54 minutes ago, Eloquent pilgrim said:

Whilst I wholeheartedly agree that everyone deserves basic human respect, calling Russian tourists in Thailand victims of the war, is a very artistic interpretation of "victims"

Collateral damage.

3 hours ago, tonypattaya said:

The 70% of Russians who support Putin, must carry the same blame for this murderous state.

Everyone here who has a visceral hatred of Russia, Russian culture, and the Russian public should immediately make arrangement to travel to Ukraine and fight on the front lines to stop Russian aggression.  Then we can separate true moral commitment from jingoism. I can respect those who are willing to fight for their beliefs..  However, most of the loudest voice on social media are from those who will fight right down to the last Ukrainian man, woman, and child.  ????

2 hours ago, garzhe said:

I agree with most of what you state. However, there is a difference between those of us in the west who know what atrocities have been committed in our name and have a right to object, albeit frequently to no effect.  Those in Russia mostly know little of what is happening and those that do can only object at the risk of being imprisoned for many years.  Many Russians I have spoken to are as horrified as I at what is happening in their name . They can do nothing to change the situation except perhaps tell their friends and relatives back home the truth of the situation. There should be no aggression to Russians on holiday here or who live here as we do, maybe they live here to get away from Putin's regime. This is a war with Putin and his cronies not all Russian people.

Indeed.  Similar to the situation Germans found themselves in during the 1930s / 40s, and Cambodians in the 1970s. One can positively hate one's leadership, but if the choice is to appear to go along or find yourself and family "disappearing", what would you do? Thankfully, for most people on this board, that's a rhetorical question...but will that always be the case?

A misinformation post regarding past U.S. sanctions against Russia has been removed.

 

14 minutes ago, connda said:

Everyone here who has a visceral hatred of Russia, Russian culture, and the Russian public should immediately make arrangement to travel to Ukraine and fight on the front lines to stop Russian aggression.  Then we can separate true moral commitment from jingoism. I can respect those who are willing to fight for their beliefs..  However, most of the loudest voice on social media are from those who will fight right down to the last Ukrainian man, woman, and child.  ????

So you going to sign up to fight with the Russians after that little spew?

8 hours ago, hotchilli said:

I'm waiting for Xi to take back part of NE Russia, which once belonged to China for thousands of years.

Yup, none of that land is theirs really. Russia should be pretty much current western borders to the Volga river and that is it.

On 3/7/2022 at 3:11 PM, John Drake said:

So you going to sign up to fight with the Russians after that little spew?

I have no problems with Russia, Russian culture, or the Russian public.

My dislike is singularly aimed at global plutocrats who are fighting among themselves to divide up the planet's wealth and resources among themselves while leaving the commoners and little people to eek out an austere existence while we send our sons and daughters - on all sides - to become cannon-fodder for their elitist causes. 

 

for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. You will be shunned worldwide Russia. 

 

 

8 hours ago, micmichd said:

Thailand is not NATO nor Russia nor EU. Thailand is a sovereign country that cares most for itself. Which is understandable IMHO. 

except when it pleads to the world for free Covid Vax and wants the rest of the world to care about Thailand....

8 hours ago, rupert the bear said:

i have read some of the comments and theyve bewildered me.these people are on holidays or staying here just like  most other readers,they are the same as us.they do not make foreign policy or move chequers on the map,western banks have screwed them and said sanctions were supposed to be directed at the top not the ordinary person in the street and as for the rest of this verbal garbage what of blair and bush and their weapons of mass destruction?napalmed kids in the countries next door,libya and syria beirut and kabul where USA stole half of a starving populations money and left with a targeted rocket attack that killed a bus full of children.democracy ?what was manning and assanges mistake?telling the truth and exposing USA war crimes-look what happened to them.as our lord said he who has not sinned may cast the 1st stone.of course theres iraq and that illegal war so what of that and the responsibility of all you westerners from the countries that played a part in that then?your all guilty just like these people who have great problems not of their own making,shame on you,fools and racists,obviously basic concepts of humanity and understanding are far from your grasp.uncle sams old logic of  'surround everyone with everything weve got and let em have it' is also your mantra of the day

I was waiting for a human response like yours,.. ! Respect !!!

I reckon Loads will be going Home now they can't use there Credit Cards.Good if you are anyone who ant, Russin or makes money from them.

First COVID, Next Ukraine...  What other excuse will TAT come up with to to keep themselves in a job and hide the fact Tourism is dead 

They'll probably want to attract all the worlds Junkies into Thailand next and revive the opium dens of the Victorian era..

 

Opps... Spoke too soon..

 

Over 40 years they have transitioned Thailand from a Tropical Paradise, to a Country of Brothels and now towards a mass Opium Den..  God help the people.

 

Is this really Tourism?

 

9 hours ago, Blumpie said:

How's the gas prices everyone?  Happy?

Oil just jumped ten percent now.  That will trickle down to... everything.  

The world cannot sustain the kind of inflation that we are facing here.  Forget Russian tourists, that is the LEAST of their worries.  

