PHUKET: Russian embassy officials sparked a meeting today aimed at improving the safety of tourists to Pattaya and Thailand.

Ironically, the meeting took place in Pattaya on the day a Russian tourist drowned at Patong beach on Phuket.

Among the issues raised by Russian Consul Andrey V. Dvornikov with local officials, business investors and tour operators were the confiscation of passports by police, rip-offs and thefts from resort rooms.

Russian businesspeople often encountered people posing as Thai government officials who demanded cash, he said.

''There has been a lack of clear answers and solutions from the Thai government,'' he said.

The idea of using the Royal Thai Navy to help with security had been suggested to the Thai government 10 years ago but never acted upon, Mr Dvornikov said.

''Instead of taking passports, which are the property of the Russian Government, police should hold credit cards as security,'' he added.

Deputy Pattaya Mayor Ronnakit Eakkasin said the local administration continued to try to deal with the issues, especially jet-ski rip-offs.

Hundreds of security cameras had been installed. Russians remained the most significant national group to visit Pattaya, he said.

On Phuket, the issuing of low-cost travel insurance to Russian visitors that specifies the compulsory use of public hospitals rather than private hospitals adds to the pressure on Phuket's overloaded public facilities.

Bus and mini-van drivers working for one specific Russian brand have become notorious for putting others at risk on the roads.