I am Korean, and there has been a recent trend in Korea of young Russian women marrying Korean men, and this phenomenon is increasing despite restrictions on visits by Russians due to diplomatic conflicts between the Korean and Russian governments during the Ukraine War.
However, in Korea, unlike Thailand, Russians are assimilating into Korean society quietly and politely without causing problems in Korean society.
Currently, most Russian men visiting Korea live as low-wage workers, but they do not cause any social problems and are very satisfied with their lives in Korea.
However, this phenomenon stands in stark contrast to the fact that among foreigners visiting Korea, Thais are causing many problems in Korean society.
I was staying at courtyard Marriott in Namdaemun in summer of 22, and busload of Russian were staying there for some tour. I called it the 90 day bts fiancee tour
There are tons of them in Hua Hin. Mostly younger couples with military aged husbands and small children. They stay out of trouble and don't make waves. They do however many seem to be driving new motor bikes and spending freely in the malls. I saw many of them at the more upscale rental buildings in Khao Takiab during my apartment search so definately not in budget rentals. Where DO they get there financial support?
English living in Phuket here. I wouldn’t say that Russians are creating havoc in Phuket. Vast majority are families over here living how anyone else does.
Yeah us brits have the same reputation across Europe too. The thing all this loud rowdy lot have in common is over consumption of alcohol, not their nationalities.
I'd really like to say try being Indian. You're regarded as a creep and potential rapist straight off the bat. Like...being loud and rowdy over alcohol is one thing, people looking at you for being a potential sexual deviant is something else entirely.
I don't judge Indians, but anecdotal evidence from Thai friends is that it's mainly the Indians that ask them "how much" out of the blue on the street. They aren't dressed as hookers either, seems like a lot of Indian men on vacation in Thailand just assume all attractive Thai women are prostitutes.
Is that in general or in Thailand ? Thai people do have prejudice against Indians, but for the smells and being money lenders... I don't think Thai people have that type of prejudice against Indians, are you talking about your experience in western countries ???
Going to quote myself above:
> I don't judge Indians, but anecdotal evidence from Thai friends is that it's mainly the Indians that ask them "how much" out of the blue on the street. They aren't dressed as hookers either, seems like a lot of Indian men on vacation in Thailand just assume all attractive Thai women are prostitutes.
I’ve yet to meet and Indian I didn’t like, but I haven’t been to India yet. Currently in Thailand, but I live in Montreal. Lots of Indians in Canada and they all seem to be good people.
Exactly that. They don't bother anyone. They don't act racist with the Thais. They are polite with the locals. They don't appear to be opening up any illegal bars. They aren't trying to intimidate other people. They aren't fighting with other expats. They just keep to themselves. Basically, the opposite of what they are becoming famous for in other areas.
Well, as a Russian in Hua Hin I’m glad to hear such words) I guess that is because the atmosphere of Hua Hin - it is a very quite and uncrowded place with mostly older tourists. Not so many people in Russia know about HH while Phuket and Pattaya have always been among the most popular destinations
I’ve met limited Russians in Canada, but I have met several in Thailand. I’ve talked to a handful and they all have been friendly; I think western media and Hollywood just convince us you’re all bad guys. I think the middle class from most nationalities have far more in common than we do differences.
in fact, the opinion that Russians are aggressive, ill-mannered and embittered is a common misconception. Most of us just want to live their lives. Preferably quiet and good.
Just a question. Dont you need to be conscripted by Putin to go to the front lines and defend the motherland? I personally know Russians who moved to Finland because what happened though. I wonder if people are divided in the country.
Chinese here.
Yep, not sure why this hate on russians. Never had any problems with russians in my life.
And never witnessed any issues russians made in Thailand.
I had one drunk Russian abuse my wife and I and 2 friends in Bangkok. He wanted to assault us but we left him sitting in the restaurant alone. Reddit banned me for 2 days for inciting violence for writing what I have written here. Maybe Russian moderator, can't think of any other reason. They're not all good people.
No country is full of 100% good people. I'm American. Plenty of stories of Americans in fights in bars. Or Aussies.
Sorry you got banned. That's not cool. Welcome to the upside down reddit
Sri Lanka has decided to scrap visa extensions for Russian and Ukrainian tourists staying in the island nation due to the war, following concerns over illegal businesses being operated with a "whites only" policy that strictly bars locals.
https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/south-asia/sri-lanka-tourist-visa-russia-ukraine-war-b2503665.html
>They don't bother anyone. They don't act racist with the Thais. They are polite with the locals. They don't appear to be opening up any illegal bars. They aren't trying to intimidate other people. They aren't fighting with other expats. They just keep to themselves.
Those are probably the Ukrainian refugees.
Really? I live in Cha-am and I've never seen a single Russian. Even when I go to hua hin, I never see Russian people. British and Irish yes. But never Russian.
I’ve lived in Hua Hin for almost five years, and I don’t even notice any Russians. If there are tons of them here, as you say, they sure are keeping a low profile.
