By Goongnang Suksawat

 

Phuket – The Phuket International Airport welcomed a new direct flight from Russia.

Yesterday (October 30th) at the Phuket International Airport officials and staff welcomed a new direct flight from IKAR / Nordwind Airlines.

 

This is a direct flight from Moscow (Sheremetyevo) to Phuket.

 

Full story: https://thephuketexpress.com/2022/10/31/phuket-welcomes-new-direct-flight-from-russia/

 

-- © Copyright The Phuket Express 2022-11-01

 

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Couldnt find any flights to Phuket on Nordwind's or IKAR/Pegas website. Precious few outside Russia. Some Stans, Iran or Cuba, that seems to be it. Maybe it was a charter.

 

https://airbook.nordwindairlines.ru/online/search#/search

Tourists ?

59 minutes ago, CANSIAM said:

Tourists ?

The original article says 449 passengers. Flight radar gives only 2 flights from Moscow to Phuket on 30th, both Aeroflot, both on Boeing 777-300er. Their max capacity is given as 386 but I suppose there are variations. Cram class I guess.

So I guess banks now give cash for Russians cards at ATMs?

Do Thai banks exchange Rubles?

14 minutes ago, ChrisY1 said:

So I guess banks now give cash for Russians cards at ATMs?

Do Thai banks exchange Rubles?

 

I think there's a multitude of possible answers to these questions. They might have Thai bank accounts. They might have foreign currency accounts. They might have accounts with overseas banks that have branches accessible in Thailand. They might have crypto accounts accessible by card. They might have brought cash in roubles assuming, or knowing, somebody will accept them. And I think it's down to the card issuer how and where it can be used, and what currencies.

 

2 hours ago, CANSIAM said:

Tourists ?

R&R Flights for those who have been on the front lines maybe.......

3 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

R&R Flights for those who have been on the front lines maybe.......

Not according to the unverifiable photograph the Phuket Express posted, it seems.

29 minutes ago, ChrisY1 said:

Do Thai banks exchange Rubles?

Don't know about banks but the major exchange companies do.

There was only a short period when it was off the market.

Rate is about 0.40 Baht for the Ruble. Hope they have notes with high denominations ????

Money first in Thailand , dosent really matters where it come from as long as its filling up the right peoples pocket.

1 hour ago, bradiston said:

Not according to the unverifiable photograph the Phuket Express posted, it seems.

Fighters and there Families relaxing together before they either die or do a runner staying in the country.  One wonders what they had to sign away in Russia before being allowed to travel based upon the current conscription?

16 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Fighters and there Families relaxing together before they either die or do a runner staying in the country.  One wonders what they had to sign away in Russia before being allowed to travel based upon the current conscription?

I've asked Phuket Express editorial board for sources for this story. As I point out above, there are no matching flights listed on Flight Radar for the date, 30th October, Moscow to Phuket, for those airlines. Carrying 449 passengers? Normally only an a380 or a350 has the capacity. And what does the photo tell us? Absolutely nothing. I wouldn't know if that was even a photo of Phuket airport. Any articles I see now about arrivals in Thailand I'm going to challenge.

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Phuket International Airport officials and staff welcomed a new direct flight from IKAR / Nordwind Airlines.

 

This is a direct flight from Moscow (Sheremetyevo) to Phuket.

More lousy reporting. Why would Thai officials "welcome" people from a country that on the same day sent 50 cruise missiles into their neighbor? Why isn't it even mentioned?

30 minutes ago, bradiston said:

I've asked Phuket Express editorial board for sources for this story. As I point out above, there are no matching flights listed on Flight Radar for the date, 30th October, Moscow to Phuket, for those airlines. Carrying 449 passengers? Normally only an a380 or a350 has the capacity. And what does the photo tell us? Absolutely nothing. I wouldn't know if that was even a photo of Phuket airport. Any articles I see now about arrivals in Thailand I'm going to challenge.

Tim Newton or TNN news on YouTube talked about it.

29 minutes ago, bradiston said:

I've asked Phuket Express editorial board for sources for this story. As I point out above, there are no matching flights listed on Flight Radar for the date, 30th October, Moscow to Phuket, for those airlines. Carrying 449 passengers? Normally only an a380 or a350 has the capacity. And what does the photo tell us? Absolutely nothing. I wouldn't know if that was even a photo of Phuket airport. Any articles I see now about arrivals in Thailand I'm going to challenge.

Two direct flights coming in from Moscow today. The first Boeing 777 has already landed.

 

Just now, Soupdragon said:

Two direct flights coming in from Moscow today. The first Boeing 777 has already landed.

 

Seems TATs expecting up to 30k a day over the little over 7k a day currently arriving per Tim Newtons report.

26 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Seems TATs expecting up to 30k a day over the little over 7k a day currently arriving per Tim Newtons report.

TAT's calculators are steam powered ????

49 minutes ago, Hamus Yaigh said:

More lousy reporting. Why would Thai officials "welcome" people from a country that on the same day sent 50 cruise missiles into their neighbor? Why isn't it even mentioned?

simple ..Money 

7 hours ago, webfact said:

The Phuket International Airport welcomed a new direct flight from Russia.

????

I wonder if foreign powers will ask Thailand to impound any arriving aircraft that are on loan or leased to Russia that have not been paid for or returned since the outbreak of war.

Apparently Russia are using many aircraft for their own use now without repayments being made.

5 hours ago, CANSIAM said:

Tourists ?

Draft escapees.

13 minutes ago, Soupdragon said:

TAT's calculators are steam powered ????

Really, I always thought they were blowhards like windbags...

3 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

R&R Flights for those who have been on the front lines maybe.......

Apparently Ukraine are offering cash for defecting Russians.. and a cash reward for military hardware.

A Russian with a tank could get very rich very quickly for crossing the line.

What, with all the flooding, plus covid19, this seems dreadfully unfair on the residents of Phuket.

Wouldn't be surprised if one day Putin redirected these planes to hell in Ukraine instead Thai paradise.

Another reason not to visit Phuket.

 

Hope they brought there umbrella's. 

3 hours ago, bradiston said:

 

I think there's a multitude of possible answers to these questions. They might have Thai bank accounts. They might have foreign currency accounts. They might have accounts with overseas banks that have branches accessible in Thailand. They might have crypto accounts accessible by card. They might have brought cash in roubles assuming, or knowing, somebody will accept them. And I think it's down to the card issuer how and where it can be used, and what currencies.

 

I think their cards might work with TPN Union Pay system.

5 hours ago, bradiston said:

The original article says 449 passengers. Flight radar gives only 2 flights from Moscow to Phuket on 30th, both Aeroflot, both on Boeing 777-300er. Their max capacity is given as 386 but I suppose there are variations. Cram class I guess.

Nordwind fleet info is here:

https://www.planespotters.net/airline/Nordwind-Airlines?refresh=1

Their B777-300ER planes have 486 capacity with one class economy config.

28 minutes ago, PPGuy said:

Nordwind fleet info is here:

https://www.planespotters.net/airline/Nordwind-Airlines?refresh=1

Their B777-300ER planes have 486 capacity with one class economy config.

Yes, I read about the one class capacity. But Flight radar only reports Aeroflot flights. Maybe it's a codeshare?

2 hours ago, Soupdragon said:

Two direct flights coming in from Moscow today. The first Boeing 777 has already landed.

 

Aeroflot? SU274 and SU278?