Phuket authorities dismiss concerns over rising Russian population and mafia claims

[Lacessit]

On 9/9/2023 at 11:30 AM, Harsh Jones said:

This has almost nothing to do with Russians fleeing the war. And no. The Russian economy is not collapsing at all. If it was, you'd see all the Russians leaving. Just as the whole Anglo era slowly ended in Thailand after 2008 after the financial crisis. 

 

No. This is about Russians not wanting to travel or not being welcome in Nato countries. So they go to places like Thailand instead.

 

From Latvia to Spain: How the lack of Russian tourists has impacted countries across Europe

 

https://www.euronews.com/travel/2023/06/16/has-the-loss-of-russian-tourism-dealt-europe-a-crippling-blow

IIRC over 1 million Russians have left Russia to avoid the military draft. That includes some of their best and brightest. They are not tourists, they are going for good.

 

If the Russian economy is not collapsing, why has the ruble tanked so much the central bank has had to boost interest rates to 12% recently?

 

Europe used to buy about 70% of its oil and gas from Russia. That market is gone - perhaps forever, unless there is complete regime change. It will take at least ten years for Russia to develop pipelines to the new markets of China and India. Meantime, it will have to rely on costly, inefficient shipping no one will insure. It does not have the funds to build those pipelines.

 

The oil coming from the cold regions of Russia had an army of Western technicians to keep it flowing. Those people are now gone. When a wellhead in the permafrost stops pumping, it freezes.

 

Russia was doing very well financially until Putin gambled on taking Ukraine quickly. IMO Russia will either become a failed state, or a Chinese vassal.

 

 

[hotchilli]

Phuket down plays, Phuket refutes problems, Phuket dismisses issuses...

A sure sign of "trouble at mill"

[nglodnig]

"there is no truth to this rumour that our island is being taken over by Russians" local government spokesperson Vladimir Ivanov said today.

Edited September 10, 2023 by nglodnig

[London Lowf]

2 hours ago, nglodnig said:

"there is no truth to this rumour that our island is being taken over by Russians" local government spokesperson Vladimir Ivanov said today.

There is no truth to the rumour that the West End of London was taken over by Arab money in the Eighties.

 

There is no truth to the rumour that a huge area of West London was taken over by Indians and Pakistanis.

 

There is no truth to the rumour that a large area of North London was taken over by the Jews.

 

There is no truth to the rumour that a large area of South London was taken over by Afro-Caribbeans.

 

It's the world we live in! Many countries seek investment from overseas.

 

Many large devolpments on Phuket ground to a complete halt during Covid and are still abandoned. I only know of one (in Layan) that is currently proceeding to completion at full speed - it is clearly Russian-backed.

 

 

Edited September 10, 2023 by London Lowf

[stupidfarang]

On 9/9/2023 at 3:22 PM, BarraMarra said:

How would you feel stupidfarang if you decided to live in a nice area in Phuket and then within a few months many young Russians started arriving in your little piece of Heaven? Russian shops began opening and selling Russian food. strangers walking up and down your Soi some even living next to you.

So you know how the Thai people felt when you and all us other farangs arrived. Also I was just pointing out the Euro news link/quote is about russian tourists, not nessarlly about the ones who are coming here to live and set up shop. I do know what it is like to have Russians living next to me, In Palma, mallorca had Russian mafia buy two houses, one on either side, one for the body guards and one for the boss, they were good neighbours. And there are many Russians in Palma. Malta was the next stop but the Russians were there already. Now in a quite part of Thailand, no Russians.

[Sydebolle]

On 9/9/2023 at 3:04 PM, BusyB said:

I don't know where you hang out but that's not the way I've experienced Thailand in over 20 years of snowbirds and long stays.

Good on you then; I've been working here for four decades ...... enjoy your long stays as a snow bird then as you're apparently not affected or have not realized the reality - yet, that is. 

Of course the majority of Thais are nice people, greedy all the while but in tourism dungeons they rip you off before you manage to get around the corner. I don't interfere yet sometimes drop a sentence or two in Thai language (I'm fluent in the lingua) just to let them know, that not all of those alien are sheep on the way to the slaughterhouse. Done for my own mental sanity, not expecting any change in behavior by those few crooks! 

[BusyB]

1 hour ago, Sydebolle said:

Good on you then; I've been working here for four decades ...... enjoy your long stays as a snow bird then as you're apparently not affected or have not realized the reality - yet, that is. 

Of course the majority of Thais are nice people, greedy all the while but in tourism dungeons they rip you off before you manage to get around the corner. I don't interfere yet sometimes drop a sentence or two in Thai language (I'm fluent in the lingua) just to let them know, that not all of those alien are sheep on the way to the slaughterhouse. Done for my own mental sanity, not expecting any change in behavior by those few crooks! 

Thanks for the reply. I'm a lot closer to reality than that though.

 

Of course there are some nasty bits of work around. And I don't go to Phuket any more since about 2006. I've been around a bit but I've never come across a more egregiously corrupt and greedyrotten dump for tourists. It's also the only place in LOS I've been threatened with violence by a Thai in over 20 years (tut tuks again of course - another story). I've seen some unpleasantness in Pattaya that I wasn't part of and was over fast. My experience, and like I said in almost annual trips for 3-4 months and a couple of 6 month long stays, has generally been no worse than back home. 

 

The police of course are a disgrace to the uniform and profession but that's a story in itself.

