UPDATE: Thousands of Russians flee for Thailand to avoid Ukraine war call-up as they ‘take over’ top resorts

[webfact]

 

 

by Nick Parker

TENS of thousands of Russians have fled to Thailand to escape a Ukraine war call-up. Top tourist resorts, such as Phuket, have been swamped with draft dodgers.

 

Some have taken over neighbourhoods and have no intention of returning home.

 

Figures show at least 233,000 Russians have arrived on the isle of Phuket alone since November.

 

The flood has led to a home price boom as wealthy middle- class arrivals rent or buy to stay indefinitely on residential visas.

 

In Pattaya, would-be conscript Nikolai, 25, said he had travelled between Thailand, Cambodia and Laos to escape a call-up.

 

Full story: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/21754692/russians-phuket-thailand-war-ukraine/

 

-- © Copyright THE SUN 2023-03-18

 

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[giddyup]

"Have no intention of returning home?" Can expect Immigration to be busy catching all the overstayers.

[LennyW]

The sensationalist Sun again, this is nothing new, droves of Russians have been coming here for years, Na Jomtien has been an annex of Russia for a long time now!!

[HuskerDo2]

First of all, I didn't know the middle class is wealthy as the story states. Secondly, only 100 residential visas are issued to any given nationality every year so many will most likely end up being arrested for overstay.

[Will B Good]

Sounds like hell on Earth........Isaan rocks by comparison.......????

[Henryford]

I doubt the guy in the first photo would be much use on the front line.  How can under 50s stay for any extended period.

[Will B Good]

3 minutes ago, Henryford said:

I doubt the guy in the first photo would be much use on the front line.  How can under 50s stay for any extended period.

You are what you eat.....I guess he has been eating fat bar-stewards.

[CANSIAM]

Residential Visa ??

[Will B Good]

Just now, CANSIAM said:

Residential Visa ??

It's The Sun.

[Hamus Yaigh]

17 minutes ago, LennyW said:

this is nothing new,

It is new since last year as the Russians now have a war criminal as a leader, with an arrest warrant on his head, and continue to wreck havoc in a neighboring European country. Saying it's nothing new is trivializing the suffering of the Ukrainians and all the surrounding countries subjected to a deluge in refugees.

[dddave]

Sadly, it's having a negative effect in the condo building where I've lived for 3 years, now packed with Russians.  Previously, one could bring a large water bottle down and fill it in the lobby machine, then leave it there while you went out, picking it it up when you returned.  Not any more.  They disappear.  I finally gave up after the third was stolen.

Packages left by delivery companies were also safe to leave in the lobby, never a problem previously.  Now, signs warn not to leave them there.  The security guard says there have been many reports of packages stolen.  I now do COD only so I am there when a package arrives.  

 

 

[Tom H]

Good then they not kill or get killed

[ezzra]

Surprising that there isn't numerous Russian business set up already like restaurants, real estate, visa agents and alike, but i know they will come very soon.

[CANSIAM]

1 minute ago, ezzra said:

Surprising that there isn't numerous Russian business set up already like restaurants, real estate, visa agents and alike, but i know they will come very soon.

I've heard their taxi businesses are doing well with their rented cars...............

[CANSIAM]

5 minutes ago, dddave said:

Sadly, it's having a negative effect in the condo building where I've lived for 3 years, now packed with Russians.  Previously, one could bring a large water bottle down and fill it in the lobby machine, then leave it there while you went out, picking it it up when you returned.  Not any more.  They disappear.  I finally gave up after the third was stolen.

Packages left by delivery companies were also safe to leave in the lobby, never a problem previously.  Now, signs warn not to leave them there.  The security guard says there have been many reports of packages stolen.  I now do COD only so I am there when a package arrives.  

 

 

Stay vigilant until immigration gets a grasp on the situation all over.........they may be weeded out at some point.  

