KOH PHANGAN, Thailand — An Israeli man and a Romanian woman have been arrested in Surat Thani province after authorities discovered they were operating an unlicensed childcare center and employing foreign workers without proper documentation. The raid, which uncovered 42 foreign children at the facility, is part of an ongoing provincial crackdown on foreigners allegedly running unlawful businesses in the region.

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The operation was executed on July 4 at the Little Panda childcare center on Koh Phangan following a tip-off from a member of the public. A joint task force comprising immigration officers, district officials, and local police conducted the inspection, finding children aged between two and six engaged in classroom and outdoor activities. The facility, which charged parents 45,000 baht per four-month term, was fully equipped with classrooms, teaching materials, furniture, meal services, and an outdoor play area.

During the inspection, officers identified 39-year-old Singkhamorn Wongsasawan, a Thai national who assisted authorities as a childcare employee. A subsequent headcount of the staff revealed a workforce of 16 individuals, including three Thai nationals, three foreign nationals, and 10 Myanmar nationals working in various roles such as childcare assistants, gardeners, and cleaners.

Investigators identified 55-year-old Israeli national Ziv Radomsky as the owner and manager of the business. Radomsky had entered Thailand through Suvarnabhumi Airport on June 7 on a Non-Immigrant O visa valid until September 4. However, he was unable to produce a work permit or the mandatory license to operate a childcare center. According to police, Radomsky managed the center’s daily operations, signed official documents, communicated with parents, and oversaw finances through a corporate entity named Sunshine Shop Co., Ltd., which included three other company directors handling administrative and banking duties. Radomsky admitted to investigators that the center had been operating without a license since 2024 and claimed the business was in the process of preparing the necessary documentation to apply for one.

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Israeli-Owned Daycare Raided: Police Find 42 Foreign Children and Launch Wider Investigation

An illegal Israeli-owned daycare centre on Koh Phangan has been raided by Thai authorities after officers found 42 foreign children attending the… pic.twitter.com/Nzs3d6MY2J

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The inspection also led to the scrutiny of 13 foreign workers’ documentation. While 12 were found to have valid paperwork, 25-year-old Romanian national Meda Andreea Capilna was found to be working in direct violation of her permit conditions. Capilna held a Non-Immigrant B visa valid until May 2027 and possessed a work permit specifically designated for a marketing manager role. Investigators alleged she was instead employed as a childcare supervisor, coordinating learning activities and earning a monthly salary of 33,000 baht from Radomsky since November 2024, without notifying authorities of the change in employer or job description.

Following the comprehensive inspection, law enforcement officials arrested both Radomsky and Capilna. According to local media reports, the suspects have been formally charged with jointly establishing and operating a childcare center without a license, working as foreign nationals without valid work permits for their respective roles, and failing to notify the authorities of the employment of a foreign worker within the legally mandated timeframe.

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The arrests underscore the strict enforcement of Thai labor and business regulations, particularly in the tourism-heavy provinces where foreign nationals are prohibited from engaging in reserved occupations or operating businesses without explicit legal authorization. As the legal process advances, authorities continue to monitor the compliance of foreign-owned enterprises across the region.

-Thailand News (TN)