BANGKOK (Washington Insider Magazine) – Because of the crisis in Ukraine, thousands of Russian travelers have been stuck in Thailand’s beach resorts, with several unable to pay their own bills or fly home due to sanctions and delayed flights.
According to ABC NEWS, the European crisis has hampered recovery efforts for the Southeast Asian nation’s tourist industry, which had received more Russian tourists than any of its neighbors before the pandemic hit.
In addition to 1,000 Ukrainians, there are roughly 6,500 Russian visitors stranded in the 4 provinces of Surat Thani, Phuket, Pattaya, and Krabi, which are major beach resort areas, according to Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of Thailand’s Tourism Authority.
According to the Public Health Ministry, the largest group of arrivals in February was 17,599 Russians, accounting for 8.6% of a total of 203,970. Their numbers plummeted after the Russian attack on Ukraine on February 24.
Russians encounter 2 primary issues, according to Yuthasak: flight cancellations by airlines that have discontinued flights to Russia, and financial service suspensions, mainly by credit card firms that have supported the sanctions on Moscow. Some people would rather postpone their return.
While practically all direct trips from Russia have already been canceled, major Middle Eastern carriers continue to offer connections.
He also stated that attempts are being made to identify other payment ways for Russian tourists.
Some Russians trapped in Krabi, according to Siwaporn Boonruang, a volunteer translator, are unable to pay their expenses since they are unable to use Mastercard or Visa credit cards.
Many people have cash, and those who have UnionPay credit cards, that are authorized by a Chinese banking and finance corporation, may still use them, but bitcoin payment is not permitted, according to her.
She stated that several hotels had aided by providing lower prices.
Thailand’s government has granted free 30-day visa extensions and is working to identify low-cost alternatives for foreigners who are obliged to remain for a prolonged term.
Thailand’s expectations for economic recovery have been harmed by the challenges related with the Ukraine conflict. Officials want to see the COVID-19 pandemic threat fade by July, despite the fact that daily instances are already at all-time highs, thanks to the omicron version of the coronavirus.
Most testing and quarantine measures which have been in place to combat the spread of the virus are expected to be lifted later this year, making entrance smoother for international tourists.
The Bangkok Post daily reported Yuthasak as stating that Thailand may have to cut its tourist arrivals and income projections this year due to the knock-on impact of increased oil costs and inflation on worldwide tourism.
Thailand had estimated that international and local tourists would bring in a total of 1.28 trillion baht ($38.4 billion) this year, according to the article.
