Russian tourism group threatens Thailand boycott

[Langsuan Man]

If the Russian Tourism groups want to boycott then they should boycott the Russian tourist operators that set up their own companies to provide, bookings and transportation to our Eastern European visitors. Their safety record here is about the same as it is in Russia

Just watch the roads and the most dangerous and obnoxious buses on Thai roads are operated by PEGAS and SAYAMA

[hellodolly]

It would seem likely that Thailand is now one of the most dangerous tourism destinations for Russians.

It is already the most dangerous tourism destination for Britons, Australians and Swedes, as has been documented in numerous articles on this forum.

The RUTI also reportedly demanded the Thai government to solve these issues within the end of November, otherwise it will consider responses necessary to maintain the safety of Russian citizens by canceling all scheduled charter flights from Russia throughout the period of December 2013 - March 2014. If the cancellation indeed came to effect, other countries in the region, such as Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam would be picked as destinations instead of Thailand, the letter reportedly warned.

That's how you get things done.

Well if they wanted to be fair they should have worded it you clean up your roads in Thailand and we will clean up are Mafia's in Thailand.

On a positive side with a threat like there's we will probably start getting help from Malaysia, Singapore and other countries to clean up are roads just any thing to help keep the Russians out. They are well aware of the Russian Mafia's here in Thailand and not really interested in bringing them to their countries.

[wilcopops]

I've said elsewhere - Thailand is now a mainstream holiday destination and needs to realise this and act accordingly. It still treats visitors as if they are the soldiers and backpackers who first came hear in the 60s and 70s.

They need to put in place the appropriate infrastructure to deal with the vast numbers of visitors. This is big money - 7% of the nation's economy.

So much about tourism in Thailand is all face and no substance......The transport system needs overhauling and regulating from a safety aspect and all aspects of customer service need to be dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century.

As Thailand increasingly gets a reputation as a shoddy or dangerous destination it will suffer in the long run.

Ill-informed ministers keep mumbling on about going up-market - presumably in the hope that this will eradicate a lot of the bad publicity - crime, danger, poor service etc - but what hope can there ever be of that with the industry still virtually unregulated and everyone scrabbling for the bottom dollar?

Edited November 21, 2013 by wilcopops

[atsiii]

First the Chinese and now the Russians are turning on the TAT, but don't worry tourist number will still be up this year.

555... agreed. A dirty bomb could be set off in BKK and tourists would come in record numbers to observe the fallout.

[LivinLOS]

The letter specifically names road safety in Thailand as the main concern for the RUTI and its members, Mr. Narin added, such as the training of drivers, the condition of vehicles, and traffic regulations which have been lightly enforced.

Yes I am sure a sternly worded letter to some near powerless authority is going to totally change that cultural mindset.

[anthos]

It does seem rather hypocritical that its Russian Tourism that's threatening with a boycott due to unsafe roads.

Russia would be in my Top Trumps pack for its unsafe driving conditions...

That said: Anyone or any Nation taking a stance and attempting to 'force' Thailand to care about its issues such as this is a good thing.

Thailand = 38.1 road fatalities per 100k inhabitants per year and 118.8 fatalities per 100k motor vehicles per year

Russia = 18.6 road fataities per 100k inhabitants per year and 55.4 fatalities per 100k motor vehicles per year

Seems it's twice as safe on the roads of Russia

This is just because motorbikes are not used in Russia a lot because of the climate.

Take the motorbikes accidents out of the Thai stats and you'll see a completely different picture.

Like this one:

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=crazy+russian+drivers&sm=3

[wilcopops]

Thailand = 38.1 road fatalities per 100k inhabitants per year and 118.8 fatalities per 100k motor vehicles per year

Russia = 18.6 road fataities per 100k inhabitants per year and 55.4 fatalities per 100k motor vehicles per year They do have a point but in perspective the UK is 2.75 and 5.1 for the same numbers above.

But no more Russians? Oh dear, what a shame (spoken in the voice of Windsor Davies)

These figures are totally meaningless unless you outline who is being killed and how.

For instance - In Thailand 70% or so of deaths are on motorcycles. Now compare just that one aspect to Russia and UK and the figures' relevance starts to change. then look at all the other variables........

Edited November 21, 2013 by wilcopops

[wilcopops]

The letter specifically names road safety in Thailand as the main concern for the RUTI and its members, Mr. Narin added, such as the training of drivers, the condition of vehicles, and traffic regulations which have been lightly enforced.

Yes I am sure a sternly worded letter to some near powerless authority is going to totally change that cultural mindset.

