Russians

  • Tourism News

    About 7,000 Russians and Ukrainians stranded in Thailand

    While it’s common to discuss the influx of Russians as they pour into the country and are investing more and more in villas and homes, it’s easy to forget about the thousands of people who are not staying by choice in Thailand. Around 7,000 Russians and Ukrainians are currently stranded in Thailand due to the ongoing war between the two countries.…

  • Hot News

    Over 7,000 Russians in Phuket apply for visa extensions

    Over 7,000 Russians in Phuket are applying for visa extensions in a bid to stay in Thailand. Local immigration chief, Thanet Sukchai, says the great weather is one factor in their attempts to stay. “Phuket is a nice place to visit with delicious food and good weather. As word has spread about the island, Russian tourists keep coming to the…

  • Phuket News

    Russians own 40% of foreign-owned condos in Phuket

    Thailand’s Real Estate Information Centre (REIC) reported that Russian citizens own nearly 40% of foreign-owned condominiums in Phuket, worth a collective 880 million baht (US$25). In Phuket, Russians have overtaken the Chinese as the No.1 condo buyer. Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 last year, Thailand has become a refuge for Russian citizens, as reported by Al Jazeera. The…

  • Tourism News

    Russians still biggest tourist group in Phuket, peak expected during holidays

    Russians remain Phuket’s biggest tourist group, and the island resort’s tourism is expected to peak during the holidays, according to the president of the Southern Thai Hotels Association, Sueksit Suwannadissakun, who believes the peak of tourism High Season will be between December 24 to January 5. About 57% of hotels in the island province reopened in October, jumping to 70%…

  • Tourism News

    Russians the biggest tourist group in Phuket in November so far

    Russians have made up Phuket’s biggest group of tourists so far in November. From November 1-10, Phuket saw 18,370 Russian tourists. The total number of foreign tourists was 75,247, The Phuket Express reported. The next top four countries for tourism in Phuket were: India with 8,939 tourists, Australia with 5,275 tourists, the UK with 4,511 tourists, and Germany with 4,152…

  • Tourism News

    Koh Samui sees influx of Russian tourism

    With flights increasing from Russia to Thailand, Koh Samui is seeing an increase in European travellers. The holiday island expects to see a surge in Russian tourism in particular, especially in December to close out the year. Russian tourism has been a big revenue-producing staple of Koh Samui but was stymied by the Covid-19 pandemic and then the Russian invasion…

  • Phuket News

    Russians the top demographic in Phuket, will likely remain so

    Over the Christmas holiday, Russian tourists were the number 1 demographic in Phuket, and with the tightening restrictions on entry to Thailand except for the Phuket Sandbox, that trend is expected to continue into the New Year holiday and beyond. Before the whole Covid pandemic kicked off, pre-2019, Russians were already a major tourism force in Phuket. Now, after being…

  • Phuket News

    Russians stranded in Phuket finally allowed to fly home

    78 Russian tourists who were stranded in Phuket and surrounding provinces by the Covid-19 outbreak, flew home on a special charter flight last night. Immigration police and airport staff saw them off at the international terminal lounge holding placards reading “До скорой встречи,” which means “See you soon” in Russian. They left on Aurora Airlines flight SHU5495 from Phuket international…

  • Crime News

    7 Russians arrested on Koh Phangan

    Police on Surat Thani province’s Koh Phangan, the island best known for its “full moon parties,” have arrested 7 Russian tourists for violating the Emergency Decree. Acting on a complaint filed by concerned Koh Phangan citizens, police raided a two-storey house at Nai Wok village in the wee hours of Monday morning. The next full moon party would have been…

  • Coronavirus (Covid-19)

    Foreigners arrested for holding noisy party on Koh Phangan

    A group of foreign tourists have been detained after “partying” at a rented house on Koh Phangan. Koh Phangan is the home to the monthly full-moon parties, a boat-ride away from Koh Samui in the Gulf of Thailand. Police from Koh Phangan police station raided the house after a tip-off from the village head complaining that many foreign tourists were regularly…

  • Coronavirus (Covid-19)

