BANGKOK (NNT) - Sasiwat Wongsinsawat, Thailand’s ambassador to Russia, has said that Thailand needs to form new tourism tactics to better assist Russian and Ukrainian tourists.

 

Currently, there are about 6,000 Russian and Ukrainian tourists in Thailand who cannot return home due to the ongoing Black Sea conflict.

 

Mastercard and Visa earlier this week suspended services in Russia and cards issued in Russia including those being used abroad. The government is currently mulling over the use of cryptocurrencies as an alternative to traditional payments.

 

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He stated that countries competing with Thailand for tourism, such as Turkey, Egypt, and Dubai, had altered their marketing strategies to lure Russian visitors throughout the crisis.

 

Thailand, the ambassador believes, should develop value-added items to diversify its tourism offerings.

 

In December, Russians were the largest group of tourists in Phuket. That month, about 17,000 of them came to the Island. They were a significant part of tourism since the pre-Covid times. However, as of Monday, Phuket had only about 2,700 tourists from Russia.

 

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5 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Mastercard and Visa earlier this week suspended services in Russia and cards issued in Russia including those being used abroad. The government is currently mulling over the use of cryptocurrencies as an alternative to traditional payments.

Gotta get that tourist money no matter what

Tone deaf.

14 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

Russians were the largest group of tourists in Phuket. That month, about 17,000 of them came to the Island.

Thanks for the info.

 

Another reason for me to avoid the place (I didn't need another). 

14 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

due to the ongoing Black Sea conflict.

Guess he means the military invasion of Ukraine by Russia but too embarrassed to say it?

no war here only scams welcome

There are a lot of Russians who are exiting the country. Many certainly don't want to go back to face the incoming purge, hyperinflation and depression, and don't support Putin. Many have the means, or work arrangements to be remotely based in Thailand.

 

Create a proper remote worker / digital nomad visa and watch people base themselves here and spend money. Not just Russians.

 

But, that would be too easy. Let's just announce a new scheme every week to "lure" with "tactics" mysteriously untapped markets as the world faces a global conflict during a pandemic. Preferably with appalling timing and tone-deaf for maximum effect.

They can fly to Helsinki & get on the train home to Russia. Russians use the route to travel internationally. Demand for the service made the operator increase train frequency. No need to be stuck in Thailand.

Thailand starts to think out of  the box. Now that the economic crisis all over the world is guaranteed and while the west keeps shooting off its own limbs by throwing private property rights out of the window, undermining trust in dollar and western legal system, many countries will have no choice but to think creatively to be able to eat. The old world is dying.

Yes lets help Russians and Ukranians gather in Thailand norhing could possibly go wrong.

Their needs should be simple...get out. 

12 hours ago, Letseng said:

They can fly to Helsinki & get on the train home to Russia. Russians use the route to travel internationally. Demand for the service made the operator increase train frequency. No need to be stuck in Thailand.

Once upon a long time ago, when East was still East and West was West, I did that journey in the opposite direction. I was going to a party in northern Finland, and went by train from London via Moscow to buy some vodka (as one does). In the process I discovered Stolichnaya. Back then, around 1970, you couldn't choose a hotel to stay at in Moscow but were met at the station and taken to one.

An appeasing  statement by a man who is seeking continual Russian tourists, even though the VAST majority of people ( including TOURISTS )  want to have NOTHING to do with Russians anywhere in the world .

"the ongoing Black Sea conflict."......gutless journalists! The crushing of Ukraine now trying to be disguised by Thailand??

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Thailand, the ambassador believes, should develop value-added items to diversify its tourism offerings.

Totally Clueless

Is this guy referring to some sort of progressive policy? Absolutely unheard of, from this regressive administration. 

 

Personally, I will not miss the Russians. I have friends who know younger Russians. And they say they are kind, friendly and progressive. I have no idea what percentage of the population these younger, more open minded people are, nor how representative they are of the Russian population. I have never met any friendly Russians. 

