Foreign musicians and bar owner deported after immigration raid in Pai
Immigration Bureau officials recently deported four foreigners in Pai district, located in the northern province of Mae Hong Son, for working and operating a bar without the proper permits.
In light of the increasing number of Israeli nationals and the disruptive behaviour of some, locals in the Pai district voiced concerns about their presence.
Some restaurants even banned Israeli tourists, while others urged police to investigate a synagogue called Chabad of Pai, where many Israeli nationals gathered.
Chabad of Pai is located behind Pai Police Station. Some locals claimed that foreigners gathered there, held parties daily, and created a loud noise. Thai police officers were even hired as security guards for the location.
Following social media backlash and public pressure, officials raided the premises on February 11. However, they insisted that no illegal activities were found at Chabad of Pai.
Despite this, locals remained dissatisfied, claiming that Israeli nationals were operating several businesses in the area illegally to support their fellow countrymen. This led to further scrutiny of foreign-owned businesses, including a bar called Jazz House.
At Jazz House, officers discovered three foreigners working as musicians without permits. These three, identified as Israeli nationals Yichai Etzion and Shay David Deri, along with Brazilian national Matheus Mesquita Pascoal, were arrested and subsequently deported.
The bar’s owner, an Irishman named Brian Henry Malovani, was also found to be operating the business without a permit and faced deportation alongside the musicians.
The Thai wife of one of the musicians spoke out, seeking justice for her husband and the others. She argued that the musicians should not have been arrested, claiming they did not typically work at the bar but simply performed during jam sessions.
According to the Thai woman, all the musicians planned to attend a world-renowned music festival in Japan but the arrest might cause them to miss this opportunity.
ThaiRath reported that each foreigner would be transferred to Bangkok according to the deportation processes.
A similar story involving Israeli nationals was reported in early February when four Israeli men were deported from Pai following the chaos at Pai Hospital. The group reportedly broke hospital rules and entered the emergency room to see how their friend, who had been injured in a motorcycle accident, was being treated.
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