Putin in Phuket? Thai PM invites Russian president for state visit

“I invited him to visit Thailand next year,” Srettha said on Wednesday.

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“President Putin likes Phuket, I understand he travels often,” the Thai prime minister said, referring to a Thai resort island.

According to a Thai government statement, Putin has accepted the invitation, but a date has yet to be set.

During the meeting with Srettha, Putin lamented a decline in bilateral trade due to a “turbulent international situation”, according to the TASS Russian news agency.

More than a million Russians visited tourism-dependent Thailand this year.

Thailand recently made changes to its visa arrangements to allow Russians to visit the kingdom for up to three months – an increase from 30 days.

Putin has also accepted an invitation from Vietnam’s President Vo Van Thuong to visit “soon”, according to a post on a Vietnamese government website.

Vietnam has always considered Russia one of its most important partners, Thuong said in a statement, adding Hanoi was looking to enhance its “comprehensive strategic partnership” with Russia.

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The leaders met during the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing and Putin also invited his Vietnamese counterpart to visit Russia at an appropriate time, according to the statement.

A representative of Russia’s embassy in Hanoi was not immediately available for comment.

Additional reporting by Bloomberg