The dire situation of 7,000 Ukrainian and – to a lesser extent Russian – visitors trapped in Thailand is being formally discussed by the Bangkok authorities. Tourist Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor Yuthasak Supasorn confirmed that tourists from both countries would not be formally expelled against their will, even if their visas had expired.
Mr Yuthasak said that both nationalities would be able to extend their visas for a further month without payment of the 1,900 fee. However, officials at the immigration bureau were still awaiting confirmation as the matter needed to be cleared by the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration later today (March 8). In Pattaya, two Russian tourists said they had been given 60 dayCovid-related extensions. This formal discretion for all nationalities ends later this month.
However, some better-off expats have long-stay visas, such as the Elite or annual extensions of stay based on marriage or retirement, and are not under immediate pressure. Some maintain healthy Thai bank accounts and are assisting their hard-up compatriots during the emergency. One Ukrainian national is borrowing money via a short-term loan, based on his ownership of a condominium unit in Jomtien.
With Visa and Mastercard blocked for credit cards issued in Russia and badly dislocated for Ukrainian nationals, tourism operators are working with UnionPay, an alternative payment platforms based in China. UnionPay actually handles higher cash-value transactions than Visa or Mastercard, although 99 percent are based in China. Russia's Mir financial network is known to be affiliated with the Shanghai-based financial giant.
Meanwhile, the number of Russian or Ukrainian nationals landing in Thailand has slumped for obvious reasons. The Pattaya office of TAT said the city was offering temporary asylum for Ukrainian nationals already here and that the Thai government was promising to pick up the tab for the time being. However, Pattaya Mail spoke to a group of Ukrainian nationals who stressed they were leaving for Bangkok in order to be geographically near to their embassy. One said his passport had run out and he needed an official letter to confirm its extension. "The safest place in this tragedy is our embassy," he said.