Koh Phangan Drug Bust: Four Israelis Face 20-Year Jail

A string of dawn raids on the Gulf of Thailand’s party isle has again shown how swiftly Thai officers can respond when local residents raise the alarm. Over the weekend, four Israeli visitors were removed from a private villa and now face charges that carry sentences of up to 20 years, even as Bangkok and Jerusalem pledge deeper cooperation to keep tourism trouble-free for the vast majority of holiday-makers.

Snapshot of the Case

• Koh Phangan villa sweep ends in four arrests and the seizure of cocaine, ketamine and MDMA.

• ฿79,000 in cash and dozens of electronic vape devices confiscated.

• Police say the narcotics were packaged for party distribution, identifiable by a gun-emblazoned zip-lock logo.

• All suspects are Israeli; three are tourists, one is a long-term resident believed to be the principal supplier.

• Thailand’s revised Narcotics Code 2021 makes possession of 1–50 g of class-1 or class-2 drugs punishable by up to 15–20 years in prison.

• After court proceedings, the group is expected to be deported and black-listed.

• Israeli diplomats reaffirm “full respect for Thai law” and promise closer information-sharing on transnational crime.

Inside the Bunny Villa Bust

Authorities launched the operation when neighbours complained about the round-the-clock music and a steady stream of motorbikes pulling into Bunny Villa, a hillside rental overlooking Haad Rin. Officers entered just after sunrise and discovered 3.32 g of cocaine, 28.99 g of ketamine, a small cache of powdered ecstasy, and 29 vaping devices filled with THC oil. The trio inside—Shon Shahar, Michal Sasson and Jennifer Livshits—quickly pointed to a fellow Israeli, Regev Rachmani, as their supplier.

A follow-up search of Mr Rachmani’s rented home yielded another 33.36 g of cocaine, 16.07 g of ketamine, 23 MDMA tablets, and neatly wrapped baggies marked with a stylised pistol—branding that investigators believe is unique to this network. Police also collected ฿79,000 in bank-note bundles they say was destined for nightlife venues frequented by foreign revellers.

How an Island Playground Became a Magnet for Quick-Profit Networks

Full-moon parties have transformed Koh Phangan from a backpacker backwater into a 560-million-baht nightlife economy. With that growth, officers have seen an uptick in cross-border syndicates catering to Western tourists seeking harder substances than Thailand’s now-legal cannabis. Recent police files show cocaine suppliers from the UK, France, Russia and Israel establishing “pop-up” distribution rings timed around lunar festivals. The newest raid, senior investigators say, removed a cell dedicated almost exclusively to fellow Israelis who crowd the island during January school holidays.

Thailand’s Tough Penalties – A Quick Refresher

Under the updated code:

Cocaine (Category 2) – 1–50 g can translate into 1–15 years behind bars and a ฿100,000–฿1.5 M fine.

Ketamine (Psychotropic 2) – trafficking attracts up to 7 years in prison, or 15 years if deemed commercial.

MDMA (Category 1) – 1–50 g pushes penalties toward 15–20 years and ฿2 M in fines.

Because the villa cache exceeds “personal use” thresholds, prosecutors are pressing the more serious intent-to-supply charges. Defence lawyers must prove the drugs were purely for consumption—an uphill task when packets bear market-ready labels.

Diplomatic Overtures and a Community Keen to Protect Its Image

Israeli visitors make up roughly 6 % of Koh Phangan’s annual arrivals, and most are applauded locally for their community outreach, from beach clean-ups to volunteer first-aid at full-moon gatherings. Embassy officials in Bangkok wasted no time contacting provincial police to thank them for a “swift, professional response” that safeguards both Thai citizens and law-abiding Israeli tourists. The embassy reiterated its February 2025 advisory urging nationals to “embrace Thai culture and obey all statutes.”

What Residents and Business Owners Should Watch For

Neighbourhood watch groups told our reporters they will keep flagging villas that post “open-door party” notices on social media. Meanwhile, national police chief Pol-Gen Veenarat Intarit has ordered real-time data-sharing between immigration desks, hotel registries and Interpol Red Notices to foil smugglers before they reach island piers.

Locals say the broader message is clear: welcome visitors, zero tolerance for narcotics. With Chinese New Year crowds arriving next month and Songkran only three months away, police promise additional plain-clothes patrols and sniffer-dog teams at ferry docks.

The Big Picture

For Thailand’s 39 M-visitor rebound to succeed, clean and safe party hubs are non-negotiable. By taking down one alleged supply ring—while lauding the positive role played by Israel’s embassy and the wider Israeli backpacker community—authorities hope to reassure residents that growth does not have to come at the cost of tranquility.

Stakeholders on both sides insist the weekend arrests are an outlier. Still, the penalties that await should serve as a bilingual reminder in Hebrew and English: “Break Thai drug laws and the paradise holiday ends at the courthouse.”