In the humid evenings on the Thai island of Phuket, Aleksei* often sits alone on his balcony, and wonders if the past 18 months have been a strange dream. Last year, he was living with his mother and siblings in Moscow, and working in an IT job in one of the city’s skyscrapers. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 changed everything.
“At that moment I thought: ‘OK what opportunities do I have here in Russia?’ Go to war, which I don’t want of course because Ukrainians are our brothers,” he says. The alternative, to protest, was hopeless. “It is impossible to fight against the government in Russia,” he says.
He travelled to the airport in Moscow, with a couple of thousand dollars in savings, and a one-way ticket to Thailand, praying immigration would let him through. He chose Phuket, he adds, because it was more affordable than renting in neighbouring countries where a recent influx of Russians meant it had become harder to find a place to stay.
Aleksei is one of the hundreds of thousands of Russians estimated to have fled their country after the mobilisation of troops for the war in Ukraine, with many flocking to nearby Kazakhstan, Georgia or Turkey.
Thailand, although further away, has also experienced a rise in Russian visitors, with some appearing to be putting down more permanent roots in the country. Last year, Russians were the leading international buyers of property in Phuket, and during the first quarter of this year, sales to Russian nationals increased 68% on the same period in 2022. The value of properties being sold has also risen, by 46.7% during the first quarter, according to the Thai Real Estate Association.
Phattanan Phisutvimol, the president of the Phuket Real Estate Association, recently said she expected 2023 to be a “golden year” for the island’s property sector as it recovered from the pandemic, and cited Russians as one of the groups who were adding to demand.
‘We are in difficult relationship with Europe now’
Anna Baranova, who runs the luxury property agency, InDreams Phuket, which caters mostly to Russians, says the growth over the past two years has been huge. “This type of property is going up very fast,” she says, standing in the showroom of a high-end villa at a development close to Layan beach, in a quieter part of the island.
Behind her, the room’s towering windows look out on to a private pool and sun loungers baking in the sun. Prices start at more than $1m (£790,000). “[Developers] are launching more and more because they’re selling so fast,” says Baranova.
Many of her customers are families already living abroad in European countries and who are now relocating. “We are in difficult relationship with Europe now,” she says, adding: “Moscow was not much interested in Thailand before because they are very close to Europe. But now they are also coming.”
Thailand, which under the outgoing government has sought to avoid taking a strong stance on the conflict, is seen as a more welcoming destination.
Russian nationals who want to stay for a year can apply for an education or business visa, if they have the right paperwork. There are also longer-term visas that target very wealthy individuals who invest in Thai property or government bonds, and who meet other requirements.
Phuket, one of Thailand’s most famous tourist destinations, has always been popular among Russians. Menus and massage parlour listings are often written in Russian. There are supermarkets and restaurants selling anything from borscht and dumplings to Russian keyboards.
“Russians are my main customers,” says Waraporn Tangkaew, 43, who sells fresh mangos, passionfruit and pineapples at a stall in the bustling area near to Karon beach. The war is just a small factor, she thinks, adding that there have always been lots of Russian travellers present. “Maybe it’s because of the location, it’s comfortable, and there are lots of delicious fruits,” she says.
At the Lemonade Club, a restaurant and children’s centre in the Laguna area that is targeted mostly at Russians, posters outside the gym hall list the various weekly activities: chess classes, acrobatics and ballet.
The owner, Yulia Volodina, started the business six years ago to cater to visiting Russian families, who, back home, would normally send their children to extracurricular activities for hours a day. “Our kids are busy from the morning time to the evening time,” she says.
Russians often come to Phuket during their winter months, with children attending online schooling to escape the cold weather, says Volodina. She adds that it is hard to say whether there has been a visible change in the number of Russians in Phuket, as the number of visitors dropped dramatically during the Covid pandemic.
After 24 February 2022, there was, however, a fall in the number of Ukrainian clients, Volodina says.
Among customers, the news back home is not something that is discussed very much. “The situation is very sensitive,” says Volodina.
‘I’m really afraid for my brothers’
When Aleksei arrived in Phuket last year he was struck by how many Russians were around, though he still prefers to keep to himself. He has seen Ukrainians too but has not spoken to them. “I don’t dare. I don’t know what to tell them,” he says.
Aleksei, who is living in a small $130-a-month condo, is working remotely for his Russian company, though he fears this arrangement may not be sustainable and that he could be ordered back to the office. He is trying to find work elsewhere, so his taxes do not go towards funding the war, but is unsure he has the right qualifications for foreign companies.
In March, the Thai cabinet approved the signing of a draft extradition treaty with Russia, though it is not clear when this will come into effect. Aleksei hopes it won’t or if it does, it is not be used widely, adding that Moscow is more likely to be focused on enlisting those who are in Russia. “We can’t do much about it,” he says.
“I’m trying to stay positive,” he says, but adds that he barely leaves his room. “I’m doing some physical activities here, working here.”
Aleksei says the fact he is here is a miracle. But he lives with an underlying sense of stress, worrying about the practicalities of living abroad, and for his family back home.
“I accept the fact that I might not see them again,” he says. “At least I will not see again my grandmother and grandfather.” The war has divided his family, Aleksei continues, but even for those who disagree and would like to leave, this is not necessarily an option.
“I’m really afraid for my brothers who are there. They might be taken to war,” he adds.
Navaon Siradapuvadol contributed to this report
* Name has been changed
