There seems to be a cone of silence in Thai media about the Ukraine invasion. That may be due to general disinterest in anything outside Thailand, or to avoid offending a segment of the tourist market. Or trade with Russia, although it baffles me why any business would want to be paid with rubles.

 

Some Russians have become involuntary tourists, according to Australian media.

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-26/russians-flee-via-the-few-remaining-escape-routes/100934896

 

The war - and it is a war, not a BS "special military operation" is going badly for Russia. Poor logistics, low troop morale, a higher body count than anyone in Russia is prepared to admit. Russian aircraft still do not control the airspace above Ukraine, a sine qua non for support of ground forces. Senior military officers getting killed on the frontline, apparent purges and defections inside the walls of the Kremlin.

 

I suppose news on the plight of Russian tourists in Phuket and Pattaya is a nod to the situation - a very slight one.

 

 

I did once......but I think I got away with it.

24 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

There seems to be a cone of silence in Thai media about the Ukraine invasion. That may be due to general disinterest in anything outside Thailand, or to avoid offending a segment of the tourist market. Or trade with Russia (...)

My guess is 90% due to disinterest, except when Thais are involved (evacuation of Thais from Ukraine, Thai volunteers), and 10% due to the fact that they don't want to 'upset' Russia as for trade and Russian tourists.

 

If you browse any Western news website, e.g. CNN.com, or Reuters.com, you have to scroll down a long way to news items not related to the invasion in Ukraine. Not so in Thailand, where, at best, e.g. in Bangkok Post, you will only find a brief, written 'summary' of the Ukraine war every other day.

2 minutes ago, StayinThailand2much said:

My guess is 90% due to disinterest, except when Thais are involved (evacuation of Thais from Ukraine, Thai volunteers), and 10% due to the fact that they don't want to 'upset' Russia as for trade and Russian tourists.

I doubt many Thais could locate Russia on a globe let alone Ukraine.....for the moment it is a war in a far away place between people (other than tourists of course) for whom they have little concern.

Yeah, best to avoid it, unless the other side brings it up first. Then if they're on the different side, try to agree with it slightly (Yeah, I see what you're saying...), then change the subject. Same I've done with all politics. Done it at bars with other farangs, coworkers, and now my intl online teaching.

1 minute ago, CrunchWrapSupreme said:

Yeah, best to avoid it, unless the other side brings it up first. Then if they're on the different side, try to agree with it slightly (Yeah, I see what you're saying...), then change the subject. Same I've done with all politics. Done it at bars with other farangs, coworkers, and now my intl online teaching.

Nod sage like, pretend to be listening, agree with every word......then finish up your beer and move on......keeps you out of hospital.

18 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

I did once......but I think I got away with it.

You started it .........

4 minutes ago, CrunchWrapSupreme said:

Yeah, best to avoid it, unless the other side brings it up first. Then if they're on the different side, try to agree with it slightly (Yeah, I see what you're saying...), then change the subject. Same I've done with all politics. Done it at bars with other farangs, coworkers, and now my intl online teaching.

'not my country, not my business'.

I think the Thais are very sensible about world affairs.

1 minute ago, BritManToo said:

You started it .........

Sudetenland is German.......I was entitled to it.

11 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

I doubt many Thais could locate Russia on a globe let alone Ukraine.....for the moment it is a war in a far away place between people (other than tourists of course) for whom they have little concern.

Spot on. I asked a good number of Thais over the years to find Thailand on a world map. Guess what, most failed!

It must be the greatest of ironies for Putin to read reports which suggest that it is the ''neo-Nazi'' element (the elite Azov Special Ops Battalion) of the Ukrainian Military which is responsible for targeting the top Russian commanders - with deadly success. 'Eliminating' this element is his stated reason for the invasion. Independent sources (e.g. Stockholm Centre for Eastern European Studies - CEES) say that whereas in 2014 this battalion had indeed a far-right background, these were far-right racists that founded the battalion, which was founded to fight Russian backed separatists in the Donbas region.

The CEES reports that it has since become "de-ideologised" and a regular fighting unit.

Its recruits now join not because of ideology but because "it has the reputation of being a particularly tough fighting unit.

 

10 minutes ago, StayinThailand2much said:

Spot on. I asked a good number of Thais over the years to find Thailand on a world map. Guess what, most failed!

