travel to russia from thailand

Thailand still wants Russian tourists – and direct flights are making it easy to get to Phuket

• Direct flights between Russia and Thailand's largest island, Phuket, resumed on October 30.
• Russians made up Phuket's biggest group of tourists in early November, per the Phuket Express.
• Their arrival was celebrated as a boost to the island's tourism-dependent economy.

Russian tourists have been flocking to Phuket – Thailand's largest island – after direct flights from Russia resumed at the end of October.

Numbers dipped in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as Western sanctions reduced travel capacities , but Russian tourists are returning to Phuket in droves.

In the first 10 days of November, Russians made up Phuket's biggest group of tourists accounting for 18,370 out of 75,247 international arrivals, according to the Phuket Express .

President of the Association of Thai Travel Agents, Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn, told a Thai newspaper that tour operators in Phuket were unprepared for the sudden influx of arrivals. 

The first direct flight from Moscow to Thailand since the war broke out in March was a charter flight by Ikar Airlines. It arrived in Phuket on October 30 and was met with a reception from airport staff celebrating the return of Russian tourism, according to the local newspaper The Thaiger.

On the same day, the Russian state-owned airline Aeroflot restarted direct flights to Thailand, India, and the Maldives. 

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Phuket is heavily reliant on tourism . Before the pandemic, the travel industry accounted for about 80% of the island's economy and provided more than 300,000 jobs, Insider previously reported. 

Many of these tourists come from Russia, but numbers dropped sharply following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In January, 24,000 Russian tourists arrived in Phuket. These numbers dipped to between 3,200 to 4,200 a month between May and September following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, per The Thaiger.

International flights out of Russia were largely suspended  as sanctions left Russian airlines scrambling for supplies.

Now that direct flights have returned, Russian airlines are fast expanding their routes to Thailand, according to The Thaiger.  

Aeroflot is opening up services to Phuket from the far-eastern city of Vladivostok , while Siberia Airlines will carry passengers from Irkutsk , a mid-sized city in Siberia.

Thailand has maintained a neutral stance on Russia's ongoing war on Ukraine. It hasn't participated in any bans or sanctions on Russian nationals and makes it easy for them to obtain visas. 

The country aims to welcome 1 million Russian tourists in 2022, per DW , with numbers forecast to peak in the coming winter as Russians trade cold for tropical beaches.

Aeroflot, Ikar Airlines, and Thailand's tourism authority did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Insider.

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Thousands of Russians scramble to leave Thailand as sanctions hit

Bangkok (AFP) – Thousands of Russian tourists in Thailand are struggling to find a route home, Thai officials said Sunday, as international sanctions imposed over the war in Ukraine hit holiday-makers.

Issued on: 13/03/2022 - 11:32

Russia's invasion in February provoked a host of international measures targetting businesses and banks, with some Russian carriers cancelling flights and global payment firms suspending services.

Russians tourists have been among the largest group of visitors to return to Thailand's beachside resorts since pandemic restrictions eased, but many now find themselves without a return ticket.

Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) official Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya said 3,100 Russians were stuck in Phuket, while just over 2,000 were in Samui, and smaller numbers were in Krabi, Phang Nga and Bangkok.

The ministry was working on helping those who wanted to return home, he said, including "discussion on return flights which could be regular or special flights".

Russian tourist and mother-of-three Evgenia Gozorskaia said her family discovered their return Aeroflot tickets had been cancelled.

"We are very nervous because the children are very small, we don't have enough money to live here," said the 41-year-old psychologist who arrived from Moscow with her husband and children -- aged seven, four and two -- on February 27.

"We want to go tomorrow to the airport, but I don't know what the situation will be," she said from Phuket, adding that they were supposed to fly home March 28.

She said while some people had their tickets replaced others -- including her family -- had not been so lucky.

"They say that they cannot do it and put the phone off," she said.

While Thailand has not banned Russian flights, international airspace restrictions have seen some firms -- such as Russia's flagship Aeroflot -- cancelling services, leaving tourists to seek alternative routes, such as through the Middle East with different carriers.

