- Thailand’s Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul signed a deportation order against Israeli national Yaacov Ohayon on September 5, 2026.
- The Koh Samui Provincial Court convicted him under Section 392 for threats, then suspended a 15-day jail term.
- Officials say this is the first deportation under Thailand’s new framework for public-order threats.
Thailand’s Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul signed a deportation order on September 5, 2026, against Israeli national Yaacov Ohayon after the Koh Samui Provincial Court convicted him of making threats.
The case concerns messages sent during a dispute linked to Samui Exotic Park on Koh Samui. The Interior Ministry said the conduct justified removal under Thailand’s deportation law and the country’s recently amended deportation framework.
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Ohayon may appeal the order. He has seven days from notification.
The action followed a criminal conviction, but the deportation order came through a separate Interior Ministry process rather than from the criminal sentence alone. Authorities have described the case as the first deportation under the new rules for conduct considered a threat to public order or covered by specified offense categories.
The Koh Samui Provincial Court convicted him under Section 392 of the Thai Criminal Code, which covers threats that cause fear or alarm. The court initially imposed one month in prison and a 10,000-baht fine.
Ohayon pleaded guilty. The court reduced the punishment to 15 days in prison and a 5,000-baht fine under Section 78 of the Criminal Code, then suspended the jail term for two years.
The Interior Ministry’s order focused on the alleged messages. It said they implied risks to the victim’s life and physical safety and caused “fear and alarm.” The ministry also said the conduct conflicted with public order, good morals, or public wellbeing.
The ministry treated the conduct as grounds for deportation under the new framework.
The cited authority was Section 5 of the Deportation Act B.E. 2499 (1956), together with Clause 4 of the Prime Minister’s Office Regulation on Deportation B.E. 2569 (2026). The newer regulation had taken effect only days before the order was signed.
The appeal route runs to the prime minister under Section 8 of the Deportation Act. The seven-day period begins when the deportation decision is notified to the person concerned.
The new deportation framework took effect after the dispute began
The timing of the order followed a rapid sequence of police, regulatory and ministerial actions:
| Date | Development |
|---|---|
| August 5, 2026 | The dispute triggered a multi-agency investigation, and police later registered a criminal case tied to the threats. |
| August 15, 2026 | Koh Samui police began a checkpoint operation in front of Samui Exotic Park before arresting the suspect, according to one report. |
| August 20, 2026 | The Koh Samui Provincial Court ruling and the 5,000-baht fine were reported. |
| August 25, 2026 | Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul said Thailand had revoked a foreign tourist’s visa in the wider dispute. |
| August 26, 2026 | Anutin signed the new deportation regulation. |
| August 27, 2026 | The regulation appeared in the Royal Gazette. |
| August 28, 2026 | The regulation took effect. |
| September 5, 2026 | The deportation order against Ohayon was signed. |
The sequence places the deportation order less than two weeks after the new regulation became effective. Reports have characterized it as the framework’s first use against a foreign national in this category.
The conviction grew out of a dispute at Samui Exotic Park
The wider conflict involved Samui Exotic Park owner Jindarat Sattayapun. Reports said she and her husband refused service to some Israeli visitors after earlier problems, and the disagreement later escalated.
The allegations included death threats against the owner and an effort to organize online one-star review attacks against the business. The threats formed the basis of the criminal case that led to the court conviction.
Police also investigated a separate allegation involving an online offer of a 500,000-baht bounty. That inquiry concerned the broader controversy rather than the conviction described in the deportation order.
Ohayon has been described as an Israeli real estate developer who also operated a sandwich business on Koh Samui. Some reports refer to him as Jacob Ohayon.
The dispute produced a wider security response. Police registered the criminal case after the August 5 investigation, then began a checkpoint operation outside the park on August 15 before the arrest.
Officials had already taken visa action
Surasak Phancharoenworakul, Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Minister, said on August 25, 2026, that the government had revoked a foreign tourist’s visa in connection with the wider Koh Samui dispute. He did not identify that person by name.
He described the revocation as a firm measure intended to prevent the conflict from escalating. The visa action came before the new deportation regulation took effect and before the Interior Ministry issued its order.
Reports said the court’s relatively light sentence drew public criticism. That reaction formed part of the pressure surrounding the later deportation response, while the ministry relied formally on the statutory grounds and the new regulation.
The framework allows the interior minister to deport foreign nationals after final convictions in specified categories and permits a re-entry ban for a specified period. The material concerning Ohayon identifies the deportation order and its appeal window, but does not state a re-entry period.
The order was signed on September 5, the same date identified in reports announcing the deportation. Its legal effect remains subject to the appeal process described under Section 8 of the Deportation Act.
This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Consult a qualified immigration attorney about your specific case.
