The Russian invasion of Thailand....

[maprao]

Agreed. I have absolutely no issue with the Russian professional class. Unfortunately like the British and many other nationalities the ones who seem to have the cash to settle here are so rarely of the professional class

I think I know what you mean but lets face it UK professionals ie doctors lawyers etc have no wish to retire here. People come here to live a better life when retired that is pension less than £15pa; money goes further. If it is sun they want and not girls sorry temples then they head for the south of France Spain Florida etc. There is a general perception that people who retire well....nuf said

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who is talking about retirement?

those who chose to retire here are a whole different can o' worms which i have no desire to broach.

Ok not retirement. I seldom see British Doctors and Lawyers coming and frequenting the resort areas of Pattaya. Thailand mainly attracts a certain individual certainly from the UK and so it seems Russia.

[farang000999]

Do you see that individual when you look in the mirror?

[maprao]

Do you see that individual when you look in the mirror?

Not sure really I am neither retired nor do I live here permanently. Unlike many here I know exactly why I came here 15 years ago aged a mere 30. Purely and simply to be a serious "monger"!

Am I a "professional" well my income certainly would have to put me and still does put me in that bracket. I am sure the people sitting accross the table from me when I am in meetings would probably be horrified at my moral antics when I first came here. I fear those stories belong in a Thailand sister forum. Thank you Thailand. Good boys go to heaven bad boys go to pattaya as they say. I met an old friend a Bank Manager from 1999 here who worked in the Uk. He used to laugh at me. He now walks around in the morning with a bottle Chang beer in hand living in a 5000 baht a month "condo" luckily I have moved on. Settled with a near perfect family. Anyone who first came to Pattaya knows exactly why they came...lie to yourself by all means. So I guess during that period the answer is "Yes"

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Edited August 14, 2013 by maprao

[rubin]

What visas do Russians get for Thailand?

Russians do not need visas to stay in Thailand for 30 days.
Is the law different for them in Thailand?

..... what does that mean?
Is the Thai mentality similar to that of the average Russian?

.... interesting about the TS average mentality level
Why is Thailand the number 1 hotspot for Russians?

Russians like Thailand
What do Thai people think about Russians in general??

Thais welcome people with money to come visiting their country, IMHO
What is the future for Thai/Russian relations?

Very prosperous
Does the number of Russians in Thailand bother you?

Not at all. The number of some other nationals starts bothering a little bit
Interested to know members views and experiences .
Regards

CCC

Edited August 14, 2013 by rubin

[swissie]

The OP is not asking if you like the Russians or not. In a nutshell: The OP wants to know why they get easier visa/entry conditions as the rest of us.

I have addressed this issue 2 times before with no response.

Cheers.

[Briggsy]

How many times do you have to see drunk tourists of any nationality before you've had enough? I think the Thais are generally very patient people when it comes to the tourist masses. I only ever see Russians in Bkk airport, they havnt discovered Issan. Yet.

I have seen no end of drunken Thai tourists.

[rubin]

The OP is not asking if you like the Russians or not. In a nutshell: The OP wants to know why they get easier visa/entry conditions as the rest of us.

I have addressed this issue 2 times before with no response.

Cheers.

Russia and Thailand have bilateral visa waive agreement. Why is it so? Good relations between two countries since 1905.

[Chittychangchang]

The Russian invasion looks very much like the British invasion of the Costa's in the 60's and 70's when working class Brits were able to travel abroad for the first time (without guns and tanks!). We were loud, rude and obnoxious. Ricky Gervais summed up the British abroad perfectly, " If you want something abroad ask for it clearly in English. If they don't understand ask for it again but louder. If they still don't understand, smash the place up safe in the knowledge that you tried!"

As many have said educated and richer Russians speak some English and are generally easy to deal with and polite. The new tourists who are travelling for the first time have come from a country where, up to 20 years ago, travel was restricted to the USSR. That meant Russian speaking countries. They were born into a country that was a superpower and educated to believe that Russia was everything. Then they come to Thailand!

