Phuket Chabad Center Under Investigation After Rosh Hashanah Meal Canceled

Phuket Governor Chotnarin Kerdsom has launched a comprehensive investigation into the activities of the Chabad center in Patong, Thailand. Local authorities have been given seven days to present their findings. The probe will examine land ownership, acquisition processes, usage and building permits, and business licenses associated with the center's operations, according to Thai media reports. This action follows the recent cancellation of a Rosh Hashanah meal intended for approximately 2,000 Israeli travelers. The event was called off due to security concerns after a pro-Palestinian demonstration occurred near the Chabad center.

Investigators will also scrutinize shareholder records of companies linked to the site, specifically looking for connections to a firm involved in establishing a Jewish cemetery in Chachoengsao province. This company reportedly has ties to three Israeli nationals who also hold Thai citizenship and are registered as the landowners. The cemetery project is under separate review by Thailand's Ministry of Interior.

Phuket officials emphasized that the inquiry is administrative and does not imply any wrongdoing or target any specific religion, nationality, or community. Rabbi Nechemya Wilhelm, the Chabad emissary in Thailand, stated that all of the organization's centers operate in full compliance with local laws. "Our Chabad houses are entirely legal in all respects," he asserted, expressing confidence in the Thai authorities' impartiality and conviction that the review will confirm the center's lawful operations.