Wags are asking: was the B.O. bomb launched from the Kremlin?

An estimated 200,000 Russian and CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) tourists have come to Thailand within the last 60 days, spurred by tourism incentives directed toward Russia by Thai tourist groups and agencies. Veteran travelers to Thailand have long noted a strong Russian presence in the seaside city of Pattaya, but large Russian tour groups are all over Thailand these days, escaping the cold northern winter. 

Several Thai tour guides and tour operators were interviewed by your WoWasis research team, and asked about the impact of Russian  and CIS tourism on Thailand. Somewhat surprisingly, they all agreed on three aspects to the Russian/CIS onslaught: 

1) Russian and CIS credit cards are not welcomed due to the prevalence of Russian credit card scams. Thai tourism venues are typically requiring payments in cash only from these visitors.

2) Russian and CIS children are considered to be so ill-behaved in general that many smaller hotels have established a rule that only one Russian/CIS family may stay at a hotel at a given time. Damage to hotel rooms has been given as one of the major concerns by Thai hotel operators.

3) Many Russian and CIS visitors have a body odor problem, which Thais find offensive. The Thais we interviewed chalk it up to these visitors just not being used to bathing in their cold climate. When they visit a tropical climate, many Thais find the smell unbearable. 

Thailand is reaching far and wide for tourist revenue to offset the damage caused by two years of civil protests, which have contributed to lowering the numbers of visits by Westerners. Cashing in on tour groups from cold northern climates appears to be a financially lucrative program that at the same time is causing many Thais working in the tourism industry to scratch their heads and wonder if the next wave of Russian and CIS tourists will represent a social improvement over many of the individuals making up the current group.