Russian Teacher Detained in Thailand After Dismissal for Lateness, Awaits Deportation

Overview

• The detainee was identified as Sergey Litvinenko from Blagoveshchensk, who taught English and physical education at a Thai school.
• He was reportedly fired for repeated lateness, which voided his employer-sponsored work visa and left him undocumented under Thai immigration rules.
• Russian volunteers located him in local police custody, relayed his personal details to relatives, and passed information to the Russian consulate in Thailand.
• He is expected to be moved to Bangkok’s International Detention Center for deportation processing, after which relatives could arrange a return flight to Russia.
• Russia’s Foreign Ministry office in Blagoveshchensk said it has received no official notification, and reported claims about food and water in custody come from a volunteer and have not been independently confirmed.