Thai PM seemingly tells ‘Israelis’ to “go die back home” amid Jewish cemetery row

Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul issued a blunt warning to foreigners –seemingly aimed at ‘Israelis’– on Thursday, telling those who break laws or seek private burial sites that they should “go die back home, not here”.

His statement comes amid the recent forced relocation of graves from an unlicensed Jewish cemetery near Bangkok.

Speaking at the Interior Ministry, Anutin addressed requests to establish private cemeteries and religious sites without proper approval.

“You cannot simply set up a religious site on your own. Whatever form it takes, it must respect Thai society and culture. I have recently heard that there is also a request to build a private cemetery. That is going too far,” he said.

“They are already fortunate to be allowed to come here. If they come, they should make an honest living. If they are going to die, they should go die back home, not here. And do not come here to take advantage of people.”

The remarks came days after Thai authorities ordered the clearance of a Jewish cemetery in Chachoengsao province’s Bang Khla district.

The site, purchased about five years ago by Bangkok’s Jewish community and Chabad, had its burial permit expire in 2023 without renewal.

Officials found four bodies—three ‘Israeli’ nationals and one British—buried there, with most interments occurring after the license lapsed and without proper notification.

Two of the deceased had overstayed their visas.

On September 15, the four graves were carefully exhumed and relocated to a new licensed plot under Jewish law.

ZAKA volunteers from ‘Israel’, local Chabad rabbis, and community members, including Chief Rabbi Yosef Chaim Kantor, handled the transfer.

“Today, approximately five years after the land was purchased, and with great sorrow and pain, the four graves were relocated from the site,” Kantor said, noting the move occurred against a backdrop of “tensions and increased scrutiny regarding matters involving Israelis in Thailand.”

Hebrew media highlighted the timing, with Ynet reporting Anutin’s comments immediately after the cemetery clearance and amid a separate investigation into a Chabad center in Phuket.

The prime minister said his words targeted no single nationality, citing cases involving people from Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Africa, while insisting Thailand remains open to honest tourists and investors.

Anutin instructed provincial governors to enforce laws aggressively, including immediate deportations for offenders, and to remove any signs barring Thais from premises.

He also criticized attempts to operate religious sites under restaurant licenses.

The broader context includes recent protests against ‘Israeli’ tourists, shortened visa stays, and probes into foreign-linked land holdings and businesses.