Suddenly they are out of their depth, can't speak the language and are probably a bit intimidated. Add to that the generally perceived morose nature and lack of easy smiles and you have a recipe for a stereotype.

So lets give them a break. Who amongst us hasn't behaved badly in our lives. I expect the Russians who come a 2nd or 3rd time will be better able to handle the culture clash and will be seen to be different.

Now I am off to smash up the local mini mart because they don't understand the meaning of discombobulated.

Excellent reply sigurris

I can see the future of tourist hot spots now, gone are The Murphys , Red Lion bars, Nok n Bobs bar, The pig and partridge etc

There will be the -The Odessa, Hammer and Thistle bars, Nok n Ivors bar, Hammer and Thistle bars.

That will discombobulated the hell out of a lot of British retirees.

I'm discombobulated about the Visa stance for Russians Why not the same for the Europeans?? After all Russia plays in the European Cup!

C'mon Thailand cut the cash strapped Europeans some slack.

CCC

[copa8]

The Russian invasion looks very much like the British invasion of the Costa's in the 60's and 70's when working class Brits were able to travel abroad for the first time (without guns and tanks!). We were loud, rude and obnoxious. Ricky Gervais summed up the British abroad perfectly, " If you want something abroad ask for it clearly in English. If they don't understand ask for it again but louder. If they still don't understand, smash the place up safe in the knowledge that you tried!"

As many have said educated and richer Russians speak some English and are generally easy to deal with and polite. The new tourists who are travelling for the first time have come from a country where, up to 20 years ago, travel was restricted to the USSR. That meant Russian speaking countries. They were born into a country that was a superpower and educated to believe that Russia was everything. Then they come to Thailand!

Suddenly they are out of their depth, can't speak the language and are probably a bit intimidated. Add to that the generally perceived morose nature and lack of easy smiles and you have a recipe for a stereotype.

So lets give them a break. Who amongst us hasn't behaved badly in our lives. I expect the Russians who come a 2nd or 3rd time will be better able to handle the culture clash and will be seen to be different.

Now I am off to smash up the local mini mart because they don't understand the meaning of discombobulated.

"Suddenly they are out of their depth, can't speak the language and are probably a bit intimidated. Add to that the generally perceived morose nature and lack of easy smiles and you have a recipe for a stereotype.

So lets give them a break. Who amongst us hasn't behaved badly in our lives. I expect the Russians who come a 2nd or 3rd time will be better able to handle the culture clash and will be seen to be different."

it's funny, but the same can be said of chinese tourists traveling overseas for the 1st time. but in this case, hardly anyone says "lets give them a break". it's more likely the opposite - complete bashing of their behaviours.

[ThaiPauly]

Have not noticed any Russians in Chiang Mai.

Guess the prefer the beach resorts, there are enough mountains already in Russia

[Heng]

Russians are cool, I dont see whats the problem with them, and the chicks are super hot I mean I had almost forgot my russian, but since I came to Thailand it has been very useful specially when you get tired of Thai flesh I just dont understand why so many posters are talking all the time about russians and aparently dislike them so much. Russians come here bcuz they dont need visa, the weather is cool and is cheap, more or less the same reasons why other europeans come, and mostly Thai tourist come in family trips, so there is plenty of russian chicks around and I like it

Russians don't need a visa?

Is this hearsay ?

Can you confirm this fact?

CCC

Many of them are here on education visas. Education as in they take 'Thai language' classes at about 20-30 schools that have cropped up to fill that niche. We've got a few on the payroll (with work permits) to sell houses and condos to other Russians who don't otherwise speak much English or Thai. Given the opportunity, they are more than "hungry" enough to excel given the opportunity. Reminiscent of first generation Chinese or Vietnamese immigrants in the USA.

[somtampet]

Not a clue and not even interested to find out,they dont bother me aND I dont bother them