Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Israeli Embassy in Bangkok yesterday to decry the behaviour of Israeli tourists and declare that their country is “not for sale” as part of a campaign dubbed “Take Thailand Back”.

The demonstration, organised by former media mogul Sondhi Limthongkul, follows a spate of incidents involving Israeli tourists accused of upsetting local people and disrespecting their customs.

Israelis have also been accused of illegal landholding, running illegal businesses, as well as setting up houses of worship without proper permission from authorities.

• READ MORE: Other protest against Israel reports

Protesters held up placards saying “Save Thailand” and “This is not the promised land”, as well as placards telling Israelis to behave in their country.

“Hospitality does not equate to submission to exploitation, and courtesy is not an open licence for anyone to act with impunity on our sovereign soil,” Sondhi was quoted by news media as saying.

“The patience of the Thai people has reached a limit,” he added.

The 78-year-old also submitted a letter to the Israeli embassy and urged Thailand’s government to take action against the “culture of disdain towards their [Thai] hosts”, according to The South China Morning Post.

A Phuket protest
Another protest is scheduled to take place on the southern Thai island of Phuket outside the tourist destination’s Chabad centre.

On Tuesday, Thailand summoned Israel’s ambassador to raise concerns about the behaviour of Israeli tourists in the country.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow met with Israeli Ambassador Alona Fisher-Kamm in Bangkok, where the minister underscored the country’s policy on foreign visitors.

Protests in Bangkok over Israeli tourists. Video: Al Jazeera

Sihasak said after the meeting that tourists were welcome to visit Thailand, but that did not mean that “tourists of any nationality can do whatever they want here”. The minister said that incidents involving tourists had upset locals, particularly in the southern provinces of Phuket and Phang Nga.

According to Israeli media, Fisher-Kamm was preparing to raise concerns about alleged hostility towards Jews in the country and proposed preparing guidelines for Israelis visiting the Southeast Asian state.

The document could be distributed through the Israeli embassy in Thailand, according to the report.

A number of incidents involving Israeli tourists have made headlines in Thailand in recent years, particularly following the outbreak of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023. Thailand, along with other Southeast Asian countries, has become a popular destination for Israeli soldiers after their service in the army.

In July, Thailand’s Interior Ministry expanded its investigations into foreign businesses after an Israeli tourist confronted officials during an inspection of a Jewish Chabad House, saying: “Don’t you know this is Israeli territory?”

The remark, which was widely reported at the time, sparked an angry response from the country’s interior minister.

In November 2025, an Israeli couple was arrested on the island of Koh Phangan after being filmed having sex at a public waterfall.

Israeli tourists have also been caught on video in altercations with business owners over unpaid bills, leading some businesses to adopt “no Israeli” policies.

Republished from The New Arab.