Israeli arrested for illegally running nursery on Koh Phangan

SURAT THANI: An Israeli woman has been arrested for allegedly running an illegal nursery for foreign children on Koh Phangan.

Four other foreign employees were also detained for working illegally and related offences.

Noppadol Khaomali, chief of Koh Phangan district, led local officials, police, immigration officers and officials from concerned agencies to inspect a house in tambon Koh Phangan in this southern province on Thursday. The premises were illegally operated as a nursery for foreign children.

Five foreign nationals – three women and two men – were arrested during the raid, said Mr Noppadol.

Of them, Suli Shulamite Avraham, 56, an Israeli national and owner of the nursery, was charged with being a foreign national setting up or operating a nursery without permission, hiring foreign nationals with no work permits and failing to notify the hiring of foreign workers to the local registrar.

The two men – Alon Jacob, 50, an Israeli national; and Daniel Stewart, 38, a British national – were charged with being foreign nationals working with no work permits.

The two other women – Louise Cilliers, 42, a South African; and Hla Hla Win, 28, a Myanmar national – were charged with being foreign nationals with work permits failing to notify their employer, the location of a workplace and the type of work to the local registrar.

All were handed over to police investigators at Koh Phangan police station for legal action.

Last week, police detained an American woman for allegedly running an illegal nursery on this tourist island, known for the popular Full Moon Party.

Some 20 foreign children were found in the premises. Three foreign women working as babysitters and four Myanmar housekeepers were also arrested and charged with working illegally.

On Tuesday, a Russian man was arrested for illegally operating a vehicle rental business on Koh Phangan.