News Forum - Tourism official proposes payment solutions for Russians in Phuket

[Thaiger]

Following the move by Mastercard and Visa to cut off services to cards issued in Russia, Phuket tourism officials are proposing solutions for Russians stranded there. Yesterday, the president of the Phuket Tourism Business Association proposed three possible solutions: Allow Thai commercial banks to support Russia’s Mir payments system, allow the use of Chinese payment systems such as union pay, or allow cryptocurrencies to be used as a payment method. “This three-pronged proposal to TAT and BoT would offer a solution to this problem”. The president said there are currently about 3,000 Russian tourists stranded in Phuket. He said many […]

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[Saltire]

While he is trying to be helpful and while all are in theory possibe, these solutions would take time.

You can't introduce 2 international payment card systems to the Thai banking system overnight.

As for krypto I would think a very small number of Russian tourists have this option. If they actually have krypto maybe sell some for USD?

5,000 tourists unable to pay bills and difficult to leave is quite a dilema.

 

[Swensen]

This is the responsibility of the Russian embassy not the Thai government. The monetary boycott against Russia is there for a reason and to try go around it will damage Thailand reputation. The stranded Russians in Thailand are now refugees and can get humantare treatment on the same level as other refugees entering the country's borders.

[Shark]

13 minutes ago, Swensen said:

This is the responsibility of the Russian embassy not the Thai government.

In your all foreseeing wisdom please elaborate how you imagine the Russian embassy to solve the problem for the stranded thais as those just have the same payment means.

14 minutes ago, Swensen said:

The monetary boycott against Russia ...

Which is just hurting not the people whom they want to hurt ie: Putin. 

15 minutes ago, Swensen said:

The stranded Russians in Thailand are now refugees and can get humantare treatment on the same level as other refugees entering the country's borders.

Which is something Thailand doesn't have for people whom enter as Tourists.

PPS: I have a Russian wife and I'm discussed by the worlds behavior of racism based on citizenship. We didn't spit on Americans when they started the war in Iraq/Afghanistan. Just my two cents.

[Nivram]

You mean two rubles not two cents.

[Guest1]

He said many of them can’t return home because they can’t access financial funds. Others, he said, can’t return home because their flights are suspended. .

if the one, with canceled flights can't get home, isn't that, because they can't pay for other flights, because they can't access financial funds?

aside that "both groups" may contain people, who would like to stay here for now?

[Soidog]

20 minutes ago, Swensen said:

This is the responsibility of the Russian embassy not the Thai government. The monetary boycott against Russia is there for a reason and to try go around it will damage Thailand reputation. The stranded Russians in Thailand are now refugees and can get humantare treatment on the same level as other refugees entering the country's borders.

Well they may well get the same treatment as other refugees. As Thailand is not a signatory to the UN refugee convention, then that could well account to nothing. 
it should and is the responsibility of the Russian government to deal with this. The fact they aren’t interested means it’s still Thailands problem to deal with it. This could get very messy, very quickly. 

[Shark]

Just now, Guest1 said:

He said many of them can’t return home because they can’t access financial funds. Others, he said, can’t return home because their flights are suspended. .

if the one, with canceled flights can't get home, isn't that, because they can't pay for other flights, because they can't access financial funds?

aside that "both groups" may contain people, who would like to stay here for now?

there's in both sides Ukrainians and Russians (whom in this country go side-by-side and anywhere in the world actually besides in their own countries due to one person) whom would like to stay and according to my information as long as you have the funds Immigration wants to provide you a 'covid-19' extension for many many many years as this won't be resolved and is likely to escalate only further. 

[Guest1]

3 minutes ago, Nivram said:

You mean two rubles not two cents.

You mean kopeks, not rubles.

[Shark]

Just now, Guest1 said:

You mean kopeks, not rubles.

actually it's two baht as I'm neither Russian nor Ukrainian. 

[vvdb.fr]

I just looked... there are flights from BKK to Moscow for less 30,000 Bahts.

Where is the problem ? No war in Russia !

Ukrainians are war refugees, it's different.

Edited March 12, 2022 by vvdb.fr
Add

[Shark]

5 minutes ago, vvdb.fr said:

I just looked... there are flights from BKK to Moscow for less 30,000 Bahts.

Where is the problem ? No war in Russia !

