Key facts
- Thai authorities are investigating up to nine Chabad houses.
- The investigation focuses on land ownership, construction permits, and funding sources.
- Irregularities in construction permits, including unauthorized extensions, have been found.
- Products were seized at a Phuket Chabad house for import and sales permission checks.
- A network of Israelis is suspected of buying land worth nearly 100 million Thai baht ($3m).
- Thailand's chief rabbi, Yosef Chaim Kantor, and Israeli businessman Maimon David Marciano are under investigation.
Thai authorities are investigating up to nine Jewish centers, known as Chabad houses, across the country, widening scrutiny of the New York-headquartered Chabad-Lubavitch movement. The probe follows growing public anger over the behavior of Israeli tourists and businesses, with concerns that Israeli-linked entities may be violating Thai law.
Thailand’s deputy interior minister, Polpeera Suwannachawi, instructed provincial governors on Tuesday to conduct on-site inspections of Chabad houses, particularly concerning permits, land ownership, construction permits, and the source of funding. Initial inspections have already uncovered irregularities in construction permit processes, such as rooftop extensions and unauthorized structures. Authorities also seized products at a Chabad house in Phuket while checking import and sales permissions.
Suwannachawi stated that several members of parliament had alerted him to a "network of Israelis" involved in cemetery development and other businesses that had bought land worth nearly 100 million Thai baht ($3m). Authorities are working to establish how the buyers intend to use the land, amid concerns that their plans could conflict with local religious and cultural practices.
Earlier in September, Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation opened a separate investigation involving Thailand's chief rabbi, Yosef Chaim Kantor, and Israeli businessman Maimon David Marciano. Investigators are examining land purchases, the use of Thai citizens as nominees for foreign buyers, and alterations to buildings. No charges have been brought against either Kantor or Marciano.
The increased scrutiny coincides with a sharp rise in Israeli visitors to Thailand since October 2023, with numbers nearly doubling from 230,000 in 2023 to over 410,000 in 2025. Many of these visitors are former soldiers. Thai residents have accused some Israeli tourists of arrogance, disrespecting local customs, and damaging property, fueling local campaigns to ban Israeli tourists.