French Zoo Owner Missing After Thailand Orders Deportation

Immigration authorities in Surat Thani are intensifying efforts to locate a French national and owner of Samui Exotic Park after Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul signed an order for his deportation from Thailand. Officials confirmed that as of Tuesday, the French owner, Kevin Dimino, remained at large. Reports indicate that around 1 p.m. on September 7, shortly after the deportation order was issued, Dimino was seen driving a BMW sedan at high speed before parking at his zoo. He reportedly exited the vehicle, surveyed the surroundings, and then disappeared from view. Surat Thani immigration officials are actively searching for Dimino. If apprehended, he is expected to be taken to Bo Phut Police Station for detention pending procedures to return him to France. Authorities plan to hold him separately from Yakov Ohayon, an Israeli national also facing deportation and currently detained at Koh Samui Police Station. This separation is intended to prevent any further confrontations or conflicts between the two men. Pol. Col. Naruwat Phutthawiro, superintendent of Surat Thani Immigration, is expected to exercise his powers under Section 6 of the Deportation Act to take Dimino into custody. Under the law, individuals subject to a deportation order have the right to appeal to the prime minister within seven days of notification. Meanwhile, Ohayon is reportedly coordinating efforts to seek bail from the interior minister and is also preparing to appeal his deportation order within the same seven-day period. These developments unfold amidst an ongoing dispute involving foreign nationals on Koh Samui. Source: Khaosod English