Thai Police Raid Uncovers Illegal Preschool Serving 89 Israeli Children on Koh Phangan

Thai police, immigration officers and local officials raided the Arki Kid preschool on Koh Phangan on Friday after social-media complaints, arresting three operators and seizing evidence of illegal operation.

The licence permitted care for 18 children aged two to five, yet investigators found 89 Israeli children aged two to twelve enrolled. Tuition was listed at 64,000 baht per semester, with no clear curriculum accreditation.

The centre was managed by Iranian couple Aidin and Ndin Kishipoor, both 45, and Thai citizen Prathumthip Yu-in, 61. It employed about 40 Myanmar workers and 12 staff of other nationalities, many without permits.

Thai law requires childcare centres to obtain a licence specifying maximum capacity and to employ staff with valid work permits. The Arki Kid preschool operated beyond these limits, prompting complaints on social media that led to the police operation.

• Children enrolled: 89 Israeli students (ages 2-12)

• Licensed capacity: 18 children (ages 2-5)

• Foreign staff: 40 Myanmar nationals, 12 other foreign workers

• Tuition fee: 64,000 baht per semester

Thai authorities charged the three operators with illegal school operation, employing foreigners without permits and breaching child-protection laws; the investigation remains ongoing. Authorities indicated that additional charges could be pursued pending the investigation’s outcome.

Social-media users complained that foreigners were operating an unregistered school, prompting the raid. Media noted rising anti-Israeli sentiment in Thailand, citing prior attacks on Israelis and a drug bust involving an Israeli national.

The Jerusalem Post

Sources vary on the operators’ name spellings (Aidin/Aydin, Ndin/Nadin Kishipoor/Kishipour) and on the age-range description, though all agree on the 18-child licence limit.

• “Thai security forces found 89 Israeli children at an illegally operated preschool on the island of Koh Phangan, Thai media reported Saturday.” — Ynet News

• “The preschool’s website listed tuition of 64,000 baht per semester, but did not specify whether its curriculum was officially recognized.” — Ynet News

• “The newspaper reports that the Arki Kid School was licensed to care for 18 children between the ages of two and five, but in reality served 89 children between the ages of two and 12.” — The Times of Israel

• “employing foreign nationals without work permits, failing to notify the registrar within 15 days of hiring foreign workers, operating a childcare center in breach of the Child Protection Act and related regulations, and establishing a non-formal private school without permission,” — The Jerusalem Post

The Jerusalem Post

The investigation will determine whether additional individuals were complicit and assess compliance with Thai child-protection and immigration laws; court proceedings for the arrested operators are expected, and authorities have indicated a review of licensing enforcement for private educational facilities.