Israelis in Thailand encouraged to behave respectfully

A shop in Pai district of Mae Hong Son posts a sign saying “NO ISRAEL HERE” after tourists caused disturbances in the community. (File photo)
A shop in Pai district of Mae Hong Son posts a sign saying “NO ISRAEL HERE” after tourists caused disturbances in the community. (File photo)

The Embassy of Israel in Thailand has issued guidelines for Israeli nationals in the kingdom after experiencing backlash over perceived unruly behaviour in Pai district of Mae Hong Son province.

On Friday, the embassy shared a post on its Facebook page with recommendations for behaviour while in Thailand. It followed concerns raised by many Thai people about the actions of some Israelis in the northern tourist town, particularly surrounding the setup of a Jewish synagogue, which some worry could signify encroachment.

Local authorities have confirmed that the establishment of the chabad — a community centre where religious services are also held — is lawful, and all of the Israelis seen as causing disturbances were tourists.

In response, the embassy advised its citizens to follow Thai traditions and laws.

Among the recommendations were to avoid loud noise in public spaces, respect private property, comply with traffic laws, dress appropriately and engage politely with locals.

The announcement included a report that several Israelis have been deported from Thailand in recent weeks for local legal violations.

Residents of Pai in recent weeks have reported a string of incidents involving Israeli nationals. The most widely publicised one involved four men who vandalised the emergency room at Pai Hospital after barging in to see a compatriot who was being treated there after a motorcycle accident.

Vocabulary

  • barge (verb): to move in an awkward way, pushing people out of the way or crashing into them - ผลักดันอย่างแรง
  • behave: to do things in a particular way - ประพฤติตัว
  • behaviour: the way that someone acts or behaves - พฤติกรรม, การกระทำตัว
  • citizen: someone who has the right to live permanently in a particular country - พลเมือง 
  • compatriot: a person who is from the same country as you are - คนชาติเดียวกัน
  • comply (verb): to obey a rule, law, agreement, etc. or do what someone asks you to do - ปฏิบัติตาม (กฎหมาย, ข้อเสนอ, ข้อตกลง etc.)
  • concern: a worry - ความกังวล
  • deport: to send someone out of a country, usually because they do not have a legal right to be there - เนรเทศออกจากประเทศ, ส่งตัวกลับประเทศ
  • disturbance: an occasion during which people behave in a noisy or violent way in a public place - ก่อความไม่สงบ หรือรบกวนประชาชน
  • embassy: a building where a group of officials work who represent their government in a foreign country - สถานทูต
  • encourage: to cause someone to want to do something - กระตุ้น ให้การสนับสนุน
  • encroachment: gradually covering more and more of an area of land - การบุกรุก
  • engage: to cause to take part in a particular activity - ให้มีส่วนร่วมใน
  • incidents: events which are either unpleasant or unusual - เหตุการณ์
  • publicise: to make information about something generally available - เผยแพร่, ประกาศ
  • respect: to accept the importance of someone's rights or customs - เคารพ
  • synagogue (noun): a building where Jews meet for religious worship and teaching - โบสถ์ของศาสนายิว
  • vandalism: the crime of intentionally damaging property belonging to other people - การทำลายทรัพย์สินโดยเฉพาะของรัฐอย่างไร้เหตุผล

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