"The number of one-year retirement visas has surged by more than 30 percent, according to a source at the Chonburi Immigration Bureau. Although there are more British applicants than any other nationality, there is a noticeable growth in the number of Russian applicants. If the trend continues, more than 45,000 such visas will have been issued by the end of the 2013."
http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews ... ment-visas
Westerners forget that it is only a 4...5 hour flight for them to arrive in Thailand and one of the easiest countries to get a visa so that is why there will be more and more Russians in LOS. Hopefully, as they visit other countries around the world they will pick up on better "people skills".
I would think tropical Thailand looks pretty appealing to someone from Siberia where you might see a high of -35F on a good day.
Which airline is it that flies that fast from Moscow to Bangkok? The ones that I fly will typically have reached Kabul after five hours from Bangkok.Originally Posted by thrillbill
I thought that Russians were not even required to obtain a visa. Aren't they excused from the visa process through some reciprocal agreement with Russia?
Do Thais go to Russia or are they smart enough to avoid it?
Will Rogers said, "I never met a man I didn't like", but he never met Donald Trump.
Russia is much bigger than just Moscow ! Have a look at the map.
yes the russians are becoming extremely noticeable in pty, but whats annoying me the most is the prices in the shops, malls have gone in & now rooms/hotels some have, due to russians paying higher prices! do they get a very good exchange rate to the baht or just the rich russians are coming?
i love you, i miss you.............. i lie you
Have you taken notice to the manicurists on the beach? A pedicure, manicure and a few minute back massage for the Russians is 1,000 baht and if they start to balk the manicurist starts to pretend to get angry and the Russian quickly pays it. I think in many cases they just don't know what the costs of some things are and it makes it higher for us.
Russians who travel to Thailand on a Tourist Visa get six months.
The Russian Ruble is equivalent to the Thai Bath in value. For many of these families and single travelers, Thailand may well be the first holiday or travel experience away from home. Most of these people grew up in the cold, brutal and frighteningly homophobic USSR. It takes a long time to change a culture that was as dominant in every way in the lives of Russians and the peoples of the 'near abroad'.
Most Russians and Russian speakers from neighbouring countries who come to Thailand as tourists seem to be middle income earners. Some of the ones who opt to retire or work here tend to sell assets back home and start anew in Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries. Many Russians are now unemployed and are not doing well economically under Putin, so a number of them leave home to seek greener pastures here and elsewhere. They work in Thailand as teachers, insurance salespeople, translators, real estate agents, etc. The more affluent and business savvy ones have opened a variety of businesses in different parts of Thailand.
As I have shared on another thread, my three best friends in Pattaya are Russians, who are entrepreneurial, sophisticated, caring and friendly guys. Two of them are partners in a tour guide business and the other owns a graphic arts company. They are productive, law abiding and tax paying guys, who have great respect for others and especially for the Thai people. We all came to Pattaya right around the same time about two years ago and met each other through our different places of work that ended up all being connected then and now. They are therefore both my friends and business colleagues.
Many of the observations about the attitudes and behaviours of Russian expats and tourists in Pattaya are spot on, but it is also true that these are not exclusive to them only. Also true is that there are many fine and upstanding Russians and Russian speakers who reside in this community that have made and continue to make a positive contribution in their own quiet way. It would be unfair to use one broad brushstroke to paint all of them in a negative light.
Actually, reports that I have read say that the class of Russians coming to Pattaya are not the wealthy and upper crust. It is middle-class people who come to Thailand because it is considered very cheap. They sure act low-class.
Will Rogers said, "I never met a man I didn't like", but he never met Donald Trump.
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