PHUKET — 24 August 2026, A mobile phone shop owner has spoken out after two Israeli tourists reportedly confronted him over a “Free Palestine” flag displayed outside his store, sparking a heated verbal exchange that was later shared widely online.
The incident took place at Ban Rak Mobile, a mobile phone sales and repair shop in the Bang Tao area of Choeng Thale, Thalang district, Phuket, at around 14:43 on 2 August 2026.
CCTV footage shared by Facebook user “Dahlan Kitcharak” showed a foreign man and woman entering the shop. The pair appeared to notice the “Free Palestine” flag displayed at the front of the store and asked the shop owner about it.
The conversation then became heated, with the two sides exchanging words before the tourists left the shop.
The video was accompanied by a message from the poster claiming that the flag had been displayed on private property and questioning why the visitors had demanded that it be removed.
The footage subsequently drew a large number of comments on social media, with some users expressing support for the shop owner and criticizing the tourists.
Dahlan Kitcharak, the person who posted the video and the shop owner, said the incident occurred as shown in the CCTV footage. He said he had displayed the “Free Palestine” flag at the shop for more than a year and had not put it up in response to recent news or developments surrounding the conflict.
According to Kitcharak, the shop was operating normally when the Israeli man and woman entered looking for a mobile phone accessory. The shop did not have the item in stock.
He said the conversation subsequently shifted to the “Free Palestine” flag outside the shop.
Kitcharak said the female tourist expressed dissatisfaction with the flag and asked why it was being displayed, while also demanding that it be taken down. He said comments about Palestinians became derogatory and included offensive language, prompting him to respond, as seen in the footage.
The shop owner said he has a personal position on the Palestinian issue and wants an end to the destruction and loss of civilian lives.
He said displaying the flag was his way of expressing his position as a human being and maintained that he had not approached or threatened the tourists first.
