Israeli Restaurant Owner Busted With ฿56 Million in Drugs on Koh Phangan
Photo courtesy of Chiang Rai Times
Tourist police just busted Shai Alfasi, a 42-year-old Israeli national, on Koh Phangan with ฿56 million ($1.6 million) worth of drugs. He was allegedly running a major dealing operation out of his restaurant, Lola bar and restaurant in Hat Hin Kong.
Lt. Gen. Saksira Phuek-am of the Tourist Police Bureau led the operation. Police ran an undercover sting — an officer bought 2 grams of ketamine for ฿6,000 before making the arrest. Alfasi arrived at the deal on a Honda ADV 350 motorcycle.
What They Found
The full seizure: 3 kg cocaine, 3 kg ketamine, 3.5 kg MDMA plus 262 tablets, 1,778 grams LSD, 15 grams heroin, 58 grams psilocybin mushrooms, and 4 ecstasy pills. Total value: ฿56 million ($1.6 million).
Police say Alfasi was distributing through WhatsApp Business using Hebrew-language accounts targeting Israeli tourists, with a dead-drop system — drugs hidden at pickup points, cash stuffed in socks.
He's been charged with commercial trafficking of Category 1, 2, and 5 narcotics. This follows a pattern — four Israeli citizens were caught in a January 2026 villa raid with cocaine and ecstasy. Police say operations intensified ahead of Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year.
What This Means for Travelers
Here's the thing — this kind of bust usually means increased police presence on the island for a while. Expect more random checks, especially around restaurants and bars in tourist areas.
If you're heading to Koh Phangan soon, just be aware that cops are clearly watching the restaurant and bar scene more closely. Not that you should be doing anything sketchy anyway, but the usual "look the other way" attitude might be tighter than normal.
The Bigger Picture
Koh Phangan's been cracking down harder on drug operations lately. This follows similar busts over the past year where they've gone after bigger operations instead of just the small-time dealers who usually get caught.
The tourist police involvement suggests they're taking the impact on Thailand's tourism image seriously. A restaurant owner — especially a foreigner — running drugs out of his business is exactly the kind of story that makes headlines back home.
Thailand's Drug Penalties
This is a reminder that Thailand doesn't mess around with drug charges. Commercial trafficking of Category 1 narcotics (cocaine, heroin) carries penalties up to life imprisonment or the death penalty. Being a business owner or foreigner doesn't get you any breaks.
Bottom line: Koh Phangan's probably going to have extra police attention for a while after this bust.
Source: Chiang Rai Times
Source: Tourist Police Bust Israeli With Drugs Worth $1.6 Million on Koh Phangan
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