Drama in Thailand: Arrest warrants for 20 Israelis in massive raid on Koh Samui

Thai police have launched a wide-ranging operation against networks of foreigners suspected of using Thai citizens as nominees to establish companies, hold land, and manage businesses prohibited for foreigners. As part of the investigation, the provincial court on Koh Samui issued arrest warrants for 20 Israelis — more than citizens of any other country included in the operation, except for Thai citizens themselves.

One of the Israelis arrested is the well-known real estate developer Gal Biber, 45, who was arrested on Saturday by officers from the Bo Phut police station and the Surat Thani provincial immigration police.

According to the police, Biber is suspected of offenses involving providing false information to public officials, which led to the registration of false details in official documents, illegally operating businesses whose operation is limited to Thai citizens, and using Thai citizens and corporations to disguise ownership and management of businesses by foreigners. At this stage, these are only suspicions.

According to the published suspicions, Gal and his wife Roni established a multi-layered corporate structure and placed Thai citizens as nominal shareholders.

Authorities claim that through this network of companies, an international school was operated (according to authorities, without a license), and luxury villas were purchased, held, developed, sold, and rented out — mainly to Israeli clients. It was reported in Thailand that an examination of company records revealed that one of the companies linked to the couple was initially registered in the names of Thai shareholders, and about a month later, most of its shares were transferred to Roni Biber. Subsequently, the shareholders, directors, company capital, and fields of activity were changed repeatedly.

In total, authorities examined 12,906 companies registered on Koh Samui. In 8,254 of them, foreign shareholders were found, and 875 were marked as having characteristics that might indicate the use of nominees. After filtering the information, the operation focused on 61 companies that held 42 plots of land and buildings covering more than 53 dunams, with a value estimated at about 1.5 billion baht — about 140 million shekels.

Authorities opened 60 cases against 88 suspects: 26 Thais and 62 foreigners. Arrest warrants were issued against all 62 foreigners, including 20 Israelis, 17 Russians, 12 French, and two citizens each from Ukraine and Germany. It was reported that on the day of the operation, 27 suspects were arrested, including two Israelis.

During the searches, police confiscated incorporation documents, accounting books, computers, mobile phones, and digital information. The police stated that the material would be used to expand the investigation and locate other parties in Thailand and abroad.

Two days ago, two days after the operation on Koh Samui, Israel's Ambassador to Thailand, Dr. Alona Fisher-Kamm, and the embassy delegation met with the Surat Thani provincial police chief, Sawat Suksri, and the commander of the 3rd Brigade of the Tourist Police, Satasak Yimcharoen. The meeting took place against the backdrop of the increase in the number of Israelis on Koh Samui and nearby islands, recent tensions and friction between local residents and Israelis, and increased enforcement against businesses suspected of illegal activity.

In addition, the meeting was intended to tighten coordination, ensure the safety of Israeli tourists, and encourage responsible tourism in the country. The ambassador, who thanked the police for their assistance to Israelis, said that the vast majority of them are law-abiding but admitted that "there are also exceptional cases of misconduct," and emphasized that the embassy briefs Israelis traveling to Thailand regarding the law, customs, and local culture.

She asked the authorities to contact the embassy directly regarding any incident involving Israelis, to allow for quick and coordinated handling. The authorities, for their part, clarified that the law is enforced transparently and equally toward every person, regardless of their citizenship.

The operation on Koh Samui is the seventh stage of a campaign being conducted by Thai authorities against disguised foreign takeover of land and businesses in tourist areas. In the six previous stages, 238 companies and 272 plots were checked in seven provinces, including Phuket, Krabi, Phang Nga, and Chonburi. So far, 178 arrest warrants have been issued in the operations, and 91 suspects have been arrested.

Roni Biber: "All our actions were accompanied by Thai lawyers and accountants"

Roni Biber told Walla that "we reject the allegations made against us. The businesses were established and operated with the guidance of local professionals and with the intention of complying with the requirements of Thai law. This is not a case of using nominees, and all the partners involved are real people who were part of the business activity.

We are cooperating fully with the authorities through our lawyers and are providing all the necessary documents and information. Gal appeared as required and is released on bail while the legal process is ongoing.

Since the matter is currently under review and in a legal process, we cannot address every detail, but we believe that the facts will become clear and our name will be cleared. We respect Thai law and the authorities, all our actions were accompanied by Thai lawyers and accountants who told us how to do everything and accompanied us when opening the companies and when establishing the businesses, and with full trust in them, we did as they said, but when the law changed, they disappeared and did not take responsibility, and since they are Thai, they are free from law enforcement.

We ask to avoid publishing partial information or premature conclusions before the investigation is completed."