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A spate of other reported incidents this month – including engines developing suspected technical snags and a hoax bomb threat aboard a plane carrying 156 passengers from Phuket to Delhi – could worsen matters.

There was no trace of him until 2023 when officers used specialist software to search for any possible images of him online and found a man using the name Peter Smith, in Phuket, Thailand.

“Before, Phuket was not as messy as this,” Thepbumrung said.

PHUKET, Thailand — For many years, Chinese tourism fueled the economy of this island paradise, known for its tropical weather, stunning sunsets and foreign-friendly accommodations.

But with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago, Thailand’s Phuket Island is transforming into a different kind of getaway: a refuge for Russians fleeing military conscription, political oppression and the economic impact of Western sanctions.