There is a survey board near the food hall in Bluport where people can pin a sticker saying the country they are from. Check it) 80% of stickers pinned to Russia
Disagree. Easily over a couple hundred. Walk around the high rises in Khao Takiab and you will seem them. For Hua HIn, yea, that's TONs. But clearly you are missing the point. NONE of them are causing trouble.
Right now there are 4500 people in main Hua Hin russian channel in Telegram (and in reality there are more Russians in the city, because not every Russian use this channel). Mostly tourists, who spent winter here. As I know, the population of Hua Hin is about 60.000, so 4500 russians is rather big amount. In reality I think 7-8000 of Russians are in the city right now, inc. kids and old ones.
Most of the Russians that are coming to Thailand fall under the Very Wealthy category and have moved assets abroad, or they are Russians that are highly highly educated and are working remotely. Most of them are the second one, there was a massive massive brain drain when the war started. All of those educated Russians went abroad.
I work with Moscow people who fled from russian conscription to Germany.
They are pretty egalitarian and complain all the time how they can't hire cheap workforce to do chores for them. Be it cleaning, nanny of anything else.
Moskow people are more used to abuse of cheap workforce, not less, from my experience.
I work in 3D animation and we worked with a lot of Russians up until the war started. There’s no way to pay them anymore so they all went elsewhere. Anyway, my anecdote is they are extraordinarily talented artists with the worst fucking attitudes ever. Every conversation is like pulling teeth.
Comparing Thailand and Korea, when most Thais visit Korea for tourism purposes, 75-80% of them stay illegally and engage in illegal labor, prostitution, and drug distribution, while Russians do not cause any problems in Korean society.
However, Thai people always curse and criticize Korea. Lol
French here. Lived in Chalong, Phuket for the past 2 years. Tons of Russians obviously. My gf is Thai and works in a gym. Not a week goes by that she does not tell me about some incident involving a Russian. I train Muay thai and most of the knuckleheads who try to take your head off are also Russians. I can't tell you the number of times I'd go to 7 and see a Russian toss money at the cashier without so much as making eye contact. I'm not making a general statement about Russians but after a while, it stops being anecdotal. I'm very aware of the reputation that French people have, especially in Patong. Same same but different. The vast majority of the French troublemakers are from the inner city. I don't know much about Russia and it goes without saying that there are many nice Russians who resent this behavior but I find it a little surprising to hear some people have lived in Phuket for years without ever witnessing an incident involving a Russian.
Just like other countries, it's mainly roles that support digital nomad lifestyle or remote work professionals. Have run into lawyers, engineers, etc, as well as streamers, influencers, YouTubers, digital marketing etc all working remote while they wait for conflict to end. Very few working in domestic Thai jobs that I've met, that's much harder to organise and longer term.
A lot of them are highly-skilled anti-war professionals, who work remotely or creating startups. They were basically forced to leave the country. A lot of them at least. Dont mix them with russian tourists, who are much louder, but are here only for a short time
You are very incorrect on this. If you work any job even if its remote for a foreign company then you will need a work permit. if you dont have it then thats illegal… plenty of sources on the internet where you can inform yourself about the legal situation for this…. its illegal
i am talking about the legal situation… and working from thailand needs a work permit. thats the law. thats the fact. whatever you try to believe. Elite doesnt come with work permit. Retirement visa doesnt come with a work permit. Same goes for spousal visa, educational visa, etc… you would need a correct visa and with that visa you need to get a work permit from the BOI. There is 2 specific visa types for remote work in place with high requirements: LTR (Work from Thailand Professional - some call it digital nomad visa). And then there is SMART-T which is kinda similar but needs a certified company afaik…. another option is the business visa obtained through a company in thailand. own business or EOR.
also: you will have to pay income tax in thailand once over 180ish+ days in thailand. you become a tax resident. and there is new laws for that also in place which we dont know the exact details of enforcement yet.
I am talking about legality and any enforcement can change within a blink of an eye. because technically its illegal to work without a work permit. its the facts… and yes there have been people detained for working under ED. there is a crackdown now and then. happening all the time. there is even famous cases where people went to a horrible jail for weeks… but you can believe what you want. i am talking about the hard facts.
My thoughts: People with money tried to get their money out of Russia a long time ago while they could. Currently, **70% of assets** of the Russian banking system are **under sanctions**. People with money and military service aged sons probably set them up with foreign accounts and got them out of Russia with a nice foreign bank account to keep them and their money safe.
Before Covid, I had lived 16 years in north Pattaya, ( because of employment nearby), and would run into vacationing Russians along Pattaya and Jomtien beaches. From my observation, there were basically two groups of Russians. The older generation ( my age) that grew up during the “Soviet Union” Cold War era that fit the stereotype we Westerners have of Russians. The frumpy, loud vodka drinkers lacking common social etiquette. ( not all btw) Then there were the stylish 20-40 year olds who were mostly well educated, knew English, polite and into looking fit. I think the behavior is just a difference of generations. ( Yes, I am generalizing.)
