More than 44,000 Russians visited Thailand in October, using charter flights and using cash or credit cards issued outside Russia to bypass the restrictions, local media reported, citing Bloomberg. This mass outflow of Russian tourists became an incentive for the recovery of tourism in Thailand.

Russian visitors did not exceed 10,000 per month, but in October, more than 44,000 Russians preferred a trip to Thailand, according to data from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. And the resumption of direct flights between Moscow and Phuket from the end of November will attract more tourists, according to Thai officials.

According to the Phuket Tourism Association, charter flights by airlines such as Azur Air and commercial flights by Aeroflot have taken people from Moscow, Novosibirsk and Vladivostok to Bangkok and other popular destinations such as Pattaya and Phuket.

“Currently, Russian tourists are number one in Phuket,” said Mr. Bhummikitty Ruktaengam, president of the association. “The gap in the arrival of Russian and Indian tourists has now increased significantly.”

According to Bhummikitty, for every 10,000 foreign visitors who take direct flights to Phuket, about 20 percent are Russians. The island is known for its pristine beaches and national parks.

This is in stark contrast to the almost complete absence of Russians for about six months after airlines were forced to ground flights and tourists struggled to make payments after most Russian banks were suspended from the Swift payment system.

With the absence of Chinese travelers, the largest group of visitors to Thailand before the pandemic, the return of Russian tourists is seen as a resurgence of the national tourism industry.

Russians, whose average stay in Phuket is at least 12 days, use credit cards issued in other countries and cash to make purchases, Mr. Bhummikitty said. Most financial transactions take place in Dubai or other Middle Eastern countries, said Thanet Supornsahasrangsi, president of the Chon Buri Tourism Board.

More than 147,000 Russian tourists arrived in Thailand in the first 10 months of 2022, accounting for a tenth of the 1.5 million Russians who visited Thailand in 2019 and spent US$3.3 billion, according to official data.

Thailand expects more than 20 million visitors in 2023, double the number in 2022.

Photo: Dreamtime