An investigation by the media outlet NextNewsTH links the Israeli entrepreneur Israel Jovani, active in restaurants and accommodation on Koh Phangan and named in ongoing inquiries, to directors of a law firm on Koh Samui whose accounts show unusually low figures.
The businessman Israel Jovani, an Israeli national, controls at least five companies on the island of Koh Phangan, in Surat Thani province. According to records reviewed by the investigation, these include Red Paprika Co., Ltd., Sunset Beauty Co., Ltd., El Oya Resort and Spa Co., Ltd., Sunset Beach Villa Co., Ltd. and Paprika Travel Co., Ltd. These entities cover restaurants, tourist accommodation and travel services.
The company Red Paprika, formerly The Kitchen Co., Ltd., was registered on 8 October 2002 with a capital of five million baht. Its registered office is at 143/1, Moo 6, Ban Tai sub-district, Koh Phangan district. As of 30 April 2026, Israel Jovani held 24,500 shares out of 50,000, or 49% of the capital. The remaining shares were held by Sukapattana Thongnudaeng (15,000 shares) and Jiraporn Boonprathom (10,500 shares).
On the island, the name Paprika also refers to a Mediterranean and Israeli restaurant in Haad Rin, open since 2002, offering dining and travel agency services. This long-standing commercial presence places Israel Jovani among foreign operators with a lasting foothold in local tourism, as Koh Phangan hosts a significant Israeli community of visitors and residents.
Two of the Thai shareholders or directors linked to Red Paprika, Poonsak Noomraksa and Sukapattana Thongnudaeng, also appear as directors of Koh Samui Law Firm Co., Ltd., a legal consultancy and real estate brokerage registered on 15 February 2022 in Koh Samui. Its share capital is three million baht. The published accounts show an annual turnover of only 22,125 baht over the last three financial years, with a net profit declared of 14,125 baht each year.
Furthermore, Poonsak Noomraksa is the majority shareholder of Love Sense Co., Ltd., specialising in the purchase and sale of real estate. Registered on 11 January 2024 in the same area of Koh Samui, the company counts among its shareholders a Chinese national identified under the names Yupawadee Chaewang and Si Shen. It has declared no income over the last two financial years, while posting an annual net loss of 12,000 baht.
These overlapping names come at a time when Israel Jovani is cited in investigations into property schemes involving other Israeli nationals. The report mentions shareholding links with companies associated with Haim Bar David, himself linked to Maimon David Marciano, owner of Cosy Beach View Co., Ltd. and Lotus Paradise Development Co., Ltd., both targeted by an investigation from the DSI (Department of Special Investigation). Property transactions by this network are also mentioned in Chonburi province (Pattaya).
See Also : Pattaya: The DSI summons an Israeli property developer suspected of heading a vast network of nominees
At this stage, the public documents mainly establish a map of shareholdings and corporate appointments. They do not, on their own, constitute proof of an offence, but they do fuel Thai authorities’ vigilance over nominee schemes in tourism and real estate on the islands of Surat Thani and, in particular, the unscrupulous lawyers who facilitate such arrangements.
Sources : NextNews TH, Phanganist, Tripadvisor