Is there some way that we could deter or penalise those who use the word "culture" and its variations as if it is some kind of blanket explanation for events in Thailand?

Edited November 21, 2013 by wilcopops

[connda]

This is the kind of positive action that more countries should be willing to take to protect their people. The threat of a HUGE percentage of their tourist market being warned off by their country's government.

I have lived here for 6 years and this stuff is every day. You work your life around it and eventually find yourself well away from it in a lovely piece of normal Thailand. You work your transportation options around it as best you can, etc. The problem is that the average tourist is being led and everybody is looking for a margin so you end up with 30 people being driven on a bus by somebody's "cousin" who turns out to be a dim-witted drug abusing f-tard with zero common-sense....but he was cheap!

Until TAT understands its true raison d'etre these problems will continue and Thailand will see the revenue streams from tourism continuing their steady marginalisation. This year alone we have had incidents with tourists including:

Train crashes

Bus crashes

Plane crashes

Political unrest including roads seized next to THE biggest tourist ghetto

Drugged tourists

Robbed tourists

Murdered tourists

Scammed tourists

Oil slicks

Flooding

and so many more that I can't be bothered to research right now that have all made news outside of the Kingdom.

It is not a pretty picture and people ARE wising up. Time will come when Thailand will start asking the question "where did the money go?". By then this will be too late. The normal people of Thailand should be aware of how important tourism is to this country not just for the obvious "heads in beds" equation but also people experiencing the country and deciding this is the life of them, moving their money and starting new businesses. Visitors to the kingdom are NOT 1 dimensional.

I've written to my consulate and can't even get a reply. Again, Russia comes out looking like the champion of common sense on the world stage. Kudos. Coordinated pressure is the first step to affecting positive change.

[Africanteacher]

Some posters on this forum sure don't deserve their fingers! The amount of bigotry I read on Thaivisa is appalling.

[prosinger]

Those Ruskies have a nerve, complaining about the safety on the road here!! But if they decide not to come here to our wonderful land... maybe it is a positive and not a negative. At least we will be able to start reading and understanding the signage again.

Have a look at this in Russia. Unbelievable!!!

[Calach]

Let's be honest, yes Thais are very bad drivers, they do not respect anything and police do not enforce much either. But we are all happy that we can also drive here without license and settle everything with cops with a small bribe.

The day Thailand will have become as safe, strict, policed and boring as our home countries we'll be the first to cry.

[cshort64]

This is comical, the Russians complaining about safety as they are the worst pilots and aircraft mechanics on the planet. Their safety record is appalling in their country. Please boycott Thailand there are too many Russian that have caused problems, we constantly read about so called Russian Mafia in Pattaya and in Phuket. I for one would like to see less of them visiting us here.

[anthos]

Those Ruskies have a nerve, complaining about the safety on the road here!! But if they decide not to come here to our wonderful land... maybe it is a positive and not a negative. At least we will be able to start reading and understanding the signage again. Have a look at this in Russia. Unbelievable!!!

on 03:03 you can see how motorbikes are treated on russian roars

Edited November 21, 2013 by anthos

[scania]

If they stop coming (I hope this good news is true) it should also affect the already over saturated holiday property condo market, as this house of cards will soon come tumbling down! more good news!

Obviously you don't have a lot of brain activity…

[scania]

They should go to Indonesia or the Philippines and enjoy wonderful safety there instead.

hahahaha exactly..

[connda]

I've said elsewhere - Thailand is now a mainstream holiday destination and needs to realise this and act accordingly. It still treats visitors as if they are the soldiers and backpackers who first came hear in the 60s and 70s.

They need to put in place the appropriate infrastructure to deal with the vast numbers of visitors. This is big money - 7% of the nation's economy.

So much about tourism in Thailand is all face and no substance......The transport system needs overhauling and regulating from a safety aspect and all aspects of customer service need to be dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century.

As Thailand increasingly gets a reputation as a shoddy or dangerous destination it will suffer in the long run.

Ill-informed ministers keep mumbling on about going up-market - presumably in the hope that this will eradicate a lot of the bad publicity - crime, danger, poor service etc - but what hope can there ever be of that with the industry still virtually unregulated and everyone scrabbling for the bottom dollar?

Most of the primary roads are fairly well maintained (there are exceptions). But the quality of the roads pale in comparison to the abject reckless stupidity of the drivers, and the complete lack of traffic enforcement by the Thai government (road blocks don't stop dangerous driving). They need traffic cops in patrol cars and they need to learn how to stop vehicles for moving violations. Then start citing Thai drivers for: speeding, reckless driving, driving on the wrong side of the street, failure to stop, failure to yield, failure to maintain the driving lane, and other stupid reckless driving that drivers are now allowed to get away with, but would get you a citation in less than about 15 minutes in a Western country.

