BANGKOK – Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Srettha Thavisin said on February 19 that he had received reports of a large number of Russian tourists travelling to Thailand, but there are insufficient flights.
As a result, the Prime Minister stated that he would consult with Thai Airways about restarting the flight between Moscow and Bangkok. Thai Airways had already resumed flights between Istanbul and Bangkok; thus, he hopes that flights between Moscow and Bangkok will revive as well.
The Prime Minister stated that since the end of last year, when the visa exemption for Russian tourists expanded from 30 to 90 days, Russian travellers have entered Thailand throughout the Russian winter and stayed for prolonged periods of time. More than one million Russian tourists have expressed a willingness to visit Thailand this year, which is regarded welcome.
In October 2023, the Thai government approved a unilateral and temporary tourist visa exemption scheme for holders of Russian passports or travel documents entering the Kingdom of Thailand between November 1, 2023, and April 30, 2024, allowing them to stay for no more than 90 days. This intends to make it easier for Russian tourists to visit Thailand while also strengthening people-to-people ties between the two countries.
Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (THAI) previously launched the round-trip Bangkok-Moscow route with its inaugural flight on November 1, 2005, operating 3 flights per week.
On March 24, 2020, Thai Airways announced that it would temporarily restrict flights to Europe, including Moscow, due to a pandemic. Several countries have stepped up their preventive measures, including countrywide lockdowns.
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