News Forum - Pattaya tourism surges with Russian and European influx

[Thaiger]

Pattaya has experienced a notable increase in tourism during the current High Season, with a significant influx of visitors from Russia and Europe, as reported by Thanes Supharahasrangsi, president of the Chon Buri Tourism Association. On January 29, Thanes highlighted that many of these tourists are opting for extended stays in the city, contributing to … …

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[Pinetree]

They never learn from their own history.  I watched this play out with the Russians in the mid 1990s and it ended in open warfare with the local Thai Mafia, as the criminal element in the Russian so called 'tourists', tried to muscle in on the local scams, security and protection market, drugs and illicit booze.  This will end in same way, in tears for somebody, and I can guess who.  In those days, Chinese criminals were not a factor, but they sure are now.  Stand clear and watch it all go to rat sxxt, as it surely will. 

[23RD]

  On 2/1/2025 at 7:33 AM, Pinetree said:

They never learn from their own history.  I watched this play out with the Russians in the mid 1990s and it ended in open warfare with the local Thai Mafia, as the criminal element in the Russian so called 'tourists', tried to muscle in on the local scams, security and protection market, drugs and illicit booze.  This will end in same way, in tears for somebody, and I can guess who.  In those days, Chinese criminals were not a factor, but they sure are now.  Stand clear and watch it all go to rat sxxt, as it surely will. 

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Rather Russians than the Afghani drug dealers that have been running amok with impunity along 2nd Road Pattaya for nearly a year and the Russians have probably got better personal hygiene. 

[rattlesnake]

  On 2/1/2025 at 7:33 AM, Pinetree said:

They never learn from their own history.  I watched this play out with the Russians in the mid 1990s and it ended in open warfare with the local Thai Mafia, as the criminal element in the Russian so called 'tourists', tried to muscle in on the local scams, security and protection market, drugs and illicit booze.  This will end in same way, in tears for somebody, and I can guess who.  In those days, Chinese criminals were not a factor, but they sure are now.  Stand clear and watch it all go to rat sxxt, as it surely will. 

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So the typical Russian profile you saw in Thailand in the 90s was a criminal one? It's true Eltsin's Russia was very different from Putin's.

Before the mid-2000s, Russians who travelled abroad were typically wealthy and their wealth was of dubious origin. I saw it first hand at the time, when I worked in the high-end hospitality industry in France. We had Russian clients with bodyguards who paid for everything in cash and were reticent to show their IDs.

The middle class which emerged in the mid-2000s (and very represented in Thailand) is something completely different.

[ChrisS]

  On 2/1/2025 at 8:08 AM, rattlesnake said:

The middle class which emerged in the mid-2000s (and very represented in Thailand) is something completely different.

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I am sure there are some as you describe but got to admit my experiences of Russians in Thailand is that a lot of them are still low life thugs with criminal tendencies.

[rattlesnake]

  On 2/1/2025 at 8:55 AM, ChrisS said:

I am sure there are some as you describe but got to admit my experiences of Russians in Thailand is that a lot of them are still low life thugs with criminal tendencies.

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Interesting, when I lived in Jomtien I mostly saw Russian families and couples, who were pretty quiet people who kept to themselves (though some were running pubs with no Thai person in sight so obviously there was corruption going on there). I am sure there are dodgy types in Phuket nowadays.

[23RD]

  On 2/1/2025 at 9:17 AM, rattlesnake said:

Interesting, when I lived in Jomtien I mostly saw Russian families and couples, who were pretty quiet people who kept to themselves (though some were running pubs with no Thai person in sight so obviously there was corruption going on there). I am sure there are dodgy types in Phuket nowadays.

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I find with the Russians here in Pattaya they keep a low profile and (apart from constantly being involved in RTA's ) .

They're probably up to some nefarious activities however they keep it amongst their own and you very rarely see them interacting with the Tourists or Expat Community. 

[rattlesnake]

  On 2/1/2025 at 9:37 AM, 23RD said:

I find with the Russians here in Pattaya they keep a low profile and (apart from constantly being involved in RTA's ) .

They're probably up to some nefarious activities however they keep it amongst their own and you very rarely see them interacting with the Tourists or Expat Community. 

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They have their own parallel microcosm under the sun. In my condo building, I would occasionally see a Russian bloke with a luxury hooker (also Russian).

