News Forum - Mask rules enforcement starts with campaigns in Bangla and Phuket Town

[Thaiger]

Strong punishment is written into the laws for violating Covid-19 rules laid out in the Emergency Decree and the Communicable Diseases Act, but they have rarely been enforced. So when it was announced that Phuket Police would be cracking down on foreigners not wearing masks, many questioned whether any action would be taken. But last night, police began enforcing the mask rules on the popular tourist street Bangla Road and around Phuket Town. Health officers, and other officers from Patong municipality and the Patong Police, along with the special appearance from the Mayor of Patong and the Vice Governor of […]

The story Mask rules enforcement starts with campaigns in Bangla and Phuket Town as seen on Thaiger News.

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[FTF020]

Quote

 to speak with tourists and local residents about the importance of wearing a mask.

Don't they know these people already been having that same conversation on the Thaiger forums for months! You're not going to change their minds! :D

[vlad]

As long as the locals are included as well as Tourist's.

[Rob2010]

Leaving aside the efficacy debate my experience over the past week in Phuket town is that the issue of non-compliance is almost entirely down to foreign tourists. 

My hotel has a co-working hub with probably dozens of people occupying space daily. The majority are farang as opposed to Asian and the overwhelming majority of the former do not cover up despite large poster requests from the hotel to do so which I think is just plain rude, aside from anything else.

As a kid and when first travelling my parents, like most I knew, drummed into me the old phrase "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" and I have found that to be rock solid advice during a work life spent travelling, as well as when out and about on hols.

I know I am (over) generalising but the problems I see here mirror closely those i see in the U.K. in terms of general behaviour and voluntary compliance to rules and regulations in so far as they tend to occur within two broad groups : firstly the stupid, boorish and ignorant, and secondly a section of the young who feel both entitled and that the world should live as they do.

On Thursday at the Jungceylon Swab Centre in Patong a guy, probably in his twenties, strolled straight past those of us sat waiting with our numbered tickets for the 5 day PCR test and tried to get done without registering and queueing. Not only was he maskless but he was smoking - one of those occasions where I prayed i could be thirty years younger just long enough to punch his lights out. Unfortunately if i tried it now i would only fall over and likely be beaten with my own stick.

 

[Lowseasonlover]

28 minutes ago, Rob2010 said:

Leaving aside the efficacy debate my experience over the past week in Phuket town is that the issue of non-compliance is almost entirely down to foreign tourists. 

My hotel has a co-working hub with probably dozens of people occupying space daily. The majority are farang as opposed to Asian and the overwhelming majority of the former do not cover up despite large poster requests from the hotel to do so which I think is just plain rude, aside from anything else.

As a kid and when first travelling my parents, like most I knew, drummed into me the old phrase "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" and I have found that to be rock solid advice during a work life spent travelling, as well as when out and about on hols.

I know I am (over) generalising but the problems I see here mirror closely those i see in the U.K. in terms of general behaviour and voluntary compliance to rules and regulations in so far as they tend to occur within two broad groups : firstly the stupid, boorish and ignorant, and secondly a section of the young who feel both entitled and that the world should live as they do.

On Thursday at the Jungceylon Swab Centre in Patong a guy, probably in his twenties, strolled straight past those of us sat waiting with our numbered tickets for the 5 day PCR test and tried to get done without registering and queueing. Not only was he maskless but he was smoking - one of those occasions where I prayed i could be thirty years younger just long enough to punch his lights out. Unfortunately if i tried it now i would only fall over and likely be beaten with my own stick.

In the last couple of weeks I have been to a friend of mine condo here in Rawai and judging by the amount of cars and bikes parked there it seems pretty full, none of the farang's are wearing mask I did notice the other day some of the staff not wearing especially the cleaning ladies on the floor I needed to go to, 

[Rookiescot]

38 minutes ago, Rob2010 said:

firstly the stupid, boorish and ignorant, and secondly a section of the young who feel both entitled and that the world should live as they do

They believe their "rights" are more important than their "obligations". 

[Freeduhdumb]

Well things have really gone from not so good, to very bad...

