Russian Tourists Flocking To Koh Samui

[Olmate]

5 minutes ago, JimmyJ said:

What is TMNT?

Ninja turtle? 

[bradiston]

18 minutes ago, Gweiloman said:

 

Fact remains that YT has cancelled RT. Free speech anyone?

Try brand new Twitter or Trump's platform, what's it called, Truth for Suckers? Enjoy your freedom!

[bradiston]

22 minutes ago, JimmyJ said:

What is TMNT?

It's a cable company in Pattaya.

[robertson468]

12 hours ago, Why Me said:

I wonder what happens when Russian and Ukrainians find themselves side by side on beach chairs or in a bar. Fisticuffs or "Brother, what happens in Europe stays in Europe. The next round is on me."

Wonder no more!  We have both Russians and Ukranians renting our Villas which are very close to each other and have not had an incident (so far!).

[JimmyJ]

Was very pleased to find RT on my cable service in CM.

[meauwnam]

I noticed that there were more Russians in Jomtien. I have not heard them speak but know they are Russians. Russians and especially Russian women are recognizable because they are always standing on the beach and not lying or sitting on their beach bed. They like to be seen. I always compare them to meerkats.

[Tropicalevo]

9 hours ago, Why Me said:

This is weird. Russia is being throttled by sanctions so there's obviously less demand for RUB to buy their exports,

If you want Russian Oil or gas, and lots of countries do, you have to pay in Roubles.

[n00dle]

9 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I doubt they will know where you are from unless you tell them.

more to the point the Russians you will bump into here are here because they are not complicit and don't want any part of the whole thing 

[Letseng]

8 hours ago, nobodysfriend said:

Generalisations are never good , a lot of those russians may not be friends of Putin .

Putin is a dictator , many in Russia want a regime change 

Even now Russians resident in EU countries support Putin. 

[Why Me]

3 minutes ago, Letseng said:

Even now Russians resident in EU countries support Putin. 

And he's hugely popular in Russia itself. As is the war to save their brethren in Eastern Ukraine. Which doesn't fit the western narrative at all. 

[edogthong]

6 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

Like I said, all available in the west for those that want to get different perspectives.

You don't know what you're talking about. The channel is gone. All the great, real journalists who worked there lost their jobs. The fact that you managed to find a Google link to a website that is left as an empty shell of what once was, proves nothing.

[3NUMBAS]

how do they get their spending money with sanctions in place

[DrPhibes]

8 hours ago, internationalism said:

but samui in december is still rainy season, even well into january. There is no point going there, unless for cheap hotels.

Also getting to samui is expensive. There use to be seasonal russian charter flights to phuket and utapao, but I don't think I have heard about those to samui.

I think this article is just part of TAT advertising campaign 

We just returned where 4 of us flew non-stop from Chiang Mai to Surat Thani, then take the coordinated bus/ferry to Samui.  Cost about 9,400 baht total for 4 people one way.  My son was able to get out of KMUTT university in Bangkok for a week to join us and it was over 8,000 baht on Bangkok Airways round trip.  Basically 18,800/4 = 4,700 baht per person round trip from CM to Samui vs 8,000 baht rt from BKK!  Monopolies are nice for those who own them ????

[anandra]

6 hours ago, fulhamster said:

Very likely true.

But what happens when their "holiday" or money finishes ??

Would Thailand accept them as asylum seekers ?

Many russians work illegally, at schools, selling travels, many operate from home, making russian food and selling online, work as hairdressers, beauticians secretly at the condos they rent etc Lots of work for Thai immigration police)))))

[bradiston]

1 hour ago, Why Me said:

And he's hugely popular in Russia itself. As is the war to save their brethren in Eastern Ukraine. Which doesn't fit the western narrative at all. 

Sources please.

[Bkk Brian]

1 hour ago, edogthong said:

You don't know what you're talking about. The channel is gone. All the great, real journalists who worked there lost their jobs. The fact that you managed to find a Google link to a website that is left as an empty shell of what once was, proves nothing.

Calm down comrade. I know its been taken down from youtube but the tv channel is still available 24/7 in english if you had bothered to actually explore the website. 

 

Let me know who your favourite hosts were I'm due a good laugh and I'll send a message to the boss Margarita Simonyan. Her Kremlin paymasters may be able to offer them a bit more blood money.

https://www.rt.com/on-air/

https://www.rt.com/where-to-watch/

[bradiston]

42 minutes ago, DrPhibes said:

We just returned where 4 of us flew non-stop from Chiang Mai to Surat Thani, then take the coordinated bus/ferry to Samui.  Cost about 9,400 baht total for 4 people one way.  My son was able to get out of KMUTT university in Bangkok for a week to join us and it was over 8,000 baht on Bangkok Airways round trip.  Basically 18,800/4 = 4,700 baht per person round trip from CM to Samui vs 8,000 baht rt from BKK!  Monopolies are nice for those who own them ????

