Phuket Russians Targeted In Thai New Year Crackdown

[Beetlejuice]

Not just in Phuket but they also work illegally in small vendors at Central Plaza, selling dead sea cosmetics. I think they work illegal because they almost never use Thai people to sell cosmetics and they need 4 thai per one work permit. They have several Russian ladies working on different Central plazas trying to sell these dead sea products. Unless they own a factory where they employ 100s of Thais to make this much work permit for Russians, they are doing it the illegal way.

Which is better for the Phuket economy and tourism?

Allowing a Russian girl to sell Dead Sea cosmetics, or arresting the Russian girl and deporting her, then putting in a Thai to do the job, and then selling nothing, so the business ends and the Thai is out of a job as well????

The Russian girl is probably only making enough to enjoy living here for a while. It's not like she is making thousands of dollars and sending it home to Russia every month. She has to pay for accommodation, food, transport etc etc. It all keeps the local economy ticking over.

If they allow her to sell Dead Sea cosmetics, she creates a job for a Thai simply by living here and being a consumer.

Sure, don't allow foreign waiters/waitresses and barmen/barmaids etc etc but the Thai's can not speak ANY Russian. If they want the Russian tourism market, they will have to make some allowances.

They are not only innocently selling cosmetics or other harmless items, but are selling themselves as well.

The last time I visited Pattaya I personally witnessed many Russian hookers openly working in Thai owned bars and in brothel type clubs with Russian prostitutes only, even in the streets after dark working as freelancers. This is not hearsay, but something I witnessed myself, otherwise I may never have believed it.

It is widely known that these establishments are partly run or completely run by the Russian mafia.

If this is the norm regarding areas where large numbers of East Europeans decide to congregate and settle, than let us hope that they do not expand to other parts of the country or allowed to gain a foothold here.

My questions are; how much allowances should they give these people and where should they draw the line?

[NamKangMan]

Not just in Phuket but they also work illegally in small vendors at Central Plaza, selling dead sea cosmetics. I think they work illegal because they almost never use Thai people to sell cosmetics and they need 4 thai per one work permit. They have several Russian ladies working on different Central plazas trying to sell these dead sea products. Unless they own a factory where they employ 100s of Thais to make this much work permit for Russians, they are doing it the illegal way.

Which is better for the Phuket economy and tourism?

Allowing a Russian girl to sell Dead Sea cosmetics, or arresting the Russian girl and deporting her, then putting in a Thai to do the job, and then selling nothing, so the business ends and the Thai is out of a job as well????

The Russian girl is probably only making enough to enjoy living here for a while. It's not like she is making thousands of dollars and sending it home to Russia every month. She has to pay for accommodation, food, transport etc etc. It all keeps the local economy ticking over.

If they allow her to sell Dead Sea cosmetics, she creates a job for a Thai simply by living here and being a consumer.

Sure, don't allow foreign waiters/waitresses and barmen/barmaids etc etc but the Thai's can not speak ANY Russian. If they want the Russian tourism market, they will have to make some allowances.

They are not only innocently selling cosmetics or other harmless items, but are selling themselves as well.

The last time I visited Pattaya I personally witnessed many Russian hookers openly working in Thai owned bars and in brothel type clubs with Russian prostitutes only, even in the streets after dark working as freelancers. This is not hearsay, but something I witnessed myself, otherwise I may never have believed it.

It is widely known that these establishments are partly run or completely run by the Russian mafia.

If this is the norm regarding areas where large numbers of East Europeans decide to congregate and settle, than let us hope that they do not expand to other parts of the country or allowed to gain a foothold here.

My questions are; how much allowances should they give these people and where should they draw the line?

Do you really expect me to believe that Russian prositutes are "taking the jobs" of Thai prostitutes???? Have you forgot that prostitution is illegal in Thailand, yet every day hundreds of thousands of Thai prositutes go to work in the sex trade, all over the country, but you are concerned about a few Russian prostitutes.

Just here in Phuket, there are many Vietnamese, Cambodia, Laotians and Burmese prostitutes working, but you only have a problem with the Russians.

Seriously, you are talking about a job that should not / does not exist in Thailand because it is against the law, yet everyone knows sex is a huge part of the tourism industry here.

Many of those Russian prostitutes have wealthy Thai customers.

