Russian Elites Are Transforming Thailand’s Biggest Island as They Become More Unwelcome in the West

[herfiehandbag]

4 hours ago, phetphet said:

What makes them all so elite?

????????????

[zzzzz]

2 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

0% / 0% & 100%

think ur way off

gf works at a pre school, ( 2-6) here in kamala.  over 70% of the kids are from Russia>Pre coivd it was around 20%
I have spoken to a few of the parent's and every one disagrees with the war, many are working online, ALL DONT want to fight in the war>  these are guys in their upper 20's, early 30's
They are renting long term, many have ed visas and are not on 60 day tourist visas!!

The Russians i see on kamala beach ( how do i know they are Russian well, they speak Russian) most seem fairly young with young kids

[freeworld]

Just now, bob smith said:

yet another reason to never set foot in that god forsaken place again!

I stopped going there in 1996 mostly because of all the foreigners.

[Jimbo 12345]

3 hours ago, bob smith said:

yet another reason to never set foot in that god forsaken place again!

Totally agree 1000,000%

[KhunLA]

10 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Why post such obviously false garbage?

It's as silly as everyone implying Phuket is full of Russians avoid the war and or conscription.

 

More like 1% / 1% & 98% ... since they can only stay here so long on a tourist visa.

[Jingthing]

8 minutes ago, zzzzz said:

think ur way off

gf works at a pre school, ( 2-6) here in kamala.  over 70% of the kids are from Russia>Pre coivd it was around 20%
I have spoken to a few of the parent's and every one disagrees with the war, many are working online, ALL DONT want to fight in the war>  these are guys in their upper 20's, early 30's
They are renting long term, many have ed visas and are not on 60 day tourist visas!!

The Russians i see on kamala beach ( how do i know they are Russian well, they speak Russian) most seem fairly young with young kids

Of course he was wrong, obviously just trolling.

Living in Pattaya we have the exact same phenom but I guess overall the Russians here aren't as rich as the Phuket ones.

I can only guess based on superficial clues what percentage are here relating to the war and what percentage are more "normal" tourists.

My guess of the war related ones is between 25 and 50 percent, but again I'm just guessing. Russians here would know better.

But saying 0 percent, that's jyst stupid. 

[Jingthing]

2 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

It's as silly as everyone implying Phuket is full of Russians avoid the war and or conscription.

 

More like 1% / 1% & 98% ... since they can only stay here so long on a tourist visa.

There are other ways to stay if you have money and many of the "dodgers" are skipping country to country with Thailand included on the circuit.

Saying 1 percent is just as stupid as saying none.

[wombat]

old mate says Vodka & Weed are flowing to the money on Phuket...Soon to be renamed Little Russia so the story goes????

[Jingthing]

Why do some people (including me) avoid Phuket?

Well in my case it's not the Russians but my feeling that it's overpriced and especially the public transport mafia. 

[Bkk Brian]

5 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

It's as silly as everyone implying Phuket is full of Russians avoid the war and or conscription.

 

More like 1% / 1% & 98% ... since they can only stay here so long on a tourist visa.

What makes you think they need to stay on a tourist visa? A new Russian nursery school just opened up not more than 200 meters away from my villa for ages up to 6 years, its full already. They are not newly arrived on holiday. My daughters international school she goes to has around 30% Russian students. 

[NZAMBOY]

2 hours ago, harada said:

The Thais might have a different opinion of them if they read up on what the Bolsheviks got up to, but I guess a baht’s a baht.  ????

Very true...and also look into who made up the bulk of the Bolsheviks, especially a guy named Yagoda...

[transam]

7 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

It's as silly as everyone implying Phuket is full of Russians avoid the war and or conscription.

 

More like 1% / 1% & 98% ... since they can only stay here so long on a tourist visa.

Oh, so after getting tourist visa they can't just disappear then.........?   

[brianthainess]

3 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Can someone explain to me how you can tell they are Russian, or any nationality unless in conversation with them.

