Extension of visa-free stay for Russian tourists in Thailand set to bolster their arrivals during the rest of 2023 (Current Issue No.3440 Full Ed.)

• Entry rules to Thailand have been eased following the Thai government’s decision to extend a visa-free stay for Russians in the country from 30 days to 90 days (effective from November 1, 2023 to April 30, 2024). As this period is the high season for Russian tourists, it is expected that their arrivals in Thailand will increase from the current 110,000/month to 198,000/month on average.
• More Russian tour operators have begun their marketing campaigns to sell holiday packages to Thailand during winter. In early October 2023, chartered flights from 13 cities in Russia flew to Phuket and U-Tapao with plans to increase the frequency of services to Thailand from December 2023 to January 2024. According to a Russian tour agency, the number of Russian tourist arrivals in Thailand has now exceeded that reported in 2019 or before COVID-19. In summer (July-September 2023), some Russian tour agencies recorded higher sales than those seen in 2019, which was in line with the data compiled by Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports, showing that the number of Russian tourist arrivals in Thailand grew by about 2.4 percent YoY during the first nine months of 2023.
• Competitive tourism products, including the fact that Thailand is one of the top budget travel destinations. According to Russian Travel Digest, a holiday package from Russia to Thailand is cheaper than that to Malaysia and Vietnam by approximately 40 percent (based on the comparison of the lowest tour package prices available at the beginning of October 2023).
• The Israel-Palestine conflict may cause some Russians to change their travel plans from countries in the Middle East, such as Egypt and Turkey, to other countries, including Thailand, instead.