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Akbar Novruz

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Thai authorities have opened an investigation into as many as nine Chabad houses across the country amid concerns over land purchases, construction permits and the activities of a reported network of Israeli nationals, according to local media.

Authorities are examining the Chabad-Lubavitch centers, which are associated with the ultra-Orthodox Jewish movement, as part of a broader investigation into land ownership and business activities.

Suwannachawi said authorities would coordinate with relevant agencies to verify the company’s land ownership and ensure compliance with Thai law, while also examining construction permits and the sources of funding.

Initial inspections have reportedly uncovered “irregularities in the construction permit process, such as rooftop extensions and unauthorized structures,” Suwannachawi said.

Authorities also seized products at a Chabad house in Phuket while investigating whether they had been imported and sold without the required permits.

The investigation comes amid growing scrutiny in Thailand over the activities of some Israeli tourists, including former Israeli military personnel.

Suwannachawi said several members of parliament had alerted him to what they described as a “network of Israelis” involved in cemetery development and other businesses. According to his account, the group had purchased land worth nearly 100 million Thai baht, or around $3 million.

He said authorities needed to establish how the buyers intended to use the properties, citing concerns that their plans could conflict with local religious and cultural practices.

Earlier in September, Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation also opened an investigation involving Thailand’s chief rabbi, Yosef Chaim Kantor, and Israeli businessman Maimon David Marciano, according to Thai media reports.

Investigators are examining land purchases, possible use of Thai citizens as nominees for foreign buyers, and alterations made to buildings.

The Chabad-Lubavitch movement has a global network of religious centers and institutions. Claims linking the movement as a whole to political activities in Israel and the Palestinian territories are contested, and the activities of individual Chabad centers and members vary by location.