Number of Russian visitors in Phuket instantly drops, Phuket struggles to find solutions for hundreds of stranded tourists with no access to funds due to sanctions

[webfact]

 

By Goong Nang(GN)

 

Phuket – The number of Russian visitors in Phuket has instantly dropped due to two Russian airlines responsible for a majority of flights to the island stopping their services temporarily due to sanctions imposed by western countries on Russia due to the ongoing Russian invasion into Ukraine.

 

The President of the Phuket Tourism Association Mr. Bhummikitti Ruktaengam posted on his Facebook, “Two airlines from Russia have paused their services to other areas including Phuket which are S7 – Siberian Airlines and Aeroflot Airlines.”

 

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“The reason that they have paused is because of European and American sanctions which caused airplane rental contracts to be paused too. Some ticket booking system companies have stopped their services. Airspace has been restricted and limited in conflict areas of Ukraine and Russia. So these make ticket bookings more difficult if not outright impossible for citizens of both countries, although there are still some routes in through the UAE.” Bhummikitti stated.

 

“The number of Russian visitors in Phuket used to be very high and since reopening Thailand to foreign tourists last year with Thailand Pass, Russians have been number one in terms of overall visitors.

 

Full story: https://thepattayanews.com/2022/03/07/number-of-russian-visitors-in-phuket-instantly-drops-phuket-struggles-to-find-solutions-for-hundreds-of-stranded-tourists-with-no-access-to-funds-due-to-sanctions/

 

-- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2022-03-08

 

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[RandiRona]

"Gulag" ??? I mean they are used to it and pretty productive there I guess.

[pomchop]

IF IF the Russian powers that be give a <deleted> about their stranded citizens perhaps they should negotiate for Thailand to provide some evacuation flights via UAE or ? and Russia can pay Thailand with GOLD of which I am sure Putin and his minions has a big stash.  Thailand should try to help with some temporary lodging and food as a humanitarian action but Russia should also reimburse that.  There are consequences to your citizens when your leaders invade sovereign countries, even if the citizens have no control over these leaders.

 

How many stranded Russians are in Thailand now?  Do they even want to return to Russia?  It is not Thailand's responsibility to house and feed them indefinitely.

[Thunglom]

let's face it quite apart from not being able to pay, they is hardly a country in the world that would welcome Russians at present.

Any Russian who expects otherwise would be utterly foolhardy.

[Thunglom]

1 hour ago, pomchop said:

IF IF the Russian powers that be give a <deleted> about their stranded citizens perhaps they should negotiate for Thailand to provide some evacuation flights via UAE or ? and Russia can pay Thailand with GOLD of which I am sure Putin and his minions has a big stash.  Thailand should try to help with some temporary lodging and food as a humanitarian action but Russia should also reimburse that.  There are consequences to your citizens when your leaders invade sovereign countries, even if the citizens have no control over these leaders.

 

How many stranded Russians are in Thailand now?  Do they even want to return to Russia?  It is not Thailand's responsibility to house and feed them indefinitely.

Russia's only real currency now is fossil fuel.

[Thunglom]

It is the duty of Russia to repatriate them.

Unless they can exchange their gold chains for tickets

[bkk6060]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The number of Russian visitors in Phuket has instantly dropped

Great news, I am checking flights to Phuket now.

[steven100]

These stranded rusky's should tell their embassy in BKK to call Putin's rich Oligarch's .....and have them bring their  $200Million dollar yachts over and pick them up on the beach.  

 

 

Edited March 7, 2022 by steven100

[ozimoron]

It looks like they are buying bitcoin to stash their money. BTC normally follows the NASDAQ and inversely correlated with the DXY but lately it has decoupled.

[Skeptic7]

Good. 

[Inala]

48 minutes ago, steven100 said:

These stranded rusky's should tell their embassy in BKK to call Putin's rich Oligarch's .....and have them bring their  $200Million dollar yachts over and pick them up on the beach.  

 

 

In some case these yachts are worth $600m!!!!

Edited March 7, 2022 by Inala

[hotchilli]

1 hour ago, Thunglom said:

let's face it quite apart from not being able to pay, they is hardly a country in the world that would welcome Russians at present.

Any Russian who expects otherwise would be utterly foolhardy.

 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

The number of Russian visitors in Phuket has instantly dropped due to two Russian airlines responsible for a majority of flights to the island stopping their services temporarily due to sanctions imposed by western countries on Russia due to the ongoing Russian invasion into Ukraine.

Russians are about as welcome as a f#rt in an elevator at the moment....

Except Thailand who would welcome them back tomorrow or even sooner if there was a night flight.

[Isaan sailor]

I guess you can tell those Philippines bands in Phuket, they don’t need to play those Russian songs anymore…

[hotchilli]

1 hour ago, steven100 said:

These stranded rusky's should tell their embassy in BKK to call Putin's rich Oligarch's .....and have them bring their  $200Million dollar yachts over and pick them up on the beach.  

