Russians boost Thai tourism and property sales as they flee Ukraine war
- Industry players predict influx of Russians in coming months as they escape the conflict in Ukraine, plan long-term stays in Thailand
- Beyond tourism, Russians are also pouring their cash into Phuket’s property sector in the absence of Chinese tourists
Palawat (not his real name) has owned a hotel on Phuket’s Patong beach for the past 20 years. It was closed down during the pandemic, but the place got back on its feet again months ago thanks to Russians arriving on the Thai resort island.
“I have no funds to renovate my hotel, so I turned it into an apartment building instead,” he said of his 20-room establishment. “Now 90 per cent of the customers are young Russians.”
Palawat thinks Phuket will see a bigger influx of Russians in the months ahead. He recently doubled the rental to 10,000 baht (US$287) a month to take advantage of the island’s popularity among Russians.
“Many young Russians I spoke to have come to Southeast Asia to avoid difficulties, like the military draft, at home. They chose Thailand for the sense of freedom it gives, financially and lifestyle-wise,” Palawat said. “They have a limited budget, but they can stay for as long as six months.”
While international sanctions on the rouble in February saw Russians either stranded or scrambling to leave Thailand as their credit cards or cash became invalidated, by the end of the year the Thai government expects around 310,000 Russians to have visited, with most of them landing in Phuket, Pattaya and Bangkok.
A number of airlines now operate direct flights from Russia to Thailand. Emirates flies from Phuket to both St Petersburg and Moscow. Azur Air operates charter flights between Novosibirsk and U-tapao airport, near Pattaya. Ikar Airlines and Aeroflot have also resumed flights to Thailand.
In January this year 23,760 Russians visited Thailand, the highest among all foreign visitors. Over 55,000 Russians visited Phuket in November, more than double those from India at 26,525, and much more than the few thousand Thais heading to Phuket in the past months.
