Jewish cemetery in Thailand to be demolished as antisemitism grows among angry locals
A Jewish cemetery was ordered to be demolished in Thailand as antisemitism grows among locals.
Thai officials on Monday shut down the unlicensed 'Jewish Cemetery Thailand' following complaints that the property in Chachoengsao's Bang Khla district was 'illegal and a health hazard'.
The one-hectare graveyard, which sits beside prawn and fish ponds, reportedly obtained a valid licence in 2021, which expired in 2023.
But district authorities refused to renew its permit after finding it allegedly did not meet legal standards mandating a required distance from roads and rivers. The operator's subsequent appeal to the interior minister was also turned down.
Deputy Interior Minister Polapee Suwunchwee said he has ordered state agencies to relocate three sets of remains from the cemetery.
He added that the burial of a fourth person there was deemed lawful because it was believed to have taken place while the licence was still valid.
Provincial governor Chatraporn Niyom said he has ordered the cemetery demolished and the corpses exhumed within seven days.
District council chief Ekkarach Krittapong said personnel have been deployed to prevent more burials at the site.
Local village official Namphueng Khamsa-ard claimed the graveyard operator, Gan Chabad Co Ltd., which is owned by three Israelis with Thai citizenship, had failed to consult locals before construction.
She added: 'Residents were concerned about the graveyard's impact on their land and livelihoods, particularly in agricultural areas and shrimp or fish farming sites.
‘They fear that if buyers become aware that the production sources are located near a cemetery, clients might be worried and refuse to buy their produce, ultimately affecting the income of local households.'
The Interior Ministry said it has ordered nationwide inspections of some 1,200 cemeteries and cremation sites following the closure, which comes amid mounting anti-Israeli sentiment in Thailand.
More than 277,000 Israelis visited Thailand in the first eight months of 2026, up approximately seven per cent from the same period in 2025, data from the Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports showed.
But the influx and growing Israeli expatriate community have sparked friction with Thai locals. Many Thai locals have also been influenced by the 'Free Palestine' bandwagon in the wake of the Hamas terror attacks - a movement which tars Israelis with derogatory terms without understanding the nuances of the Middle East situation.
On September 8, Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow pressed Israeli Ambassador Alona Fisher-Kamm over growing concerns involving misbehaving Israeli nationals.
On September 5, Israeli tourist Yaacov Ohayon was deported for sending death threats to a zoo owner who had displayed a 'Free Palestine' flag and allegedly barred Israeli visitors from entering.
On August 19, footage allegedly captured a Thai restaurant owner in Phuket following Israeli tourists who had left without paying 8,000 baht.
Thai authorities last month had also issued arrest warrants for 20 Israelis in a crackdown on nominee businesses on Thai island Koh Samui.
In March, immigration police arrested an Israeli man with ecstasy, cocaine, ketamine, and cannabis, in an alleged drug-distribution network targeting tourists.
In January, three Israeli tourists, aged 23, 24 and 33, were arrested after police raided a villa following noise complaints. Officers found cocaine, ketamine and ecstasy.