[Ramanathan.P]

Wow...with the additon of 5,000 navy troops the "Guest Relation and Customer Care" girls in pattay would face heavy demand as the demand might increase. Time for them to increase their so called " Consultation Fees" to make a bumper harvest for the upcoming Songkran

[Pinetree]

  On 2/1/2025 at 8:08 AM, rattlesnake said:

The middle class which emerged in the mid-2000s (and very represented in Thailand) is something completely different.

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No, they are not, They are just a different form of personage.  Phuket is proving that each day.  In a country, Russia that is, that is run, managed and operates on the very edge of criminality and violence, and whose ruling elite are criminal psychopaths,  the apples never fall very far from the trees. 

[Pinetree]

  On 2/1/2025 at 9:37 AM, 23RD said:

I find with the Russians here in Pattaya they keep a low profile and (apart from constantly being involved in RTA's ) .

They're probably up to some nefarious activities however they keep it amongst their own and you very rarely see them interacting with the Tourists or Expat Community. 

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The Russians here have no access to their own banks.  They live primarily on US Dollars , squirreled away off shore, by whatever means, fair or foul,  so that they can escape that awful Country.  You can't tell me that they are just run of the mill, middle class families, coming here as 'tourists for a bit of sun and a few Singapore Slings on the beach.  Not possible. 

[Fanta]

  On 2/1/2025 at 11:45 AM, Pinetree said:

The Russians here have no access to their own banks.  They live primarily on US Dollars , squirreled away off shore, by whatever means, fair or foul,  so that they can escape that awful Country.  You can't tell me that they are just run of the mill, middle class families, coming here as 'tourists for a bit of sun and a few Singapore Slings on the beach.  Not possible. 

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A new sector has developed in the Russian financial system designed to skirt Western financial sanctions and facilitate payments. It’s not as isolated as you are led to believe.  

[Pinetree]

  On 2/1/2025 at 12:02 PM, Fanta said:

A new sector has developed in the Russian financial system designed to skirt Western financial sanctions and facilitate payments. It’s not as isolated as you are led to believe.  

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Yea, right.  Sanctions busting, while their criminal government commits atrocities in an independent country,  is entirely admirable in these new 'tourists'. 

[Fanta]

  On 2/1/2025 at 12:12 PM, Pinetree said:

Yea, right.  Sanctions busting, while their criminal government commits atrocities in an independent country,  is entirely admirable in these new 'tourists'. 

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Independent country? Good one Have a nice day. 

[23RD]

  On 2/1/2025 at 11:45 AM, Pinetree said:

The Russians here have no access to their own banks.  They live primarily on US Dollars , squirreled away off shore, by whatever means, fair or foul,  so that they can escape that awful Country.  You can't tell me that they are just run of the mill, middle class families, coming here as 'tourists for a bit of sun and a few Singapore Slings on the beach.  Not possible. 

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I don't disagree Pinetree Bud the day's of cheap Russian package holidays via U-Tapeo Airport ended 10 years ago. 

What I would say is they tend to mix within their own circles without really ever annoying folks in Pattaya unlike the Gang off Afghani/ Pakistani dealers who were kicked out off Dubai early last year by the authorities there and ended up in Pattaya annoying everyone who dares walk on Beach Road or 2nd Road Pattaya between the hours of 16.00hrs and 01.00hrs everyday. 

[Pinetree]

  On 2/1/2025 at 12:18 PM, Fanta said:

Independent country? Good one Have a nice day. 

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Oh, so in your 'expert' view, Ukraine is not an independent Country?  How odd, but then again, you are. odd that is. 

[Fanta]

  On 2/1/2025 at 12:35 PM, Pinetree said:

Oh, so in your 'expert' view, Ukraine is not an independent Country?  How odd, but then again, you are. odd that is. 

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My opinion is that Ukraine lost its independence with the coup in 2014.  

[rattlesnake]

  On 2/1/2025 at 11:45 AM, Pinetree said:

You can't tell me that they are just run of the mill, middle class families, coming here as 'tourists for a bit of sun and a few Singapore Slings on the beach.  Not possible. 

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Here in Hua Hin I regularly see Russian couples with kids and they seem very normal. "Traditional", even, with at least two kids.