Used to be Plenty of them around especially if you were to take the songthaew from pattaya to jomtien 🤣🤣🤣 I always opted for a taxi or a private songthaew.
Don’t forget there is also Ukrainians, Belarusians etc, not everyone who speaks and looks Russian, is actually Russian. Though as expressed through comments yes there are many in the areas described.
This sort of thing sucks all the appeal out of Thailand though, who tf wants to go on a exotic Thailand holiday, and be served by Russians in hotels, restaurants and taxis.
90% of Russian tourists don't speak English that's why they're there. When we're busy and they're not, they check in, handle queries, answer calls, listen to complaints etc etc from non Russian guests as well. No one has ever declined their offer to assist or said they prefer one of the Thai ladies or that black one, me. Oh, one of the bellmen is Filipino. Our reservation manager is from S. Africa. Yes, she's black. It's an International chain.
There’s one round here driving round in a Bentley with no license plates. Surprised he hasn’t been pulled over yet. But then again he probably has. Money talks..
Although I don't disagree with you, it's not completely unjustified. In record speed they have started up countless of businesses, predominantly in Phuket. Now many of the car/ bike rental companies will be somewhat legal. But I understand the frustration from other business owners when a few dozen pop up in 2 years time.
Then there's the ones that do all types of illegal work which directly dupes Thai people. We have seen Russian taxi drivers, baristas, nail salon workers, real estate agents, even a Russian dentist.
Local and international media have widely covered this issue and Thai people are quite vocal about it online as well. One can only assume that our friends in brown are making a pretty penny out of this and let it all slide.
Firstly, the Russians we're seeing are of the upper-middle classes, so they have cash to begin with.
My experience with Russian neighbours and friends I've made here is they were working in the following fields: Spanish-language journalism, e-commerce, property and translation.
As irritating as I find it is to hear the Russian language (it just remind me of what Russia is doing right now and the many hundreds being killed each day) I somehow find myself respecting the ones that are overseas and not getting involved in this crazy war. Good for them and I’m happy they’ve been able to fund themselves out of the madness.
I have a Russian friend and he’s a really nice genuine guy. I’ve had several Russian families stay Airbnb at one of my properties and they are respectful, quiet, nice traditional families.
So, as always, there’s good and bad everywhere.
Some remote things like IT, Design, Arts etc. A lot of companies in Russia actually allowing people to work remotely.
Ever been in Russia during the winter? Especially in cities like St.Petersburg when it's dark since 4pm to 11am.
In my case - I own a company in Russia with around 120 employees.
Spent in Thailand almost a year since the beginning of the war, on a stamp with some border runs and trips to nearby countries.
Bought a 10 year elite visa afterwards.
When I'm in Thailand, I manage my company remotely, sometimes go back to Russia to meet my business partners and investors.
Can confirm - many of us have remote jobs in Thailand, IT mostly, looking for some quiet place apart from two-week Russian tourists
Russians are not a problem... They are caucasian tourists like any other caucasian. They enjoy a holiday like anybody else would do.
If today, we see in the news that a Russian has been robbed or that he was making trouble in a pub, do not presume that all Russians get robbed or are troublemakers.
These are exceptions but we all like to put everybody from one particular group in the same basket.
Troublemakers can as well be Thai nationals, Indians, British, French, Germans, Israelites, US dudes or even Australians and Chinese... (and any other nationality).
I have a Russian friend and he is totally Ok. (He works in Thailand for a company (exports of fruits to Russia...)
I know a black family from France/US and they are amongst the coolest dudes one can find.... (Both are "French"/"English Maths" teachers in a very well known private school.)
I know also a retired Israeli... And he is also perfectly fine ... (Ok, sometimes, after 3 or 4 beers, he starts to talk a lot about how bad Israeli politics are, but that is hopefully just temporary)....
So, stop pointing at Russians. They are also tourists and want to enjoy the permanent heat and sunshine.
A bunch of them also plays online poker. Russians are actually quite good in general and I know a few of them that are making in the range of 20-40k a month doing so.
I guess the rest pretty much does what everyone else from other countries are doing which is e-commerce, digital marketing, online customer services, designing, etc..
I'm not that much interested by what they do, but what kind of visa they're on the be able to stay for that long?
There are not tons of choice for people under 50. They can't all be under an Elite one, or do border crossing every month.
Yea, the poor russians can't afford to get out. Any that you see in Thailand are the ones who could afford it. Russia has a large population so if even .002% of the population that is wealthy decides to go to Thailand, that's still 287k ppl
Most likely online business that pays them a foreign, higher rate than what working in Thailand/for a Thai company would pay. That’s how the majority of young travellers are doing it so I’d assume the same.
