15-3-2024 (BANGKOK) Authorities have apprehended an Israeli woman in connection with an alleged illegal nursery catering to foreign children on the island of Koh Phangan. Four additional foreign employees were also detained for working without proper permits and other related offenses.
The raid, led by Noppadol Khaomali, the chief of Koh Phangan district, involved local officials, police, immigration officers, and representatives from relevant agencies. The inspection took place on Thursday at a residence in tambon Koh Phangan, located in the southern province of Surat Thani. The premises were reportedly being operated as an unauthorized nursery for foreign children.
During the operation, five foreign nationals, consisting of three women and two men, were arrested, as confirmed by Mr. Noppadol. One of the detainees, 56-year-old Suli Shulamite Avraham, an Israeli national and the owner of the nursery, faces charges related to setting up or operating a nursery without proper permission, employing foreign nationals without valid work permits, and failing to inform the local registrar about the hiring of foreign workers.
The two men, identified as 50-year-old Alon Jacob from Israel and 38-year-old Daniel Stewart from the United Kingdom, were charged with working without the required permits as foreign nationals. The remaining two women, 42-year-old Louise Cilliers from South Africa and 28-year-old Hla Hla Win from Myanmar, were charged with failing to notify their employer, workplace location, and type of work to the local registrar despite possessing valid work permits.
All suspects have been handed over to police investigators at the Koh Phangan police station for further legal proceedings.
This incident follows the recent arrest of an American woman accused of running an illegal nursery on Koh Phangan, a popular tourist destination known for its Full Moon Party. During that operation, authorities discovered around 20 foreign children on the premises. Three foreign women working as babysitters and four Myanmar nationals employed as housekeepers were also apprehended and charged with working unlawfully.