In any case, how are you going to stop a Russian girl, on a tourist visa, going to a nightclub and meeting a guy and then saying to him, "I can stay with you tonight for 2000 baht."

It's the same covert way the sex industry works for the Thai's and other South East Asian girls here.

In relation to your questions, I have stated before, in my opinion, if Thailand wants the Russian market, they need to allow Russian tour guides and interpreters. Currently, both occupations are reserved for Thai's only and there are very few Russian speaking Thai's.

[Beetlejuice]

Not just in Phuket but they also work illegally in small vendors at Central Plaza, selling dead sea cosmetics. I think they work illegal because they almost never use Thai people to sell cosmetics and they need 4 thai per one work permit. They have several Russian ladies working on different Central plazas trying to sell these dead sea products. Unless they own a factory where they employ 100s of Thais to make this much work permit for Russians, they are doing it the illegal way.

Which is better for the Phuket economy and tourism?

Allowing a Russian girl to sell Dead Sea cosmetics, or arresting the Russian girl and deporting her, then putting in a Thai to do the job, and then selling nothing, so the business ends and the Thai is out of a job as well????

The Russian girl is probably only making enough to enjoy living here for a while. It's not like she is making thousands of dollars and sending it home to Russia every month. She has to pay for accommodation, food, transport etc etc. It all keeps the local economy ticking over.

If they allow her to sell Dead Sea cosmetics, she creates a job for a Thai simply by living here and being a consumer.

Sure, don't allow foreign waiters/waitresses and barmen/barmaids etc etc but the Thai's can not speak ANY Russian. If they want the Russian tourism market, they will have to make some allowances.

They are not only innocently selling cosmetics or other harmless items, but are selling themselves as well.

The last time I visited Pattaya I personally witnessed many Russian hookers openly working in Thai owned bars and in brothel type clubs with Russian prostitutes only, even in the streets after dark working as freelancers. This is not hearsay, but something I witnessed myself, otherwise I may never have believed it.

It is widely known that these establishments are partly run or completely run by the Russian mafia.

If this is the norm regarding areas where large numbers of East Europeans decide to congregate and settle, than let us hope that they do not expand to other parts of the country or allowed to gain a foothold here.

My questions are; how much allowances should they give these people and where should they draw the line?

Do you really expect me to believe that Russian prositutes are "taking the jobs" of Thai prostitutes???? Have you forgot that prostitution is illegal in Thailand, yet every day hundreds of thousands of Thai prositutes go to work in the sex trade, all over the country, but you are concerned about a few Russian prostitutes.

Just here in Phuket, there are many Vietnamese, Cambodia, Laotians and Burmese prostitutes working, but you only have a problem with the Russians.

Seriously, you are talking about a job that should not / does not exist in Thailand because it is against the law, yet everyone knows sex is a huge part of the tourism industry here.

Many of those Russian prostitutes have wealthy Thai customers.

In any case, how are you going to stop a Russian girl, on a tourist visa, going to a nightclub and meeting a guy and then saying to him, "I can stay with you tonight for 2000 baht."

It's the same covert way the sex industry works for the Thai's and other South East Asian girls here.

In relation to your questions, I have stated before, in my opinion, if Thailand wants the Russian market, they need to allow Russian tour guides and interpreters. Currently, both occupations are reserved for Thai's only and there are very few Russian speaking Thai's.

Most foreigners when traveling as tourists or on ED visas and so on, do not remain in the visiting countries and work as prostitutes, or need to become peddlers in order to support themselves.

I have nothing against East Europeans, my point is that many (not all) of these particular East Europeans are from the underclasses of their societies and I see no benefits in permitting them to live and work in Thailand on mass, or any other types of foreigners of that ilk. They are of no benefits to the country and will only create problems both for the authorities and the local populations of those areas.

The whole situation has to be placed under control and tighter restrictions imposed on the activities of these foreigners that remain here.

[stevenl]

Not just in Phuket but they also work illegally in small vendors at Central Plaza, selling dead sea cosmetics. I think they work illegal because they almost never use Thai people to sell cosmetics and they need 4 thai per one work permit. They have several Russian ladies working on different Central plazas trying to sell these dead sea products. Unless they own a factory where they employ 100s of Thais to make this much work permit for Russians, they are doing it the illegal way.

Which is better for the Phuket economy and tourism?

