Phuket still safe for tourism: Russian Ambassador
PHUKET: The Russian ambassador to Thailand reaffirmed Phuket as a safe tourist destination after a tour of the island last weekend.
Santi Udomkiratak, Deputy Honorary Consul of the Russian Federation for Phuket, Krabi and Phang-nga, said that Russian Ambassador Alexander Mariyasov reiterated during his visit that the current political turmoil in Bangkok had very little effect on the safety of Russian tourists visiting Phuket, which is almost 1,000 kilometers from the capital.
Many Russian tourists were still taking advantage of three or four direct flights weekly from Russia to Phuket that eliminate the need to land in the capital.
Most of the flights are from Moscow aboard Transaero Airlines. Nordwind Airlines also operates some direct flights from Vladivostok.
There are currently about 30 Russian businesses operating in Phuket, most in the property, hotel, tour and advertising sectors, he said.
Mr Santi said he often gives legal advice to Russian investors in order to prevent them from being cheated or breaking the law, such as by checking building permits for real estate projects.
Unlike those issued by the governments of the UK and USA recently, travel advisories issued by the Russian Federation have applied only to Bangkok.
