Russia has come long way from the times the Soviet adage, ?I pretend to work, you pretend to pay me? rang true. With far more stability than even a decade ago, jobs with wages that are actually paid, and the potential, or for that matter, possiblity for savings, today's Russia is rife with tell-tale signs of capitalist economies...cafes, shopping malls, apartments, cars, even mortgages.

And foreign holidays.

There's a new burgeoning middle class in the ex-Soviet country, and they're taking off to see the world. A large percentage of them bringing their new found travel spririt -and foreign exchange- to Thailand, and more recently, to Phuket.

No million-rouble prize for guessing what draws the Russian tourists here. Great weather, beautiful beaches and friendly, smiling people; the recipe that inspires thousands of would-be travelers around the world to grab their rucksack and hop on that flight. From Russia, it's not even that long a flight...another reason that makes Phuket such an attractive destination.

With additional direct connections from Moscow, Vladivostock and other major cities being added every month, more Russians than ever are packing their beach wear and heading for warmth on the other side of their flight; slightly delayed on their way to the tropical beaches by queues at strained immigration points, air-conditioning turned on Thai style, cold enough to be quite reminiscent of a Siberian winter back home.

Russians are rapidly becoming the most sought after tourist bracket for the Asian region. Reputed to be big spenders, they contribute hugely to the tourist economy wherever they go. While neighbouring countries have latched on to the importance of this segment, and are keen on attracting Russian tourists to their economies, Thailand still is, for now, the Russians' top holiday destination in the region.

The tourism authorities in Thailand, and on Phuket, would be keen to ensure that it remains so.

K. Anoma Vongyai, Assistant Director of Tourism Authority of Thailand Southern office Region 4 told the Phuket Post, ?Russian tourists are an important market for Phuket; it has a lot of potential. Russian tourists always visit Phuket in high season, and now they have also been coming to Phuket during the low season period.

?As a result, we are providing and promoting more activities and facilities for this expanding market, in the low season target period.

?In the past Pattaya was the main target for Russian tourists. However, in recent years, Russian tourist statistics for Phuket have been increasing steadily. Before the tsunami we had 100,000+ tourists in this segment visiting Phuket each year. This figure dropped to 80,000+, immediately after the tragedy. In the last year, 2006, we had 87,004 Russian tourists.

?We expect that in 2007, the number of Russian tourists will increase to numbers similar to those before the tsunami.?

It's entirely characteristic for Russian tourists to prefer Phuket over other destinations in Thailand, according to Olga Kurmakaeva, Exotic Voyage Co., Ltd.

?Phuket is just the kind of place that would be attractive to Russians, who are constantly looking for new things to do, newer places to explore. That's why they prefer Phuket to Samui. Phuket has more activities, more excursions.

?There are a lot of return tourists in this segment, they've seen the usual sights and so are looking for more things to do.

?They like it here because it's a safe, laid-back place with a lot of freedom. There are no regulations around holidaying on Phuket. For example, even the bigger clubs don't enforce a strict dress code, this lets the tourists stay casual even if they want to party. Back home, no club would let them in unless they were dressed suitably for the evening.

?How are Russian tourists different?? considers Olga, ?well, they are more emotional...and have louder personalities....

?They eat more!? she grins. ?The excellent seafood in Phuket is a big draw for the Russians.?

?In the months of June, July and August, we get a lot of young people, it's summer in Russia; marriage season. So a lot of honeymooners find their way here in these months.?

With memories of the tsunami fading firmly from the minds of the travelers, this year has already been a good year for this segment and the high season looks set to be very succesful. ?The last two years have been slower, the tsunami and a lot of false reporting by the media thereafter did a lot of damage to business on Phuket.?

Tourism on Phuket will be hoping fervently that last month's One Two Go airline plane crash at Phuket Airport; which left 89 of the 130 persons on board dead and many others injured, does not cause further damage to the reputation of the island as a safe destination.

Olga reckons about 60% of her customers come from Moscow. There are also a large number of tourists coming from St. Petersburg and, a Siberian city with the virtually unpronounceable name that Olga had to write down for me: Vovosibirsk.

There is also a significant number of tourists from ex-Soviet countries like Ukraine and Kazakhistan.

Finding Russian speaking guides on the island is a problem all Russian tour operators have to face. This is not difficult to imagine, as I'm still struggling with the above-mentioned city name. It must be the devil of a language to learn.

Another problem Olga says she faces, to my surprise, is that there is frequently not enough high-end accomodation available at the time of making bookings.

The names of half a dozen or so hotels randomly flit thought my mind. Surely that can't be a problem on Phuket?

Olga reminds me that the Russian travel industry is only in its infancy. Compared to European tourists who book their holidays almost a year in advance, the Russian market is very new, having really kicked off the ground in 1990, only about 17 years ago, ?It's not a very mature market.? Bookings are all largely made very close to the date of travel.

?There is a joke in Russia,? Olga informs me, with a droll expression on her face. ?The average tourist there goes to the travel agent and says: 'I want to travel: yesterday'.?

It's no wonder then, that tourists from Russia find Thailand's tourism network quite ?organised? and convenient.

Igor of Igor's Dive Center, Chalong, informs me that besides this being a much cheaper destination than Europe, with lower airfares (it's actually cheaper to fly to Thailand than to Moscow, from some Eastern cities), shorter flight times than to European destinations make traveling to Thailand much more convenient for the Russians.

