The Phuket Travel Association (PTA) and the Bank of Thailand are studying the possibility of allowing tourists from Russia to pay with cryptocurrencies in order to help them travel despite the sanctions imposed on the country due to the attack on Ukraine, The Nation Thailand has reported.
Major companies such as PayPal, Visa and Mastercard have stopped offering their services in the country as a result of the sanctions.
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PTA chief Bhummikitti Ruktaengam has stressed digital assets are being considered as an emergency measure. First, the company hopes to use the Russian payment system Mir and China's UnionPay.
According to him, there are between 3,500 and 4,000 tourists from Russia and between 300 and 400 from Ukraine in Phuket. Another 3,000 citizens from both countries are vacationing in Koh Samui, Krabi and Pattaya.
Due to the air problems caused by the conflict, many of them are unable to leave the country and could run out of funds.