PATTAYA, THAILAND. Russian men in Pattaya have become a visible part of the city’s nightlife economy, with some young arrivals working as male dancers and escorts after leaving home to avoid the war in Ukraine and the risk of military conscription.
A report by The Sun described the experiences of Russian men who moved to Thailand and found work in Pattaya’s adult entertainment scene. Among those interviewed were Sam, 23, from Moscow, and Ilya, 25, from St Petersburg. Both said they left Russia because of the war and the possibility of being called up.
For them, Pattaya offers distance from that uncertainty and a way to earn money in one of Thailand’s busiest nightlife destinations.
Russian men in Pattaya working in the sex industry
Sam works as a pole dancer at Big Tool, a male entertainment venue on Walking Street. He told The Sun he had been in Thailand only a few weeks and preferred life in Pattaya to returning to Russia.
He said people his age at home fear being sent to fight, while he now has more freedom and a different lifestyle. The report said he had also buried friends and relatives during the war.
His colleague Ilya was more direct about escort work. According to The Sun, he works six days a week and charges 10,000 baht for a hotel visit — about £223 at the time of the report. The venue stays open into the early hours and employs male and female performers, attracting both male and female customers.
Commercial sex remains illegal in Thailand, even though adult venues are a prominent part of Pattaya’s night-time economy.
Why Russian men in Pattaya say they will not go home
Russia has seen a large outflow of citizens since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. The risk of another mobilisation still worries some young men, even though the Kremlin has dismissed rumours of an imminent new call-up.
Moscow ordered a partial mobilisation in September 2022, bringing around 300,000 reservists into service. That decision triggered a wave of departures. For men who fear being drafted, staying abroad is a way to avoid an uncertain return.
Ilya told The Sun he believed he would have to join the army if he went back to Russia. His decision to remain in Thailand fits a wider pattern among Russians who have built new lives overseas since the war began.
Thailand’s growing Russian community, from Phuket to Pattaya
Thailand has become a major destination for Russians spending long periods outside their home country. Phuket has attracted especially large numbers. The Sun cited Phuket airport figures of 233,000 Russian arrivals in a four-month period shortly after the war began. Russians became the largest visitor group in that stretch and helped drive demand for property and Russian-language services.
Pattaya has developed its own Russian-speaking community. Russian restaurants, businesses, travel agencies and property services are now common in parts of the city. The arrival of Russian men in Pattaya’s nightlife industry is another sign of how the city’s foreign population is changing.
Pattaya as an escape — and a workplace
Pattaya has long drawn foreigners looking for work, entertainment and a different pace of life. Its nightlife ranges from beer bars and nightclubs to adult venues aimed at international customers. Male entertainment is now part of that scene.
The stories of Sam and Ilya show how that industry can absorb foreign workers who did not come to Thailand as ordinary holidaymakers. For some, the draw is income. For others, it is the chance to stay outside Russia while the war continues.
From potential conscripts to Pattaya entertainers
The war’s effects are not limited to the battlefield. They also shape where people live, how they earn money and what they decide about the future.
For young men worried about military service, moving abroad is one alternative. For Pattaya, their arrival adds another group to an already mixed foreign workforce.
Sam put his choice bluntly to The Sun: rather than return to Russia and risk military service, he would rather stay in Pattaya and keep working in the city’s nightlife industry.
For now, Pattaya gives these Russian men distance from the war and a way to make a living. Whether they stay in Thailand for good will depend in part on what happens next in Russia and Ukraine.
