Frenchman becomes second foreigner deported under new rules
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, in his capacity as interior minister, has issued a deportation order against a French national over behaviour deemed to violate public order and breach the law.
Kevin Dimino was accused of engaging in threatening and harassing behaviour, assaulting people, and causing serious disturbances and annoyance to others.
The Koh Samui Provincial Court also found Dimino guilty under Sections 43(4) and 43(8), and Section 158/1, paragraph two, of the Land Traffic Act B.E. 2522 (1979).
The court initially fined him 10,000 baht. As he pleaded guilty, the court reduced the fine by half under Section 78 of the Criminal Code, leaving him with a 5,000-baht fine.
He was also accused of inciting racial and religious divisions, including among tourists, and behaving recklessly in ways that could endanger people or property without regard for the safety and well-being of others.
The Interior Ministry said Dimino’s conduct was sufficiently serious to warrant deportation under Section 5 of the Deportation Act B.E. 2499 (1956).
Anutin then exercised his authority as interior minister under the new Prime Minister’s Office Regulation on Deportation B.E. 2569 (2026) to order Dimino’s deportation from Thailand.
Dimino has the right to appeal the order to the prime minister, seeking to have it revoked or to prevent his removal from Thailand under Section 8 of the Deportation Act.
The appeal must be filed within seven days of the date he is notified of the order.
The order makes Dimino the second foreign national to be issued a deportation order under the new deportation framework introduced last month, following Israeli national Yaacov Ohayon, who was issued a deportation order on September 5.
The deportation order came after a highly publicised dispute between Dimino and Israeli tourists at Samui Exotic Park, where he and his Thai wife had refused entry to Israeli visitors and displayed a Palestinian flag.
The dispute later escalated into allegations of physical assault, threats and harassment on both sides.