341 Russians left stranded in Pattaya

[lonelywombat]

cut and pasted from http://www.pattayadailynews.com/en/2012 ... n-pattaya/ (http://www.pattayadailynews.com/en/2012/02/03/bankruptcy-leave-341-russians-stranded-in-pattaya/)



Pattaya police arrested Russian Mrs. Olga Shendrik owner of the bankrupt Lanta Tour Thai International Co., Ltd. and provided assistance to the 341 stranded Russian holidaymakers in Pattaya.

Pattaya, January 31, 2012 [PDN]; Pol. Lt. Gen. Dr. Panya Mamen Commissioner of Region 2 Police and Pol. Maj. Gen. Jamnong Rattanakul Chonburi police accompanied by police team visited 341 Russian tourists who were left stranded by their tour company.

January 30, 2012 the management of Town in Town Hotel, Ambassador City Jomtien, 14 employees of Lanta Tour Thai International Co., Ltd. and the owner of a tour bus company notified Pol. Capt. Jeerasak, Banglamung police station to prosecute Miss Olga Shendrik, Russian citizen and general manager of the tour company after her business went bankrupt with one million THB of unpaid hotel bills.

Ms. Nattawee Yimplai, the representative of Town in Town hotel said, that Lanta Tour-Thai International Co., Ltd. brought a group of Russian tourists to stay at the Town in Town hotel and Ambassador City Jomtien. They arrived at the end of 2011 and stayed until January 2012

At the time of check out the tour company claimed that the mother company in Moscow, Russia had gone bust therefore they could not pay the the outstanding hotel bills mounting to 1.2 million THB resulting in 341 Russian tourists being stranded in Pattaya.

Lanta Tour-Thai International Co., Ltd. registered address 9/239 Wonderland 4 village, Na Klua, Amphur Banglamung, Chonburi province. A witness, Mrs. Daoloy Kwammak age 52, the owner of the house that Miss Olga Shendrik had rented for 5 year paying 36,000 THB per month. Mrs. Daoloy said, Mrs. Shendrik paid promptly every month until she suddenly cancelled the contract.

Ms. Olga Shendrik, the general manager of the company was arrested and charged with fraud and working in the Kingdom without work permit.

Assisting the Russian tourists the police initially arranged a hotel for them. The expenses will be charged to the Russian Embassy in Bangkok.

Additional funds will be provided by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to help the stranded Russians to return safely to Moscow as soon as possible.

Assisting the Russian tourists the police initially arranged a hotel for them. The expenses will be charged to the Russian Embassy in Bangkok. Additional funds will be provided by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to help the stranded Russians to return safely to Moscow as soon as possible.


Have to say I was surprised to read the above that the TAT would be providing funds to fly the people back to Russia - that I imagine would be a costly exercise for TAT and one which I'm surprised that they were willing to undertake as the repatriation of citizens would normally be left up to either insurance companies or the visitors home country. I'm guessing that there must be "some" interesting deal or perhaps an highly advertised P.R angle going on in the background somewhere no doubt for the TAT to justify that cost?

[frequentflier]

It must be a real nightmare to get stuck in an airport and not able to get home.I got stuck in Abu Dhabi during the ash cloud problem on my way home from Thailand.Etihad airways put us in a real nice hotel for a week and paid for everything.Its good to see that these people are been taken of..