«Thai Means Die»: Why Tourists Go Missing in Thailand

News about missing Russian tourists in Thailand often appears in the media and social networks. Vacationing Russians from various regions lose their documents, fall under someone else«s influence, and some even end up in slavery.

Getting out of such a situation can be not just difficult, but impossible without outside help, and public figures have to be involved. One of the most well-known volunteers searching for missing Russians is Svetlana Sherstoboeva, a native of Omsk who has lived in Thailand for over 13 years and runs the group «Pattaya from A to Z» on Facebook (owned by Meta Inc., whose activities are recognized as extremist and banned in the Russian Federation) and Telegram.

She has covered high-profile situations such as the death of a Vladivostok official in Thailand and the disappearance of Erika V., who left her daughter in a hotel, as well as searching for the relatives of a sailor who lost his memory, and information about Daria, a veterinarian from Artyom who stopped getting in touch.

Our colleagues from VLADIVOSTOK1.RU spoke with Svetlana Sherstoboeva to find out how she got into volunteer work, what the most horrifying situations she encountered, and what Russians planning to go to Thailand need to know.

«No Country Has Captured My Heart Like Thailand»

Svetlana Sherstoboeva was born in Omsk and spent her childhood in Berdsk, Novosibirsk Oblast, where she also finished school. Later she enrolled in the journalism faculty at the Kishinev State University of the Moldavian SSR, but transferred to Tomsk State University, and it was in that city that she developed as a journalist.

Her move to Thailand is a separate story, reminiscent of a TV series script. In 2012, she quit her job, faced personal problems, and moved from Tomsk to Novosibirsk.

«In Tomsk I worked as editor-in-chief and startupper for «Rossiya 24. Tomsk.» I headed the channel, but for some political reasons there was no place for me there, and I moved to Novosibirsk to a wonderful position at GTRK. There I was also an editor. I sold my apartment in Tomsk and bought an apartment in Novosibirsk,» Svetlana said.

She met her current husband, Alexander, completely by chance. He turned out to be the building manager of the house she moved into, and she approached him because she wanted to install a garage.

The structure didn«t stand long: soon city officials appeared and sealed it, and then Svetlana turned to Alexander again. On April 21, 2012, he invited her to his dacha to discuss everything and spend the evening together, and by November 14 they were married and a week later went on their honeymoon to that very Thailand.

— Why did you decide to fly to Thailand specifically? Had you been to other countries before?

— At that time I had visited many countries, both on business trips and on vacation, but no country captured my heart like Thailand. I didn«t want to live in any other country, and my husband was there for the first time. We went there and stayed.

We sold our apartments, cars, bought a house here and started a new life.

— There«s an interesting contrast: you»re a Siberian, from a cold place. Why did a country with the opposite climate affect you so much?

— That«s exactly why it affected me. Probably there are no such wonderful countries with a comfortable climate and year-round summer. You can swim all the time here, and I love swimming with flippers, I love snorkeling. There was no acclimatization, we immediately started enjoying it.

— Do you live in Bangkok?

— No, we didn«t consider the capital because you can»t swim there. We live in Pattaya.

«I Started a Blog, and People Began to Ask for Help»

— How did you get into volunteer work? Did you have any experience?

— Since I was in journalism my whole life, after moving I started a group, something like a blog. I already knew Thai by then, and at first there were small requests, such as helping to get a deposit back.

Then came the first big task we solved — finding a mother for a girl named Siam with Thai roots, who took part in the show «You»re Super! Dancing« (6+) on the NTV channel. The girl was 15 years old and had always wanted to find her biological mother, but all she had was her birth certificate issued at a Bangkok maternity hospital. It wasn»t even a certificate, but a worn-out old piece of paper.

Taking that paper and setting out on the search, I found her Thai mother, who was in Sweden at the time. After that, I think people began to understand that if I could handle such a task, they could come to me.

Now we have a lot of lost people, we can«t even identify them by names and give them nicknames.