Many tourists have also been hit by Visa and Mastercard suspending operations.

"We have seen instances of difficulty in card payments by Russians in Phuket due to how Mastercard and Visa have suspended services in Russia," said Bhummikitti Ruktaengam, president of the Phuket Tourist Association.

He said officials were considering adopting the Mir system -- a Russian electronic fund transfer structure -- as well as digital currencies.

Local communities across Thailand were also stepping in.

"We will pay for water, electric, everything for them," said Archimandrite Oleg, representative of the Orthodox Church in Thailand, who said they were helping at least one family with four children stranded in Koh Samui.

Pandemic travel curbs have hammered the kingdom's tourism-dominated economy, but 2022 saw a surge of visitors as restrictions eased.

Around 23,000 Russians travelled to Thailand in January this year, according to the country's Tourism and Sports Ministry.

Tourists from Russia previously accounted for the seventh-largest share of visitors to the kingdom, with around 1.5 million travelling to Thailand in 2019.

While Bangkok has backed a United Nations resolution calling for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine, it has stopped short of imposing sanctions.

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Russian tourists stuck in Thailand as sanctions hit after invasion of Ukraine

Thousands of Russian tourists are stranded in Thailand's beach resorts because of the war in Ukraine, many unable to pay their bills or return home because of sanctions and cancelled flights.

Key points:

• There are around 6,500 Russian tourists in Thailand, with many stranded since the invasion of Ukraine
• Many cannot use their credit cards after sanctions levelled at Russia
• Thailand's government has offered 30-day visa extensions without payment

The crisis in Europe also had an effect on recovery plans for the South-East Asian nation's tourism industry, which had hosted more visitors from Russia than any of its neighbours before the pandemic hit.

There are about 6,500 Russian tourists and about 1,000 Ukrainians stuck in four popular seaside resort destinations — Phuket, Surat Thani, Krabi and Pattaya — according to Yuthasak Supasorn, the governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

Around 17,599 Russians accounted for the largest bloc of arrivals in February, representing 8.6 per cent of a total of 203,970, according to the Public Health Ministry.

After Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, their numbers drastically declined.

Mr Yuthasak said the Russians in Thailand face two main problems: cancellations of their flights home by airlines that have stopped flying to Russia, and suspension of financial services, particularly by credit card companies that have joined sanctions against Moscow.

There are also some who prefer to delay their return.

"There are some airlines that still fly to Russia, but travellers have to transit in another country," Mr Yuthasak said.

"We are trying to coordinate and search the flights for them."

While almost all direct flights from Russia have been suspended, connections are still available through major carriers based in the Middle East.

He said efforts are also being made to find alternative methods of payment for Russian tourists.

Siwaporn Boonruang, a volunteer translator for Russians stranded in Krabi, said some cannot pay their bills because they can no longer use Visa or Mastercard.

Many have cash and those with UnionPay credit cards, which are issued by a Chinese financial services company, can still use them, but payment by cryptocurrency is not allowed, she said.

Many hotels have helped by offering discounted rates.

Thailand's government has offered 30-day visa extensions without payment and is trying to find low-cost alternative accommodation for people forced to stay for an extended period.

The problems associated with the war in Ukraine have compounded Thailand's hopes for economic recovery.

Officials hope to see the threat from the COVID-19 pandemic ebbing by July, even though daily cases are currently at record highs, driven by the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.

Thai authorities later this year expect to drop most quarantine and testing regulations that have been in place to fight the spread of the virus, which would make entry easier for foreign travellers.

Thailand may have to lower its targets for tourist arrivals and revenues this year because of the knock-on effects of rising oil prices and inflation on global travel, Mr Yuthasak was quoted as saying by the Bangkok Post newspaper.

"Tourism is still a key engine to revive our economy, even though revenue was stymied by negative factors," he said.

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Russians make Thailand a refuge as Ukraine war enters second year

Russians are buying up property in Southeast Asian country to avoid conscription and the economic ravages of the war.

Bangkok/Pattaya, Thailand – Since Russia invaded Ukraine  on February 24, 2022, a growing number of Russians have looked to Thailand as their ticket to a new life.

