Thailand is examining 19 companies and land associated with Chief Rabbi Yosef Chaim Kantor after the government revoked his naturalized citizenship, bringing his business and property ties under official review.
Deputy Interior Minister Polapee Suwanchawee said Oct. 30 that officials were checking 19 businesses tied to Kantor under Thai law, reviewing land he acquired as a citizen and examining citizenship granted to relatives through him. Bloomberg reported that authorities had made no asset seizures and their inquiries were continuing.
This week, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul revoked Kantor’s naturalized citizenship. Authorities said he had continued using his U.S. nationality for international travel after becoming a Thai citizen in 2013.
Thai law generally bars foreigners from owning land. The inquiry comes amid a wider government crackdown on suspected arrangements in which Thai individuals or companies hold land or certain businesses for foreign owners.
Polapee said officials could order land sales and freeze and dispose of other assets if investigators find violations, including cases in which Thai proxies are used to hide foreign beneficiaries. Kantor has not been accused of wrongdoing.
In related coverage, EconoTimes has reported on Thai parcels suspected of being held through local nominees for foreign beneficiaries.
Kantor has headed Chabad’s work in Thailand since 1993. He declined an interview on Oct. 30 and directed questions to Chabad-Lubavitch’s global headquarters, Bloomberg reported; the organization had not commented on the new inquiry at the time of the report.
In an earlier response to the citizenship revocation, Chabad said it was “saddened” and was pursuing legal channels. Rabbi Motti Seligson, the group’s director of public relations, said Chabad’s centers and synagogues in Thailand remained open and continued normal operations.