— You mentioned in your publications that your husband worked in law enforcement.

— Yes, he was in operational work and state security, and I worked in the investigations department, as an editor. We worked at a newspaper, investigated, found things, but of course, it wasn«t even close to the kind of work I do now.

— Does your husband«s work experience come in handy in the search for missing people?

— We do everything together, hold brainstorming sessions when we hit a dead end. We think about where to go next, although sometimes there«s nowhere to go. Unfortunately, there is one person we still haven»t found, and we don«t know where he is. It»s assumed he«s no longer in Thailand, because any person leaves traces, and he hasn»t been found.

— So your husband takes a full part in the searches?

— Yes. The only thing is, if a trip to Bangkok is required, my husband doesn«t like going there and searching. Then I take a taxi and go. If I need advice or don»t know what to do, I call him on the phone, we quickly discuss it and develop a further plan.

Svetlana and her husband periodically return to Russia; for example, they participated in one of the latest episodes of «Let Them Talk» (16+), dedicated to Russians who escaped slavery.

«No Two Searches Are Alike»

— What do you do first when you learn about a missing Russian tourist? What«s the action plan?

— No two searches are alike. In one case, it«s known where the person was, in another — there is no information at all, so there is no algorithm of actions, each time it»s a new scheme. I give the missing person«s relatives the consulate email address so they can write a letter, but the consulate doesn»t conduct search operations, they don«t have a team. The police also don»t accept reports without the relatives being present in person, so the only way to find the person is probably through me.

Every month there are more volunteers in other cities. Translators appear, but their work must be paid, and relatives must pay if a person goes to the police. Sometimes there are cases where I personally ask or pay for services.

— Speaking of which. In your publications, you sometimes mention that you can pay for flights, legal expenses free of charge. Where do you get the money?

— We have a small fund that I can manage, but I have to report to readers. If we need to buy a ticket for citizen Ivanova, who is in a deportation center, but she has no relatives, we announce a fundraiser. People can send 100,000 rubles (about $1,100 at current rates), and the ticket costs 83,000 rubles (about $900). That 17,000 rubles (about $190) we don«t give to the person, we keep it in the fund. Basically, these funds are collected from leftovers; we call it »the rescue piggy bank«.

— What does it depend on whether you will help a person financially or not?

— If the person has relatives, we don«t take money from the fund. Because of this, it seems strange to some when a person is behind bars and I start asking where his mom and dad work. We cross-examine the parents to understand if they can buy a ticket or not. It»s very hard to deceive us; we look into social media and use other verification methods.

— Have there been cases when someone tried to deceive you?

— No, I don«t recall any. Usually, if a person has money, they buy a ticket without a word.

— How do people react to free help? Have any seen it as a trick or tried to return the money?

— Very rarely do people return the money. Usually, people who end up in such a situation and have no family and no ability to take a loan are troubled individuals. They were troubled and remain troubled. We got them out of jail, they came to Russia, but their situation didn«t improve. Some say: »Lend me money«, but we don»t lend, we give it for good. If the person then has the opportunity, they return it.

— But you never asked for the money back?

— Many, when they leave, disappear altogether. Would we run after them demanding money? We have better things to do. It«s charity money.

— Are there people you won«t help financially?

— We have a rule: we don«t spend money on drug addicts and alcoholics under any circumstances.

— Is that about those who have long-standing addictions, or does it also apply if an unwary tourist was dragged into something?

— «Drag an unwary tourist into it» — that«s not something we have. I»m not going to check cameras to see if a person was dragged into drugs or used them himself. It«s impossible to find out.

— But you would provide informational support?

— Yes, we also search for relatives, friends. For example, we had a girl in Phuket who was acting crazy under drugs, but I found both her grandmother and friends. They are worried, ready to buy her a ticket. That kind of help — yes, financial help — no.

