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Almost 7,000 cash-strapped Russians stranded in Thailand
Thousands of Russian tourists are stranded in Thailand with little or no access to funds while others are unable to return home due to cancelled flights.
Nearly 7,000 Russian tourists are stuck and unable to settle hotel bills due to sanctions suspending financial services, such as Visa and Mastercard.
Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand said hotels and other businesses have been helping by offering discounted rates.
The lack of flight options is also leaving tourists high and dry.
“There are some airlines that still fly to Russia, but travellers have to transit in another country. We are trying to coordinate and search the flights for them,” Yuthasak told the AP.
Yuthasak said about 1,000 Ukrainians are also stuck, unable to fly home.
The Phuket Tourism Business Association offered three possible solutions to the cash crunch for Russians.
In a proposal to the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Bank of Thailand it called for allowing banks to process Russia’s Mir payments system, China’s UnionPay and cryptocurrencies.
“This three-pronged proposal to TAT and BoT would offer a solution to this problem,” the association said.
Russia was Thailand’s top source market until the invasion of Ukraine.
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