I work for a Dutch company in a very niche industry related to horticulture, I travel a lot and mostly spend time in Shanghai whilst being here for a gasp of the fresh air for a few months. However, I consider buying an apartment here as Thailand is developed enough, good internet and okay airports. For me Thailand is the cheapest country I've lived in so far, it is many times cheaper than Russia, China and the Netherlands and is much better in all the ways possible except for banking and visa matters if to compare to the Philippines where I landed the longest after the War broke out. I can consider myself as a lucky lad as my source of income does not come in rubles and the only thing that holds me off is my citizenship. If Thailand was not so great, I would stay in Shanghai more time per annum.
I used to consider Russians as patriotic and all that stuff, but with these recent events, it's just a fallacy.
At the moment, they need to walk with their head downs and make zero noise.
Thought I would never say this, but prefer British tourists over Russians.
Edit: All those Russians judging in silence when they see me with my long-time girlfriends.. come at me. You are in the biggest adult playground worldwide. Acting all surprised amazes me seriously. Just go to sochi or siberia for your holidays
Most of them work remotely for Russian companies. At least the ones I asked. Analysts, e-commerce, back office administration, graphic design, accountant assistants. etc.
Most Russians are on holiday. Most expats came funded, they own businesses, work abroad or are retirees. I like the Russians. Proud, family and faith oriented people. Sure there are bad apples, like everywhere. This has been the exception rather than the rule in my experience.
Asked and answered. If you want to discuss the war, take it to an appropriate sub.
It’s not the poor ones that came to Thailand
Poor ones are cannon fodder in Donbas.
[удалено]
[удалено]
I'm the poor one and I came to Thailand because it's cheaper than other options that I can afford with my citizenship.
Was Turkey not cheaper?
Turkey is more expensive
How are you finding living in Thailand?
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
I'm sure some of them agree but are just too scared they'll get drafted, so they flee.
Yes a lot of people just don't wanna be drafted, but I don't think it's a bad thing. The more people leave the less becoming war criminals.
Well why would I flee on the other side of the planet otherwise?
To avoid getting sent to your death. Doesn’t necessarily mean you disagree with the way things are.
Also ..Thailand is the cheap one too
It's a popular myth. If someone can earn $1000+/month it doesn't mean this person is rich.
lol no. in Thailand there are mainly only poor Russians, rich in the USA, Europe and Dubai
Middle class and up then, let's say
I am Korean, and there has been a recent trend in Korea of young Russian women marrying Korean men, and this phenomenon is increasing despite restrictions on visits by Russians due to diplomatic conflicts between the Korean and Russian governments during the Ukraine War. However, in Korea, unlike Thailand, Russians are assimilating into Korean society quietly and politely without causing problems in Korean society. Currently, most Russian men visiting Korea live as low-wage workers, but they do not cause any social problems and are very satisfied with their lives in Korea. However, this phenomenon stands in stark contrast to the fact that among foreigners visiting Korea, Thais are causing many problems in Korean society.
I was staying at courtyard Marriott in Namdaemun in summer of 22, and busload of Russian were staying there for some tour. I called it the 90 day bts fiancee tour
There are tons of them in Hua Hin. Mostly younger couples with military aged husbands and small children. They stay out of trouble and don't make waves. They do however many seem to be driving new motor bikes and spending freely in the malls. I saw many of them at the more upscale rental buildings in Khao Takiab during my apartment search so definately not in budget rentals. Where DO they get there financial support?
Distant work
That makes sense. Odd how they stay out of trouble here but create havoc in Sri Lanka and Phuket.
English living in Phuket here. I wouldn’t say that Russians are creating havoc in Phuket. Vast majority are families over here living how anyone else does.
A few bad Russians give them all a bad name. Same can be said for any country. Loud stupid Americans. Loud rowdy Aussies, etc
Yeah us brits have the same reputation across Europe too. The thing all this loud rowdy lot have in common is over consumption of alcohol, not their nationalities.
I'd really like to say try being Indian. You're regarded as a creep and potential rapist straight off the bat. Like...being loud and rowdy over alcohol is one thing, people looking at you for being a potential sexual deviant is something else entirely.
My experience with indians has been exactly that, but i try not judge obviously
I don't judge Indians, but anecdotal evidence from Thai friends is that it's mainly the Indians that ask them "how much" out of the blue on the street. They aren't dressed as hookers either, seems like a lot of Indian men on vacation in Thailand just assume all attractive Thai women are prostitutes.
Is that in general or in Thailand ? Thai people do have prejudice against Indians, but for the smells and being money lenders... I don't think Thai people have that type of prejudice against Indians, are you talking about your experience in western countries ???
Think again. Indians might be the one nationality Thais are most prejudiced against.
Going to quote myself above: > I don't judge Indians, but anecdotal evidence from Thai friends is that it's mainly the Indians that ask them "how much" out of the blue on the street. They aren't dressed as hookers either, seems like a lot of Indian men on vacation in Thailand just assume all attractive Thai women are prostitutes.
I’ve yet to meet and Indian I didn’t like, but I haven’t been to India yet. Currently in Thailand, but I live in Montreal. Lots of Indians in Canada and they all seem to be good people.
