INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The number of Russian visitors to Thailand has skyrocketed by more than 1,000% this year, as other popular destinations in Europe and
Thursday.Between January and June, the Thai Tourism and Sports Ministry recorded 791,574 arrivals by Russian nationals, Bloomberg said.More
than half of those flew directly into the island of Phuket, which has long attracted Russia's wealthier citizens
(FSB)recorded an uptick in the number of Russian travelers abroad this year, with Turkey, Thailand and the UAE among the most visited
destinations.Direct flights between Russia and Europe are virtually nonexistent due to tit-for-tat airspace bans, while individual EU member
states have beefed up visa restrictions for Russian nationals.Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in early July that Thailand plays
