More than 5,000 Russian Tourists Stranded in Thailand
Russia’s sanctions over the Ukrainian war are making travel difficult for many tourists in Thailand, officials said Sunday. With thousands of Russian tourists struggling to find a route home
Following Russia’s invasion in February, a host of international measures were taken against businesses and banks, with some Russian carriers canceling flights and global payment companies suspending services.
In the past year, Russian tourists have been among the largest group of visitors to Thailand’s beach resorts. However, many are now stranded without a ticket home.
Deputy governor of Thailand’s Tourism Authority (TAT) Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya said 3,100 Russians were stuck in Phuket, 2,000 in Samui, and smaller numbers in Krabi, Phangnga, and Bangkok.
As part of its efforts to help those who wish to return home, the agency is discussing return flights, which could be regular or special.
Aeroflot Cancels Tourists Flights
Mother-of-three Evgenia Gozorskaia, from Moscow, discovered her family’s return tickets for Aeroflot were canceled.
“We are very concerned because our children are young, we do not have enough funds to support our family here,” said the 41-year-old psychologist who arrived from Moscow on Feb. 27 with her husband and three children.
She told the Bangkok Post that they were scheduled to fly home on March 28. “We want to go to the airport tomorrow, but I don’t know what will happen,” she said from Phuket.
Some people were fortunate enough to get their tickets replaced, while others — including her family — were not so fortunate.
She replied, “They said they could not do it and turned the phone off.”.
The Thai government has not banned Russian flights, but some airlines, including Russia’s flagship Aeroflot, are no longer operating, forcing tourists to opt for alternate routes, such as through the Middle East.
Thai People Step Up to Help
Visa and Mastercard have also suspended operations, which has impacted many Russian tourists.
“The suspension of Mastercard and Visa services in Russia has caused some difficulty in card payments by Russians in Phuket,” said Bhummikitti Ruktaengam, president of the Phuket Tourist Association.
According to him, officials are considering the Mir system and digital currency as a means of electronic fund transfers.
Across Thailand, local communities have also stepped up.
The Orthodox Church in Thailand will pay for water, electricity, and anything else they need,” said Archimandrite Oleg, who said they were helping at least one family with four children stranded on Koh Samui.
Travel restrictions have hammered the kingdom’s tourism-driven economy, but tourism soared in 2022 as covid-19 restrictions were eased.
According to the TAT, 23,000 Russians visited Thailand in January.
In 2019, around 1.5 million Russian tourists visited Thailand, making them the seventh-largest share of visitors to the kingdom.
The Government of Thailand has supported a UN resolution calling on Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine but has not imposed any sanctions.