 

 

The Oligarchs are afraid to sail their multi billion super yachts anywhere for fear of having them impounded.

I bet they're shi##ing themselves about money, property and possessions in foreign countries at the moment.

I wonder what Malta is doing at the moment, that was a favourite country for Russians to buy a passport and gain free entry in Europe.

 

[Excel]

I would suspect that with the Russians not having money or not able to come there must be a massive over supply of undersize speedos in the shops. ????

[Benmart]

I am grateful that I have resources to live here, but mostly that I have never met some of the creatures who post such hateful things about other people. It's the Russian government, not the individua Russian l tourist who is behind all this.

[JoePai]

Has the airspace between Russia and Thailand been closed ?

[itsari]

Making life difficult for innocent Russians abroad right now is a good idea in my opinion . 

Anything that can slow down the one man band leadership in Russia is a good idea 

[steven100]

6 minutes ago, Benmart said:

I am grateful that I have resources to live here, but mostly that I have never met some of the creatures who post such hateful things about other people. It's the Russian government, not the individua Russian l tourist who is behind all this.

wrong,  it's not only the russian government.. it's also the millions of russian's who did nothing to oppose the murderous regime for the past decade,  it's the millions of russian's who support Putin and his filthy Oligarchs getting richer by the day.  It's the millions of russians who are so gullible to this murderous regimes TV propergander tactics. 

[sammieuk1]

Farangs with no access to money are no use at all they have defiantly made it to the wrong destination at the wrong time hilarious ???? 

[Paul Henry]

Maybe Trump should go to Russia as NATO's secret weapon. He succsessfully divided the USA so maybe he can do the same in Russia. He can even bragg about his latest claim that he told Putin he would bomb (nuke) Moscow.

[SoilSpoil]

I guess (guess!!!) that 90% of the Russians couldnt afford to spend the winter in Thailand.  Only those working for and with links to oil criminals or the Kremlincan. Russia should send planes to get them out. If not, let them eat white rice and stay in a fan cooled no frills room. Let them watch Al Jazeera 24/7, maybe the only objective news channel at the moment  and tell the people in their motherland what's going on.  

[JayClay]

8 minutes ago, steven100 said:

russian's who did nothing to oppose the murderous regime for the past decade

The ones who did, died...

[smedly]

at least they understand why it is happening as they can freely view uncensored news coverage of what is going on, unlike in their home country where anyone uses the word "war" is arrested and never seen again

 

You can blame Adolf Putin for your current extended holiday or maybe he will arrange a free flight home for you

[CygnusX1]

20 minutes ago, Benmart said:

It's the Russian government, not the individua Russian l tourist who is behind all this.

Agree. Russians I’ve met on Jomtien beach have been gracious people, happy to try out their limited English. I’ve even been given food by Russians who probably have way less money than I do. Not their fault that their leader’s an evil psychopath.

[DFPhuket]

While there are no Russian planes flying, there are several flights to Russia with one stop (e.g, Qatar, Emirates or Etihad are still flying there). Russians are not really stranded in Thailand due to lack of flights, but they may be due to to banking issues, inability to use Russian credit cards, the crash of their currency. 

[grumpyoldman]

Please don't paint all Russians with one brush. I have Russian friends in Phuket and they are really good people. As one poster already mentioned, it's Putin's agenda, not your average Russian's.

 

My buddy Max's wife, Tanya, makes the BEST pierogi...............mmmmmmmm mushroom & onion pierogi........

[smedly]

I think it has become very clear recently that their so called and incorrectly named mighty military is completely and utterly over stated, it is a complete shambles, they wouldn't last a week against the highly capable western military, I had a laugh a few days ago a video clip of a Ukraine farmer stealing a mighty Russian tank with his tactor towing it down the road with a Russian soldier chasing after it,  or the guy in the car driving past a Stalled convoy rolling down his window and offering to tow them back to Russia....too funny

 

 

What I would like to see is Ukraine airforce dropping a few bombs in Russia to see how they like it, the US did something similar on Japan early in the 2nd WW, they sent bombers on a one way mission to bomb Japan, there was a movie based on that operation

[smedly]

43 minutes ago, steven100 said:

wrong,  it's not only the russian government.. it's also the millions of russian's who did nothing to oppose the murderous regime for the past decade,  it's the millions of russian's who support Putin and his filthy Oligarchs getting richer by the day.  It's the millions of russians who are so gullible to this murderous regimes TV propergander tactics. 

sounds familiar

[Canadian Snowbird]

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

 

Russians are about as welcome as a f#rt in an elevator at the moment....

Except Thailand who would welcome them back tomorrow or even sooner if there was a night flight.

If I had choose only between those two, I think I would welcome "the f#rt in the elevator". ????