Russian and CIS Travelers to Thailand: 2026 Hotel Report

Who
they are

The profile of today’s Russian traveler to Thailand

Why
Thailand wins

The key motivations behind destination and hotel choice

Where
the growth opportunity is

Repeat demand, emerging destinations and premium potential

How hotels
can capitalise

Practical advertising strategies to convert Russian demand into bookings

Introduction

Yandex Ads, in partnership with the Thai Hotel Association (THA), has developed this research to build a clearer picture of Russian and CIS* travelers to Thailand and the factors shaping their travel and accommodation decisions in 2026.

The findings are based on a survey of 1,023 Russian and CIS travelers to Thailand conducted in September 2026, together with responses from 17 THA member hotels.

The report is designed to help Thai hotels and destinations better understand this audience, improve how they communicate with it, and identify the service and marketing levers that can drive stronger conversion and retention.

Thienprasit Chaiyapatranun President of the Thai Hotels
Association (THA)

“Thailand continues to have strong appeal for Russian and CIS travelers. According to international tourist arrivals to Thailand between January to May 2026, more than 1.1 million Russian and CIS visitors arrived, slightly up on last year. Attracting this audience today requires more than destination awareness. Hotels need a clearer understanding of what these travelers value, how they plan, and what kinds of service details make them feel comfortable throughout the stay.”

Neha Dawar Business Development Manager,
Yandex Ads Thailand

“This research was designed to help Thai hotels turn demand into action. Thailand is already among the top five most‑searched travel destinations for Russian users, with around 2.3 million tourism queries in Q4 2025. This indicates a clear opportunity for hotels. By understanding how Russian and CIS travelers search, compare, and choose accommodation, hotels can communicate more effectively, reach guests earlier in the journey, and use the right digital tools to improve both conversion and long‑term loyalty.”

*Commonwealth of Independent States: Russian-speaking countries including: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan

Traveler snapshot

46%

are repeat visitors, showing that Thailand already benefits from strong familiarity and return demand among Russian travelers.

60%

stay for 1–2 weeks, making them a longer-stay segment with stronger spending potential.

30%

chose luxury 4–5 star hotels or resorts, highlighting clear demand for premium accommodation.

87%

travel with a partner or family, showing how family travel is central to Thailand’s longer-term stay pattern.

53%

spend over US$2,500 per trip (excluding flights), demonstrating how Russians are a high-yield visitor segment.

49%

choose Phuket as their main destination, but interest in Kanchanaburi shows that CIS demand is expanding beyond the main hubs.

Hotel snapshot

Snapshot #1

The majority of interviewed Thai hotels expect a surge in Russian and CIS visitors to Thailand over the next 2–3 years, showing strong confidence in future demand.

Snapshot #2

Half report a positive overall perception of the Russian and CIS segment, revealing that hotels already see this audience as commercially attractive.

Snapshot #3

Yet only a third currently host CIS travelers, suggesting that actual market penetration still lags behind overall optimism.

Key insights

Thai hotels are optimistic about CIS demand, but many are still not capturing it consistently. This suggests awareness of the opportunity is ahead of operational readiness and market reach.

Who we surveyed

This report examines traveler demand, drawing on surveys of Russian
and CIS travelers conducted in September 2026.

1023

Russian and CIS travelers answered the survey.

Age

Marital status

Country of residence

Employment status

Thai Hotel Association
member hotels.

Accommodation type

Luxury Hotels /
Resorts (5-star)

Mid-range Hotels /
Resorts (3-4 star)

Boutique
Hotels

Hotel maximum capacity

1-30 guests

31-100 guests

101-300 guests

301 - 600 guests

601+ guests

Repeat demand and longer stays

Russian and CIS travelers show notable repeat demand for Thailand, with almost half having visited before and many staying beyond a typical short break. Travel patterns also suggest that longer stays are often shaped by shared trips, especially with partners and family members.

