Shroom with a view: Israeli busted in Samui magic mushroom sting
Tourist and local woman arrested in undercover sting as foreign antics spark fury across Thailand
Another Israeli tourist has landed in hot water after being busted in a late-night sting on Koh Samui, this time for allegedly flogging hallucinogenic mushrooms out of a beachside cannabis shop.
Thailand’s patience with unruly foreign visitors is wearing thin and a fresh scandal on Koh Samui has only added fuel to the fire.
Police in Surat Thani arrested a 29 year old Israeli man and his 39 year old Thai accomplice after they were allegedly caught selling illegal psychedelic mushrooms to tourists under the guise of running a cannabis shop.
KhaoSod reported the sting unfolded yesterday, May 14, after officials received a tip-off from a concerned local that Snoopy Samui, located in Bo Phut’s Village 2, was doing far more than just peddling pot.
District Chief Amorn Chumchuai ordered a joint operation led by Jirapat Chuchan, involving ISOC Region 4 and officers from Bo Phut Police Station, to investigate the claims.
Undercover officers swooped in with marked 1,000-baht notes and managed to purchase a bag of “cow dung mushrooms,” a hallucinogenic substance banned under Thailand’s Category 5 narcotics law, for 800 baht.
Waiting officers then moved in and arrested the pair behind the counter: Israeli national Ben and Thai woman Bualoy.
A subsequent search of the shop uncovered more of the banned mushrooms, including:
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2.32 grammes in a small bag
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58 grammes in another
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247 grammes in a jar
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173 grammes in a second jar
The total haul was seized and the duo were slapped with charges of “jointly possessing Category 5 narcotics with intent to sell and illegally distributing them.” Both were carted off to Bo Phut Police Station for prosecution.
While cannabis is now legal in Thailand under strict regulation, hallucinogenic mushrooms remain very much illegal. The case has sparked renewed scrutiny of so-called “weed shops” operating as fronts for harder drugs, especially in tourist hotspots like Samui.
But this latest bust is just one in a growing list of incidents involving Israeli nationals drawing ire across the kingdom.
Just last week, a female Israeli tourist made headlines after being caught on camera refusing to take off her shoes at a Koh Pha Ngan café, a basic Thai custom, before blasting locals and declaring, “Israeli tourism makes Thailand more prosperous.” Her tantrum went viral after being shared by the Koh Pha Ngan Conscious Community Facebook page.
The Israeli woman, who was slammed online over the incident, later tried to backpedal by claiming she’d been “misunderstood and mistreated” because of her nationality.
And it doesn’t stop there. In recent months, Israeli visitors have found themselves at the centre of a slew of embarrassing episodes:
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In April, a former Israeli special forces soldier turned rogue tour guide was caught illegally leading jungle treks with children on Koh Pha Ngan.
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In March, an Israeli man in Pattaya shocked a taxi driver by defecating in the back seat — then refusing to pay compensation until police got involved.
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In February, four Israelis were fined for storming into an emergency room at Pai Hospital and causing a scene.
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And in January, another Israeli tourist was arrested in Pattaya for trying to exchange counterfeit US dollars at a money changer.
The string of scandals has prompted the Israeli Embassy in Bangkok to issue a public plea urging its citizens to respect Thai laws and customs while travelling.
Locals are growing increasingly frustrated, with many taking to social media to vent their anger over what they see as a pattern of arrogance and disrespect.
Back on Koh Samui, the mood is equally sour. Officers involved in the latest raid say they’re clamping down hard on shops operating outside the law, especially those targeting impressionable tourists looking for more than just sunshine and sea views.
As for Ben and Bualoy, they’re facing serious jail time if convicted, a sobering reminder that in Thailand, drugs and disrespect are a fast track to a prison cell.
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