russian mafia

[qwerty]

i'm really curious about real info any of you have.

anybody have any personal dealings?

i have seen lots of russians in pattaya, tourists mostly? and some huge terminator looking guys who look like theyre hiding out or whatever.

but what is really going on in regards to the increased presence?

is the russian mafia really sinking in? where? and what are they doing exactly?

are the thai mafia/cops really being paid off enough to allow this?

i cant believe this will last, as thai cops never settle for an even, regular monthly amount, they always seem to raise it up, or other factions of cops come looking for handouts too.

will the thai's reach a point where they say enuf is enuf?

i for one, dont like it. i like my corupt dirty little world run by the thais who are a bit more gentle than the ruskies.

[PigDogg]

i was thinking about this too when I saw it mentioned on another thread.

There is a gogo with Russians and other ex-Soviets on Walking Street.

And a joint named Goodfellas which I think is owned by some wiseguy wannabee on Soi 6.

But who are the Russians going to use their muscle on except their own girls? The Thais outnumber them.

Remeber a couple years ago the farang owner of Misty's got baseball batted by some Thai goons.

[Ladyboy_Loser!]

Make it down for future reference; There will be a major clash between the Russian Mafia and the Thai Mafia who runs things in Pattaya. The Thais are not about to loose face, money and power to a group of low life scum suckers from the old Soviet republic. My last two times in Pattaya I was blown away by these obnoxious louts just about wherever I went. In my opinion they are a lot worse than the drunken Brits who like to roam about in their groups making asses of themselves. Pattaya is not the garden fun spot it once was.

[Snick]

They don't call it Pattayagrad for nothing !

[stogie bear]

(PogueMahone @ Feb. 20 2007,08:26) Make it down for future reference;  There will be a major clash between the Russian Mafia and the Thai Mafia who runs things in Pattaya.  The Thais are not about to loose face, money and power to a group of low life scum suckers from the old Soviet republic...

I can only assume that you were blind drunk on your last two trips to Pattaya or you are just expressing your optomistic wishes!

There is a new breed of tourist and it's called Ivan and Contessa! They don't want temples and they don't want culture. They want nightclubs, sun and (some) sexy fun. The Thai cops are getting richer than ever as a result of this influx of tourism. And it's been gathering strength for many years now.

Have you seen the Russian tour guides congregating at Pattaya Airport with their signs? (I'm sure they do the same in Bangkok also!)

It is the powerful tourist rubles that have almost singlehandedly re-generated Pattaya. Even the TAT Pattaya office has publicly commented that they think Russians are the resorts best customers, better even than Germans!

Coach loads of couples arrive everyday and head straight for the pools and beaches. They eat like Biafrans and spend money like football coaches.

And they don't all go to the bars and the sex industry is NOT always the highlight of the day either. Obviously the visuals are appealing and there are some looking to get laid, but the hotels are the big winners here and they control the local government and they in turn will decide who goes on the next trade delegation to Mosco this year!

Russians ain't back packing around Pattaya eating 20 Baht street food and getting in the way. They are the real spenders here and the cops are glad to have then!

If you like Pattaya you better get used to them!

Spaseebo balshoye!

[qwerty]

i think theres some valid points here, but i think we're talking about 2 different groups.
there will probably be a clash eventually between russkie mafia and thai mafia (cops) as the the cops can never settle for an agreed amount. they will want more, and the russkie mob will grow to where the xenophobia overrules the graft.
and stogie is right in regards to the tourist, they are spending, and being courted and will always be in force. so russian tour guides etc will get away with what they do.
the ruskie tourists are just tacky and they seem to only like to stay in the cities i dont go to (pattaya, phuket) so i can live with it. its the idea of a russian mob gaining ever increasing foothold here. im afraid it will change what at least appears to be a peaceful little corrupt country.

[Snick]

Most of the Russians you see are on a holiday package. The package trips from Russia basically take them to Bangkok and Pattaya, period.

The Russians like Thailand / Pattaya, because its close, its cheap, they do not need a visa and Pattaya now has a Russian Infrastructure (language, food, etc..)

As for the mob element, there are some 'bad apples' but most of what you see is the tourists. My _guess_ is The mob element is involved in money laundering, internet fraud,etc... i.e. the things you don't see. I seriously doubt you will see Russian gangsters shaking down Thai bars.

The real estate market is also seeing a lot of Russian buyers, a good sign that they are here to stay.

Luckily they don't like Ladyboys !!
Plus they are cheap, so they don't drive up prices too much.

[Snick]

( on the other hand Pattaya is known as a favorite place for crooks on the run to flee to; I once heard that more international arrest warrents are served in Pattaya than anywhere else )

[brocklanders]

But Pattaya cannot survive on Russian tourists alone...as more Russians arrive, the word will get out and you will see Chinese/Taiwanese/Japanese tour buses will leave in droves...maybe they already have. Far East Asians and Russians dont mix...matter of fact nobody really mixes with Russians, even Russians hate Russians. I will miss the days of just the Far East Asian package tourists, the worst they could do is fill up Superbaby a gogo as part of their tour and then leave 10 minutes later.

[stogie bear]

Chinese/Taiwanese/Japanese tour buses don't have much of an impact on Pattaya tourism and never did. There are far more Eastern Europeans and also Muslim neighbors in Pattaya than there are Asians from the snooty countries you mention. Indians (Including Pakistanis and Sri Lankans) easily outnumber them. Even Malaysians have a bigger impact!

[mickey_o]

As for what Stogie is stating it's true, most Russians will travel to countries that do not require a visa, hence there invasion into Cyprus. However Boris and Svetlana will continue into BKK & PTY as long as all fellow ruskies on tour packages continue.

As for the Russian mob there everywhere, there even here in Hong Kong and drove of them in the USA...

Regards to all,

Mickey

[Guest]

PogueMahone, i agree with you, they are the worst trailer/euro trash ever. No class, no manners. It was just too much for them when ironcurtain came down, like a kid in a toystore. Noveau rich in its worst form. But stogiebear is right, just get used to it. They are already everywhere, imagine europe, so close , no visa needed. In my country the balkans sure got their hands full trying to protect whats "theirs" from the russkies.

[mell40]

I must agree fully if I read articles like those:

Massage parlour under siege
or

Russians in another drunken fracas Scroll down please

No, no, i am not involved in this kind of newspapers, but if I read this, I make my own thoughts about the future of the tourism in Pattaya or Thailand for myself.

[Dieter]

My god...don't believe what the pattaya magazines wrote...I am know some russians...our company have some russians employed..
The no.1 are the Thais in Pattaya and as second the Germans...the most Russians working for other farangs...britain,german or...don't know

Dieter

[mell40]

Dieter,

nothing against Russians, but these stories are fact by "selected" Pattaya Newspapers.