Tens of thousands of Russians hoping to avoid the threat of conscription and the economic ravages of the war have travelled to the kingdom in the year since the invasion, many of them seeking a new home.

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Photos: russia’s silent calls for peace, russians who fled war win case to end stay at south korea airport, for many ukrainians, everyday russians are as guilty as putin, ukraine warns it may boycott 2024 olympics if russians take part.

In Phuket, a popular resort island, Russians are buying off-plan condos with half a million dollars or more to facilitate their relocation or provide a landing pad for a future time when they may feel forced to leave their homeland.

Between November 1, 2022, and January 21, 2023, more than 233,000 Russians arrived in Phuket, according to data from Phuket International Airport, making them the biggest group of visitors by far.

Phuket has long been a favourite escape from the harsh Russian winter but property sales have surged since President Vladimir Putin in September ordered Moscow’s first wartime mobilisation since World War Two, suggesting many arrivals are intent on staying well beyond the length of a typical holiday.

“My clients are mostly young, 30-35… they’re wealthy, high-budget clients,” Sofia Malygaevareal, a real estate agent in Phuket who originally hails from Russia, told Al Jazeera.

“A lot of people have decided to move to Phuket from three to six months… to one year.”

To stay on the idyllic island, Russian arrivals need homes, schools, jobs and visas – which takes time in Thailand, where obtaining long-term residency rights can be difficult to achieve.

For many of the newcomers determined to swap a home on a war footing for a life in the Thai sunshine, money is not a problem. Realtors in Russian-dominated areas of the island say the influx of wealthy visitors, fuelled by the growing realisation the war has no end in sight as it enters its second year, has driven prices up to record levels.

Luxury condos that until recently were available to rent for about $1,000 a month can now go for three times that. Meanwhile, extravagant villas on the market for $6,000 or more are booked out up to a year in advance.

The buyers’ market is similarly red hot. In 2022, Russians bought nearly 40 percent of all condominiums sold to foreigners in Phuket, according to the Thai Real Estate Information Center (REIC). Russians’ purchases amounted to $25m in sales – several times the amount spent by Chinese nationals, the next largest group of buys, according to the REIC.

Some buyers have spent upwards of $500,000 on luxury off-plan homes by the sea, according to local real estate agents.

“The situation has changed at home,” Malygaevareal said, referring to the tough economic conditions in Russia. “People who have money come abroad and are ready to pay money for international school, which costs less than in Moscow.”

A Russian travel agent in Phuket, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, said some Russians have arrived on one-way tickets and tourist visas. “[They] just do not go home… they are here to get away from conscription.”

The mass influx of Russians is also reflected in other popular tourist areas such as Koh Samui, Thailand’s second-biggest island, and the eastern seaboard resort of Pattaya, where there has been a sizeable Russian community concentrated in the beach town of Jomtien for years.

“More Russians have moved to Pattaya since October. They’re mostly young couples who fear for their safety,” Mikhail Ilyin, the head priest of the All Saints Russian Orthodox Church in Pattaya, told Al Jazeera.

But the impact of Putin’s invasion works both ways.

Dar, a Thai masseuse in her 40s, said she left her job at a high-end spa in Moscow as the rouble collapsed and her salary – which was generous by Thai standards – plummeted in value. Dar has found new work in Jomtien, where her rare language skills win over repeat Russian clients.

“The women tell me they are desperate to get their husbands, boyfriends or children to come over here to stay,” she said, asking to be referred to by only her first name. “So they come over first and find houses and try to make visas for their men.”

Visas, though, are not as easy to obtain as they used to be after a major scandal was uncovered in November involving Thai immigration police helping the Chinese mafia bring thousands of people into Thailand through fake work and volunteer schemes.

That means Russians who can afford it are having to apply for expensive property ownership visas known as the “Elite Card”, which allows a long-term stay for a family for approximately $25,000.

“It’s not as easy as they think to do long-term living here,” said IIyin, the priest. “Some are thinking of returning as they run out of options.”