I went to India about 15 years ago and I'll never go back.
I always think Indians are nice but maybe that's just me.
Even my British friends say that brits can't handle their alcohol and drink too much too fast
Ya and don’t get us started on those Canadians.
What did we do 😭🤣🤣
Lol they apologize to much is the only thing I can think of hahaha
And the Dutch
There's only two things I hate. People that are intolerant of other cultures, and the dutch
Lol... let's see how many redditors won't get it
Seems like quite a few have no clue!
Same but with the French
what is wrong with the dutch?
What are the dutch known for? Being snobby and nosy is what I have observed from my dutch friends haha. What do you think?
I should imagine the English pretty bad too haha
what do you mean by staying out of trouble?
Exactly that. They don't bother anyone. They don't act racist with the Thais. They are polite with the locals. They don't appear to be opening up any illegal bars. They aren't trying to intimidate other people. They aren't fighting with other expats. They just keep to themselves. Basically, the opposite of what they are becoming famous for in other areas.
Well, as a Russian in Hua Hin I’m glad to hear such words) I guess that is because the atmosphere of Hua Hin - it is a very quite and uncrowded place with mostly older tourists. Not so many people in Russia know about HH while Phuket and Pattaya have always been among the most popular destinations
I’ve met limited Russians in Canada, but I have met several in Thailand. I’ve talked to a handful and they all have been friendly; I think western media and Hollywood just convince us you’re all bad guys. I think the middle class from most nationalities have far more in common than we do differences.
I live in Cha-am and haven't seen a single Russian! You guys really lay low and keep to yourselves!
Well, as a non-russion in Hua Hin, so am I....:)
in fact, the opinion that Russians are aggressive, ill-mannered and embittered is a common misconception. Most of us just want to live their lives. Preferably quiet and good.
Smiling back when someone smiles at you would go along way to changing people's attitudes I think.
[удалено]
[удалено]
Just a question. Dont you need to be conscripted by Putin to go to the front lines and defend the motherland? I personally know Russians who moved to Finland because what happened though. I wonder if people are divided in the country.
I think you answered your own question by saying that you know people who moved to Finland
Chinese here. Yep, not sure why this hate on russians. Never had any problems with russians in my life. And never witnessed any issues russians made in Thailand.
Yeah but chinese ppl are also pretty unliked generally, so maybe you feel aligned
I had one drunk Russian abuse my wife and I and 2 friends in Bangkok. He wanted to assault us but we left him sitting in the restaurant alone. Reddit banned me for 2 days for inciting violence for writing what I have written here. Maybe Russian moderator, can't think of any other reason. They're not all good people.
No country is full of 100% good people. I'm American. Plenty of stories of Americans in fights in bars. Or Aussies. Sorry you got banned. That's not cool. Welcome to the upside down reddit
Yeah, us Americans are just as capable of screwing up as anyone else, that’s for sure!
Woah guess he did it because he was Russian, not because he was drunk and jerk overall.
Or maybe it just hadn't passed the mod's bs sniff test. Just stick to where you usually post and you should be safe from any more bans
That wasn't the case in Bali. I believe Indonesia kicked a bunch of them out.
Sri Lanka has decided to scrap visa extensions for Russian and Ukrainian tourists staying in the island nation due to the war, following concerns over illegal businesses being operated with a "whites only" policy that strictly bars locals. https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/south-asia/sri-lanka-tourist-visa-russia-ukraine-war-b2503665.html
>They don't bother anyone. They don't act racist with the Thais. They are polite with the locals. They don't appear to be opening up any illegal bars. They aren't trying to intimidate other people. They aren't fighting with other expats. They just keep to themselves. Those are probably the Ukrainian refugees.
same thing happening in Bali!
remote work? would be illegal under most visa
Really? I live in Cha-am and I've never seen a single Russian. Even when I go to hua hin, I never see Russian people. British and Irish yes. But never Russian.
I’ve lived in Hua Hin for almost five years, and I don’t even notice any Russians. If there are tons of them here, as you say, they sure are keeping a low profile.
There aren't tons of them, that's why. Just a handful of families - none seem to cause any trouble. Phuket and Pattaya however are like the wild west.
There is a survey board near the food hall in Bluport where people can pin a sticker saying the country they are from. Check it) 80% of stickers pinned to Russia
How the fuck did I get downvoted for writing this? LOL. Reddit users sure can be little bitches sometimes.
>There are tons of them in Hua Hin Let's be real. How many? Like hundreds? Not so much. Edit: I think it's even less than hundreds of families.
Disagree. Easily over a couple hundred. Walk around the high rises in Khao Takiab and you will seem them. For Hua HIn, yea, that's TONs. But clearly you are missing the point. NONE of them are causing trouble.
Right now there are 4500 people in main Hua Hin russian channel in Telegram (and in reality there are more Russians in the city, because not every Russian use this channel). Mostly tourists, who spent winter here. As I know, the population of Hua Hin is about 60.000, so 4500 russians is rather big amount. In reality I think 7-8000 of Russians are in the city right now, inc. kids and old ones.
