The data refers only to the aforementioned island, known for its relaxed pace of life, easy availability of drugs, and…

Russians ranked second in the size of the expat community on Koh Phangan. The Russian community is the second largest on Koh Phangan after the Israeli one, and in terms of the number of offenses committed, Russians also rank second after Israelis, but the gap for Russian citizens is minimal. This follows from statistics published by the Immigration Bureau amid an ongoing campaign to bring party-oriented Koh Phangan back into line with Thai law. "The Immigration Bureau of Thailand continues its checks after media reports of a large number of foreigners living on Koh Phangan in Surat Thani province and allegedly engaged in illegal labor activities or owning businesses through Thai nominee shareholders. An additional reason for the investigation was also publications about educational institutions for foreign children operating on the island without the necessary permits. Since early May, the Immigration Bureau, together with other government agencies of Surat Thani, has been verifying the facts set forth in the relevant publications," the Immigration Bureau stated in the introductory part of the press release. The main part of the message is a compilation of statistics on the size of the expat community on Koh Phangan and the law-abidingness of foreigners. The data refers only to the aforementioned island, known for its relaxed pace of life, easy availability of drugs, and weak law enforcement practices. Specifically, the Immigration Bureau reported that the expat community on the island numbers 2641 people. This number of foreign nationals "were granted and still hold valid permits to stay for more than 30 days." Top 5 Nationalities of Foreigners on Koh Phangan Israel – 369 people Russia – 335 people Great Britain – 291 people France – 283 people Germany – 210 people Other countries – 1152 people Based solely on the number of valid visas, Israeli citizens are the most numerous expats on Koh Phangan, but they are by no means dominant. There is no colossal gap in the number of crimes committed by citizens of Israel (or Russia) in 2026 either. Number of Cases Against Foreigners in 2026 Israel – 16 Russia – 13 USA – 8 Germany – 7 Other countries – 50 "Violations include non-compliance with traffic rules, illegal drug trafficking and use, and non-compliance with legal requirements regarding foreign employment," explains the Immigration Bureau. However, Israeli citizens lead by a significant margin in the list of individuals prosecuted for violations in opening businesses in Thailand, specifically – using fictitious Thai shareholders to circumvent the Foreign Business Act. Nominee Cases from 2024: Israel – 9, Russia – 3, France – 3, USA – 2, Other countries – 6. Separately, the Immigration Bureau mentioned violations found in the children's facilities Chayut Childcare Center, World Abundance Co., Ltd., Kiddy World Property Co., Ltd., Arki Kids Co., Ltd. In the case against Arki Kids, three people were detained – a Thai citizen named Pratumthip and Iranian citizens named Aydin and Negar. "The Immigration Bureau continues to strengthen control over foreign citizens and suppress inappropriate behavior during their stay in Thailand and participation in illegal activities that threaten public peace, safety of life and property, as well as Thailand's image. Work to identify violators and their subsequent deportation continues," the Immigration Bureau stated. Earlier, the Department of Business Development (DBD) reported that as of 2026, the share of businesses with foreign participation on Phangan is 67.5% (Israel leads), meaning two out of three firms have foreign owners. The corresponding figure for Samui is 68.2% (France leads), and for Phuket – 39% (Russia leads). Read more here. Photo: Immigration Bureau