Thai Tourism Revival Faces Risk From Ruble Slump, Sanctions
- Hotel operators report cancellations, payment difficulties
- Russia is among top sources of tourism revenue for Thailand
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A plunging ruble, flight cancellations and money-transfer difficulties are prompting Russian and European tourists to cancel trips to Thailand, a blow to the Asian nation’s tourism-revival efforts.
The exclusion of many Russian banks from the SWIFT payments network has resulted in tour operators running into problems when making transfers, according to Charintip Tiyaphorn, co-owner of Pimalai Resort & Spa in Krabi. Some flights have been canceled following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and many European airlines are re-routing to get to Southeast Asia, she said.