This gives Thai hotels an opportunity to think beyond one-off bookings and position for longer-stay value, stronger guest relationships, and higher repeat potential over time.

46%

of CIS and Russian travelers are
repeat visitors.

60%

of CIS and Russian travelers stayed
for 1–2 weeks.

87%

of CIS and Russian travelers traveled with a partner or family member.

average trip group size.

Travel companion profile

Friends
Family (parents / siblings / children / relatives)
Colleagues / business partners
Partner / husband / wife
Solo travel

Length of stay in Thailand

No more than 1 week
>1-2 weeks
>2 weeks - 1 month
>1-3 months
More than 3 months

Value level spans premium
and mid-market demand

Russian and CIS travelers show clear spending power, with demand extending across multiple accommodation tiers rather than concentrating in one narrow segment.

Thai hospitality providers can capitalize on this by offering premium experiences, reliable mid-market options, and messaging that aligns quality with value.

30%

of CIS and Russian travelers stayed in
luxury hotels or resorts.

30%

of CIS and Russian travelers chose
mid-range 3-star properties.

First-time vs repeat visitors to Thailand

1st time
2nd-3rd time
4th+ time

Insight

“While a significant share seeks premium accommodation and experiences, many travelers continue to balance comfort, quality, and value when making travel decisions.

These findings suggest that Thailand is well-positioned to capture demand across both premium and mid-market segments, offering opportunities for luxury brands as well as value-driven hospitality providers.”

Neha Dawar

Business Development Manager, Yandex Ads Thailand

53%

spend over US$2,500 per trip (excluding flights), positioning Russians as a high-yield visitor segment.

43%

paid $40–$85 per night for accommodation.

15%

paid more than $170 per night.

Total spend

on last trip

(excluding flights)

Less than $1,200
$1,201–$2,500
$2,501–$4,500
$4,501–$8,000
More than $8,000
Others

Average accommodation spend per night

Less than $40
$40–$85
$86–$170
$171–$280
More than $280

Leisure brings them in,

escape makes them choose

Thailand is first and foremost a leisure destination for this audience, led by beach, weather escape, wellness, and cultural exploration. In practice, this often translates into itineraries that combine seaside relaxation with temple visits and culinary discovery.

Trip purpose

Trip style

Motivations for visiting Thailand

Most visited place (last trip)

Interest extends beyond PHUket, pattaya and bangkok

Phuket, Pattaya and Bangkok are still the top destinations for Russian visitors, but many are now building plans that also include quieter islands, river landscapes, and national parks in regions such as Krabi, Kanchanaburi, and Chiang Mai.

Top destinations for Russian and CIS travelers

These emerging areas combine beaches with scenery and local landmarks, giving travelers more reasons to spread their stays beyond the main hubs.

Emerging destinations beyond the big three

Actionable tips

Segment

Segment campaigns by traveler intent, including winter escape, wellness, family travel, and longer-stay planning, rather than treating Thailand as one generic beach product.

Build

Build campaigns with creatives that highlight wellness offers, and Russian‑language staff, menus, signage so ads reflect the real motivators this audience cares about.

Use Geo

Add geo‑specific ad groups (for Krabi, Kanchanaburi, Surat Thani/Samui) so hotels outside Phuket–Pattaya–Bangkok can still reach high‑intent CIS travelers looking beyond the big three.

The decision starts
before
the booking page

Russian travelers start researching Thailand long before they reach a booking page, gathering information from social media, friends, and early research across booking platforms, travel forums, video reviews, Yandex and Telegram to explore potential destinations for their next trip.

This early-stage research highlights the importance of reaching travelers across multiple information sources as they explore destinations and accommodation options.

Travel information sources

Actionable tips

Stay visible

Use Yandex Ads to stay visible across the full travel funnel, not only when users are ready to click a book button.

Run Search Campaigns

Run search campaigns to capture early destination and hotel intent (e.g. “Thailand winter escape hotel,” “Krabi family resort”), and pair them with display and video formats to build preference while travelers compare options.