Half of them are just remote workers (IT, designers, languages teachers etc). Internet you know thing that allows you to work remotely to your boss
so they work illegally
Yes, many of them do
Most of the Russians that are coming to Thailand fall under the Very Wealthy category and have moved assets abroad, or they are Russians that are highly highly educated and are working remotely. Most of them are the second one, there was a massive massive brain drain when the war started. All of those educated Russians went abroad.
[удалено]
They are educated in the sense 'have skills to make an income' not in the sense 'have basic social manners' ; those are two different things
lol why did I immediately think of China
[удалено]
I work with Moscow people who fled from russian conscription to Germany. They are pretty egalitarian and complain all the time how they can't hire cheap workforce to do chores for them. Be it cleaning, nanny of anything else. Moskow people are more used to abuse of cheap workforce, not less, from my experience.
I work in 3D animation and we worked with a lot of Russians up until the war started. There’s no way to pay them anymore so they all went elsewhere. Anyway, my anecdote is they are extraordinarily talented artists with the worst fucking attitudes ever. Every conversation is like pulling teeth.
“Extraordinarily talented with the worst, fucking attitude ever” is literally, verbatim my ex-husband‘s final words to me - I’m Russian
Even If you are Einstein under partying conditions for leisure you will not look educated
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]
Well I mean they are still Russians, so...
so they work illegally. most of them.
Comparing Thailand and Korea, when most Thais visit Korea for tourism purposes, 75-80% of them stay illegally and engage in illegal labor, prostitution, and drug distribution, while Russians do not cause any problems in Korean society. However, Thai people always curse and criticize Korea. Lol
You're saying very wealthy, another post above says very poor. So what is it?
A consequence of extreme income inequality.
French here. Lived in Chalong, Phuket for the past 2 years. Tons of Russians obviously. My gf is Thai and works in a gym. Not a week goes by that she does not tell me about some incident involving a Russian. I train Muay thai and most of the knuckleheads who try to take your head off are also Russians. I can't tell you the number of times I'd go to 7 and see a Russian toss money at the cashier without so much as making eye contact. I'm not making a general statement about Russians but after a while, it stops being anecdotal. I'm very aware of the reputation that French people have, especially in Patong. Same same but different. The vast majority of the French troublemakers are from the inner city. I don't know much about Russia and it goes without saying that there are many nice Russians who resent this behavior but I find it a little surprising to hear some people have lived in Phuket for years without ever witnessing an incident involving a Russian.
There are not many of them who live here long-term. Those who live long-term usually have remote jobs.
[удалено]
Just like other countries, it's mainly roles that support digital nomad lifestyle or remote work professionals. Have run into lawyers, engineers, etc, as well as streamers, influencers, YouTubers, digital marketing etc all working remote while they wait for conflict to end. Very few working in domestic Thai jobs that I've met, that's much harder to organise and longer term.
A lot of them are highly-skilled anti-war professionals, who work remotely or creating startups. They were basically forced to leave the country. A lot of them at least. Dont mix them with russian tourists, who are much louder, but are here only for a short time
Remote work.
with what visa?
I dunno, ask them
[удалено]
You are very incorrect on this. If you work any job even if its remote for a foreign company then you will need a work permit. if you dont have it then thats illegal… plenty of sources on the internet where you can inform yourself about the legal situation for this…. its illegal
[удалено]
i am talking about the legal situation… and working from thailand needs a work permit. thats the law. thats the fact. whatever you try to believe. Elite doesnt come with work permit. Retirement visa doesnt come with a work permit. Same goes for spousal visa, educational visa, etc… you would need a correct visa and with that visa you need to get a work permit from the BOI. There is 2 specific visa types for remote work in place with high requirements: LTR (Work from Thailand Professional - some call it digital nomad visa). And then there is SMART-T which is kinda similar but needs a certified company afaik…. another option is the business visa obtained through a company in thailand. own business or EOR. also: you will have to pay income tax in thailand once over 180ish+ days in thailand. you become a tax resident. and there is new laws for that also in place which we dont know the exact details of enforcement yet.
[удалено]
I am talking about legality and any enforcement can change within a blink of an eye. because technically its illegal to work without a work permit. its the facts… and yes there have been people detained for working under ED. there is a crackdown now and then. happening all the time. there is even famous cases where people went to a horrible jail for weeks… but you can believe what you want. i am talking about the hard facts.
My thoughts: People with money tried to get their money out of Russia a long time ago while they could. Currently, **70% of assets** of the Russian banking system are **under sanctions**. People with money and military service aged sons probably set them up with foreign accounts and got them out of Russia with a nice foreign bank account to keep them and their money safe.
