Israeli Ambassador to Thailand Alona Fischer-Kamm has acknowledged that Israeli tourists are behaving badly in the wake of growing anger among locals in the Southeast Asian country, whose frustration culminated in a Sept. 10 protest outside the Israeli embassy in Bangkok.
“There is no doubt there is a serious problem here. We have to admit it,” Fischer-Kamm told Ynet. “Insulting people, shouting, arguments, music and noise in the middle of the night. There is a feeling that Israelis think everything is allowed.”
The ambassador has given numerous interviews following the protest. The results of a Sept. 8-10 survey of 1,410 Thais found that 77% supported stricter law enforcement against Israelis.
She said that one of the reasons for the negative perception of Israelis is the increase in Israeli tourism. “Between 2024 and 2025, the number of Israelis visiting Thailand rose by 40%, while tourism overall declined,” she said. “Statistically, the more Israelis there are, and the more concentrated they are in certain places, the more visible incidents become.”
She told Ynet that she wanted to deliver two messages. The first was to address Israeli behavior. “We are working to impress upon Israelis the importance of respecting local law and culture and behaving appropriately.”
The second was to call out an unfair focus on Israelis, which includes a social media “pile-on,” she said. “It can involve highlighting Israeli cases over others, recycling old stories, fake news or incidents being attributed to Israelis even when they have nothing to do with them.”
The embassy has raised the issue with Thai authorities. “Every case must be dealt with, and the goal should be zero incidents. This is not an excuse. But there is a focus on Israel, and we assume there are actors behind some of it,” Fischer-Kamm said.
“There are areas where the numbers show significant Israeli involvement, such as illegal land purchases, and there are serious cases,” she said. “But the focus is on Israelis.”
The ambassador cited a recent case involving the arrest of 20 people for real estate offenses. Six of them were Israeli. “On social media, the headline became: ‘Six Israelis arrested,’” she said.
The protest outside the embassy was another example. “If the demonstration had only been about improving Israeli behavior or opposing the presence of Israelis in Thailand, then chants of ‘Free Palestine’ and insults against Jews should not have been there,” she said.
She told Ynet that her message to Israelis is: “First of all, respect the local culture. Enjoy Thailand, but at the same time obey the law.”
“Thailand sometimes gives an impression of enormous openness and liberalism, but something that is acceptable on the beach may not be acceptable in the city. For example, walking around in a swimsuit,” she said. “We need to be responsible in our behavior, know the law and study it if we are not sure. Thais are very sensitive about their culture.”
