Anti-Chabad Protests Escalate in Thailand Over Shabbos

Hundreds of protesters gathered in Phuket, Thailand, over Shabbos, demanding that the government shut down Chabad Houses across the country, in the latest escalation of an increasingly hostile campaign against Chabad and Jewish institutions in Thailand.

The demonstration, held this past Shabbos, brought together nationalist activists and local groups who called for the closure of Chabad’s entire network in Thailand, as months of antisemitic agitation have been accompanied by a series of government actions targeting Jewish institutions and the country’s Shluchim.

As previously reported by Anash.org, the situation intensified ahead of Rosh Hashanah, when some 500 protesters gathered outside the Chabad House in Patong, Phuket, carrying anti-Israel and anti-Jewish signs and demanding that Jews leave the country.

The protests forced local Shluchim Rabbi Shalom and Tami Glitzenstein to cancel a major Rosh Hashanah meal planned for approximately 1,000 people, after security officials warned that the situation could turn violent.

The pressure soon extended beyond public demonstrations. Thai authorities ordered the removal of four Jewish graves from a cemetery near Bangkok, despite the cemetery having originally received the required government approvals. The remains were subsequently reinterred elsewhere.

On Erev Yom Kippur, Thai authorities raided the Chabad House in Phuket, inspecting the premises and seizing merchandise from its shop. The raid was part of a wider government campaign of investigations and inspections targeting Chabad’s activities throughout the country.

The campaign took another dramatic turn last Wednesday when Thailand’s Prime Minister revoked the Thai citizenship of Rabbi Yosef Chaim Kantor, Chief Rabbi of Thailand and the country’s head Shliach, who has served the Jewish community since 5753 (1993).

Chabad of Thailand expressed regret over the decision and is challenging it through legal channels.

The mounting pressure on Chabad has unfolded alongside an increasingly open antisemitic campaign, with protesters repeatedly targeting Chabad Houses and demanding action against Jewish institutions.

This past Shabbos, the campaign escalated further, as demonstrators moved beyond targeting individual Chabad Houses and openly demanded the closure of Chabad’s entire network throughout Thailand.

The rally took place at Saphan Hin in Phuket Town under the slogan “Unite to Take Back Our Thailand.” It was organized by several nationalist and local activist groups, with participants arriving from Phuket and neighboring provinces.

Speakers at the demonstration singled out Chabad and called on the Thai government to shut down its institutions nationwide. Some organizers had used particularly inflammatory language ahead of the rally, including calls to completely eradicate Chabad’s presence and what they described as an Israeli network in Thailand.

The gathering also drew prominent figures from Thailand’s nationalist political movements, reflecting the growing prominence of the campaign against Chabad.

Despite the growing hostility and government pressure, Chabad of Thailand has maintained that its institutions continue operating normally. Following the revocation of Rabbi Kantor’s citizenship last week, Chabad reiterated that its Chabad Houses would remain open and continue serving Jewish residents and visitors throughout the country.