— You have a large group on Facebook (owned by Meta Inc., whose activities are recognized as extremist and banned in the Russian Federation). Has it become harder to communicate with people, find relatives after the social network was blocked in Russia?

— I don«t experience much difficulty. I have Max, and even if parents don»t have it, they can call me from Russia. It«s a paid call, but if a child is missing, no expense is spared, I suppose.

«Nine Out of Ten Relatives Are Dissatisfied»

— Have there been people who behaved strangely or even ungratefully after being rescued?

— Yes. The most ungrateful lately are the friends of veterinarian Daria from Artyom. She responded on the same day I made the post, but they thought it was just a coincidence. They tried to persuade me not to write that she was found. I didn«t do that, and I wrote when she was found and under what circumstances. After that, they got offended and stopped communicating with me, but they used all the contacts they got from me to bring her out.

There«s a very strange case now. I can»t say it«s ingratitude, but a request came to my group about a missing girl; her mother is looking for her. I got the mother»s phone number, we talked — it turned out the daughter went missing six months ago under strange circumstances. I say: «Listen, your daughter has been missing for six months, no word from her, and you haven»t written to the consulate, taken any action.«

I wrote everything she needed to do: send a full-length photo, face, etc. Usually, when a child disappears, parents send this information within 3–5 minutes, but after that she stopped answering the phone and didn«t send anything. I have two options: either something happened to the mother, or there»s some dark story and she doesn«t want to expose her daughter, but without publicity it»s impossible to find the person. I can«t run all over Thailand; it»s a huge country.

But of course, I worry about both the girl and the mother. We often have situations where the stress of what their children do causes their mothers to have strokes. One time they wanted to turn the plane around because a mother had a stroke on board. Another ended up in the hospital when her son was in a hopeless situation: he needed blood, and there was none. She was so worried she ended up in the next ward.

There was also a girl who was admitted to hospital and forgot who she was. We found her first and last name, relatives, but when she recovered and flew home, she immediately ended up at her mother«s funeral: her mother couldn»t handle the stress.

—Were there moments when you wanted to give up what you do? Perhaps because of such cases?

— Probably not. My whole life is in journalism, although there have been court cases and dissatisfied people, but we have a tough skin and healthy irony about everything. Everything I do, I don«t do with a serious face and a sense of special importance. I find a way to laugh at the situation, it relaxes me and prevents me from getting too deep into it.

— Speaking of humor. In your groups, indeed, the posts are not dry search announcements, but whole stories, sometimes seasoned with irony and sarcasm. How do people react? Are there many dissatisfied?

— Probably nine out of ten relatives are dissatisfied with my style. They think I should, like «Lisa Alert», publish a photo, height, weight, and that«s it. Who will search for people based on those tiny ads without knowing the story? There was a situation where two very similar cases occurred: two different groups of girls and boys said they were going to one country but went to another — and disappeared. Even Sasha and I couldn»t tell them apart, so what would a reader understand?

We call it the «theory of paired cases», when similar situations happen to different people, and it happens quite often.

— And how do people react if some discrediting information about their loved ones emerges? For example, about drug use?

— I can say that if we are looking for an alcoholic, we should look near liquor stores. If it«s a drug addict, we should look near cannabis shops. So I»m not going to hide this information; no pleas that I shouldn«t write something affect me. I will do what needs to be done to find the person.

— Are there people with whom, on the contrary, you still have a good relationship, are friends?

— Yes, there are people who have become our friends. Just a week ago, Alexander and I spoke again with some crazy mother, it surprised us, but later I called another woman who buried her son in Thailand, and I told her: «You are the best mother we have.»

«No Other Country Has So Many Missing People»

— Many discuss the stories you cover on various forums and social networks. Some users admit they have become cautious about vacationing in Thailand because they have the impression that it«s dangerous there. Is that really the case, or is Thailand being demonized, is that impression wrong?

— Thailand is not being demonized. I think no other country has as many missing people as here, but thank God they are found.

— What is that linked to?