[Walker88]

Dropped by a major Bangkok agogo last night (inadvertently, of course....I thought it was a music store). Many large groups of russian men aged 25-35, plying the women with drinks and barfining a few. A bit boisterous and pushy at times with the wait staff, but I guess it is an agogo. One service person told me one bought many drinks for a lady, then did a runner. (The cost comes out of the service woman and dancer's pockets.)

 

 

[d4dang]

Biz booming for Ladyboys?

[LennyW]

20 minutes ago, Hamus Yaigh said:

It is new since last year as the Russians now have a war criminal as a leader, with an arrest warrant on his head, and continue to wreck havoc in a neighboring European country. Saying it's nothing new is trivializing the suffering of the Ukrainians and all the surrounding countries subjected to a deluge in refugees.

You are obviously not local to Pattaya or Jomtien, it is not new to those of us that have lived here for many years no matter what slant you choose to believe from the Sun.

[BobBKK]

Nonsense again - they have to have visas and there is no call-up. Boring.

[BobBKK]

59 minutes ago, LennyW said:

The sensationalist Sun again, this is nothing new, droves of Russians have been coming here for years, Na Jomtien has been an annex of Russia for a long time now!!

Thank you - some common sense at last

 

[Bkk Brian]

20 minutes ago, LennyW said:

You are obviously not local to Pattaya or Jomtien, it is not new to those of us that have lived here for many years no matter what slant you choose to believe from the Sun.

Can't speak for Pattaya but I can for Phuket. While I agree there has, for many years been a Russian community living here, since the war broke out and certainly within the last few months there's been an explosion of both Russian tourists and long term stayers. Many with young families, International schools are brimming with Russian students. Just a few hundred meters away from me a large villa has, in the last few weeks been converted into a kindergarden for Russian children, no website, no facebook page, just an instagram page. Its already got at least 30 kids enrolled.

 

For those with kids visa's are easy, the students get an ed visa and the parents get a guardianship visa. Good for many years as long as the kids stay enrolled. Those without kids, well the normal ed visa's, elite visa, multiple entry etc. Most I've met are well off enough and aside from buying real estate here they are also then sub letting to other Russians.

[NoshowJones]

Why a photo of that disgraceful, disgusting fat slob?

[nong38]

Good few on Samui last week as well, better option than Ukraine.

[connda]

What kind of visa will military aged men use to stay in Thailand 'indefinitely?'
My guess is that they will find that to be a bit of a problem.

[phetphet]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

The flood has led to a home price boom as wealthy middle- class arrivals rent or buy to stay indefinitely on residential visas.

So not refugees then. But you can't blame them.

Edited March 18, 2023 by phetphet

[Daithi85]

1 hour ago, Henryford said:

I doubt the guy in the first photo would be much use on the front line.  How can under 50s stay for any extended period.

You don't need to be over 50 to stay  here long term buddy.

[userabcd]

19 minutes ago, NoshowJones said:

Why a photo of that disgraceful, disgusting fat slob?

How do you know it's a picture of a Russian?

[LivingNThailand]

24 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

Just a few hundred meters away from me a large villa has, in the last few weeks been converted into a kindergarden for Russian children, no website, no facebook page, just an instagram page. Its already got at least 30 kids enrolled.

Legally they need a lot of credentials to operate. I had a friend that had a legal small school in chalong.  There was a lot of paperwork and inspections involved.  Very hard to do.  This school needs to be reported.  If you can.  

[Smokey and the Bandit]

1 hour ago, HuskerDo2 said:

First of all, I didn't know the middle class is wealthy as the story states. Secondly, only 100 residential visas are issued to any given nationality every year so many will most likely end up being arrested for overstay.

Whilst you may be correct, many younger Russians have 'purchased' ED visas and are continuing to do so!

[Smokey and the Bandit]

32 minutes ago, NoshowJones said:

Why a photo of that disgraceful, disgusting fat slob?

Quite so, they could of at least put a few of the pretty Russian girls in the pic?