Furthermore, there are videos showing Moscow (such as the one below) and I can assure you I can only dream of the capital of my country, Paris, being this nice and pleasant.

The Western media and politicians are lying about Russia and Russians, there is no doubt in my mind about that.

[BigHewer]

The entire ground floor of my guest house in Chiang Mai was occupied by Russians this past week.

These were quiet, coffee-drinking, book-reading, sudoku puzzle-playing Russians, not the loud, ignorant, cigarette-smoking alcoholic Russians of southern Thailand pre-Covid.

I would observe that a better class of Russian is visiting Thailand post 2022, just saying.

[23RD]

  On 2/1/2025 at 4:52 PM, BigHewer said:

The entire ground floor of my guest house in Chiang Mai was occupied by Russians this past week.

These were quiet, coffee-drinking, book-reading, sudoku puzzle-playing Russians, not the loud, ignorant, cigarette-smoking alcoholic Russians of southern Thailand pre-Covid.

I would observe that a better class of Russian is visiting Thailand post 2022, just saying.

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I found that since retiring here in 2012 the the older generation of Russian folk were hard ,abrupt folk from the old USSR days this younger generation is a  different kettle of fish not the hard drinking heavy smoking type of folk that I'd previously encountered. 

[Pinetree]

  On 2/1/2025 at 3:01 PM, rattlesnake said:

Here in Hua Hin I regularly see Russian couples with kids and they seem very normal. "Traditional", even, with at least two kids.

Furthermore, there are videos showing Moscow (such as the one below) and I can assure you I can only dream of the capital of my country, Paris, being this nice and pleasant.

The Western media and politicians are lying about Russia and Russians, there is no doubt in my mind about that.

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You are deluded mate. 

[Pinetree]

  On 2/1/2025 at 5:18 PM, 23RD said:

I found that since retiring here in 2012 the the older generation of Russian folk were hard ,abrupt folk from the old USSR days this younger generation is a  different kettle of fish not the hard drinking heavy smoking type of folk that I'd previously encountered. 

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I think I need to drop out of this conversation.  For the 24 years of my military service, they were my sworn enemy.  I trained, as many of us did, to rain death and destruction on them in a general War, that they had instigated and that is now, in 2025, close to a reality.  To quote the saying, Leopards don't change their spots and I see no good in Russia or China. The Regimes are the same in all but name, the mind set to the Western democracies is the same and the dogma has not changed, I see only the same challenges and dangers we have always faced. Seeing them play happy families in Thailand, while their Government rapes Ukraine, or in China's case Tibet and threatens the same in Taiwan, makes me sick. 

[23RD]

  On 2/2/2025 at 1:46 AM, Pinetree said:

think I need to drop out of this conversation.  For the 24 years of my military service, they were my sworn enemy.  I trained, as many of us did, to rain death and destruction on them in a general War, t

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Same detail Pinetree Bud first experience I had off them was as a 17 year old crow in West Berlin in 1989 a year later the Wall had come down and they were so demoralised they were selling their Uniforms,Kit and,Equipment in the Streets of East Berlin. 

The Communist did have a secret plan though they'd infiltrated the EU,UN,WHO,MSM and the educational system in the West. 

[Khunmark]

  On 2/1/2025 at 4:52 PM, BigHewer said:

The entire ground floor of my guest house in Chiang Mai was occupied by Russians this past week.

These were quiet, coffee-drinking, book-reading, sudoku puzzle-playing Russians, not the loud, ignorant, cigarette-smoking alcoholic Russians of southern Thailand pre-Covid.

I would observe that a better class of Russian is visiting Thailand post 2022, just saying.

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Says more about Chiang Mai and Pattaya than it does about Russians and tourists of other stripes. If you’re interested refined pleasures you visit Chiang Mai, if you are interested in base pleasures Pattaya is your go to.

[Khunmark]

  On 2/1/2025 at 3:01 PM, rattlesnake said:

Here in Hua Hin I regularly see Russian couples with kids and they seem very normal. "Traditional", even, with at least two kids.

Furthermore, there are videos showing Moscow (such as the one below) and I can assure you I can only dream of the capital of my country, Paris, being this nice and pleasant.

The Western media and politicians are lying about Russia and Russians, there is no doubt in my mind about that.

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To brighten up your day Rattles.