The Ministry of Interior intervened in a dispute between Israeli tourists and owners of a zoo on Koh Samui in Surat Thani province after the owners allegedly received death threats for refusing to serve Israeli nationals.
Sai, a Thai woman who owns Samui Exotic Park in Mae Nam with her French husband, shared details of the dispute on social media. The couple said they had decided to display a “Free Palestine” sign and refuse service to Israeli tourists.
Sai said the decision was not based on political issues but followed previous negative experiences with Israeli visitors at the zoo.
According to Sai, some visitors had entered without paying, mistreated animals and ignored the zoo’s rules. She also claimed some had disrupted other visitors by cutting queues and had taken food intended for animals rather than purchasing it.
Sai said she and her husband recently received a death threat from an Israeli man. According to her account, the man called them and threatened to kill them, allegedly claiming that someone had offered 500,000 baht for their deaths.
Sai believed the threat was connected to a recent dispute involving an Israeli family that the zoo had refused to serve.
The father of the Israeli family gave his account to foreign news agencies. He said he had attempted to negotiate with staff at Samui Exotic Park so his six and nine year old children could visit, but alleged that a male employee instead assaulted and insulted him.
The Israeli man alleged that the Thai employee head-butted him in the neck and threw a small sign at his wife while she was filming the incident. He said the confrontation happened in front of his children, who he described as being shocked.
The zoo owners later said Samui Exotic Park received multiple one-star Google reviews after they published their account of the alleged behaviour by Israeli visitors.
Sai maintained that the business had the right to refuse service to Israeli customers, comparing the decision with situations in which Israeli businesses or venues restrict access to people of other nationalities.
As the dispute attracted wider attention online, Deputy Interior Minister Polapee Suwunchwee ordered local agencies and police to investigate.
Polapee said officials would also hold discussions aimed at finding a solution between the two sides. He stressed that Koh Samui remains safe for Thai people and that people of all nationalities are subject to Thai law.
The dispute remains under investigation, with the competing accounts of the zoo owners and Israeli family yet to be resolved.
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