The flow of Russians and Russian money into Thailand is also generating resentment in some quarters.

On Phuket, which was hit especially hard by the collapse of global tourism due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some local tourism businesses have expressed anger about Russians allegedly taking local jobs.

Tourism operators have complained about Russian taxi drivers shuttling their compatriots around the island and leading tour groups around Phuket’s historic Old Town, often without the required permits or visas.

Earlier this month, Bhummikitti Ruktaengam, president of the Phuket Tourist Association, complained about the prospect of Russians cutting into locals’ livelihoods.

“If it’s true they’re taking our jobs in our own home, we can’t allow this to happen,” Ruktaengam wrote on his Facebook page.

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Russian tourist numbers jump in Thailand

Southeast Asian country's willing acceptance invites criticism

BANGKOK -- Travel by Russians to Thailand has increased sharply even as European Union members and other countries maintain effective restrictions on their entry.

In October, regular flights between Russia and a Thai resort went back into operation after being suspended since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The number of charter flights from Russia has also increased. As the international community maintains economic sanctions against Russia, led by the United States and European countries, the Thai government's apparently willing acceptance of Russian tourists has met with criticism from some circles.

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Ukraine urges asean to 'condemn' russia's invasion, thailand, vietnam, myanmar deepen russia ties to blunt economic woes, ukraine war highlights europe's failure to reassure asean, latest on travel & leisure, china hotel chain h world begins foray into thailand, tokyo hotels 30%-40% cheaper than new york, singapore in dollar terms, china allows visa-free entry for cruise ship passengers, sponsored content, about sponsored content this content was commissioned by nikkei's global business bureau..

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Russian Tourists Return to Thailand on Chartered Flights

(Bloomberg) -- Russian tourists are once again traveling in large numbers to Thailand via chartered flights and using credit cards issued outside the country to get around payment difficulties, turbo-charging a gradual tourism recovery in the Southeast Asian nation.

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More than 44,000 Russians visited Thailand in October, compared with less than 10,000 each in the months following the start of the war in Ukraine in February, according to data from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. The resumption of direct flights between Moscow and Phuket from the end of last month will lure more tourists, according to Thai officials.

Chartered flights operated by airlines such as Azur Air and commercial flights from flag carrier Aeroflot PJSC have been bringing people from Moscow, Novosibirsk and Vladivostok to Bangkok and popular beach destinations such as Pattaya and Phuket, according to the Phuket Tourist Association.

“Russian tourist arrivals are currently ranked first in Phuket,” said Bhummikitti Ruktaengam, the association’s advisory chairman. “The gap of arrivals between Russian and Indian tourists has widened considerably now.”

Around 20% in every 10,000 foreign visitors taking direct flights to Phuket are Russians, Bhummikitti said. The resort island is known for its pristine beaches and national parks.

That’s in sharp contrast to nearly the complete absence of Russians for about six months after airlines were forced to halt flights and tourists found it difficult to make payments following the suspension of most Russian banks from the SWIFT payment system and a plunge in the ruble.

In the absence of Chinese travelers, the largest group of visitors to Thailand before the pandemic, the return of Russian tourists is seen accelerating a recovery in the nation’s tourism industry. And that’s key to keeping an economic recovery on track amid growing risks to its trade from a global slowdown.

Using Cards, Cash

Russians, whose average length of stay is at least 12 days in Phuket, are using credit cards issued in other countries and cash to pay for trips and shopping, said Bhummikitti. Most financial transactions are settled in Dubai and other destinations in the Middle East, said Thanet Supornsahasrangsi, president of the Tourism Council of Chon Buri.

Pattaya, a popular beach town some 150 kilometers east of Bangkok, is set to see a rush of tourists in the coming months based on advance bookings, according to Thanet.

More than 147,000 Russian tourists arrived in Thailand during the first 10 months of this year. But that’s only about a 10th of the 1.5 million who traveled to the country in 2019 and spent $3.3 billion, becoming the third-highest spenders, according to official data.

Thailand expects to welcome more than 20 million visitors next year, double this year but only about 50% of pre-pandemic arrivals.

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