 

I can only speak from my experience. Have run into alot of Russians both in the US, and on Phuket and Samui, 98% of them seem to be grumpy, unfriendly and gruff. Some of them are downright hostile. In addition to their despot leader waging a war that appears to be deliberately targeting women and children, perhaps it is not a coincidence that the world is not standing up to show Russians support and  kindness? Just an observation. 

3 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Personally, I will not miss the Russians. I have friends who know younger Russians. And they say they are kind, friendly and progressive. I have no idea what percentage of the population these younger, more open minded people are, nor how representative they are of the Russian population. I have never met any friendly Russians. 

I agree, sadly. There is some hope. My industry has a lot of diverse nationalities and is made up of a majority younger generation. The few younger Russians I find to be no less objectionable to Americans in Phuket. Progressive, connected and worldly in the main. It makes sense, they were brought up in an era of pseudo-democracy. But, the older generation is another story entirely. Rude, unpleasant and in some cases very combative.

20 minutes ago, Lemsta69 said:

Thailand didn't ban Western tourists when our respective countries were bombing the heck out of Iraq and Afghanistan and killing thousands of innocent people so why should they discriminate against Russians?

Because Putin's approval ratings have gone up from 60% to 71 % since the Ukraine war.

26 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

 I have friends who know younger Russians. And they say they are kind, friendly and progressive.

and a few years later............

 

26 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

98% of them seem to be grumpy, unfriendly and gruff

 

14 hours ago, Letseng said:

They can fly to Helsinki & get on the train home to Russia. Russians use the route to travel internationally. Demand for the service made the operator increase train frequency. No need to be stuck in Thailand.

There is the small problem of not being able to use a credit/debit card to pay for passage.. and no way to transfer cash..

 

BTW, I know a young Thai lady who lives in Bangkok and maintains a getaway rented room in Jomtien, who has responded to the Ukrainian Embassy's request for Thai people who have accommodation (free) available for stranded Ukrainians in Pattaya/Jomtien!!

1 hour ago, vandeventer said:

Because Putin's approval ratings have gone up from 60% to 71 % since the Ukraine war.

Ah! the power of a dictator controlled media and propaganda lies. 

An off topic baiting troll post and a reply have been removed

I was stood at the end of a train carriage on the Moscow metro (long time ago) and nearly all the Russians were looking down the carriage at me.

 

I asked the girl I was with, why are they looking?

 

She said you have an "intelligent face" and they are fascinated by it.

 

She explained........Stalin killed all the intelligent people in Russia and these people are all that is left.

 

Honest truth. So yes, the older Russians might be gruff and grumpy, but let's hope the new generations coming through are totally different.

Plenty of ways to return to Russia, travel to Beijing take the train, or send them to Poland see how they get on there. 

1 minute ago, brianthainess said:

Plenty of ways to return to Russia, travel to Beijing take the train, or send them to Poland see how they get on there. 

No flights via Ukraine, would be quicker?......Shame.

16 hours ago, Hamus Yaigh said:

Guess he means the military invasion of Ukraine by Russia but too embarrassed to say it?

You beat me to it!

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Currently, there are about 6,000 Russian and Ukrainian tourists in Thailand who cannot return home due to the ongoing Black Sea conflict.

It is not " The Black Sea Conflict "

Grow some and say it as it really is.

Its the Invasion of another Country by Russian Forces

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The government is currently mulling over the use of cryptocurrencies as an alternative to traditional payments.

And today we have all kinds of measures being bandied about to facilitate " Crypto " in Thailand.

Got to get hold of some of the " Tourist " money somehow. Thailand is hoping to entice the Russian " business " people who have the means to escape the Sanctions placed upon their Country

It could possibly be dirty Money, or possibly even Blood Money, but Thailand does not care - its Money.

Send them money so they can eat and get home?  

 

 

15 hours ago, Letseng said:

 

They can fly to Helsinki & get on the train home to Russia.

 

That's exactly how I got into Russia, train from Helsinki. As we crossed the otherwise unmarked border the Russian officers came through the cars and checked (and probably stamped, would have to look at my old passport) passports. I still have a picture of a guard tower like you see in concentration camp movies, at the putative border.

Thailand should probably confiscate all the Russian owned property in Thailand and allocate it to the Ukrainians. That would be a good start.