Thai police raid illegal school run by Iranian couple, find 89 Israeli kids enrolled

Thai security agency says raid came after complaints of ‘foreigners operating businesses that could threaten national security’; 2 Iranians and a Thai national arrested, charged

An illegal school on Thailand’s Ko Pha Ngan island was raided by police on Friday, Thai media reported, where they found 89 Israeli children enrolled at the unlicensed facility.

The school was run by an Iranian couple and a local woman, according to The Bangkok Post. The three were all arrested and charged.

The newspaper reported that the Arki Kid School on the popular tourist island was licensed to care for 18 children between the ages of two and five, but in reality served 89 Israeli children between the ages of two and 12.

It was unclear if any non-Israeli children were also enrolled at the illegal school.

The school was staffed by 40 workers from Myanmar and 12 people of other nationalities, the report said.

It named the operators of the school as Iranian couple Aidin and Ndin Kishipoor, 45, and 61-year-old Thai citizen Prathumthip Yu-in.

The three were arrested and charged with illegally operating a school, employing foreigners without work permits, and failing to comply with child protection laws, the report said.

Additionally, police filed charges against three South African nationals and one American for working without a permit at the school.

A French woman and a South African who did have work permits were also charged with “failing to report their employer and the nature of their work.”

According to the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC), the Thai military’s internal security agency, legal action was taken against the unlicensed school in response to complaints about “foreigners operating businesses that could threaten national security.”

The Southeast Asian country is a massively popular destination for Israelis, especially the island of Ko Pha Ngan, which has become home to some 2,500 Israeli expats, according to the The Bangkok Post, on top of the tens of thousands of Israeli tourists that visit the island each year.

According to the outlet, the influx of Israelis has led to complaints from locals and now police investigations into property acquisition and unlawful business operations. The president of the Koh Phangan Hotel and Tourism Association said in October that the behavior of some Israeli tourists and expats on the island has led to “friction,” which “harms the image of tourism” at the popular tropical destination.