This has been made even more attractive since April this year, a no-fuss month's visa on arrival is now granted to Russians; just as to tourists from most European countries,.

Igor's company deals with mostly Russian tourists, ?almost 100%,? he says. ?Russians love diving off the Andaman coast, there's very little opportunity to dive in Russia, the water's so cold.?

Apart from diving, Igor organises various excursions; tours, motorbike trips, couple trips to Khao Sok, and extreme adventure trips, in keeping with the image of the adventure seeking tourists Russians carry.

?Russian holiday-makers mainly travel in groups, just as tourists from a lot of Asian countries like Korea and Japan. The lack of knowledge of the English language limits communication possibilities and so they tend to stick together...but this is changing slowly,? Igor informs me.

As Russians are getting more internet savvy and also, as the level of English in the ex-Soviet country increases, more Russians are looking for information online, and booking holidays individually, he says.

Igor, just like Olga, mentions the lack of Russian speaking local guides as a significant problem in the development of this booming market. ?There are very few local people on the island who speak really good Russian,? he says, ?these are usually people who've lived in Russia for a few years; it's not easy to learn the language otherwise. There are certainly not enough of them.

?A lot of the guides so-called Russian speaking guides are not fluent at all, leading to dissatisfaction among the the tourists as they are not getting the service they have paid for.

?Of course it's a problem that a lot of the non-English speaking markets face, like the Koreans, Japanese and the Chinese.?

Language problems notwithstanding, Russians are continuing to return to the island, year after year, and many of them like Phuket so much, they're choosing to buy a home on the island.

Aleksandra Retinskaya of the Railand Real Estate (formerly: Asia Property Club Co., Ltd.,) has been on Phuket since 2004. The Russian boom in investment on the island, she says, had not really kicked off then. 2005 was also a bleak year, Pattaya was a far more obvious option for the Russian market then going through a slump, real estate prices there being lower than on Phuket.

Times, however, have changed and things are looking up for the market on Phuket. With more capital to invest than ever, Russians are now heading for Phuket in earnest.

?Russians who buy property here are normally not really looking at it as an investment per se,? says Aleksandra, who has her office in Soi Playboy on Nanai Road in Patong. ?They look at it more as a second or third home where they can come on holiday, relax, enjoy the sunny beaches.?

I have met Aleksandra on a particularly hot Phuket evening, and as she whips out her fan to ward off the heat, I am instantly reminded of how attractive Russians, so used to the cold and frost must find this tropical escape.

The one-month tourist visa on arrival also helps. Russians planning to travel to Europe have to produce a wealth of documents and bank statements and apply for a visa in advance. ?This is very off-putting for a lot of wealthy Russians,? says Aleksandra, ?they find the need for them to prove that they have enough money to spend on a holiday in Europe demeaning. The fact that they are granted an easy visa on arrival with no hassles attached in Thailand makes this a very attractive destination.

?There tends to be also, a tag that comes with being Russian when travelling in Europe or the West. People can be suspicious about Russian nationals with money, and about where the money comes from.

?In Asia, Russians are looked as just just any other tourist from the West. The friendly, smiling hospitality of the Thais is a big draw.?

And so, the Russians are coming. Where are they coming from, I enquire. ?Moscow mainly,? says Aleksandra, ?when you think about the fact that 70% of the money is centered in the capital, investement tends to come from there.

?There is also the fact that Moscow is the city with the majority of international connections from the airport, making foreign travelling easier, more accessible and relative less expensive for Muscovites. Travellers from a lot of other cities in the country have to travel to Moscow to connect with Thailand, this is expensive and inconvenient.?

Aleksandra's clients are mainly Russian.

Quite different from when dealing with tour agents, Russians looking to invest their money are seeking re-assurance dependability, rather than adventure. Since most of the travelers from Russia are not able to communicate with the the people in Phuket, they feel comfortable and reassured when a Russian speaking agent is in-charge of taking care of them.

?So it is my responsibility to show them every aspect and reveal every facet of the property, as they cannot source the information themselves due to the language problem. The customers want to be convinced of everything, that everything is in place, the construction is of good quality, the location is suitable for their living, that the amenities are in place.

?I have to be involved every step of the way, explaining all the various factors involved, and allaying fears and apprehensions on so many of their considerations.

?It's a bit like babysitting.?

The tourism authorities have been doing their own share of nurturing for this market.

?Every year Thailand has many road shows in key market sites in Russia. This year we had a road show to promote Phuket tourism in Russia between September 25th to 28th, 2007. We invited nine hotels and tour agencies to set up booths and promote Phuket at the shows.? said K. Anoma Vongyai, who headed Phuket's travel campaign in Russia.

?Other hotels and establishments on the island, especially chain hotels and agencies, who have the budget to pay for their own booths and shows also help in promoting Phuket tourism,? she said. ?We even arranged for Phuket tourism brochures in Russian, to be distributed in the country.

?We hope to receive a big acceptance from Russians tourists, and to be able to welcome more of them on the island...?she told the Post.

September has already seen a trickle of Russian tourists, but as Olga Kurmakaeva tells me, she expects the real flood from Russia to begin to descend on Phuket starting October. ?It's getting cold there,? she smiles, ?they are already starting to think about Thailand.?

Additional reporting Tanisa Bunyasiwa