Russia’s Foreign Ministry warned its citizens on Friday to avoid traveling to Thailand due to the threat of being arrested at the request of the United States.
“We strongly advise Russian citizens who have even the slightest reason to suspect they might be subject to criminal prosecution by U.S. authorities to entirely refrain from traveling to Thailand,” the ministry said, adding that layovers at local airports are also inadvisable.
Washington and Bangkok share a bilateral extradition treaty.
The advisory comes on the same week as suspected Russian hacker Denis Obrezko made his initial appearance in U.S. court after being arrested in Thailand last November.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry claimed Washington’s “punitive justice system” has intensified since the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than four years ago.
It warned Russians that they risk being targeted “without even realizing it” due to sweeping U.S. sanctions targeting individuals and entities. The ministry claimed U.S. intelligence agencies “ignore” Thai authorities when carrying out sting operations against Russian citizens.
“Sadly, this friendly country that’s incredibly popular with Russian tourists remains one of the primary locations where Washington has rolled out a literal ‘hunt’ for Russian nationals,” the ministry said.
The Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) maintained that Russian tour operators have not run into arrests while vacationing in Thailand.
“Citizens who are aware of potential legal claims against their activities by third countries would be wise to follow the Russian Foreign Ministry’s recommendations,” ATOR told the state-run TASS news agency.
More than 1.8 million Russians vacation in Thailand every year.
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