News Forum - Phuket authorities dismiss concerns over rising Russian population and mafia claims

[Thaiger]

Yesterday, Phuket authorities refuted allegations that the island has been overrun by Russians, including members of the mafia. These claims were sparked by a report in Al Jazeera earlier this week, which highlighted concerns among locals. The locals fear that Russian tourists are snatching jobs usually held by Thais, operating unlawful businesses, and causing a … …

The story Phuket authorities dismiss concerns over rising Russian population and mafia claims as seen on Thaiger News.

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[Smiler]

Of course the authorities dismiss the claims, … they are being paid to dismiss them!! 

[1135914801]

Russian mafia has more money than many countries 

[macro1]

 

in my secure village in central Phuket.I have four new Russian neighbors in my soi of eight houses.

I have just been informed my rent will increase by 50% from next month.

Notices in Russian are common.The pool has been overtaken by young Russian men.

It must be realised that these are not typical Russians.They have the financial means to seriously affect the social fabric of this Island.

What the hell visas do they have?

[BigHewer]

56 minutes ago, macro1 said:

in my secure village in central Phuket.I have four new Russian neighbors in my soi of eight houses.

I have just been informed my rent will increase by 50% from next month.

Is it possible that there are four more Russian tenants waiting for a vacancy in your soi? 

[HolyCowCm]

This is sad. Can you give an approximte on how much is much if the rent is boosted 50%?

4 new Russian neighbors as in total on your soi? Or are there more and these are newbies? Seems soon there will be all Russians for where you are at because their ruble is creating housing rubble. 

[HolyCowCm]

3 minutes ago, BigHewer said:

Is it possible that there are four more Russian tenants waiting for a vacancy in your soi? 

I was sort of hitting at the same notion. Gonna run every non Russian out. This is a shame.

[ThaiFoodGuy]

Last time I visited Rawai I had multiple run-ins with Russian men and their partners/spouses whereas multiple prior visits yielded absolutely no issues with Russians (or anyone else really other than being annoyed by Chinese and French tourists a few times).

The Russian presence in Phuket is definitely noticeable and their entitlement and arrogance is palpable.

In Rawai particularly, several shop owners I spoke to said they generally don't mind the Russians except with every 10 comes 1 bad one and the bad ones are very, very bad. This sentiment was expressed to me several times. It's anecdotal for now, but it won't be very long until the Phuket administration is going to need to shit or get off the pot when it comes to controlling this one particular group of tourists.

[ChrisS]

12 hours ago, Thaiger said:

Phuket authorities refuted allegations that the island has been overrun by Russians,

Maybe that is because they do not know or at least pretend not to know exactly how many overstayers and criminals they have in Phuket. I am guessing there are some earners to made out of 'not knowing'

 

[Marc26]

4 hours ago, ThaiFoodGuy said:

Last time I visited Rawai I had multiple run-ins with Russian men and their partners/spouses whereas multiple prior visits yielded absolutely no issues with Russians (or anyone else really other than being annoyed by Chinese and French tourists a few times).

The Russian presence in Phuket is definitely noticeable and their entitlement and arrogance is palpable.

In Rawai particularly, several shop owners I spoke to said they generally don't mind the Russians except with every 10 comes 1 bad one and the bad ones are very, very bad. This sentiment was expressed to me several times. It's anecdotal for now, but it won't be very long until the Phuket administration is going to need to shit or get off the pot when it comes to controlling this one particular group of tourists.

When I was in Kamala in March there were a lot but I saw no issues

 

My friend Bernie owns a pub and he says some of the guys can be pretty brutish 

 

But 1 out of 10 bad ones isn't anymore than with any other group

 

But I do agree the bad Russian ones can be very bad 

 

I'm back in November 

Will see if changed much from February 

[ThaiFoodGuy]

1 hour ago, Marc26 said:

But 1 out of 10 bad ones isn't anymore than with any other group

True but when there is a significant abundance of one particular group, it certainly makes the "few" bad ones more noticeable because there are just so many more of them. No such problem in Chiang Mai or Bangkok or even most of the other Koh So-and-sos.

[Marc26]

2 minutes ago, ThaiFoodGuy said:

True but when there is a significant abundance of one particular group, it certainly makes the "few" bad ones more noticeable because there are just so many more of them. No such problem in Chiang Mai or Bangkok or even most of the other Koh So-and-sos.

There has been a significant # of white dudes causing problems in Thailand for decades on decades 5555

[Guest1]

7 hours ago, HolyCowCm said:

I was sort of hitting at the same notion. Gonna run every non Russian out. This is a shame.

Trust me, you don`t even wanna live next to ONE of them, for longer. 

Even with Kids, or better, ALSO Russians with kids, you don`t wann live close next to them.

[TSS]

16 hours ago, macro1 said:

What the hell visas do they have?

ask their russian owned but Thai staffed visa agency

[HolyCowCm]

9 hours ago, Guest1 said:

Trust me, you don`t even wanna live next to ONE of them, for longer. 

Even with Kids, or better, ALSO Russians with kids, you don`t wann live close next to them.

Don't know never lived next to one, but I know I don't want to live to most people. Constant battling them of their overstepping with noises. Luck of the draw who is ok or not. Or unlucly of the draw.

My interactions with Russians here so far has actually been ok, but I must admiot my biggest interactions have been in the past on a yearly visit to Jomtein beach area with my and the family in Bangkok. Little different and boisterous but to me wasn't so bad. They are bigger framed people from what I saw.

[dumby]

"only 3 criminal activities involved russians in the past 5 years" hahahhaha. just today there were more in any newspaper let alone the many that dont get reported to newspapers.

