Russian Tourism Union: No Evidence of Deliberate Passport Damage in Thailand

The Russian Union of Travel Industry (RST) says it has found no sign that Russian tourists' passports are being deliberately damaged in Thailand, according to TASS.

Egor Kail, head of the visa agency Visantium and an RST expert, said there is no basis to claim that Russian passports are being targeted on purpose or that any special order exists. A single employee might act carelessly, he said, but such cases should not be presented as widespread practice without further confirmation.

The union did confirm that tourists have reported staples, stickers and glue on the pages of their foreign passports after contact with immigration officers and hotel staff in Thailand.

If that happens, travelers are advised not to rip the staple out of the passport or tear off the sticker by force, but to ask for the paper to be removed carefully.

The union stressed that a small staple hole does not make a document invalid. If a passport is noticeably damaged, tourists are asked to contact a senior immigration officer, photograph the damage and get in touch with the Russian consulate.

Earlier on Friday, reports said Russian tourists had allegedly begun having their foreign passports damaged at Thai airports, with customs officers and hotel staff piercing pages with a stapler and leaving holes and traces of glue.