MAE HONG SAN (Thailand), Feb 9 — Tourist police and officers from the Immigration Bureau (IB) are intensifying their efforts to tackle tourism-related offences in Pai district, Mae Hong Son province, following a violent incident at Pai Hospital involving four Israeli nationals.
The four Israelis — Daniel Gagaev, 24, Aviv Rom, 26, Emanoel Ashton, 25, and Dan Nisko, 25 —were deported after their involvement in a rampage at the hospital last Sunday.
The altercation occurred after one of their group was injured in a motorcycle crash, leading to chaos in the hospital’s emergency room.
The situation quickly escalated when a group of tourists, including the injured man’s companions, refused to leave the hospital and began causing a disturbance resulting in hospital staff calling the police for assistance, reported Bangkok Post.
Following their arrest, the four individuals were fined 3,000 baht each, had their tourist visas revoked, and were deported back to Israel.
The incident prompted widespread attention after a doctor at Pai Hospital shared her account of the event on social media.
In her post, she revealed that this was not the first time hospital staff had encountered rude and aggressive visitors from Israel.
The doctor expressed feeling unsafe and even considered resigning over the incident.
She went on to highlight the growing number of Israeli tourists in Pai, with some reportedly running illegal motorcycle riding schools and others driving without valid licences, contributing to a rise in road accidents.
This incident has raised serious concerns about the conduct of foreign tourists in the region, prompting local authorities to take a firmer stance. Pol Lt Gen Saksira Pheuk-am, commissioner of the Tourist Police Bureau (TPB), has ordered a crackdown on tourists who break the law, regardless of their nationality.
The TPB and IB carried out a series of raids in Pai district on yesterday with more than 50 officers were deployed across various locations, leading to several arrests.
Among those detained was a foreign national who had entered Thailand illegally, along with an employer who had hired undocumented migrant workers, and a homeowner who had allowed an illegal migrant to stay without notifying the authorities. Charges are pending for those arrested.
Authorities have warned that stricter enforcement will continue in a bid to curb illegal activities and ensure the safety and peace of the Pai district.