[peacetrain72]

how about a deal between the two respective governments? russians remove its mafia thais give no dose to the bus drivers?

[Alwyn]

It does seem rather hypocritical that its Russian Tourism that's threatening with a boycott due to unsafe roads.

Russia would be in my Top Trumps pack for its unsafe driving conditions...

That said: Anyone or any Nation taking a stance and attempting to 'force' Thailand to care about its issues such as this is a good thing.

Thailand = 38.1 road fatalities per 100k inhabitants per year and 118.8 fatalities per 100k motor vehicles per year

Russia = 18.6 road fataities per 100k inhabitants per year and 55.4 fatalities per 100k motor vehicles per year

Seems it's twice as safe on the roads of Russia

This is just because motorbikes are not used in Russia a lot because of the climate.

Take the motorbikes accidents out of the Thai stats and you'll see a completely different picture.

Like this one:

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=crazy+russian+drivers&sm=3

Then take out the horrendous snow, freezing rain, blizzards and black ice etc from the Russian stats and yet again, you'll see a completely different picture again but the original stats are based on vehicles per 100k per inhabitants which would include motor bikes so I don't understand your point I'm afraid

[sawadee1947]

very good reaction by Russians and Chinese. Hopefully other countries will follow.....Germans, Brits, Aussies and other main nations

[Larry001]

First the Chinese and now the Russians are turning on the TAT, but don't worry tourist number will still be up this year.

But they will then gradually decline at a rapid rate until people in this country wake up; if thats at all possible. My Thai friends are all very negative about Thailands future and can see all surrounding countries surpassing them over the next 10 - 15 years. Arrogance will be wiped from some of those faces in the LOS then

[BwindiBoy]

Those Ruskies have a nerve, complaining about the safety on the road here!! But if they decide not to come here to our wonderful land... maybe it is a positive and not a negative. At least we will be able to start reading and understanding the signage again. Have a look at this in Russia. Unbelievable!!!

Very Scary!

[Alwyn]

Thailand = 38.1 road fatalities per 100k inhabitants per year and 118.8 fatalities per 100k motor vehicles per year

Russia = 18.6 road fataities per 100k inhabitants per year and 55.4 fatalities per 100k motor vehicles per year They do have a point but in perspective the UK is 2.75 and 5.1 for the same numbers above.

But no more Russians? Oh dear, what a shame (spoken in the voice of Windsor Davies)

These figures are totally meaningless unless you outline who is being killed and how.

For instance - In Thailand 70% or so of deaths are on motorcycles. Now compare just that one aspect to Russia and UK and the figures' relevance starts to change. then look at all the other variables........

Sorry, I didn't realise that motor bikes weren't vehicles? Let's look at other variables then shall we and then we've both massaged statistics. Russia has some of the harshest winters of anywhere. Thais do not have contend with or drive/ride in snow, freezing rain, blizzards, ice, black ice, hail or temperatures averaging minus 20c which slows and impedes reaction times etc.

[yooyoo]

This is one boycott that I fully support. Long may it continue.

The road carnage continues.... yet another example of Thai driving culture .... it is part of "Thainess"....

[Jasun]

Either roads safety will improve, or there'll be more room on the beaches. Win win.

[taqila]

I think they are safer on the thai highways than on the Russian and Belarusian motorways. I've been on those highways over there and have been Boycotting ever since. Don't forget Poland, It maybe even worse than Thailand, except within 1km of a major city. I am all for Highway safety and driver safety especially. How about physicals and special license and training for commercial drivers like in Merika?

[marcusd]

 

Good, stay away.  Too many dubious Russians here already.

So you prefer others to continue to be killed by reckless driving and lack of rules ?

 

Do you seriously think Thailand will make any changes because of this? LOL, dream on...

TAT and the govt will say all changes are happening and the new 2.2trillion is being allocated towards these very improvements, as they need the tourists.

Will anything happen? OF COURSE IT WILL... Photo shoot opportunities, lots of press releases and LOTS if money stolen.

Oh but will anything change?. EMPHATICALLY NO.

Sent from my RM-892_apac_laos_thailand_219 using Tapatalk

[HerbalEd]

Promises, promises.

[mikebell]

'the driver was dosing behind the wheel' What was he taking - ear medicine?

[animatic]

Noting the worst and craziest driving near miss's or accident videos on youtube

are ALL from Russian dash-cams this seems a bit over-raught.

From what I can tell it is JUST as dangerous for Russians to stay home.