I can confirm this, just in the area we live in the south of Phuket, I know many self employed Thai's in the area, and they are all saying the same thing about Russians, even they know they are taking over, they are not just spending money they are moving in and slowly taking over, who's at fault? it's Thais selling the land to them. Now they are opening car wash, doing mobile massage, nails, apparently they a Line groups,
A lot also do property agents I can see in the Facebook groups,