    Phuket’s new cases (Tuesday), all originating from Bangla Road area

    Numbers are out for new cases in Phuket over the past 24 hours. Case 124: 23 year old Russian women Case 125: 26 year old Kazakhstan women Case 126: 28 year old Russian women All 3 new cases in Phuket had a history of visiting or staying in the Bangla Road entertainment zone for up to a month, and having…

  • Coronavirus (Covid-19)

    Phuket shuts down two more southern subdistricts

    Last night at 10pm Phuket’s Governor Phakaphong Tavipatana, announced the ‘lock down’ of Rawai and Karon districts to contain the spread of the Covid-19 outbreak. The proclamation starts today until further notice. “People are asked to say in their homes at all times, while public health teams will be deployed to check any common area for the virus.” “All nonessential…

  • Coronavirus (Covid-19)

    Broke and stranded, Russian tourists take shelter in Phuket temple

    When their flight was eventually cancelled, they had no money left and decided to walk from the airport. They didn’t know where to go. When they came across Wat Mai Khao they asked to take refuge there. Tourism authorities in Phuket are now trying to help the 3 stranded Russian tourists who have taken shelter at the local temple. Their…

  • Coronavirus (Covid-19)

    Stranded. Nearly 21,000 Russians struggling to get home.

    The Russian Ambassador to Thailand claims there are about 20,800 Russian citizens stranded in the Land of Smiles. Ambassador Tomikhin says they’re desperate to get home. He says that most of them are stuck in Phuket and neighbouring provinces (Phuket is in virtual lockdown with the airport being closed to all passenger flights on April 10). Another 8,000 in and around…

  • Crime News

    Thai Marine chief visits Phuket, bans boat captains, two Russian children dead

    “If you see any unsafe boat, unsafe pier, dangerous boat driver, please inform the Marine Department hotline 1199.” The Thai Marine Department Chief visited Phuket yesterday afternoon for a full briefing following yesterday morning’s tragic speedboat crash that killed two Russian children, a 6 and 12 year old, and injuring up to 20 passengers around 7.50am. The incident happened in…

  • Tourism News

    TAT forecasts a 2.5% increase in tourist numbers for next year

    Last week tourist arrivals in Thailand surpassed 38,260,000, the total 2018 arrival number. Now Thailand has broken through the 39 million international tourist barrier, just two days before the end of the year. The 39 millionth tourist was from Russia. 2019 had a shaky start with the arrival of Tropical Storm Pabuk in the first week of the new year.…

  • Crime News

    Three Russians arrested over alleged property fraud in Pattaya

    PHOTO: PattayaupdateNews Chonburi police have arrested three Russians in the car park of the Ocean Portofino Condo, next to Ocean Marina, in Na Jomtien, south of Pattaya yesterday. A 53 year old man and two women, 52 and 28 years of age. All were named in separate arrest warrants, each for fraud. They were taken to Pattaya police station after…

  • Tourism News

    Indian visitors to Phuket surge whilst total numbers drop

    by Bill Barnett from c9hotelworks.com The soaring number of Indian visitors to Phuket for the first seven months of 2019 has propelled Indian tourists into the Top 5 arrivals for the first time. Arrivals from India from January – July, compared to the same period in 2018, grew 354%, amassing a total of 186,360 arrivals. Mainland Chinese arrival figures continue…

  • Tourism News

    Phuket’s tourist evolution – Diversity is the best option Part 1

    by Guest Writer Today’s guest writer has been managing resorts around Phuket for two decades and has represented his brand at international expos along with promotions for Phuket over the years. His knowledge is first-hand and steeped in local experience. He has asked to remain anonymous. At the end of the 1990’s into the early 2000’s Phuket saw the drastic…

  • Bangkok News

    Three Russians detained in Thailand at the request of the US

    Three Russian citizens have been detained in Thailand at the request of the United States in the last three years, head of the Consulate Department of the Russian Embassy in Thailand, Vladimir Pronin told reporters yesterday. “Only in the last three years, three Russians have been detained in Thailand at the US’ request, two of them – in 2018,” he stressed.…