Russian tourists spoke about disappointment with their holidays in Thailand: “Closed cafes, the smell of hemp”

This winter, Thailand is in high demand among Russians as a holiday destination – it has become possible to get directly to its resorts. As a result, according to the results of the first two weeks of January, Russia took first place among foreign tourists arriving in Thailand, during which time almost 100 thousand Russian citizens managed to relax there. However, not all of them were satisfied with their Siamese vacation.

A representative of the Russian industry told MK how the top five countries of visa-free holidays for Russians look like this winter: “Thailand is in first place, the United Arab Emirates is in second place, then Turkey, Egypt and Sri Lanka follow.”

The good news is that despite the hype, hoteliers in Thailand are not raising prices yet. ATOR quotes prices with reference to a travel agency: in February, 12 nights in Pattaya in a five-star hotel will cost 156.5 thousand rubles. for two, which is very generous.

And the first unpleasant feature of the current holiday in Thailand is related to the consequences of the pandemic. Thailand’s hotels are currently running out of staff to serve tourists, who were made redundant during massive hotel closures due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Lack of staff in hotels and cafes means the risks of poor quality service to tourists. This is confirmed by the reviews of tourists in thematic publics, who write that “because of this, normal hotels in the past become shitty.”

– Yes, there is such a thing, – Muscovite Victor, who is currently resting in Phuket, told MK. It is noticeable that not all shops are open. For example, a cafe-restaurant does not work in our hotel in the evening, it is, furnished, tables, sofas, chairs are visible, but alas, it is closed, the room is empty. This, of course, is not very convenient … We are not here for the first time, we liked a lot here; so as soon as thailand reopened after covid we planned a trip here. There are no difficulties as such, there have never been problems with paying by card. Little has changed here since pre-Covid times, only Russian-speaking tourists have significantly increased. In addition to Russia and Belarus, there are many citizens of Kazakhstan. But there are fewer Chinese. In principle, everything suits us, except for the prices for air tickets and the legalization of cannabis: in places where there are a lot of people, and on the beaches, a characteristic smell is felt.

As Victor added, they bought tickets well in advance, when there were no direct flights yet, and they cost $ 1,000 per person with a transfer. “Now, if you buy in less than two months, then less than 100 thousand rubles per person there and back will not work,” Viktor warns.

Some Russian tourists write in their reviews: “Thai sluggishness is amazing.” As an example, they cite Peter Pen Beach on the island of Koh Kood, where “fallen trees have been lying for several months, and the Thais have no desire to remove them … The beach this year is half-killed, there is a lot of household garbage.”

One of the tourists compared the Thai holiday with the Maldives, Dominican Republic, Turkey, Egypt and Vietnam, where she rested before, and the comparison was not in favor of Thailand. On the advice of friends, the woman decided to sunbathe for the first time in Pattaya (paying 210 thousand rubles for a stay in a 5-star hotel for two). As the traveler complained, they had to spend unreasonably much money on transport. “The beach here is not the best, muddy, muddy water. We went to Jomtien Beach (considered the cleanest and most well-groomed) and several times to the islands, and this is also an expense.” She also added that “an unpleasant surprise and an unexpected expense” was for them a deposit of 2,000 baht, which had to be given to the hotel upon check-in. The hotel staff tried with all their might not to return this money: they offered services on account of a deposit, and when this failed, they even wanted to charge the Russians with expenses that they did not have. “Be vigilant,” the tourist urged her compatriots. “Definitely, Pattaya is not worth the effort and money spent!” she concluded.

Recall also that on January 7, the Thai authorities almost ruined the plans of some Russians by announcing the need to present a vaccination certificate upon entry. Some of the tourists even decided to cancel the trip because of this. “We were supposed to fly on January 10th. And they were ready to return the tickets and cancel the hotel reservation, even if they left only the PCR requirement at the entrance, – said the tourist Andrey B. – We know that “local PCR” is half a scam. Thanks to Emirates, who told us in support that they did not have official documents from the Thai government, in the end, we flew successfully, the airline did not require any documents.”

Two days later, Thailand, however, came to its senses, realizing that as a result of such measures, they will lose the lion’s share of tourists. Since January 10, all covid restrictions for those entering the country have been lifted.

Tourists describe the disadvantages of holidays in Thailand in the month of January: high prices for tours, excursions, souvenirs and fruits in the places of stay of vacationers; large crowds at attractions and popular resorts; surfing and waterfalls are cancelled. In addition, many are not happy with the sun without a single cloud and 30-degree heat.

Travel forums advise how independent tourists can book a hotel in Thailand: you need to choose with the “pay on the spot” option.