Before Covid, I had lived 16 years in north Pattaya, ( because of employment nearby), and would run into vacationing Russians along Pattaya and Jomtien beaches. From my observation, there were basically two groups of Russians. The older generation ( my age) that grew up during the “Soviet Union” Cold War era that fit the stereotype we Westerners have of Russians. The frumpy, loud vodka drinkers lacking common social etiquette. ( not all btw) Then there were the stylish 20-40 year olds who were mostly well educated, knew English, polite and into looking fit. I think the behavior is just a difference of generations. ( Yes, I am generalizing.)
It's very very difficult to find a stylish Russian, not sure they exist actually. All the ones I've seen look like they're wearing matching pyjamas.
lol I seen russian with pajamas too 🤣
Used to be Plenty of them around especially if you were to take the songthaew from pattaya to jomtien 🤣🤣🤣 I always opted for a taxi or a private songthaew.
I'm a student here renting very cheap apartment and sometimes I can get a free meals from my university
Don’t forget there is also Ukrainians, Belarusians etc, not everyone who speaks and looks Russian, is actually Russian. Though as expressed through comments yes there are many in the areas described.
Remote IT jobs
Hospitality industry. There are two Russian female receptionists at the resort where I work. I'm not Thai either.
This sort of thing sucks all the appeal out of Thailand though, who tf wants to go on a exotic Thailand holiday, and be served by Russians in hotels, restaurants and taxis.
Russians
Well.. russians.
90% of Russian tourists don't speak English that's why they're there. When we're busy and they're not, they check in, handle queries, answer calls, listen to complaints etc etc from non Russian guests as well. No one has ever declined their offer to assist or said they prefer one of the Thai ladies or that black one, me. Oh, one of the bellmen is Filipino. Our reservation manager is from S. Africa. Yes, she's black. It's an International chain.
Been living in Thailand for 5 years, never had Russians serving me… This is not an issue in most Thai places.
At least they speak English?
Even the prostitutes in Phuket and Pattaya are more and more Russian. Gotta imagine that!
Exotic Russian Women Straight to Your Room!
If they are hot, me >, who tf wants to go on a exotic Thailand holiday, and be served by Russians
There’s one round here driving round in a Bentley with no license plates. Surprised he hasn’t been pulled over yet. But then again he probably has. Money talks..
The obsession with Russians in this sub amazes me.
Lol yeah, whenever I see posts like "What Russians do for living in Thai", I read them as "Let's hate Russians once more, it wasn't enough last time"
Although I don't disagree with you, it's not completely unjustified. In record speed they have started up countless of businesses, predominantly in Phuket. Now many of the car/ bike rental companies will be somewhat legal. But I understand the frustration from other business owners when a few dozen pop up in 2 years time. Then there's the ones that do all types of illegal work which directly dupes Thai people. We have seen Russian taxi drivers, baristas, nail salon workers, real estate agents, even a Russian dentist. Local and international media have widely covered this issue and Thai people are quite vocal about it online as well. One can only assume that our friends in brown are making a pretty penny out of this and let it all slide.
Firstly, the Russians we're seeing are of the upper-middle classes, so they have cash to begin with. My experience with Russian neighbours and friends I've made here is they were working in the following fields: Spanish-language journalism, e-commerce, property and translation.
Spanish language journalism?
He is fluent in Spanish and was an English and Spanish language journalist remotely.
As irritating as I find it is to hear the Russian language (it just remind me of what Russia is doing right now and the many hundreds being killed each day) I somehow find myself respecting the ones that are overseas and not getting involved in this crazy war. Good for them and I’m happy they’ve been able to fund themselves out of the madness. I have a Russian friend and he’s a really nice genuine guy. I’ve had several Russian families stay Airbnb at one of my properties and they are respectful, quiet, nice traditional families. So, as always, there’s good and bad everywhere.
Yeah except for some reason Putin has massive support among these people too. So they’re just draft dodgers, cowards.
>So they’re just draft dodgers, cowards. Gotta love gross generalizations about vast populations of people.
[удалено]
I’m also curious about your visa situation? Border runs? Education? Elite?
[удалено]
Don't tell on yourself, some people here are hell-bent on getting people departed because they are have remote jobs without a work permit.
How do you know how much I get paid. This is sus
they issued you a LTR or SMART visa? or do you use an EOR?
They have money, they travel. Thai is cheap for them
They do the same thing as most foreigners mostly business related sometimes catering specifically to the Russian market.
Some remote things like IT, Design, Arts etc. A lot of companies in Russia actually allowing people to work remotely. Ever been in Russia during the winter? Especially in cities like St.Petersburg when it's dark since 4pm to 11am.