 

This report is by TAT so I guess by their passports. 

Russians are a lot ruder than Ukrainians IME, will push past you to grab something from a supermarket shelf, etc.

[Smokey and the Bandit]

2 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

Phuket will be sorry soon.....once they get control of the taxis!

I sense a hint of sarcasm? But your comment may contain some truth?

[Tropposurfer]

So far none where we live ???? More on the local beach though for sure. 

[malibukid]

they are cowards.  i have confronted a few on Bali. i had three choices in 68 in America.  1. sign up, 2. go to Canada, 3 protest.  i choose to stay and protest.  it worked.  not take a vacation 

[Cabradelmar]

As reported in the RobbReport... so an oligarch's yacht (that's on the run from being confiscated) shows up, and RR reports it. Not sure just because half of the 340 villas sold in PKT in 2023 are going to Russians is a sign of an "ultra-rich" inflex more than its a sign of the times (i.e., Russians fleeing Putin's war). If Xi wasn't doing his best at preventing Chinese money from fleeing China, you'd see a lot more Chinese too. 

[Charlest1971]

You know the saying: 

“If you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas”

 

It sounds like Thailand is an immoral country. Another place, I won’t be visiting. 

 

[1happykamper]

4 hours ago, phetphet said:

What makes them all so elite?

Probably their charm, good manners and friendliness. 

[parafareno]

4 hours ago, stevenl said:

I don't trust those numbers. A year ago or so there was a major influx, but many if them seem to have left. I see far less Russians around atm then half a year or so ago 

they ran out of rubels...didint they eat in 7/11 all the time......   

[bbko]

It cracks me up when I read about foreigners in Thailand complaining about an influx of other foreigners.

How can one be xenophobic when they/we are foreigners in a foreign land? 5555

[Jenkins9039]

4 hours ago, phetphet said:

What makes them all so elite?

They are not on the front lines.

[transam]

5 minutes ago, parafareno said:

they ran out of rubels...didint they eat in 7/11 all the time......   

That could be top-notch grub..............

[BarraMarra]

16 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

This report is by TAT so I guess by their passports. 

Russians are a lot ruder than Ukrainians IME, will push past you to grab something from a supermarket shelf, etc.

Sorry brianthainess but the report is from the PTA not TAT.

[CANSIAM]

1 hour ago, zhaffsky said:

As a Russian, I'm surprised that you expect them to interfere with people who think of them as subhumans. This topic clearly shows what kind of people they try to avoid.

 

And by the way, Thailand only opened on October 1st, 2022. Comparing numbers to year before us ridiculous.

 

So, relax, people, things are only getting back to pre-covid normal. 

Are you using the 800k method at immigration for your long stay ? what do most of the ‘elites’ use ? 

[Reigntax]

It will end up just like Ukraine.uninvited and difficult to get them to leave!!

[Reigntax]

16 minutes ago, bbko said:

It cracks me up when I read about foreigners in Thailand complaining about an influx of other foreigners.

How can one be xenophobic when they/we are foreigners in a foreign land? 5555

There is a difference between foreigners and foreign invaders.

one has shown their sub human traits over the last century

[Hakuna Matata]

Those young Russian people in their 20's and 30's are mostly children of corrupt government officials with lots of money in their pockets. Money laundering in Thailand!

[Hakuna Matata]

3 minutes ago, Reigntax said:

It will end up just like Ukraine.uninvited and difficult to get them to leave!!

Yes, they are all buying Education Visa, bribing corrupt immigration officers in Thailand. It's high time for the Government to reconsider this kind of visa. Something is fundamentally wrong with Thailand ED visa.

[Phuket Pete]

Elites ? What sort of people sun themselves on a beach without a care in the world, whilst their fellow countrymen are slaughtering families just like theirs, in a neighbouring Soviet country ? GO HOME AND FIGHT PUTIN YOU COWARDS.