— I think it«s linked to the legalization of marijuana. People not only go missing but also end up in psychiatric hospitals. Clinics are already overcrowded, it»s very hard for a farang to get in there.

Farang is a word used in Thailand, Laos, and some other Asian countries to refer to white tourists and foreigners of European origin.

— What should a tourist do to stay safe in Thailand? How to prepare properly?

— You must definitely get medical insurance, and if you plan to ride a motorbike or a jetski, you must get an extension with extreme sports coverage. Then, if you get into trouble, everything will be paid for. There«s also an alcohol extension: if you»re drunk, it«s also covered. It»s all more expensive, but you must get it.

Also, you need to know that if you have a negative blood type — first, second, third, or God forbid fourth — under no circumstances should you leave the big cities: Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket. You have a rare blood type, and if something happens, no one will find it. There«s no blood exchange fund in Thailand; you can»t donate blood in Bangkok and have it delivered to somewhere like Koh Samui.

— Can you describe a typical tourist in potential danger in Thailand? Perhaps it«s a girl who came alone?

— It«s men from 19 to 47 years old and women from roughly 20 to 38, often looking young. These are precisely the people who usually use mind-altering drugs. They end up in hospitals, tied by all limbs to the beds, rubbing their hands and feet down to the bone, or in police stations, naked and tied to the bars. It»s a common occurrence when a person undresses under the influence, and no one will dress them.

It«s all terrible, of course. I»ve seen it all personally, and these are powerful images that stay in your head for life. You realize these are your compatriots, someone«s children.

— If a person understands they are in danger but has a means of communication, what should they do?

— Such people don«t understand they are in danger. Parents should understand that if a child stops communicating with the usual frequency, starts distancing themselves, being rude, insolent, that could be a sign that they are going crazy from drugs.

Also, many parents don«t have a scanned copy of the passport, and we have to obtain them through various means. It doesn»t matter if the child is 20 or 43, there should be a passport copy.

— What is the most horrifying story you remember?

— The most horrifying story is about a well-off, I would even say rich couple. They came to Thailand to open a cannabis farm and shop, but while tasting, both got hooked.

They had a wonderful life, they looked great, rented luxury rooms, the man gave the girl 30,000–40,000 baht per night in the hotel, but one day she ended up in the hospital because she went crazy, did wild things. She was tied to the bed, no one visited her. I found her mother, and later her husband started visiting her. She needed to continue treatment, but he insisted on her discharge, and literally half an hour later she jumped from the 17th floor. Nothing was left of her.

Another resident of Vladivostok came to Pattaya on vacation, left his belongings, got a massage, and fell from the roof on the same day. He fell into a narrow well and got stuck. We still haven«t been able to retrieve his belongings, phone. I think we never will, too much time has passed.

There was another case. The common-law wife of a 60-year-old resident of Magadan contacted me. He went to Thailand and was supposed to return, but stopped getting in touch. I came to the airport and asked everyone who matched the description: «Are you Igor?» Then I asked one man, he confirmed it was him. He had been sitting for four days watching planes take off; someone had given him something to drink.

— Which regions of Russia do people go missing from most often?

— I can«t say, there»s no regional statistics.

Svetlana has also written and sells a book, «Thai Means Die», which she describes as an ironic thriller and a collection of romantic short stories based on real events, rooted in unhappy love for Thai women.

Other Travel

A well-known blogger named the top 5 places in Arkhangelsk Oblast. He believes they are not inferior to Finland and Sweden.

An atmospheric province with tasty kalaches: what to see in Kolomna.

«You have to go and take tents»: a resident of Pomorye told what attracts in Kenozerye.

Where to go in summer? To Kudykina Gora! A resident of Arkhangelsk told about her trip to this fairy tale.

A resident of Arkhangelsk spent her vacation in South Korea: the northerner observed ordinary city life in Seoul, visited the resort city of Busan, and even saw idols — local stars.

Another northerner recently traveled to Japan and spent three weeks in that country.