PHUKET, Thailand, November 26. /TASS/. The project of introducing cards of the Russian Mir payment system in Thailand remains on the agenda, Russian ambassador to Thailand Yevgeny Tomikhin said in a conversation with a TASS correspondent on the sidelines of the Russian-Thai Investment Forum.

"I believe this project remains on the agenda, especially since it was at a high level of readiness and had practically reached the testing stage, but then COVID happened, and tourism practically fell to zero. Since this project was at a high level of readiness and was of interest to both our Thai friends and the Russian side, I certainly hope that the time will come when they will return to the idea of introducing Mir cards, and perhaps come up with other, more modern digital platforms or other payment options. But in my opinion, the project remains on the agenda," he said.

Earlier, Russian Deputy Industry and Trade Minister Alexey Gruzdev who is participating in the Phuket business exhibition, making cashless payments in Thailand accessible for Russians by using their national bank cards is becoming more and more relevant considering the country's growing popularity among both Russian tourists and businesses.

According to him, "consultations with regulators and the interest of Thai commercial banks are needed" to make cashless payments accessible to Russians in Thailand.

The Russian-Thai Investment Forum has kicked off in the Thai island province of Phuket and will run until November 28. It is expected to facilitate the establishment of long-term business ties between Russian and Thai companies. Representatives of 200 Russian and Thai companies are attending the event.