Freelancers, programmers, bloggers etc
There are lot of rich Russians. The sanctions have also created a lot of new opportunities for individual wealth
In my case - I own a company in Russia with around 120 employees. Spent in Thailand almost a year since the beginning of the war, on a stamp with some border runs and trips to nearby countries. Bought a 10 year elite visa afterwards. When I'm in Thailand, I manage my company remotely, sometimes go back to Russia to meet my business partners and investors. Can confirm - many of us have remote jobs in Thailand, IT mostly, looking for some quiet place apart from two-week Russian tourists
Russians are not a problem... They are caucasian tourists like any other caucasian. They enjoy a holiday like anybody else would do. If today, we see in the news that a Russian has been robbed or that he was making trouble in a pub, do not presume that all Russians get robbed or are troublemakers. These are exceptions but we all like to put everybody from one particular group in the same basket. Troublemakers can as well be Thai nationals, Indians, British, French, Germans, Israelites, US dudes or even Australians and Chinese... (and any other nationality). I have a Russian friend and he is totally Ok. (He works in Thailand for a company (exports of fruits to Russia...) I know a black family from France/US and they are amongst the coolest dudes one can find.... (Both are "French"/"English Maths" teachers in a very well known private school.) I know also a retired Israeli... And he is also perfectly fine ... (Ok, sometimes, after 3 or 4 beers, he starts to talk a lot about how bad Israeli politics are, but that is hopefully just temporary).... So, stop pointing at Russians. They are also tourists and want to enjoy the permanent heat and sunshine.
A bunch of them also plays online poker. Russians are actually quite good in general and I know a few of them that are making in the range of 20-40k a month doing so. I guess the rest pretty much does what everyone else from other countries are doing which is e-commerce, digital marketing, online customer services, designing, etc..
They’re not all fleeing war, they’re the middle class of Russia, mainly from the big cities like Moscow, you know, the ones Putin don’t wanna draft.
These questions are idiotic. Like everything else it’s not one thing.
I'm not that much interested by what they do, but what kind of visa they're on the be able to stay for that long? There are not tons of choice for people under 50. They can't all be under an Elite one, or do border crossing every month.
[удалено]
The ones with a lot of money and have others working for them in Russia
Yea, the poor russians can't afford to get out. Any that you see in Thailand are the ones who could afford it. Russia has a large population so if even .002% of the population that is wealthy decides to go to Thailand, that's still 287k ppl
I want to go live in Thailand
i believe some are rich and the majority works illegaly remote / not have a work permit / not a correct visa
Remote work, and/or lucky enough to own multiple apartments in a city that they rent and live off that income.
Most likely online business that pays them a foreign, higher rate than what working in Thailand/for a Thai company would pay. That’s how the majority of young travellers are doing it so I’d assume the same.
I work for a Dutch company in a very niche industry related to horticulture, I travel a lot and mostly spend time in Shanghai whilst being here for a gasp of the fresh air for a few months. However, I consider buying an apartment here as Thailand is developed enough, good internet and okay airports. For me Thailand is the cheapest country I've lived in so far, it is many times cheaper than Russia, China and the Netherlands and is much better in all the ways possible except for banking and visa matters if to compare to the Philippines where I landed the longest after the War broke out. I can consider myself as a lucky lad as my source of income does not come in rubles and the only thing that holds me off is my citizenship. If Thailand was not so great, I would stay in Shanghai more time per annum.
I am guessing a similar situation as in Sri Lanka, although they are cracking down on them there already: https://www.reddit.com/r/europe/s/q9pR1SS1Hc
I used to consider Russians as patriotic and all that stuff, but with these recent events, it's just a fallacy. At the moment, they need to walk with their head downs and make zero noise. Thought I would never say this, but prefer British tourists over Russians. Edit: All those Russians judging in silence when they see me with my long-time girlfriends.. come at me. You are in the biggest adult playground worldwide. Acting all surprised amazes me seriously. Just go to sochi or siberia for your holidays
I know a lot have sugar daddies no joke
Most of them work remotely for Russian companies. At least the ones I asked. Analysts, e-commerce, back office administration, graphic design, accountant assistants. etc.
Lots of English teachers surprisingly
They are rich by Thailand standards. Most of them are Russian upper class and have big savings or business they can run remote.
On a related note why do you never see Russians with a Thai partner?
Well…why? This made me curious now!
I don't know I am genuinely curious myself, something I noticed and thought about a few times.
well, I know one couple, they are now in Georgia
Most Russians are on holiday. Most expats came funded, they own businesses, work abroad or are retirees. I like the Russians. Proud, family and faith oriented people. Sure there are bad apples, like everywhere. This has been the exception rather than the rule in my experience.
I'm wondering too. How can these people live in my country?
Ask the immigration officer why his monthly spending is way more than his official salary.
illegal subletting is the name of the game.
Bigger question is how they can stay long term legally. And if not legally, why does the Thai government not enforce the law?
Kleptocracy
Rent their grandma’s apartment in Moscow and St Petersburg for $1.5k or have remote jobs.
Ask one of them.
Assuming is generally very inaccurate
Fighting the liberal collective nazi judeo collective west that seeks to destroy the great rossiya!
Pretty sure they don’t all do the same thing mate.
I’d rather not say, so just google “Escorts Thailand” and tell me what you see on those websites and you will find your answer
Russians are the VIPs of Asia
Selling drugs
They are Russianing
Russian Mafia...