CableGuyT

Her visa is gone. Now Thailand wants to make sure she never comes back. A 33-year-old Israeli woman arrived in Thailand on 26 September for a holiday on Koh Phangan. Within weeks, two police complaints had been filed against her. According to Thai authorities, she allegedly used services at Than Sadet National Park and at a hotel without paying, insulted staff, and threatened to physically harm employees and tourists. A special committee chaired by Koh Phangan District Chief Phaisit Thongjerm reviewed the evidence. Its members agreed that her behaviour broke the conditions of her stay. Investigators also say she had been offering breathwork and art therapy classes on the island without a work permit. Her visa was revoked. She was handed over to immigration police, who are holding her while her flight to Israel is arranged. Now authorities have gone one step further. They have proposed adding her to Thailand’s immigration blacklist, which would bar her from entering the country again on any visa. She is not the first. Since January, 10 foreigners have had their visas cancelled on Koh Phangan alone. She is the third Israeli this year. And the government wants removals done faster. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has told provincial officials not to delay removing foreigners who break the rules, and governors can now advance the cost of the flight home. No date has been announced for her departure.