Thai Foreign Minister calls for Russia-Ukraine negotiations

Thailand’s Foreign Minister spoke out yesterday, calling for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. He says that even though it will be difficult, every party wants to see the situation return to normal. He said there will be negative consequences if the conflict is not resolved, adding that if the situation does not return to normal soon, it would “cause an impact on security, the economy, and citizens’ lives.”

The FM confirmed Thailand will do its best to support both Russians and Ukrainians stranded in Thailand, particularly those having problems with international money transfer services. This week, Mastercard and Visa suspended services within Russia, and also to cards used abroad that were issued in Russia.

The Thai government said yesterday that over 7,000 Russian and Ukrainian tourists affected by flight cancellations will be allowed to extend their visas free of charge. The government is also offering the tourists shelter, and access to a Chinese payment platform.

The governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Yuthasak Supasorn, says most of the over 7,000 tourists from Ukraine and Russia are in Phuket, Koh Samui, Krabi, and Pattaya, with nearly half of them on the southern island of Phuket. Those who need to extend their stay can do so without having to pay the usual 1,900 baht fee.

The foreign minister said yesterday that Thailand’s Cabinet is closely monitoring the situation between Russia and the Ukraine, although Thailand’s participation in the ASEAN-US meeting won’t impact relations between Thailand and Russia.

SOURCE: Nation Thailand