Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the Israeli Embassy in Bangkok on Thursday morning as veteran political activist Sondhi Limthongkul opened a new campaign demanding tougher scrutiny of Israeli visitors, businesses and organizations operating in Thailand.
The September 10 protest took place outside Ocean Tower II on Sukhumvit 21, where the Israeli Embassy is located. Sondhi was joined by activists from the Network of Students and People for Reform of Thailand, known by its Thai initials PDRC, along with other supporters carrying Thai flags, banners and placards.
The demonstration was held under the banner of Sondhi’s “Take Our Thailand Back” campaign, which he launched this month around concerns over foreign business interests, nominee ownership, law enforcement and national sovereignty.
At the center of Thursday’s protest was an open letter addressed to Israeli Ambassador Alona Fisher-Kamm containing four demands.
The issues raised ranged from the behavior of some Israeli visitors in Thailand and alleged illegal business activity to scrutiny of land and Chabad-linked operations. The protesters also used the demonstration to condemn Israel’s conduct in Gaza.
Sondhi’s open letter contained forceful accusations against the Israeli government over its conduct in Gaza. Photo Courtesy ZOSMA News
Four Demands Presented to Israel
1. Ensure Israeli visitors respect Thai laws
The first demand called on the Israeli government to ensure that Israeli citizens and tourists visiting Thailand respect Thai laws, culture and local communities.
The issue has become increasingly prominent in Thailand following complaints involving the behavior of some Israeli visitors in tourist destinations.
The protesters’ concerns also come as Thai and Israeli officials have already begun discussing the issue at government level.
On September 8, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow met Israeli Ambassador Alona Fisher-Kamm. Thailand’s Foreign Ministry said both sides stressed the importance of encouraging respect for Thai laws, customs and ways of life.
The Department of Consular Affairs also said Thai and Israeli officials had discussed efforts to encourage Israeli tourists to respect local laws and culture and maintain positive relations with Thai communities. Around 410,125 Israeli tourists visited Thailand in 2025, according to the department.
Thai authorities have stressed that visitors are welcome, but nationality does not exempt anyone from the law.
Sihasak said this week that foreigners who break Thai law would face legal action without discrimination, adding that tourism should not come at the expense of Thailand’s laws, values or national dignity.
The protest outside the Israeli Embassy brought several of those issues together in one place. Photo Courtesy ZOSMA News
2. Do not shield Israelis accused of crimes
The second demand called on Israel and its embassy to cooperate with Thai authorities when Israeli nationals are accused of breaking the law.
The protesters specifically called for criminal cases to proceed through the Thai justice system without diplomatic intervention.
The demand comes against the backdrop of a much wider Thai crackdown on suspected foreign nominee businesses.
In June, authorities announced that 48 suspects had been arrested as part of investigations into suspected nominee networks in Phuket, Krabi and Phang Nga, while more than 1 billion baht in land and property assets came under scrutiny.
Those investigations concern suspected illegal foreign business structures generally and should not be treated as evidence that Israeli businesses as a group are involved.
During Thursday’s protest, however, speakers specifically called for tougher scrutiny of businesses and property arrangements linked to Israeli nationals that they believe may be using Thai nominees. Thai PBS reported that speakers raised concerns over suspected land purchases and business operations using Thai citizens as nominal owners.
3. Investigate land and Chabad-linked operations
The third demand called for cooperation with Thai authorities investigating land holdings in Chachoengsao and for scrutiny of Chabad centers and related organizations to determine whether their activities comply with Thai law.
This part of the protest touches on an issue that has already generated significant controversy.
A roughly six-rai site in Samet Tai, Bang Khla district, Chachoengsao, identified in reports as a Jewish cemetery, has been under scrutiny over its licensing and use.
On September 3, Chachoengsao’s governor said the cemetery license had not been renewed and that one body previously buried there had been removed. At that point, authorities said no bodies remained at the site.
Subsequent reporting on September 6, however, said a later inspection had found four bodies at the location, illustrating how quickly the facts surrounding the site have developed.
Questions have also been raised over reports that the site could eventually accommodate as many as 1,200 graves. That figure has circulated in reporting surrounding the controversy, but it should not be treated as an approved or operational capacity.
The protesters went further, raising broader allegations about land ownership, foreign influence and the activities of Chabad centers in Thailand.
Those allegations remain claims made by the protest movement unless and until they are established by Thai authorities through investigation or legal proceedings.
Over 300 protestors arrived at the scene calling out Israel’s actions in Gaza unacceptable Photo Courtesy ZOSMA News
4. End violence against civilians in Gaza
The fourth demand moved beyond events inside Thailand.
The protesters called on the Israeli Embassy to send their message directly to Israel’s Foreign Ministry and government, demanding an end to violence affecting civilians, hospitals and schools in Gaza and compliance with international humanitarian law.
Sondhi’s open letter contained forceful accusations against the Israeli government over its conduct in Gaza.
Those statements represent the position of the organizers and protesters. They are separate from the domestic legal and regulatory issues raised during the demonstration and should be understood as political demands directed at the Israeli government.
Embassy Closed During Protest
The group had planned to submit the open letter at around 9:30 a.m.
At approximately 10:15 a.m., Sondhi told the crowd that embassy officials were not working at the building that day and that the ambassador had offered to meet him privately at another time.
Sondhi said he rejected the offer of a private meeting because he considered the action a public movement carried out on behalf of Thai citizens rather than a personal dispute.
He then read the open letter in English and Thai.
The Israeli Embassy later confirmed that it had temporarily closed on Thursday because of the demonstration surrounding the mission.
The embassy also responded to the broader concerns surrounding Israeli tourists.
Deputy Chief of Mission Rami Teplitski said the embassy was aware of negative reports and public sentiment concerning Israeli visitors and was not ignoring the issue. He said the embassy was working with Thai government agencies, tourist police, Jewish community organizations in Thailand and authorities in Israel.
The embassy has also issued guidance urging Israeli visitors to strictly respect Thai laws and culture.
That response is significant because the issue had already reached senior diplomatic levels before protesters arrived outside the embassy.
Thailand’s foreign minister and the Israeli ambassador had met just two days earlier, with both sides acknowledging concerns surrounding the behavior of some visitors and agreeing on the need for greater understanding and respect for Thai rules and customs.
A Wider Campaign Begins
Thursday’s demonstration was presented as the opening move in a broader campaign rather than an isolated protest.
Sondhi announced the “Take Our Thailand Back” movement earlier this month, describing it as an effort to confront what its organizers see as foreign “grey” businesses, nominee ownership, corruption and failures to adequately enforce Thai law.
He has said the movement is not intended to become a prolonged encampment-style protest. Instead, organizers plan to mobilize around individual issues and institutions.
The protest outside the Israeli Embassy brought several of those issues together in one place: anger over the conduct of some foreign visitors, fears over illegal business and land arrangements, questions about enforcement and a wider political argument over how Thailand protects its sovereignty.
But the distinction between individuals accused of wrongdoing and entire national, ethnic or religious communities remains important.
Thai officials have repeatedly framed enforcement as a matter of law rather than nationality. The government’s position is that foreigners who obey Thai law remain welcome, while those who break it should face the same legal consequences as anyone else.
For Sondhi and his supporters, however, Thursday’s gathering was intended to send a more forceful message.
They want tougher enforcement, greater transparency and visible action — and they say they will continue applying public pressure until they see it.