Allowing a Russian girl to sell Dead Sea cosmetics, or arresting the Russian girl and deporting her, then putting in a Thai to do the job, and then selling nothing, so the business ends and the Thai is out of a job as well????

The Russian girl is probably only making enough to enjoy living here for a while. It's not like she is making thousands of dollars and sending it home to Russia every month. She has to pay for accommodation, food, transport etc etc. It all keeps the local economy ticking over.

If they allow her to sell Dead Sea cosmetics, she creates a job for a Thai simply by living here and being a consumer.

Sure, don't allow foreign waiters/waitresses and barmen/barmaids etc etc but the Thai's can not speak ANY Russian. If they want the Russian tourism market, they will have to make some allowances.

They are not only innocently selling cosmetics or other harmless items, but are selling themselves as well.

The last time I visited Pattaya I personally witnessed many Russian hookers openly working in Thai owned bars and in brothel type clubs with Russian prostitutes only, even in the streets after dark working as freelancers. This is not hearsay, but something I witnessed myself, otherwise I may never have believed it.

It is widely known that these establishments are partly run or completely run by the Russian mafia.

If this is the norm regarding areas where large numbers of East Europeans decide to congregate and settle, than let us hope that they do not expand to other parts of the country or allowed to gain a foothold here.

My questions are; how much allowances should they give these people and where should they draw the line?

Do you really expect me to believe that Russian prositutes are "taking the jobs" of Thai prostitutes???? Have you forgot that prostitution is illegal in Thailand, yet every day hundreds of thousands of Thai prositutes go to work in the sex trade, all over the country, but you are concerned about a few Russian prostitutes.

Just here in Phuket, there are many Vietnamese, Cambodia, Laotians and Burmese prostitutes working, but you only have a problem with the Russians.

Seriously, you are talking about a job that should not / does not exist in Thailand because it is against the law, yet everyone knows sex is a huge part of the tourism industry here.

Many of those Russian prostitutes have wealthy Thai customers.

In any case, how are you going to stop a Russian girl, on a tourist visa, going to a nightclub and meeting a guy and then saying to him, "I can stay with you tonight for 2000 baht."

It's the same covert way the sex industry works for the Thai's and other South East Asian girls here.

In relation to your questions, I have stated before, in my opinion, if Thailand wants the Russian market, they need to allow Russian tour guides and interpreters. Currently, both occupations are reserved for Thai's only and there are very few Russian speaking Thai's.

The Thais don't want the Russian market, but TAT may want it.

[NamKangMan]

@ Bettlejuice

So, you would perfer an "underclass" farang beer bar owner, who also doubles as a pimp, to a bilingual Russian tour guide and/or interpreter?

Who do you think generates more income for the local economy?

BTW, if you are Russian, and speak English quite well, you have received a decent education, by Russian standards, possibly even degree qualified, hardly "underclass."

I have a question for you. If Thailand allows farang English teachers, why don't they allow Russian interpreters?

Both benefit Thai's, and generate money within the tourism industry?

[NamKangMan]

@ stevenl

I think it's more like "Planet Phuket" does not want the Russian market.

From what I could see, on a recent visit to Pattaya, it's all running smoothly up there. Russian tour guides working in full public view. Russian tour desk operators working on the footpaths and in hotel lobbies.

Sure, some corrupt payments must be involved, but everyone's obviously making money, and the Russian tourists appeared happy.

[eezergood]

Russians can & do work in hotels as guest relations etc.... in order to traslate from Russian to Eng/Thai LEGALLY

[Beetlejuice]

@ Bettlejuice

So, you would perfer an "underclass" farang beer bar owner, who also doubles as a pimp, to a bilingual Russian tour guide and/or interpreter?

Who do you think generates more income for the local economy?

BTW, if you are Russian, and speak English quite well, you have received a decent education, by Russian standards, possibly even degree qualified, hardly "underclass."

I have a question for you. If Thailand allows farang English teachers, why don't they allow Russian interpreters?

Both benefit Thai's, and generate money within the tourism industry?

I am sure if there are Thais who wish to learn the Russian language, or Russian language becomes popular at Thai schools and Universities, there would be no problems for fully qualified Russia teachers obtaining non immigrant B class visas and work permits for this purpose.

