Reply With QuoteAs a UK national (or even if I was a dual-national) I wouldn't consider entering Russia. In your friend's situation I would politely decline. Russia undoubtedly has a great deal of history and culture but I'll never see it.
No politics please, there's the BP for that. Long story short, a bunch of ex schoolmates in Thailand are visiting Moscow and St Petersburg seeing the sights, ballet etc etc. All are entering using Thai passports flying from Thailand to Moscow.
Another Thai ex schoolfriend plans to join up also, she lives in the UK and has UK nationality as well as Thai. The entry point would be via Istanbul.
If she entered Russia on a Thai passport, is there likely to be an issue that she also has UK citizenship (the Russian visa form does ask if the visitor holds other nationalities?). Thailand maintains good relations with Russia but obviously the UK does not.
Edited to add these are not my ex schoolmates, I mean people who went to school together in Thailand. And the UK based Thai isn't my wife in case anyone asks!
Last edited by ryanb741; 31st December 2023 at 20:59.
As a UK national (or even if I was a dual-national) I wouldn't consider entering Russia. In your friend's situation I would politely decline. Russia undoubtedly has a great deal of history and culture but I'll never see it.
F that for a game of soldiers
Thanks, this is what I thought too. The risks of being detained on some kind of trumped up charges and held as a political pawn are just too high.Originally Posted by Skier
As with many things in life - it all goes great....... until it doesn't.
What does travel insurance look like? That's usually a good litmus of the situation.
I went to St Petersburg a long, long time ago (it was Leningrad when I was there) and have always wanted to go back. The fact that Putin's war means that's highly unlikely obviously pales into insignificance compared to the murder, rape and terror being suffered by Ukraine at the moment but I'm still hacked off about it.
(I'd love to see Odessa too but I can't see that being a good combination trip right now)
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/russia
- - - Updated - - -
I think most standard travel insurance is void because it’s against FCO advice to travel to Russia.
Seriously Ryan, you don't half spout some utter shite. People visiting Russia on a jolly? So depressing on so many levels
Last edited by Onelasttime; 31st December 2023 at 21:41.
Maybe the case of Nazarin Ratcliffe (also a dual national) should tell you enough about the exposure a UK passport would bring, especially as the UK bowls for the other side and is one of the main contributors to the war effort.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Suicidal.
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
I would crack on.
Let us know how it goes…
Seriously I am surprised the question needed to be asked.
I'm kinda curious to know how badly this would go, please could you encourage them to forge ahead?
When Russians themselves are trying to get out I think anyone who goes there is just plain stupid.
You dont have to be guilty,they dont even have to think you are guilty to make your life a misery.
Whatever passport you have go elsewhere,they most certainley are not going to say no politics.
This old dear is the only one with her head screwed on tight.
Has she tested positive for Covid 19?
No amount of money could convince me to go to Russia. Mad to even consider it on a UK passport.
I am not sure I would go with a diplomatic passport
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Sums it up nicely.
I would not go under any circumstances!
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
What do you think?If she entered Russia on a Thai passport, is there likely to be an issue that she also has UK citizenship (the Russian visa form does ask if the visitor holds other nationalities?)
Attention seeking nonsense.
Jolly good idea.
Get them a membership on TZ-UK first, so they can post daily how it goes.
Someone who lies about the little things will lie about the big things too.
An old boss of mine has travelled twice in the last six months. All in the name of love.
I think he is crazy but he has managed to get in and out of Moscow without a hitch (excuse the pun).
Lets hope its not a honey trap.
^ BBC version ftw.
+100%
(Still doesn't beat the book though.)
Glad we went in 2018 to St Petersburg awe inspiring place, the two days we spent there were fantastic. Just no way would I contemplate going now, what ever passport I held. I bet every foreign national is a suspect.
Yes but do you know how to drive to Scotland (and back) in a car from London?!
Electric or ICE?
Let alone the personal danger, with what those Russkies are up to I wouldn't contemplate giving them a copper coin.
Cheers,
Neil.
I’ve been before and had an admiration for the place and it’s people before the invasion of Ukraine.
Sadly I’ve now lost that and would never even consider visiting again while Putin is in charge of giving them a brass farthing.
So clever my foot fell off.
^ these point to an important additional consideration; separate from the personal safety consideration, there is, or should be, a moral consideration: what does one wish one’s holiday spending to finance.
Not Russia but similar, my mate is married to a Belarusian and is there for Christmas. No issues so far as I know travelling on a British Passport.
So travelling on a Thai pp probably no issues
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Last edited by xxnick1975; 1st January 2024 at 18:37.
Genius.
Someone who lies about the little things will lie about the big things too.
No travel insurance (unless specialist cover of type for journos in conflict areas) it appears.
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/belarus/health
Could go further than ones holibobs spend even.
You are most definitely not Simon Calder with a tip like that.
He's has been making the trip for the last 25 years and has a few stories to tell. I guess it's one of those where you become a bit blase about it.
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Pmsl!
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Let’s ignore the HUGE ethical issues of travelling to Russia. If the FCO is advising against travel to Russia, then that’s a good enough indication to not go because a) Travel insurance will be impossible to get; b) If it does goes tits up you will get limited support from the UK Government.
Personally, I think these ‘friends’ are fucking stupid to even consider a trip. Maybe something a little closer to home like North Korea may be more acceptable!
You CAN get insurance cover (Battle-something springs to mind as one) - I looked up their T&C a few years ago when covid was curtailing travel insurance..... out of curiousity.
So specialist then and no doubt much more expensive than M&S travel insurance or any other normal provider.
Even if you wish to go that route I think my comment still stands. It’s a fucking stupid thing to do especially against FCO advice
Oh - for sure! Not for me either.
Agree completely. It doesn't help that my old boss is such a fool when it comes to affairs of the heart.
I hope nothing bad happens and it is cause for concern but he seems set on the idea of carrying on with this filly folly!
Crazy.
I’ve got a friend in a similar position. He met a Russian girl online in 2018 and moved out there in 2019 and married her. His visa ran out again about 8 months ago so he had to return to the UK and has only just got the visa renewed. He flew back to Moscow on Saturday just gone.
He told me today that Moscow is just as wonderful as ever, he can’t see much that’s changed since the war started, and thinks it’s all a fuss over nothing.
I’m quite amazed tbh. Love has blinded him, maybe.
Dom Joly (of Trigger Happy TV fame) went on holiday to North Korea - among other unusual destinations - and wrote about it in The Dark Tourist: Sightseeing in the World's Most Unlikely Holiday Destinations. Very readable book.
Coincidentally, I was talking to a cousin of mine today. Her first degree was Russian and she has previously visited Russia on a number of occasions. She would not consider going there at the moment...
You really think these friends exist and it was a genuine thread?
It would be a very strange scenario to simply invent and for what reason?
So clever my foot fell off.
So why do it, seriously?.
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
The guy has form for threads which are too stupid to be true along with 100 items on SC which are listed and miraculously sold within 0.002 seconds.
I’ve been in a chat with him a long time ago where he bragged he was going to list something on SC for a stupid high price just to set off people too stupid to see it for what it was. He then listed some kind of special edition dial artist G Shock and a bunch of people fell for it.
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