First it is a more onerous "Test & Go" scheme, and now criminally prosecuting tourists for lowering your mask and/or not providing your home test kit positive results; sounds like steps a tyrannical regime would do... it's not going to fair well for tourism numbers. I think one doesn't have to make a leap of faith that the 8 million tourists TAT has prophesized will becoming true anytime soon. I wonder, do the "well heeled" tourists also get criminally prosecuted for mask and/or covid test reporting requirements? I really do feel sorry for those that WERE relying on tourist revenues for their survival. 

[Vince]

4 hours ago, Thaiger said:

Strong punishment is written into the laws for violating Covid-19 rules laid out in the Emergency Decree and the Communicable Diseases Act, but they have rarely been enforced. So when it was announced that Phuket Police would be cracking down on foreigners not wearing masks, many questioned whether any action would be taken. But last night, police began enforcing the mask rules on the popular tourist street Bangla Road and around Phuket Town. Health officers, and other officers from Patong municipality and the Patong Police, along with the special appearance from the Mayor of Patong and the Vice Governor of […]

The story Mask rules enforcement starts with campaigns in Bangla and Phuket Town as seen on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

This is great news. 

I have seen stories for months about foreigners being seen as mask law flouters. 

When a guest in someone else's country following local norms, and etiquette - as well as laws - are just good common sense. 

Providing "awareness" with verbal reminders is amazingly courteous. 

I hope tourists provide a good role model for compliance with the law.

Wearing a mask is just respectful.

 

 

[Bike]

And Thai people? I see a lot in Hua Hin not wearing a mask. Just like not wearing helmets. Not stop for red traffic lights. Etc.

[Artemis080]

1 hour ago, Rob2010 said:

Leaving aside the efficacy debate my experience over the past week in Phuket town is that the issue of non-compliance is almost entirely down to foreign tourists. 

Agree 100%. Over the pandemic, Phuket residents have been generally very compliant with mask wearing, temp checks etc. Of course, it's not perfect.

Then the tourists started coming back, which for a large percentage, it's apparently just beneath them to care about our community. I get it, you're on holiday, but it's still a pandemic and your choice to be arrogant. 

 

 

[Grumpish]

Pretty  much the same in the UK,  notices everywhere - public transport,  shops, supermarkets - that masks are mandatory (they are not mandatory outdoors), and maybe less than 50% of people actually doing so. It doesn't seem to be any particular group though - and I  have seen people react very aggressively when challenged, as well

[Lowseasonlover]

16 minutes ago, Artemis080 said:

Agree 100%. Over the pandemic, Phuket residents have been generally very compliant with mask wearing, temp checks etc. Of course, it's not perfect.

Then the tourists started coming back, which for a large percentage, it's apparently just beneath them to care about our community. I get it, you're on holiday, but it's still a pandemic and your choice to be arrogant. 

I live in Phuket it's the tourist who are not playing the game

[Vince]

27 minutes ago, Bike said:

And Thai people? I see a lot in Hua Hin not wearing a mask. Just like not wearing helmets. Not stop for red traffic lights. Etc

 

You don't have to wait for others to do the right thing first.

[steve860]

1 hour ago, Rob2010 said:

Leaving aside the efficacy debate my experience over the past week in Phuket town is that the issue of non-compliance is almost entirely down to foreign tourists. 

My hotel has a co-working hub with probably dozens of people occupying space daily. The majority are farang as opposed to Asian and the overwhelming majority of the former do not cover up despite large poster requests from the hotel to do so which I think is just plain rude, aside from anything else.

As a kid and when first travelling my parents, like most I knew, drummed into me the old phrase "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" and I have found that to be rock solid advice during a work life spent travelling, as well as when out and about on hols.

I know I am (over) generalising but the problems I see here mirror closely those i see in the U.K. in terms of general behaviour and voluntary compliance to rules and regulations in so far as they tend to occur within two broad groups : firstly the stupid, boorish and ignorant, and secondly a section of the young who feel both entitled and that the world should live as they do.

On Thursday at the Jungceylon Swab Centre in Patong a guy, probably in his twenties, strolled straight past those of us sat waiting with our numbered tickets for the 5 day PCR test and tried to get done without registering and queueing. Not only was he maskless but he was smoking - one of those occasions where I prayed i could be thirty years younger just long enough to punch his lights out. Unfortunately if i tried it now i would only fall over and likely be beaten with my own stick.