Add Category

Add broad category and remarketing campaigns so your hotel keeps appearing as users move from inspiration to consideration, and back again via retargeting and video placements.

How to reach your target audience in Yandex Direct

Watch More

CONVENIENCE, QUALITY AND VALUE MATTER MOST

Service quality, price and location are the leading factors influencing accommodation choices among Russian and CIS travelers. Accommodation satisfaction is also generally positive across several aspects of the stay, highlighting the importance of the overall guest experience.

For hotels, these findings suggest an opportunity to showcase service quality, value and convenient locations through targeted advertising to attract travelers and differentiate their offerings in a competitive market.

Main criteria for choosing accommodation in Thailand

Insights

“We need to compete on service. For long-stay Russian and CIS guests, comfort goes beyond the room. It is about creating an easy and enjoyable stay through warm hospitality, family-friendly facilities, and the small day-to-day details that drive longer stays and stronger guest loyalty.”

Thienprasit Chaiyapatranun President of the Thai Hotels
Association (THA)

Accommodation Satisfaction

Actionable Tips

Use reviews

Use guest reviews and property content to reinforce trust around the aspects travelers already rate highly.

Positioning

Position the hotel experience as more than a room by showing how comfort, ease, and atmosphere come together across the stay.

Hotels see demand but penetration
is still limited

The hotels surveyed are generally optimistic about Russian demand, with most properties expecting a surge in visitors to Thailand over the next 2–3 years. Yet actual penetration is still limited, as only a minority currently host Russian travelers, signalling a gap between expectations and today’s guest mix.

Top five markets for
arrivals to Thailand

China - 2.32M visitors
Malaysia - 1.74M visitors
India - 1.06M visitors
Russia - 947K visitors
South Korea - 540K visitors

*Ranked by cumulative International arrivals to Thailand between January–May 2026.
Source: International Arrivals Report.

out of 17 hotels expect CIS travel to
Thailand to increase over the next 2–3
years.

out of 17 hotels currently host CIS
travelers.

Top searched outbound destinations among Russian travelers

Turkey - 3.56M
China - 2.44M
UAE - 2.44M
Egypt - 2.31M
Thailand - 2.29M
Vietnam - 1.82M
Uzbekistan - 1.13M

Source: Yandex Ads Travel and
tourism Q3’25 report

Statistics

Russian travelers generated 2.29
million Thailand-related travel
queries in Q4 2025

This placed Thailand 5th among searched outbound destinations according to Yandex data. Search demand also grew 2% year on year, showing that interest remained resilient at scale.

Sell the experience not just the destination

How hotels vs travelers
rank experience

Hotel

1 Beach
2 Cultural exploration
3 Winter escape
4 Visa-free entry
5 Massage & Spa
6 Affordable luxury
7 High-end medical services
8 Family/Kids friendly

Russian and CIS Travelers

1 Beach
2 Winter escape
3 Massage & spa
4 Cultural exploration
5 Affordable luxury
6 Visa-free entry
7 Family/Kids friendly
8 High-end medical services

Insights

“The next phase of growth in the CIS market will come from sharper alignment between hotel positioning and traveler priorities.

Hotels that can translate Thailand’s destination appeal into clearly communicated wellness, family-friendly comfort, and ease throughout the stay will be better placed to earn consideration and convert demand into bookings.”

Victoria Rossi Business Development Manager, Yandex Ads APAC

hf_20260721_074724_591e0230-5e2b-4e7e-8f1e-13c969bb33ec 2

Practical pain points still
shape the stay

Traveler responses show that practical needs matter as much as the property itself.

Language is the clearest example: 30% say Russian-speaking staff, signage and menus matter to their
stay, while 33% cite the language barrier as their biggest frustration. Payment habits also highlight the importance of convenience. International credit and debit cards (29%) and cash (27%) are the leading accommodation payment methods, while cash remains the most common payment method for everyday spending during the trip (48%).