What a shame that phuket officials try to hide that the island IS overrun by rude and aggressive russians and no europeans are coming back as long as the russians destroy the island. See the numbers of visitors. Only russians and india. not even one european country on the list in top20 :D

Just compare how many ED visas are around and how many schools exist in phuket. then check how many volunteer visas are issued in Phuket, the region where officialy no volunteer visas are issued.

they lie their way out and fill their pockets with roubles. time for anti corruption division to come to phuket and immigration to take out all overstaying and fake visa owners. 

the island is full of people, yet the economy is collapsing, hotels closing, thais complaining about no income in Phuket. 

it's a shame and thailand should be ashamed of phuket. the russian ghetto of thailand. no europeans will come back. high season will be the worst and it won't change untill these low class loaned-rich russians who are getting jumped of roofs if their deptor finds them, leave the island. 

most expat families left this sinking ship already.

everybody in the world knows that russians occupied and destroyed phuket. the only people who dont seem to know it are the phuket officials. 

what i dont get is: why only bad low class russians are coming to phuket? in bkk, HH, chiang mai are mostly families and russians who can somehow behave properly. phuket gets the trash... why? 

 

Edited October 31, 2023 by dumby

[Ivo_Shandor]

We went to Phuket last Songkran, stayed at Old Town. It was quite regular at every corner to hear people talking Russian (or Ukrainian, they're pretty similar).

Given the police corruption down there, it's not surprising they downsize the issue.

Edited October 31, 2023 by Ivo_Shandor

[Marc26]

3 hours ago, dumby said:

"only 3 criminal activities involved russians in the past 5 years" hahahhaha. just today there were more in any newspaper let alone the many that dont get reported to newspapers.

What a shame that phuket officials try to hide that the island IS overrun by rude and aggressive russians and no europeans are coming back as long as the russians destroy the island. See the numbers of visitors. Only russians and india. not even one european country on the list in top20 :D

Just compare how many ED visas are around and how many schools exist in phuket. then check how many volunteer visas are issued in Phuket, the region where officialy no volunteer visas are issued.

they lie their way out and fill their pockets with roubles. time for anti corruption division to come to phuket and immigration to take out all overstaying and fake visa owners. 

the island is full of people, yet the economy is collapsing, hotels closing, thais complaining about no income in Phuket. 

it's a shame and thailand should be ashamed of phuket. the russian ghetto of thailand. no europeans will come back. high season will be the worst and it won't change untill these low class loaned-rich russians who are getting jumped of roofs if their deptor finds them, leave the island. 

most expat families left this sinking ship already.

everybody in the world knows that russians occupied and destroyed phuket. the only people who dont seem to know it are the phuket officials. 

what i dont get is: why only bad low class russians are coming to phuket? in bkk, HH, chiang mai are mostly families and russians who can somehow behave properly. phuket gets the trash... why? 

I was there about a month before you and am in Phuket quite a bit 

 

Plenty of Russians around but didn't run into any that were a problem 

 

For me, the worst were actually the old low class Europeans that were all over Kamala

 

Not that they really even bugged me all that much

But if I were nitpicking I would absolutely say it was the older Europeans smoking in restaurants 

Talking on speaker phone 

 

Just little stupid stuff

 

Russians were almost all families and kept to themselves 

[HiuMak]

On 9/9/2023 at 11:25 AM, Thaiger said:

Phuket island has been overrun by Russians,

This is what Thailand wants and they got it.

[Pinetree]

Serves them right.  Any reasonably competent  government could have seen this coming. This is what you get when you have no moral compass and sit on the fence on any subject or situation.  No doubt we will soon see Hamas terrorists sitting on the beach here. 

[Pinetree]

2 hours ago, Marc26 said:

Russians were almost all families and kept to themselves 

Because they are embarrassed, anti social,  cowards. I have no time for any of them. 

[Marc26]

4 minutes ago, Pinetree said:

Because they are embarrassed, anti social,  cowards. I have no time for any of them. 

Whatever they are I would take them over the low class Europeans dressed like homeless people, bad tattoos, smoking while people try to eat their food, talking on speaker phone in the middle of a restaurant, putting towels on sunbeds while other guests need them 

 

All I saw was young Russian families keeping to themselves

 

Now that was just mostly in Kamala 

There could be problems elsewhere with Russians

 

I only go by what I experience personally and not forum lore.....

[TheDirtyDurian]

4 hours ago, Marc26 said:

Whatever they are I would take them over the low class Europeans dressed like homeless people, bad tattoos, smoking while people try to eat their food, talking on speaker phone in the middle of a restaurant, putting towels on sunbeds while other guests need them 

All I saw was young Russian families keeping to themselves

Now that was just mostly in Kamala 

There could be problems elsewhere with Russians

I only go by what I experience personally and not forum lore.....

I always use speaker phone pretty much. It's easier to hear, and maybe you have to do something else with the phone when you're taking the call. 

 

[Marc26]

4 hours ago, TheDirtyDurian said:

I always use speaker phone pretty much. It's easier to hear, and maybe you have to do something else with the phone when you're taking the call. 

Well it's rude in a restaurant when others are trying to enjoy their meal and their own company 

 

Well really it's rude anywhere in public 

I don't need to hear your conversation 

 

 

[TheDirtyDurian]

16 minutes ago, Marc26 said:

Well it's rude in a restaurant when others are trying to enjoy their meal and their own company 

Well really it's rude anywhere in public 

I don't need to hear your conversation 

I don't really see the difference between hearing people speaking next to me in person or on the phone. 

Surely volume is the key. 

I'm not this guy ...