Phuket –
About 70 Ukraine residents and travelers, including some Russian nationals and a few Thais, gathered in the Kathu district around 11:00 A.M. to organize symbolic activities by holding banners and messages and raising Ukrainian flags to urge the Russian President to end the war in Ukraine and call for more help from Ukraine's allies.
Ms. Druzhenets, a 25-year-old tourist from Kiev, told local reporters that she planned to visit Phuket for about two months. However, the Russian invasion was declared during her stay on the island which had caused her great concern regarding her relatives and family in her hometown. Therefore, she wanted to return to Kiev as soon as possible but flights and travel restrictions were a potential obstacle. She also said that she never expected the invasion or war and wished for the Russian president to stop attacking Ukraine.
Ukraine national Ms. Goncharova, who led the demonstration, said that today's gathering was not the first time that residents had held a protest about the conflict, with a prior protest, albeit with fewer people, last weekend. Ukrainians and Russian tourists who came out to call for the movement against the war and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine only shared the same purpose that they did not want a war to happen as a lot of innocent people had already died and there was a lot of damage in Ukraine.
Ms. Goncharova also revealed that more than 500 Ukrainians were currently in Phuket and they all wanted to return to Ukraine because they were worried about their families but were also afraid of the worsening situation if they were heading back. She also stated that the protest movement in Phuket was likely to continue to show that Russians and Ukrainians are truly brothers and sisters and there was no conflict or hatred between the two nationalities in any way.
The peaceful gathering was staged for about 30 minutes under the surveillance of Phuket police and related officials.