This points to a service gap that has less to do with what hotels offer, and more to do with how easily guests can navigate the stay.

30%

of Russian and CIS travelers say
Russian-speaking
staff, menus, and
signage matter.

33%

of Russian and CIS travelers identify
language
barrier as a key dislike.

Main pain points

Insights

“Hotels need more than translation to reach Russian travelers. They need the right language specialists and channel expertise to make sure the right people see the ads, understand the message, and feel drawn to the offers.”

Thienprasit Chaiyapatranun President of the Thai Hotels
Association (THA)

Accommodation payment methods

International credit/debit card (Visa/Mastercard)
Cash (exchanged from home currency or withdrawn in Thailand)
Russian Credit/debit cards before arriving in Thailand
Local agent / intermediary (transferring money to an
agent who pays the hotel)
Direct Bank Transfer (SWIFT)
Money transfer app (e.g., KoronaPay, Western Union)
UnionPay (physical card or QR scan)
Others

Trip payment methods

Cash (exchanged from USD / EURO / RUBLES)
International credit/debit card (Visa/Mastercard)
Prepayment in home country (through a local travel agency in Russia/CIS or sites like Ostrovok/Yandex)
UnionPay (physical card or QR scan via home bank app)
Local Thai banking app (PromptPay QR)
Cryptocurrency (USDT/Tether)

27%

Paid for accommodation
in cash.

29%

Paid for accommodation using international cards (VISA/ Mastercard).

48%

Mainly pay with cash during
their trip.

Actionable tips

Language

Make Russian-language support visible across pre-arrival, check-in, payment, and in-room guest communications.

Ads

Use Yandex Ads touchpoints to create a more familiar and consistent guest journey from planning to stay.

A guide for Thai hotels: turning Russian and CIS demand into bookings

Russian and CIS demand is already clear, but hotels capture it best when visibility, messaging, destination choice, and loyalty work together. Survey findings show repeat visits, longer stays, and meaningful spending power across both premium and mid‑range segments. This section outlines practical steps Thai hotels can take to turn that demand into bookings with Yandex Ads.

Russian travelers research Thailand before they book, using booking platforms, Yandex, and video reviews to shape their shortlists.

Show up on early travel and destination queries with Ads placement on Yandex Search.
Use video and display formats to stay present from inspiration through to booking.

Climate escape, comfort, wellness, and accessible luxury matter more to travelers than generic culture messages alone.

Run Russian‑language creatives that speak directly to these motivations.

Test spa, family, and winter‑escape angles and optimise towards top‑performing ads.

More than half of Russian travelers are repeat visitors, so each stay is a chance to build long‑term value.

Retarget past visitors and bookers ahead of key seasons (November - April) with Yandex Ads.

Hotels beyond the main hubs can capture demand by increasing visibility where CIS travelers research. While Phuket, Pattaya, and Bangkok remain key destinations, interest is expanding to Krabi, Kanchanaburi, Samui, and other emerging locations.

Use Yandex Ads to build geo-specific campaigns for Krabi, Kanchanaburi, and Surat Thani/Samui, combining destination search, video placements, and retargeting to reach CIS travelers earlier in the planning journey.

In travel, brand recognition and trust heavily influence which hotels make the final shortlist.

Use audience tools to focus on high‑value segments such as long stays and premium or family travelers.

Combine always‑on performance campaigns with periodic video or brand flights so Russian travelers recognise you when they compare prices.

Meet the team

Asia

Victoria Rossi Business Development Manager

Jennifer Bratakencana Agency Account Manager

Putri Luciana Kuswara Agency Partnership Development Manager

Thailand

Neha Dawar Business Development Manager

Nattapreeya Lertsirisampan Technical Account Manager

Winning the Russian and CIS Traveler

Unlock insights to attract more Russian & CIS travelers to Thailand

Winning the Russian
and CIS Traveler