9 minutes ago, xylophone said:

I had the good fortune of being able to share a taxi ride from Bangkok Phuket hospital to Lotus's in Phuket town, with an attractive, and judging by her dress and jewellery, reasonably wealthy Russian woman, and we got talking about the invasion of Ukraine and what she said was enlightening for me!

 

She said that this invasion/war was crazy because many families, like hers, had mixed Russian and Ukrainian relatives, whereby some of her lineage were Russian, whereas others were Ukrainian, so taking sides was damn near impossible, and she said it was dividing the country and families, ALTHOUGH she did say that any dissent was pounced upon immediately, so being able to come to Thailand for her was a good way out.

 

She didn't say she was for or against Putin, but she did say she was against the invasion – – take from that what you will.

did you get her number?

1 hour ago, malibukid said:

the anti war protest in america had a great impact on popular opinion.  as Lyndon Johnson has been famously quoted as saying  "once you loose Walter Conckrite you have lost the war"

Yes, anybody who thinks the anti-war protests had nothing to do with America pulling out of Vietnam simply wasn't there. OTOH, those who think protesting against the war in Russia will do any good probably have that wrong. I think Putin would just mow them down. Or more likely do like Xi has just done in China with the anti-Covid Zero protests, allow protesters to reveal themselves, pretend to give in to them, and then start arresting all the leaders who self identified themselves. This is the fundamental difference between America and Russia/China. Protests matter, and policies change because of them in the US. Not so much in the case of Russia/China. And btw Russia/China is probably how we should start thinking of those two entities now.

GO HOME AND FIGHT PUTIN. How can you lay on a beach, sunning yourselves and playing with your children whilst your Government is mass murdering innocent families in your neighbouring country ? These are ordinary people just like you who have done you no harm, your former soviet cousins who speak the same language as you, with whom many of you have friends and family connections. Your silence is not an option. SHAME ON YOU.

3 hours ago, malibukid said:

the anti war protest in america had a great impact on popular opinion.  as Lyndon Johnson has been famously quoted as saying  "once you loose Walter Conckrite you have lost the war"

I'm probably one of the only Boomers here who is both "Anti-War" (like I was during 'Nam) and a US Veteran with over 8 years of military service (back when the Soviet Union actually posed a threat).
Russia is not the Soviet Union, and the EU/US screwed the pooch when then didn't allow Russia to enter NATO while Bill (Slick Willie) Clinton was still in office back in the late 90's early 2000.  Why did that happen?  Endemic hatred of ethnic Russians.
Plus?  The US needed a "forever enemy" as an excuse to build a trillion dollar a year Military Industrial Complex.

Now - the West reaps what it sows as it demonizes all ethnic Russians, right down to tourists. 

That's just sad.  And unnecessary.

11 hours ago, Phuket Pete said:

GO HOME AND FIGHT PUTIN. How can you lay on a beach, sunning yourselves and playing with your children whilst your Government is mass murdering innocent families in your neighbouring country ? These are ordinary people just like you who have done you no harm, your former soviet cousins who speak the same language as you, with whom many of you have friends and family connections. Your silence is not an option. SHAME ON YOU.

Yes there is something definitely wrong with the broader picture here............

Russian tourists that will be asylum seekers when the tourist visa runs out!!!
Or do I have it all wrong and these are the quality high spenders they are hoping for?
????????

I have already started a thread regarding the Russians in Phuket.

 

 

Rivers of Gold for Phuket immigration as the tea money is paid to overlook expired tourist visas and Russians working without permits.

 

Vichira hospital is going to have a tough time of it moving forward dealing with broke Russians as well.

 

The morons at the TAT are spruiking this as a huge spike in tourism.  It is actually a humanitarian crisis.  They, and the Government will realise just how serious a problem this is when the Russians are still here but have spent their meagre savings.

19 minutes ago, JohnHans said:

Russian tourists that will be asylum seekers when the tourist visa runs out!!!
Or do I have it all wrong and these are the quality high spenders they are hoping for?
????????

They certainly are not short of money. Whether they are 'big' spenders or not I do not know.

1 hour ago, NB1986 said:

I dont like to involve into politics but what a BS are half of people here talking, so what are the Ukrainians doing? Partying in the most expensive places around Europe while their as some one said "Compatriots" dont have even electricity 300.000 have been mobilized its should be enough to finish Special Operation in Ukraine so please stop saying BS about some people who go to travel in Thailand firstly it is not your country and they can decide who can come secondly why you dont go to Foreign Legion of Ukraine and defend Ukraine if you are so smart about Russians, bunch of old farts in pension thinking if they retired there that they own country and they can decide about politics and destiny of the country. Go all to Foreign Legion and come back in a casket in a week or two in a month maximum. 

Perhaps you should get an education visa and learn how to write a proper paragraph, with proper punctuation!

Thats one hell of a long sentence you just wrote!

????

7 hours ago, Northstar1 said:

Perhaps you should get an education visa and learn how to write a proper paragraph, with proper punctuation!

Thats one hell of a long sentence you just wrote!

????

Ironic!