As regards interpreters, this could pertain to all nationalities and if they permit the Russians to run their own tour agencies and services exclusively for Russians, than they would have to open the doors for all foreigners with job opportunities for the servicing of their own nationals abroad. I really do not think this would be a popular choice with the majority of Thais.

Edited March 21, 2013 by Beetlejuice

[NamKangMan]

@ Bettlejuice

So, you would perfer an "underclass" farang beer bar owner, who also doubles as a pimp, to a bilingual Russian tour guide and/or interpreter?

Who do you think generates more income for the local economy?

BTW, if you are Russian, and speak English quite well, you have received a decent education, by Russian standards, possibly even degree qualified, hardly "underclass."

I have a question for you. If Thailand allows farang English teachers, why don't they allow Russian interpreters?

Both benefit Thai's, and generate money within the tourism industry?

I am sure if there are Thais who wish to learn the Russian language, or Russian language becomes popular at Thai schools and Universities, there would be no problems for fully qualified Russia teachers obtaining non immigrant B class visas and work permits for this purpose.

As regards interpreters, this could pertain to all nationalities and if they permit the Russians to run their own tour agencies and services exclusively for Russians, than they would have to open the doors for all foreigners with job opportunities for the servicing of their own nationals abroad. I really do not think this would be a popular choice with the majority of Thais.

I know two English teachers here. Both are not "fully qualified" school teachers. Both only have a TEFL certificate and are teaching on tourist visas. They work at different schools. The bosses of the schools know exactly what's going on.

If you are going to allow corruption for one nationality, why not for others. The money is still the same. :)

[attento]

The Police chief is right to target any illegal acitivites from citizens of Russia, Nepal, etc., as long as he is not implying that the illegal activites of other nationalities are immune from prosecution.

As a law officer, he should be looking for zero tolerance of law breaking, not of Nationalities. The wording of his statement (as reported), was ill-advised.

[IsaanUSA]

Good riddance! Get rid of the illegals. It's bad for all the legal workers.

[justathought]

The Russians beat the living day lights out of foreigners they accuse of stealing their jobs. And usually these are Russians but not ethnic slavs such as chechens and other Asian Russians who have the right to work but are treated as foreigners in a very brutal manner

Are we still talking about Phuket here?

yes, just comparing the punishment they get in Thailand compared to the punishment the Russians dish out to others

Edited March 22, 2013 by justathought

[stevenl]

The Russians beat the living day lights out of foreigners they accuse of stealing their jobs. And usually these are Russians but not ethnic slavs such as chechens and other Asian Russians who have the right to work but are treated as foreigners in a very brutal manner

Are we still talking about Phuket here?

yes, just comparing the punishment they get in Thailand compared to the punishment the Russians dish out to others

So you're saying that on Phuket 'The Russians beat the living day lights out of foreigners they accuse of stealing their jobs.' That does not make sense at all considering your last sentence: 'and other Asian Russians who have the right to work but are treated as foreigners in a very brutal manner'.

[justathought]

I do not

The Russians beat the living day lights out of foreigners they accuse of stealing their jobs. And usually these are Russians but not ethnic slavs such as chechens and other Asian Russians who have the right to work but are treated as foreigners in a very brutal manner

Are we still talking about Phuket here?

yes, just comparing the punishment they get in Thailand compared to the punishment the Russians dish out to others

So you're saying that on Phuket 'The Russians beat the living day lights out of foreigners they accuse of stealing their jobs.' That does not make sense at all considering your last sentence: 'and other Asian Russians who have the right to work but are treated as foreigners in a very brutal manner'.

I do not think you read my reply carefully

[stevenl]

I do not

Are we still talking about Phuket here?

The Russians beat the living day lights out of foreigners they accuse of stealing their jobs. And usually these are Russians but not ethnic slavs such as chechens and other Asian Russians who have the right to work but are treated as foreigners in a very brutal manner

yes, just comparing the punishment they get in Thailand compared to the punishment the Russians dish out to others

So you're saying that on Phuket 'The Russians beat the living day lights out of foreigners they accuse of stealing their jobs.' That does not make sense at all considering your last sentence: 'and other Asian Russians who have the right to work but are treated as foreigners in a very brutal manner'.

I do not think you read my reply carefully

I did, so you were not talking about Phuket after all when you said 'The Russians beat the living day lights out of foreigners they accuse of stealing their jobs', but just had a hard time admitting that.

Edited March 23, 2013 by stevenl