Hundreds rally in Phuket demanding closure of Chabad operations in Thailand

A rally held in Phuket called on Thai authorities to end the activities of the Chabad movement in the country and take action against alleged illegal economic activities by foreigners, including Israeli-linked organizations.

The protest was held several days after Thailand revoked the citizenship of the head of the Chabad movement in the country, Rabbi Yosef Chaim Kantor, for using his American passport to travel abroad. Thai law calls for revoking the citizenship of naturalized citizens if they continue to use their previous passport.

Kantor knew of this law when he traveled, the country’s Interior Ministry said.

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Kantor has lived in Thailand since 1993 and received Thai citizenship in 2013. Chabad said after the decision that it was challenging the revocation through the appropriate legal channels and that its Chabad houses and synagogues in Thailand were continuing to operate as usual.

Thailand is examining 19 firms linked to Kantor for possible offenses, the Bangkok Post reported. If wrongdoing is discovered, the government could force the sale of properties, the report said.

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Organizers at the protest charged that shady foreign investments, illegal businesses, and questionable financial transactions are threatening the local economy.

“Phuket and many other areas now feel like their sovereignty has been seized,” lawyer Nok Khao told the crowd, according to public broadcaster Thai PBS. “Foreign capital groups have been able to play a significant role in the economy, while Thais, the rightful owners of the land, face unfair competition and risk losing their job opportunities.”

Twenty local organizations, led by the Phuket Land Protection Group, came together for the protest under the banner “Unite to Take Back Our Thailand.”

Video shared on social media showed dozens of attendees sitting on plastic chairs at the beachside protest.

No arrests or disruptions were reported.

The protest came amid a broader investigation into companies, property holdings and financial transactions linked to Chabad in Thailand. Authorities conducted searches at several locations earlier this month, although no criminal findings have been announced.

In recent months, there has been growing scrutiny of Israeli tourists and Israeli-linked businesses in Thailand. In August, some 150 to 200 people gathered for a “Save Phuket” demonstration in the resort town of Patong that focused heavily on the conduct of Israeli tourists, although organizers said their objections concerned inappropriate behavior by foreign visitors more broadly.

Participants in that protest cited complaints about tourists refusing to pay for meals, arguing with tuk-tuk drivers and engaging in other disruptive behavior. The demonstration also included anti-Israel imagery, with reports saying some protesters displayed images of an Israeli flag being burned.

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