That is because Thailand is on another planet!!

1 minute ago, patongphil said:

That is because Thailand is on another planet!!

For many Thais, it seems, Thailand is their planet. Only fitting, that we foreigners are officially classed as aliens...

1 minute ago, StayinThailand2much said:

For many Thais, it seems, Thailand is their planet. Only fitting, that we foreigners are officially classed as aliens...

If you are not American, when entering the USA you are classed as an alien too. So far, I have resisted the temptation to ask a border official whether I have two heads.

In my compound there are a few Farangs when we talk there is no mention of the Russian/ Ukraine war 

Unless you are from that part of the world it does not effect you 

Same majority of Thais who would as already been mentioned 

 would not know where in the world its happening 

Unless you are in the Tourist business Hotels  restaurants ect  

 

My father was a soccer fan. Once I asked him who was he cheering for? He said he's cheering for his stomach. It makes a bit more sense in Serbian.

 

RIP

2 minutes ago, shackleton said:

In my compound there are a few Farangs when we talk there is no mention of the Russian/ Ukraine war 

Unless you are from that part of the world it does not effect you 

Same majority of Thais who would as already been mentioned 

 would not know where in the world its happening 

 

 

It is going to affect everyone, although most do not realise it. Russia will very likely default on its debt, which will roil financial markets worldwide. The cost of fossil fuels has already soared, nickel is trading at 5 times its price prior to the war. Wheat is up 20%. All that spells inflation and rising interest rates in most countries.

15 minutes ago, shackleton said:

In my compound there are a few Farangs when we talk there is no mention of the Russian/ Ukraine war 

Unless you are from that part of the world it does not effect you 

Same majority of Thais who would as already been mentioned 

 would not know where in the world its happening 

Unless you are in the Tourist business Hotels  restaurants ect  

 

If I detected an eastern European accent it is certainly a topic I would avoid.

With all due respect it's a good bet none of these are mentioned through the media.....

 

Even in other parts of the world (away from Thailand) anything other than the Ukraine situation has been largely relegated to back page, or incidental media recognition.....

One way or another the Ukraine will fade away in due time....

 

It's doubtful that it is an impactful and widely reported item throughout Asia - not just Thailand....

 

On 3/26/2022 at 11:11 AM, pgrahmm said:

With all due respect it's a good bet none of these are mentioned through the media.....

 

Even in other parts of the world (away from Thailand) anything other than the Ukraine situation has been largely relegated to back page, or incidental media recognition.....

One way or another the Ukraine will fade away in due time....

 

It's doubtful that it is an impactful and widely reported item throughout Asia - not just Thailand....

 

Good point....though only one of these is associated with a total megalomaniac who has access to a huge arsenal of nuclear weapons.

53 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

If I detected an eastern European accent it is certainly a topic I would avoid.

I've always avoided eastern Europeans (including Germans) anyway.

3 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I've always avoided eastern Europeans (including Germans) anyway.

First wife was Serbian......so tend to do the same.

Just now, Will B Good said:

First wife was Serbian......so tend to do the same.

Mail order?

The day after Russia invaded Ukraine, my [Thai] boss proudly stated that she was against me and supported Russia. I asked why and pointed out i am not Ukrainian, she said because the US had gone back on their word and documents from earlier about not expanding NATO. I thought this a little strange and odd. This is the country head of a fortune 500 company in Thailand.

7 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Mail order?

No....I would have chosen someone else.

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

If you are not American, when entering the USA you are classed as an alien too. So far, I have resisted the temptation to ask a border official whether I have two heads.

I'd continue the resistance. They have zero sense of humour.

14 minutes ago, smutcakes said:

she said because the US had gone back on their word and documents from earlier about not expanding NATO. I thought this a little strange and odd.

What was "strange and odd" what she said? 

 

2 hours ago, Will B Good said:

I doubt many Thais could locate Russia on a globe let alone Ukraine

Should they be better than CNN showing wrong maps?

 

Thailand's not knowing about the outside world is what attracted me, well among another attraction.

Now after awhile I'm irritated, discussions beyond food are few and far between.

3 minutes ago, Saanim said:

What was "strange and odd" what she said? 

 

I did not know what agreements she is referring, if there were promises, documents in place they would be there for everyone to see.