"We don't need other people's wars": Thailand deports Israeli tourist

Thailand deported an Israeli tourist suspected of threatening the owner of a zoo on Koh Samui, who refused to accept visitors from Israel. Thailand's tourism minister said authorities revoked the Israeli's visa after he placed a bounty on the zoo owner, and will not allow the country to be used for other people's conflicts.

Thailand deported an Israeli tourist suspected of threatening the owner of the Samui Exotic Park zoo on Koh Samui. The deportation was prompted by a statement offering a monetary reward for the zoo owner, who had refused to accept visitors from Israel. Thailand's tourism minister announced on Tuesday morning that authorities had revoked the Israeli's visa. Following the visa cancellation, he was not permitted to remain in the country. The minister emphasized that authorities will not allow foreigners to use Thai territory for conflicts unrelated to Thailand. "We will not allow anyone to use our country as a platform to create conflicts that have nothing to do with the country," he stated. Earlier reports indicated that the couple managing the zoo had filed a complaint with the Central Investigation Bureau in Bangkok, claiming that Israelis had threatened to harm them, set their house on fire, and burn down the zoo. The minister specifically stressed that decisions regarding foreign tourists would be made on an individual basis, not on the principle of collective responsibility based on citizenship.