BKK to Trad also a Bangkok Airways monopoly. They own Trad airport.

[Onerak]

5 hours ago, bradiston said:

Early on, I think it was Visa and MasterCard who sanctioned the Russian banks, so it became difficult to get funds. Since then I think many ways have been found to get round the sanctions.

They can convert ruble to Indian rupees/Chinese yuan and then back to dollars if needed. Chinese/Indian payments system is still working using ruble. Most payments have changed from swift to Chinese/Indian payment systems.  China/India/Brazil/Russia are setting up an alternate payment system to Swift. Recently Saudi Arabia shown interest in that also.

Chinese yuan is now 5th largest trading currency followed by dollar, Euro, Yen, and pound. The western sanctions have yet to put a dent in Russian economy and the bread line that many political leaders in the West hoped for did not happen. 

[bradiston]

1 minute ago, Onerak said:

They can convert ruble to Indian rupees/Chinese yuan and then back to dollars if needed. Chinese/Indian payments system is still working using ruble. Most payments have changed from swift to Chinese/Indian payment systems.  China/India/Brazil/Russia are setting up an alternate payment system to Swift. Recently Saudi Arabia shown interest in that alos.

I wonder where Lula will stand on BRICS membership?

[Jingthing]

1 hour ago, Why Me said:

And he's hugely popular in Russia itself. As is the war to save their brethren in Eastern Ukraine. Which doesn't fit the western narrative at all. 

You're not keeping up. 

The latest is that it's a holy war against Satan and gay parades.

[bradiston]

1 hour ago, edogthong said:

You don't know what you're talking about. The channel is gone. All the great, real journalists who worked there lost their jobs. The fact that you managed to find a Google link to a website that is left as an empty shell of what once was, proves nothing.

You mean RT as a Russian TV channel has gone, or as a YouTube channel? Where did, or does, the real RT reside? Is it even available in Russia? Does anybody in Russia give a flying duck about RT? I know I don't.

[bradiston]

49 minutes ago, bradiston said:

You mean RT as a Russian TV channel has gone, or as a YouTube channel? Where did, or does, the real RT reside? Is it even available in Russia? Does anybody in Russia give a flying duck about RT? I know I don't.

Just to wrap this up... If I really was in Russia, I wouldn't even have been able to write that last comment, and you preach to us about freedom of speech.

 

Actually Google was fined $350 million and forced to move all its staff abroad as a result of Russian censorship.

 

https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-youtube-keeps-broadcasting-inside-russias-digital-iron-curtain-11659951003

[Jingthing]

4 minutes ago, bradiston said:

Just to wrap this up... If I really was in Russia, I wouldn't even have been able to write that last comment, and you preach to us about freedom of speech, and when one of the most anti west Kremlin mouthpieces gets booted off a platform which is totally banned in its home country? Pah and fiddle dee dee. You can't get YouTube in Russia, it's banned. Waddya say?

Youtube is not banned in Russia.

[bradiston]

12 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Youtube is not banned in Russia.

My previous post amended.

[ESLTeacher1989]

4 hours ago, khunPer said:

Seems like the Russians are not aware of that the tourists season on Samui ends today, from tomorrow it's monsoon season until just before Xmas (Western Xmas)...

Thats what I was thinking - There in for a wet 10 weeks

[bradiston]

16 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Youtube is not banned in Russia.

Here's why, apparently

 

https://thehill.com/opinion/technology/3520997-why-russia-blocked-western-social-media-but-not-youtube/

[JulesMad]

Keep the Russians in Russia!! They are the only ones who are (potentially) able to topple Putin... Don't allow them to escape/travel!! Of course all countries want (Russian) tourist-money, but very few have enough balls to close their borders for Russians!
 

[billd766]

4 hours ago, Why Me said:

And he's hugely popular in Russia itself. As is the war to save their brethren in Eastern Ukraine. Which doesn't fit the western narrative at all. 

Do you have a link for that?

[Why Me]

3 hours ago, bradiston said:

Sources please.

Google "Putin approval rating". Take your pick of the source.

[Why Me]

3 hours ago, Jingthing said:

You're not keeping up. 

The latest is that it's a holy war against Satan and gay parades.

CNN?