I'm guessing your right - With western banks. trust funds etc heavily invested in Russia. They are going to take (have taken) a big hit. Some forecasting EU banks in particular will be affected and the ECB will be nowhere to help. If this happens, the fallout will spread with financial market globally taking a hit.

10 hours ago, 10baht said:

Help the Ukrainians - book a room om AirBNB but don't go of course. That's sending really needed money to the Ukrainian people.

I like the idea!  But how can we be sure the payment reaches the host?  Perhaps it is better to donate to a larger group like the UNICEF or Red Cross who can apply the money in a way that is best needed and has the biggest impact. 

 

https://www.npr.org/2022/02/25/1082992947/ukraine-support-help

https://www.rescue.org/

6 hours ago, tonypattaya said:

The 70% of Russians who support Putin, must carry the same blame for this murderous state.

To be fair, they’ve been brainwashed. Many Russians don’t speak English; those who are old don’t use the internet but watch Russian TV. Putin has effectively destroyed the free press in Russia and has been gaslighting and brainwashing Russians for years. Just look at our anti-vaxxers and Trump fanboys in the West who have been a victim of the trolls and desinformation campaign of Putin and his friends — and those still have access to a free press if they want. 
 

 

Ukrainians find that relatives in Russia do not believe it is a war

"I'm trying to evacuate my children and my wife - everything is extremely scary," Katsiurin told him.

He did not get the response he expected. His father, Andrei, did not believe him.

"No, no, no, no stop," Katsiurin said of his father's initial response.

 

https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/ukrainians-find-that-relatives-in-russia-do-not-believe-it-is-a-war

Putin had misjudged not only the Ukraine but also the worlds response to his invasion. The problem is that he is not a stable man, he has small man syndrome and will not suffer loss of face. This has the potential to become WW3 very quickly which will include Nuclear weapons???? Putin doesn’t care how many people he kills or if he dies! This does not end well???????????? ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

12 hours ago, vandeventer said:

There is only one man in this world to blame for all of this ,and he's having a good laugh. 

I think not so much.  This did not go as expected.

Many have noted the resemblance to the conflicts in Vietnam and Afghanistan.

6 hours ago, Whale said:

"The 2018 Russian presidential election was held on 18 March 2018. Incumbent Vladimir Putin won reelection for his second consecutive (fourth overall) term in office with 77% of the vote." 

 

23 percent of them is not most (yet). 

 

 

You didn't mention turnout 67%. Putin has 56.4M votes of 109M registered.  Fifty-fifty

17 hours ago, Hayduke said:

 

No problem. The statistical wizards at TAT will crunch some numbers and announce the imminent arrival of 10 million Indian billionaires and 1.5 million Saudi trillionaires. It’s all good.

 

 

TAT relatives will make up the numbers …. 

13 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Very telling that Thailand does not see the events in Ukraine as a humanitarian disaster, but as a tourism disaster !

That really sums it up

12 hours ago, Isaan sailor said:

Russia’s banks now paying up to 20% on deposits.  My Thai bank offers less than 1%.  Hmmm.  I think I’ll pass on that one.  Let the George Soros types take advantage…

Ha! Ha! But 20% of nothing is.......nothing

How come there's been an uptick in Russians in Pattaya lately?  The last 3 weeks,  especially.  Unless they are Ukranians.

Surely having no ignorant, rude and arrogant Russian tourists strutting around treating the local staff like s***t and treating everything as though it belings to them is a good thing?

????

1 hour ago, Alex2554 said:

You didn't mention turnout 67%. Putin has 56.4M votes of 109M registered.  Fifty-fifty

Q: Have you over looked voter turn stats from USA and UK? UK was 67% in one of the most actively political issues election in the last few years.

 

 

15 hours ago, whaleboneman said:

Xi is much wiser than Putin. He is invading the globe financially. 

Tell that to Taiwan.....

5 hours ago, cocoonclub said:

To be fair, they’ve been brainwashed. Many Russians don’t speak English; those who are old don’t use the internet but watch Russian TV. Putin has effectively destroyed the free press in Russia and has been gaslighting and brainwashing Russians for years.

I agree with you BUT don't tell that to us huddled in the safety of our villas and condos in the tropical night breeze.

 

Tell that to the Ukrainian parents who have lost their livelihood and homes and, terribly in some instances, their children.

 

Russians (not Russia) are the key to stop this.

 

 

2 hours ago, Phil1964 said:

Surely having no ignorant, rude and arrogant Russian tourists strutting around treating the local staff like s***t and treating everything as though it belings to them is a good thing?

????

Primo Russian eye candy is nothing to sneeze at.

2 hours ago, Phil1964 said:

Surely having no ignorant, rude and arrogant Russian tourists strutting around treating the local staff like s***t and treating everything as though it belings to them is a good thing?

????

I have had Russian customers over the years. Some are difficult but some are the sweetest nicest people I have ever met.

Flights are still available, so what's the problem?

18 hours ago, Isaanlife said:

I wonder how they are surviving financially?

 

VISA and MasterCard cancelled in Russia now as well?

at the expense of their hosts, I assume