Greater efforts should be made to predict natural disasters, Russian President Vladimir Putin urged on Monday following the devastating earthquake and tsunamis that struck South and South East Asia on Sunday and have left over 22,000 people dead and millions of others affected.

"Work concerning the forecasting of and timely reaction to suchevents needs to be resumed to avoid an aftermath of such proportions," Putin instructed Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Shoigu in the Kremlin, the Interfax news agency reported.

Putin also ordered the minister to get prepared to provide immediate medical aid and evacuation to Russian citizens in the disaster zone in Asia.

Shoigu said that there are about 1,600 Russian people in Thailand and the ministry has worked out a plan to evacuate survivors back home, Itar-Tass reported.

There have been no reports about any death of Russian citizens in the earthquake and tidal waves in Asia, Foreign Minister SergeiLavrov said Monday, adding that only eight people have asked for medical aid and a woman remains in a local hospital with minor injuries.

The Russian Federal Tourism Agency has issued an official statement recommending that Russians refrain from visiting Asian regions hit by the deadly natural disasters and the Foreign Ministry is expected to make a similar call soon, according to Interfax.

However, Russian tourists still wish to visit Southeast Asia despite the catastrophe.

"Oddly, charter flight tickets to Phuket in Thailand, which is scheduled for Tuesday, are being sold," Irina Tyurina, press secretary of the Russian Association of Tourist Agencies, said Monday.