Ukrainians are war refugees, it's different.

Which you can pay how exactly and your taking into account that of these 90% gets cancelled?

Try stating the word in Russia and you'll find out about Ironclad hospitality. 

There are no winners in either side. Simple fact. Ukrainians don't want to flee there country by the masses according to their own PM. Russians do since they don't support theirs and there's nothing they can do about it.

[Naanlaew]

The problem is not being able to pay for the ticket, regardless of the price. Think ?

[Rookiescot]

4 minutes ago, Naanlaew said:

The problem is not being able to pay for the ticket, regardless of the price. Think ?

The Russian embassy needs to give them money.

[Guest1]

1 hour ago, Saltire said:

5,000 tourists unable to pay bills and difficult to leave is quite a dilema.

But more for these people, as for the country, they are in.

1 or 2 million refugees, for a population like in poland or other europe countries, or "even just" some hundred thousands, in  wintertime, THAT is a "dilema" for the people on both sides!

It should not be a problem for Thailand, to help a couple of thousands, methinks.

It is more the question, how to help. 

And if these couple of thousands want/get help the way, refugees get help, state granted accomodation and food, or if they wanna/should keep their tourist status, with all freedome, restaurants, good hotels, ....!

That may be also the main problems for the government, how to deal with people, who usually would have money, but can't get to it now, but may be gone in a second, the minute before the ban on their financials get lifted?

Is the help temporary and these people will have to pay back?

Let em stay were they stay and give em pocketmoney to support the covid struggling tourist business!

Or is it a payment with no one expects to get it back? 

Put them in field "hospitals", but "damage" the reputation of Thailand and make the friends in the hotel industry unhappy.

Both options are having pros and cons and can make Thai people happy or very unhappy

This government really has obstacles to get around that, methinks.

 

[Guest1]

23 minutes ago, Shark said:

actually it's two baht as I'm neither Russian nor Ukrainian. 

Then it is satang, sry

[Grumpish]

This is Russia's and the Russian Embassy in Thailand's problem to deal with, to arrange repatriation flights (these could be charter flights, they don't need to be commercial flights) for those that want to go. For those that want to stay - maybe cut them a little slack on the visa front, but only if they can show funds to support themselves with, or let them claim refugee status.

[Cabra]

2 hours ago, Saltire said:

You can't introduce 2 international payment card systems to the Thai banking system overnight.

That's the truth

[Cabra]

1 hour ago, vvdb.fr said:

I just looked... there are flights from BKK to Moscow for less 30,000 Bahts.

What can be booked and what actually takes off may be two completely different things

[Cabra]

2 hours ago, Thaiger said:

allow cryptocurrencies to be used as a payment method

Which of the 12,000 different crypto currencies currently out there do they  propose be accepted?

[HolyCowCm]

Makes Thailand look bad against the majority in the international community against evil Putin. Should be the Russian government’s embassy that is held responsible to help or get their citizens out. Or best middle of the road thing would be they sign an IOU deal with the Thai government that their folk will be afforded food and accomodation (some alcohol) during this time, but after Putin's devil charades are put to a stop, then they need to pay up. Ukrainians should be taken care of from an international humanitarian perspective. 

[Cathat]

It's the russian governments responsibility to fund the tourists overstay in thailand and repatriate them back to mother russia.easier said than done granted.

the thai government has graciously granted them visa extensions to keep them legal,that should be the limit of thai government involvement.

[1l1]

2 hours ago, Swensen said:

The monetary boycott against Russia is there for a reason and to try go around it will damage Thailand reputation. 

Reputation in the eyes of who? Xenophobic brits? Do not lie to yourself, you are a chump change for Thai economy compare to chinese and russians tourists. They'd rather ban you from visiting Thai than russians and chinese.

Edited March 12, 2022 by 1l1

[longwood50]

2 hours ago, Swensen said:

This is the responsibility of the Russian embassy not the Thai government

Yes but the problem is on the Thai doorstep.  Its like having a fire on your porch and saying it is the responsibility of the fire dept to put it out.  If they don't answer the call, the porch is still burning. 

[Shark]

1 hour ago, Rookiescot said:

The Russian embassy needs to give them money.

and how would this exactly go out of Russia? As an Embassy would normally use the same as ANY other entity from a country which currently has no outbound cashflow pretty much.