Will Vietnam Overtake Thailand as Asian Playground for Russians?

[webfact]

Will Vietnam Overtake Thailand as Asian Playground for Russians?

Raini Hamdi, Skift

 

 

Russian arrivals to the Asia-Pacific region are soaring on the back of substantial increases in air seat capacity, especially to Vietnam and Thailand.

From May 2018 to April 2019, Russian arrivals to the Asia-Pacific rose 54.5 percent, far outstripping total international arrivals growth to the region of 3.8 percent, according to ForwardKeys.

 

This makes Europe the top growing source for Asia-Pacific, up 6.3 percent year on year, followed by the Americas, up 4.2 percent, and Asia-Pacific, up 3.9 percent, the analytics firm said. Arrivals from the Middle East and Africa to the Asia-Pacific dropped 1.5 percent during the period.

 

Full story: https://skift.com/2019/06/03/will-vietnam-overtake-thailand-as-asian-playground-for-russians/

 

-- Skift 2019-06-04

[madmen]

No chance they love walking st way to much. Nothing like that in Vietnam

[chainarong]

All depends on your out look , for those flushed with money why bother with any of them, however those who need to can make a decision whether to report every 90 days and have four hundred thousand or eight hundred thousand Baht tied up on every twelve month married or retirement renewal, their choice who cares. 

[geoffbezoz]

41 minutes ago, madmen said:

No chance they love walking st way to much. Nothing like that in Vietnam

yet

[cheapcanuck]

Was in Vietnam a few months ago. The Russians have taken over the Island of Phu Quoc.

[Bluespunk]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Will Vietnam Overtake Thailand as Asian Playground for Russians?

No

[30la]

With the increasingly strict restrictions that are imposed in Thailand, it is certain that many tourists and expatriates will change the destination!

[Mitkof Island]

God help Vietnam ! That alone is enough to cross Vietnam off the list.

[Peterw42]

The OP is talking about tourism, not really anything to do with 90 day reports or long stay requirement. Thailand tourism requirement haven't changed.

[KiChakayan]

Vietnam will overtake Thailand. In every respect. Thais are believers, the Viets are achievers. Thais are made to believe they are a great nation while the Viets after after 3 decades of hard work need only one or two more to make it.

[Assurancetourix]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Will Vietnam Overtake Thailand as Asian Playground for Russians?

 

You are very short of memory or you are too young to have known Russians in Vietnam.
The Russians were already in Vietnam in the 70s / 90s;

 

Russia has always had a privileged relationship with Vietnam;
At the University, in Vietnam, one learned more Russian than English in the 80s / 90s for a very simple reason;
the studies were done in the USSR and you had to speak Russian.

 

I met the Consul General of the USSR ( monsieur Galabaiev ) in Saigon in January 1991;
he has more than once walked me in his big black car, I think it was a Volga.
The first tourist trip I made to Vietnam I was on the plane with two Italian tourists one of whom spoke fluent Russian!
It was easier for them because they did not speak Vietnamese. 

[Emdog]

(dang Assuarance etc, you beat me by a minute, I'll keep mine up anyway) Russians have been in Vietnam a long, long time.... they were allies and Russians supplied significant arms and support during war against Americans. Not particularly loved, but appreciated.

Chinese not so much, considering the under reported war back in late 70's. VN spent thousand years kicking out Chinese rule, tho many good qualities of Chinese culture did take root (Confucianism, love of learning, honor, duty).

 

[Maitdjai]

Not only for Russians! The train left the station already!

Thailand, "The Land Of The Free" is enduring an attitude adjustment.

Then Curviews, Raids, ridiculous regulations, "Alien" hunt, overvalued Baht, rising prices, cattle-horde-tourism, and so on.

Also, the "new" Thainess, is making the "downbound" train even faster.

And it's not stoppable,

by concrete-construction-mania, empty 5* star ghettos behind walls, boring shopping malls, and a 7/11 every 200 Meters.

This all is not good for small people and small business. They're realizing it step by step, getting pushed away by official "clean-ups", 2-3 folding rents,

or having competition on "Ghost Roads" for customers with small wallets.

The more wealthy trying to compensate by getting bigger...so looking just more empty.

TAT is "dreaming on" and unable, or willing, to learn.

Very sad. But Vietnam, for example, might be happy about that Thai reflation of "their" markets.

 

 

[mikebell]

37 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

The OP is talking about tourism, not really anything to do with 90 day reports or long stay requirement. Thailand tourism requirement haven't changed.

But doesn't the ex-pat process start with a holiday.  Then after having a nice time the tourist begins to think, 'this would be a good spot to retire to.'  Then he does some research.

[Ulic]

No doubt in my mind. Cheaper booze, cleaner streets, and beaches. Nha Trang is full of Russians. The only thing holding back Vietnam on eating Thailands tourism industry lunch on all fronts is Vietnam not currently giving free 30-day visa exempt/visa on arrival service to a wider number of countries (like Thailand) and more direct international flights. Once these two issues are addressed Thailands tourist numbers will plummet.

[JSixpack]

54 minutes ago, Maitdjai said:

. . .  boring shopping malls, and a 7/11 every 200 Meters.

Oh, but Russians love shopping malls and 7/11s. See lots of them in there. Two of Thailand's attractions. ????

