Jump to content

Thailand anticipates record 2.2 million Russian tourists in 2024


Recommended Posts

Posted

image.jpeg
Picture courtesy of Travel and Leisure


Thailand’s tourism sector is set to witness a surge in Russian travellers, with projections indicating a record 2.2 million arrivals next year, buoyed by a new 60-day visa-free scheme. However, a shortage of aircraft in Russian airlines poses a challenge, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

 

In 2025, TAT aims for a 7.5% increase in revenue, targeting 39 million foreign tourists and 205 million domestic trips.


Siripakorn Cheawsamoot, TAT Deputy Governor for Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas, stated that the estimate of 2.2 million Russian tourists for next year is based on the expected growth rate observed in 2024, which should elevate the market to 1.9-2 million visitors.

 

This year’s achievements are predicted to surpass the figures from both 2019 and 2023, each of which saw 1.48 million Russian tourists. In the first half of the year alone, 920,989 Russian tourists visited Thailand, making them the fifth largest group of foreign arrivals, Siripakorn said.


“Based on the first quarter report, their expenditure per trip tallied around 62,000 baht.”

For 2024, the Russian market is expected to generate 124 billion baht in revenue for Thailand’s tourism industry.


Tourism operators

 

Aeroflot and S7, two major Russian flag carriers, currently operate over 40 flights per week to Bangkok and Phuket. The Thai tourism authority is in ongoing discussions with airlines and tourism operators to boost both scheduled and chartered flights in the final quarter to meet the peak season demand from Russian tourists.

 

Despite Thai Airways expressing interest in resuming flights to Russia, there is no concrete plan in place yet, Siripakorn added.

 

Khanittha Phanworawat, Director of TAT’s Moscow office, highlighted that the aircraft shortage among commercial and chartered airlines remains a significant hurdle, exacerbated by the Russia-Ukraine conflict. This situation prevents airlines from leasing new aircraft.

 

“The majority of 61 long-range aircraft among all operators in Russia have been allocated to domestic routes and other rising destinations such as China, Vietnam, and India.”

 

To address these challenges, TAT plans to promote extended-stay travel packages for Russian tourists, combining cultural and historical tours with wellness activities and beach destinations to increase their length of stay.


Another issue is the ban on accepting Russian credit cards in Thailand, which discourages spending. Consequently, many Russian tourists opt for inclusive tour packages that cover all expenses, including transport, accommodation, and food.

 

However, more operators in major Thai cities are now offering currency exchange services for rubles, and some Russian visitors are choosing to register new debit cards in other countries that can be used in Thailand.

 

Thailand’s efforts to accommodate and attract more Russian tourists signal a strategic move to boost the tourism industry, despite the logistical and financial challenges posed by current geopolitical tensions, reported Bangkok Post.

 

by Bob Scott

Picture courtesy of Travel and Leisure

 

Source: The Thaiger 2024-07-30

 

 

-  Cigna offers a variety of health insurance plans designed to meet the minimum requirement for medical treatment coverage, with benefits reaching up to THB 3 million. These plans are tailored to provide comprehensive healthcare solutions for expatriates, ensuring peace of mind and access to quality medical services. To explore the full range of Cigna's expat health insurance options and find a plan that suits your needs, click here for more information.

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

  • Sad 14
  • Haha 2
Posted
12 minutes ago, jippytum said:

More Russians!  My condo is over run already. Bad news for residents other than Russian and condo landlords

in Phuket ?

Posted
2 minutes ago, mokwit said:

They are more and more in Bangkok now also.

Haven't seen any at my area. 

make it clear - there are original tourists for 10-14 days of "fun in Siam" and long-stayers for "let me stay here until it's over". 

I think the subject is about original tourists, who bought package tours and don't really care about "how to rent a condo" in Phuket or Pattaya. I don't think Thailand is a good destination for Russian long-stayers - too many obstacles

  • Confused 2
  • Thanks 1
  • Agree 1
Posted
21 minutes ago, NativeBob said:

I don't think Thailand is a good destination for Russian long-stayers - too many obstacles

You need to get out more Bob, 3 years per passport on Ed Visas. Now have an albeit small number of them in my BKK CBD Condo. Range from drunk all night scum to polite and well mannered.

  • Like 2
Posted

While there are more Russians, the demographic has shifted to young families more than the drunken thugs most of us avoid. There are some seriously hot mommys too...just saying 😁

  • Haha 1
Posted
1 hour ago, mikeymike100 said:

"Thailand anticipates record 2.2 million Russian tourists in 2024'

Are they still dodging the draft?:whistling:

Now they can do a border bounce yes.... 

  • Thumbs Up 1
Posted
2 minutes ago, mokwit said:

You need to get out more Bob, 3 years per passport on Ed Visas. Now have an albeit small number of them in my BKK CBD Condo. Range from drunk all night scum to polite and well mannered.

Probably. I only see tourists in Tesco buying rolls and booze - so they stay in their rooms dining. Seems they can't afford restaurants. I wouldn't generalize, got nothing to share and do with them. 

Posted

Vlad P  is not happy. He's having to pay $60K USD to sign up new recruits to fight his war. Its just a matter of time before we see Russian crimps combing the beaches in Thailand for Russian draft dodgers. Perhaps a reward system (bounty) implemented to Thai mafia for each draft dodger captured and sent to the front to fight for the Motherland!!

  • Confused 1
  • Haha 1
  • Agree 1
Posted
2 hours ago, Tim K said:

That is not the record, 4M travelled before 2019.

Tries to accomodate? bull<deleted>, they are always talking about accepting MIR cards and then nothing happens.

They want Russian airlines to fly more (spending their money) but not doing anything themselves.
"Despite Thai Airways expressing interest in resuming flights to Russia, there is no concrete plan in place yet"

60days is not new! it has been since october 2023.

      I'm curious what year before 2019 saw 4 million Russian travelers to Thailand.  2019 was 1.5M, 2018 was 1.7M.  2017 and 2016 were around 1.4M.  Stopped checking after that as none of the years I checked were coming close to 4 million Russian tourists.

  • Thanks 1
Posted
2 hours ago, jippytum said:

More Russians!  My condo is over run already. Bad news for residents other than Russian and condo landlords

 

Why is it bad news?

  • Confused 1
Posted
1 minute ago, BobBKK said:

 

Why is it bad news?

Not for you, you can team up with a few and talk about old times, eh.........:intheclub:

  • Haha 2

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.




×
×
  • Create New...