BANGKOK (AP) — Thousands of Russian tourists are stranded in Thailand’s beach resorts due to the war in Ukraine, many unable to pay their bills or return home due to sanctions and flight cancellations.
The crisis in Europe has also thwarted plans for a recovery in the Southeast Asian country’s tourism industry, which received more visitors from Russia before the pandemic hit than any of its neighbors.
About 6,500 Russian tourists are stranded in Phuket, Surat Thani, Krabi and Pattaya, four provinces that are popular holiday destinations, in addition to 1,000 Ukrainians, Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Thailand Tourism Authority, told The Associated Press on Friday.
Some 17,599 Russians made up the largest group of arrivals in February, representing 8.6% of the total of 203,970, according to the Ministry of Health. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, their numbers dropped sharply.
Yutasak said Russians face two main challenges: the cancellation of their flights home by airlines that have stopped flying to Russia, and the suspension of financial services, in particular by credit card companies that have joined the sanctions against Moscow. There are those who prefer to delay the return.
“There are some airlines that still fly to Russia, but travelers have to transit through another country. We are trying to coordinate and search for flights for them,” Yutasak said.
Although almost all direct flights from Russia have been suspended, connections are still available through major carriers based in the Middle East.
According to him, efforts are also being made to find alternative payment methods for Russian tourists.
Sivaporn Boonruang, a volunteer interpreter for Russians stranded in Krabi, said some of them are unable to pay their bills because they can no longer use Visa or Mastercard credit cards.
Many have cash, she said, and those with UnionPay credit cards issued by a Chinese financial services company can still use them, but paying with cryptocurrencies is not allowed.
She added that many hotels helped by offering discounts.
The Thai government has offered a free 30-day visa extension and is trying to find affordable alternative accommodation for people forced to stay in the country for long periods.
The problems associated with the war in Ukraine have exacerbated Thailand’s hopes for an economic recovery. Officials hope the threat of a COVID-19 pandemic will ease by July, although daily cases are currently at an all-time high due to the micron variant of the coronavirus.
Thai authorities plan to lift most of the quarantine and testing rules that were put in place to combat the spread of the virus later this year, making it easier for foreign travelers to enter.
Thailand may have to lower its tourist arrival and revenue targets this year due to the indirect impact of higher oil prices and inflation on world travel, Yutasaka was quoted by the Bangkok Post as saying.
“Tourism continues to be a key driver for reviving our economy, even as revenues have been halted by negative factors,” he said.
According to the report, Thailand planned to generate a total of 1.28 trillion baht ($38.4 billion) in revenue this year from foreign and local tourists.