation or other disruptive but non-lethal acts to pressure Thailand.
The potential dangers discussed above do not inherently indicate friction between Thailand and Israel bilaterally. Rather, they present an opportunity for both governments, which already enjoy good diplomatic relations, particularly in economic and defense areas, to work more closely together to monitor the situation.
Thailand must also exercise caution to prevent heightened public scrutiny and sensationalized media coverage, aimed at gaining buzz more than anything, from being misinterpreted as anti-Semitic. Reasonable people would understand that Thailand has no history of institutional or cultural anti-Semitism, and the scrutiny directed at Israelis in Pai is no different from how Thailand has scrutinized other increasingly dominant foreign groups. But expecting everyone to be sensible may, perhaps, be wishful thinking.