A huge influx of Russians in Phuket is producing a backlash from locals, amid complaints of a booming Russian-only economy that covers everything from hair salons to taxi firms.
More than 400,000 Russians arrived on the Thai tourist island between January and July this year, according to authorities, double the number of visitors before Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Many have secured long stay-visas, buying properties and establishing businesses to escape economic turmoil and the possibility of being conscripted following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Seems like people are irrationally angry at Russian people as a whole for not yet managing to overthrow the Putin regime. It’s easy to call for revolution in a far away country when it’s not you or your family living under the boot.
Russia has no shortage of opposition, like the Novaya Gazeta newspaper for example which has had many of it’s journalists assassinated over the years for criticising the Kremlin.
The prejudice against the entire Russian population is absurd to me, there are many Russians who are on the same page as us but who don’t have a voice.
Plenty, yes. A majority, far from it.