SURAT THANI: The Koh Samui Provincial Court ordered a 5,000-baht fine on an Israeli man for making a threat against the life of a Thai woman operating a zoo on Koh Samui.
The Koh Samui police station indicated on Thursday that before the court sentence, Jindarat Sattayapun, owner of Samui Exotic Park on the southern island, filed a complaint about a threat on her life posted to Facebook by an Israeli man. The police station identified him only as Mr Jacob.
After learning about the post, police began operating a checkpoint in front of Samui Exotic Park from Aug 15.
Police eventually were able to arrest Mr Jacob and brought him to court for the alleged offence.
After iimposing the fee, the court suspended the fine for two years. Authorities nonetheless ordered the visitor to abide by Thai law.
Koh Samui station added it was looking for another person who reportedly set a 500,000-baht bounty on the zoo owner.
There were separate reports that an Israeli national posted an order for Ms Jindarat to shut down her zoo and leave Koh Samui.
The harassment began after an Israeli couple with two children claimed they were refused entry to Samui Exotic Park on Aug 12.
Deputy Interior Minister Polapee Suwunchwee said he had received reports there were disputes between the Thai zoo owner and Israeli expatriates living on the island.
The operator recently explained that she had decided to deny zoo entry to Israelis because several had refused to pay admission, took animal feed from other visitors’ baskets, violated zoo rules and squirted milk onto her pigs’ faces.