 

Yeah, sure, situational awareness is paramount. The place is fulll of gypsies tramps and thieves. But I worry more about impromptu violence on the streets of English towns than I do on Walking Street. You won't find me anywhere near Beach Road after 8 in the evening either. And I've had to (successfully) fight off a visa company's attempt to scam me on a border run. I ain't naive or soft in the slightest.

 

I don't wear gold chains but I know that just the clothes, glasses, watch and sandals I wear marks me out as very rich by local standards. I  approach Thais in the knowledge that most of them would give their right arms to have the global privileges and income I have. And who would blame them - many wonder where tomorrow's meals are coming from and it pays to remember that they struggle with problems I've never had.

 

I tend to find if I smile at the world it tends to smile back. If I growl, it growls. And when it growls I tend to find, especially in LOS, that a smile does a lot to solve the problem.

 

And sometimes crap just happens wherever you are.

 

[connda]

Want to know why Russians are coming to Thailand.  It has nothing to do with 'fleeing the war.'
It has everything to do with the entire EU bloc making all Russian persona-non-grata.  Currently all countries in the EU bloc are greenlighted to confiscate Russian vehicles and "personal goods."

13. Can Russian nationals temporarily bring personal goods and vehicles listed in Annex XXI and subject to the prohibition in Art. 3i of Council Regulation 833/2014 into the Union,
e.g. for touristic travels?
Last update: 8 September 2023

"No.  Article 3i of Council Regulation 833/2014 prohibits the purchase, import, or transfer, directly or indirectly, of goods as listed in Annex XXI to the Regulation if they originate in Russia or are exported from Russia. This includes motor vehicles (cars) falling under CN code 8703."
https://finance.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2023-09/faqs-sanctions-russia-listed-goods_en.pdf

This includes a ban on the following items under Annex XXI to the Regulation:
https://lexparency.org/eu/32014R0833/ANX_XXI/

So yeah.  Expect a whole lot more Russians to visit, here and no doubt other destinations, who no longer are traveling to the EU on business or holidays.

Edited September 11, 2023 by connda

[sharksy]

On 9/9/2023 at 5:07 AM, jvs said:

Of course,i did not expect any thing else.

Remember the Pattaya  Police could not find any evidence of

prostitution there?I just wonder what motivates this,no just kidding.

I find Al Jazeera one of the most honest and unbiased news channels,i tend to believe them.

Bring on the confused emojis!

 

 

 

Al Jazeera was one of the most honest and unbiased news channels, but last few years it has gone right downhill, in my opinion.

Recently saw one of its documentaries on farangs visiting Pattaya.  Go watch that, you'll see what I mean.

[Harsh Jones]

On 9/10/2023 at 3:17 AM, Lacessit said:

IIRC over 1 million Russians have left Russia to avoid the military draft. That includes some of their best and brightest. They are not tourists, they are going for good.

 

If the Russian economy is not collapsing, why has the ruble tanked so much the central bank has had to boost interest rates to 12% recently?

 

Europe used to buy about 70% of its oil and gas from Russia. That market is gone - perhaps forever, unless there is complete regime change. It will take at least ten years for Russia to develop pipelines to the new markets of China and India. Meantime, it will have to rely on costly, inefficient shipping no one will insure. It does not have the funds to build those pipelines.

 

The oil coming from the cold regions of Russia had an army of Western technicians to keep it flowing. Those people are now gone. When a wellhead in the permafrost stops pumping, it freezes.

 

Russia was doing very well financially until Putin gambled on taking Ukraine quickly. IMO Russia will either become a failed state, or a Chinese vassal.

 

 

The Russian Ruble was up 45% in 2022. So it is down from those highs and now you think its a crisis ?  https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russia-ukraine-ruble-currency-russian-economy-sanctioms-2022/

 

India and China already bought up all of those volumes. And Turkey is re-selling it back to Europe. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 12, 2023 by Harsh Jones

[save the frogs]

On 9/10/2023 at 6:17 AM, Lacessit said:

Russia was doing very well financially until Putin gambled on taking Ukraine quickly. IMO Russia will either become a failed state, or a Chinese vassal.

one prediction I just read is that russia will lose the war, Putin's regime will be replaced by a pro-American regime, Russia will become a US ally and become part of the EU. 

not sure how outrageous those predictions are ... politics is over my head. 

[Lacessit]

5 hours ago, Harsh Jones said:

The Russian Ruble was up 45% in 2022. So it is down from those highs and now you think its a crisis ?  https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russia-ukraine-ruble-currency-russian-economy-sanctioms-2022/

 

India and China already bought up all of those volumes. And Turkey is re-selling it back to Europe. 

 

 

 

 

 

China and India are buying said oil at a deep discount to what the Russians were getting when their oil and gas was being sold to the Europeans. The products were also being transported by the cheapest method possible, pipelines. There are no significant pipelines going from Russia to China or India. It has to be transported by ship, and Russia does not own any supertankers.

The profit margin on the new market is much less, and Russia can't find any Western shipping insurers to take on the freight risks.

In Ukraine, it is estimated Russia has lost over 4000 battle tanks, and more than 8000 armored personnel carriers. That has to have repercussions for the Russian economy.

[zaZa9]

Russians have opened a Motorbike Rental Shop just down the road from Kamala Or Bor Tors office near the Muslim 7/11 in Phuket.  They work in there without Thai assistance , bold as brass. I thought the rules must have changed ...