Thailand revokes citizenship of Israeli businessman six years after naturalization
Thai authorities revoked the citizenship of Israeli-born Ariel Blushstein, citing his use of an Israeli passport after naturalization and an alleged failure to disclose Uruguayan citizenship.
Thailand has stripped Israeli businessman Ariel Blushstein of his Thai citizenship six years after he was naturalized, in an unprecedented move signed by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. Blushstein, a diamond and jewelry entrepreneur, received his Thai citizenship in 2019 and has since been the subject of scrutiny due to his travel history.
According to the Interior Ministry, he flew to Hong Kong using an Israeli passport on the day he received his Thai identity card and returned to Thailand on the same passport six days later. While no criminal offense was alleged, Blushstein concealed his Uruguayan citizenship during his naturalization application. The revocation was based on Section 19 of Thailand's 1965 Nationality Act, a rarely used provision against naturalized citizens for passport misuse.
This case marks a departure from previous visa cancellations and deportations of Israelis in Thailand, and comes amid a series of measures affecting the Israeli community in the country, including the closure of a Jewish cemetery and an international school. Suspicion towards Chabad houses, particularly those hosting antisemitic demonstrations, has also grown.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
