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Russian tour operators have no intention to cancel trips to Thailand

The main tourist centers of the country are not flooded, even Bangkok is open to one-day trips

MOSCOW, October 26 (Itar-Tass) —— Russian tour operators are not going to cancel trips to floods-striken Thailand, as floods do not threaten the safety of tourists, the vice-president of the Russian Travel Industry Union, Yuri Barzykin, said on Wednesday.

"Today two local Bangkok airports suspended operations. The international airport operates in a normal mode,” he said on the radio station Vesti FM. "I was asked to emphasize this, because the reports several local airports have been closed, caused panic. It services both arrivals and departures. "

According to the vice-president of union, the RTIU is constantly monitoring the situation in the country, using information from the Russian Foreign Ministry, the embassy in Bangkok and major operators working on that route.

According Barzykin, the main tourist centers of the country are not flooded, even Bangkok is open to one-day trips.

In turn, the Russian Association of Tour Operators (RATO) has noted a decline in booked trips to Thailand.

On October 24 the Russian Foreign Ministry recommended Russians to consider carefully the feasibility of traveling to Thailand in view of floods.

Due to continuing rains since July two-thirds of the provinces of Thailand have been flooded. Experts say it is the most powerful flood over the past ten years. According to official figures, the flooding may last another four to six weeks.

According to Federal Tourism Agency, last year the country welcomed 233,113 Russians, almost 30 thousand more tourists than in 2009.