Russian tourists are stuck in Thailand without cash and flying
The European crisis has also hampered plans to revitalize the tourism industry in the country of South-East Asia, which has invited more visitors from Russia than its neighbors before the epidemic broke out.
Thousands of Russian tourists are stuck in beach resorts in Thailand due to the Ukrainian war, many unable to pay their bills or return home due to restrictions and canceled flights.
The European crisis has also hampered plans to revitalize the country’s tourism industry in South-East Asia, which received more visitors from Russia than its neighbors before the outbreak.
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About 6,500 Russian tourists have been stranded in Phuket, Surattani, Krabi and Pattaya, four provinces that are popular seaside resort destinations, as well as 1,000 Ukrainians, Uthasak Supasorn, governor of Thailand’s tourism administration, told The Associated Press on Friday.
According to the Ministry of Public Health, the largest block of immigrants in February was about 17,599 Russians, representing 8.6% of the total population of 203,970. Their numbers have dropped dramatically since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
Yutasak said that the Russians are facing two big problems: the cancellation of flights to airlines that have stopped flights to Russia, and the suspension of financial services, especially for credit card companies joining sanctions against Moscow. Again, there are some who like to delay their return.
“There are some airlines that still fly to Russia, but passengers have to transit to other countries. “We are trying to coordinate and look for flights for them,” said Jutasaks.
Although almost all direct flights from Russia have been suspended, connections are still available through major Middle Eastern carriers.
He said that efforts were also being made to find alternative payment methods for Russian tourists.
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Some are unable to pay their bills because they can no longer use Visa or MasterCard credit cards, says Sivaporn Bunruang, a volunteer interpreter for Russians imprisoned in Krabi.
Many have cash and those who have UnionPay credit cards issued by a Chinese financial services company can still use them, but they are not allowed to make payments in cryptocurrency, he said.
He added that many hotels have helped with discount rates.
The Thai government has offered a 30-day visa extension free of charge and is trying to find a cheap alternative accommodation for those who are forced to stay longer.
The problems associated with the war in Ukraine have raised hopes for Thailand’s economic recovery. Officials expect the threat of the COVID-19 epidemic to diminish by July, although the number of daily illnesses is currently at a record high, driven by the omnivorous variant of the coronavirus.
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The Thai authorities hope to lift most quarantine and testing regulations this year to combat the spread of the virus, which will make it easier for foreign travelers to enter.
Thailand may have to cut tourists and revenue this year as oil prices and inflation negatively affect global travel, Uthasak Bangkok Post reports.
“Tourism is still the main driver of our economic recovery, although revenue has been hampered by negative factors,” he said.
According to the report, Thailand estimates the total revenue from foreign and domestic tourists this year at 1.28 trillion baht ($ 38.4 billion).
Russian tourists are stuck in Thailand without cash and flying
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(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by News East India staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