 

I'd miss all those lovely Russian women roaming around Pattaya if they left. Just to watch them, a friend of mine even makes it a point to drink his daily beer ration near an intersection with a Russian-favored hotel and a concentration of 7/11s and Family Marts Russians frequent. Even the old couples often have a lovely daughter in tow.

[Oziex1]

Another story and the usual doom and gloom on the future of Thailand's tourist industry.

 

We know of many reasons why less should come to to the land of scams and dangers but still they come, can anyone see it going down the drain any time soon?

[Johnnyngai]

In the tourist areas, the Vietnamese overcharged me way more than Thais do.  

I will stick with Thailand for the lesser of the two evil.  

[madmen]

The Russians are the only reason I stopped going to Jomtien in high season. Trying to get to Pattaya in a baht bus meant waiting as around a dozen or more buses passed by with Russians packed in like sardines half of them already drunk and trying to get back to Jomtien They storm The baht buses (usually the first 2) like they were evacuating a war zone

 

They are not zero dollar tourists but your hard pressed to see them in restaurauants unless its central world food court or Jomtien markets and most certainly never in bars unless you include 711s

 

Vietnam can have them good riddance

[lapamita]

i was in siagon 2 weeks ago, the main city center was crowded of western and asian tourist. most of the westeners seems to be 20-40 , the " full moon party people" style

Discos open,  no closing hour until early morning

Mortorbiketaxis was chaging fixed rate by grab ,,most trips below 1 usd ..for ex 2 km aprox 15000 or 0,60usd , taxi from airport was only 6 USD

The hotel ,standard hotel big room big bed working aircon and flat tv in disrtrict 1 was only 20 usd

the city seems bussy even in may compare to bkk at night

[Reigntax]

3 hours ago, madmen said:

No chance they love walking st way to much. Nothing like that in Vietnam

 

Might not be a walking street yet but there are plenty of dongs waiting

[lapamita]

2 minutes ago, lapamita said:

i was in siagon 2 weeks ago, the main city center and i wonderd because it was crowded of western and asian tourist. most of the westeners seems to be 20-40 , the " full moon party people" style people , very wondering bcs may is low season

Discos open,  no closing hour until early morning

Mortorbiketaxis was chaging fixed rate by grab ,,most trips below 1 usd ..for ex 2 km aprox 15000 or 0,60usd , taxi from airport was only 6 USD

The hotel ,standard hotel big room big bed working aircon and flat tv in disrtrict 1 was only 20 usd

the city is cheaper compare to bangkok

the city seems bussy even in may compare to bkk at night

by the way in saigon at night , have a waling street in district 1

[gk10002000]

I have a feeling the Viets will not be as tolerant with all the Russian hookers as Thailand is

[phkauf]

2 hours ago, cheapcanuck said:

Was in Vietnam a few months ago. The Russians have taken over the Island of Phu Quoc.

Completely agree. Went to Phu Quoc this Dec after a 10 year gap and everything is worse. The whole place caters to the Russian tourists - direct flights and no visa required. All signs in Russian, store clerks speaking to me in that sh!t language (and I've got Russian heritage), low class Russians all over the place - just really awful.

I even stayed at a high end hotel and still nearly half the guests were Russian (although a better quality but still rude and obnoxious). A new massive development south of the airport seemingly caters to them as well with signs in Cyrillic. I'm never going back to Phu Quoc.

Last week I was in Da Nang, hardly any Russians there. So that's my happy place.

[mmushr00m]

Woohoo!!!

It's not all doom and gloom in Thailand!!!

[lipflipper]

For Nha Trang Vietnam the damage has already begun due to the hordes of the Russians first and now the Chinese. What was once a great under the radar place to go and enjoy beaches, mountains with the crowds now is no more. At least so far the slovenly, rude, ignorant Russians have not invaded beautiful Chiang Mai.

Sent from my CMR-AL19 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Berkshire]

3 hours ago, Ulic said:

No doubt in my mind. Cheaper booze, cleaner streets, and beaches. Nha Trang is full of Russians. The only thing holding back Vietnam on eating Thailands tourism industry lunch on all fronts is Vietnam not currently giving free 30-day visa exempt/visa on arrival service to a wider number of countries (like Thailand) and more direct international flights. Once these two issues are addressed Thailands tourist numbers will plummet.

You don't understand.  We want the Russians to go to Vietnam.  We hope the Chinese will also, but that may be asking for a bit too much. 

[Assurancetourix]

22 minutes ago, lipflipper said:

At least so far the slovenly, rude, ignorant Russians have not invaded beautiful Chiang Mai.

 

Because they are not so ignorant as that;
they know how much the air of the city and the province are more than polluted ...

[geoffbezoz]

Just now, Father Fintan Stack said:

Totally agree and in the time frame you specify it is entirely possible. 

 

I stated similar on another thread and was shouted down with a couple of the usual 'defenders of the realm' posting up current GDP figures while totally ignoring the important stats of economic growth. In this regard Vietnam is far ahead.

 

Vietnam is stable and more and more manufacturing and tourism is heading their way.

 

But you also failed to mention the very big genetic advantage that they have over Thailand - No Thai males ????

[DrTuner]

Yes oh yes pretty please. And let the Chinese follow.