PHOTO: A group on Patong Beach protest the invasion of Ukraine that has left thousands of Russians and Ukrainians stranded. (via NNT)
While it’s common to discuss the influx of Russians as they pour into the country and are investing more and more in villas and homes, it’s easy to forget about the thousands of people who are not staying by choice in Thailand. Around 7,000 Russians and Ukrainians are currently stranded in Thailand due to the ongoing war between the two countries.
Many of them are in Phuket, an island that used to attract seven million overseas visitors every year. The collapse of tourism due to the pandemic has already caused a lot of damage, and, while the island is welcoming back tourism now, the situation with stranded Russian and Ukrainian tourists looms in the background.
The Russians have become the largest group of foreign visitors in Phuket, with…