Then it's up to the hotel management in the co working area to tell knob heads to put a mask on. But, of course not won't. 

[steve860]

26 minutes ago, Grumpish said:

Pretty  much the same in the UK,  notices everywhere - public transport,  shops, supermarkets - that masks are mandatory (they are not mandatory outdoors), and maybe less than 50% of people actually doing so. It doesn't seem to be any particular group though - and I  have seen people react very aggressively when challenged, as well

Apparently that all ends next week, about time.

Edited January 22, 2022 by steve860

[Grumpish]

 

4 minutes ago, steve860 said:

So its mandatory to wear a mask in a supermarket in the U.K.?

It is, it was re-introduced a couple of months back.

[Cabra]

Such a easy problem to solve... Stop talking, stop announcing what you plan to do, don't waste time asking foreign consulate to warn it's citizens... Just issue 1000 baht fines on the spot. In 3 days everyone will have mask up. Plus the revenue boost from these fines can fund a nice party for the hard working police

 

[Fundok]

5 hours ago, Thaiger said:

Strong punishment is written into the laws for violating Covid-19 rules laid out in the Emergency Decree and the Communicable Diseases Act, but they have rarely been enforced. So when it was announced that Phuket Police would be cracking down on foreigners not wearing masks, many questioned whether any action would be taken. But last night, police began enforcing the mask rules on the popular tourist street Bangla Road and around Phuket Town. Health officers, and other officers from Patong municipality and the Patong Police, along with the special appearance from the Mayor of Patong and the Vice Governor of […]

The story Mask rules enforcement starts with campaigns in Bangla and Phuket Town as seen on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

It does make sense to control and enforce the wearing of masks in the public if and when people are close by densely such as in venues as Bangla road. When walking by myself on the road with ample space between me and other pedestrians wearing a mask doesn't make any sense in my eyes. 

Plus, something I noticed: the masks used in TH are predominantly not so-called "FFP 2"-masks which filter 94% of the aerosols, but typically just plain face masks which much less filtering capacity. And not everyone wears the mask properly covering both the mouth and the nose. But w/o using a FFP2-mask properly, the protection is compromised substantially. So long story short, I do question the obligation to wear masks everywhere in the public as administered by the authorities. Instead, my recommendation is to designate certain "must wear FFP2- masks here"-areas such as Bangla road and strictly enforce that, including wearing the mask properly.

[Paco]

1000 baht fine is not much, I so far (knock that one off) did not see anyone not wearing a mask.. would surprise me if I see one and yes I guess it will be a foreigner

[Artemis080]

1 hour ago, Fundok said:

It does make sense to control and enforce the wearing of masks in the public if and when people are close by densely such as in venues as Bangla road. When walking by myself on the road with ample space between me and other pedestrians wearing a mask doesn't make any sense in my eyes. 

True. But dumb people need simple instructions, and some other people are just selfish and try to be clever. Common sense is an increasingly rare commodity. Wear a mask or cop a fine. Simples.

 

[Johnmc17]

Could someone explain to me the need to wear a mask when outside walking alone on the street whilst you can go in a bar packed full of people and take it off.

[Lowseasonlover]

7 minutes ago, Johnmc17 said:

Could someone explain to me the need to wear a mask when outside walking alone on the street whilst you can go in a bar packed full of people and take it off.

Nope

[Poolie]

51 minutes ago, Dodgey said:

 

51 minutes ago, Dodgey said:

 

I'm starting to wonder if I'm going to lose two very expensive flight tickets as I'll not return to Thailand until some reasonableness returns, and that sounds a long way off.

 

Ah well, its only money.

[Stonker]

3 hours ago, Paco said:

1000 baht fine is not much, I so far (knock that one off) did not see anyone not wearing a mask.. would surprise me if I see one and yes I guess it will be a foreigner

It's enough if someone's fined ten times an hour !

[Stonker]

2 hours ago, Johnmc17 said:

Could someone explain to me the need to wear a mask when outside walking alone on the street whilst you can go in a bar packed full of people and take it off.

Because it's the law. If you don't like it, don't come here.