Thai authorities have officially ordered the expulsion of French national Kevin Dimino, co-owner of Samui Exotic Pet Park on Koh Samui, marking a swift enforcement push under the country’s recently updated deportation regulations. The order was signed directly by Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul as Interior Ministry Order No. 2355/2026, citing conduct contrary to public order, public welfare, and good morals.

The order follows months of reciprocal clashes, online harassment campaigns, and legal actions involving foreign nationals on the resort island — a dispute that began over pet park admission rules and grew into an international incident touching immigration policy, religious tension, and an arson attack thousands of miles away.

Core Dispute & Escalation

The conflict originated at Samui Exotic Pet Park, managed by Dimino and his Thai wife, Jindarat Sattayapun. Following alleged rule violations and non-payment disputes involving specific visitors, Dimino hoisted a Palestinian flag at the venue and put in place a policy barring Israeli citizens from entering.

The policy triggered widespread backlash after an altercation between Dimino and an Israeli family was captured on video and shared widely online, setting off an escalating cycle of digital hostility between Dimino’s supporters and critics.

In response to the targeted online backlash, Dimino published statements that were widely condemned as overtly antisemitic. The feud then jumped continents: an arson attempt involving Molotov cocktails targeted a property tied to Dimino’s family near Lyon, in the suburb of Villeurbanne, prompting French authorities to open a criminal investigation.

Legal Actions & Deportation Orders

Enforcement moved quickly once formal proceedings began, with two separate expulsion orders issued against foreign nationals connected to the dispute within a three-day span.

Appeals & Official Stance

Under Section 8 of the Deportation Act, Dimino holds a statutory window of seven days from formal notification to lodge an appeal directly to the Prime Minister requesting revocation of the order.

Thai officials have reiterated a zero-tolerance policy regarding foreign residents or tourists importing external political conflicts onto Thai soil. Authorities emphasized that behavior sowing social division or threatening public safety will continue to result in immediate visa cancellations and deportations, regardless of nationality.

The case has become a flashpoint for how Thailand — a country that markets itself on neutrality and hospitality toward foreign residents — handles the importation of overseas political and religious conflicts by expatriates. With a French criminal investigation now open over the Villeurbanne firebombing, the fallout from a single pet park dispute on Koh Samui has outgrown the island entirely.