News Forum - Do you legally have to wear masks in Thailand?

[Thaiger]

https://youtu.be/htkujis1vZw With the Covid 19 pandemic came the wearing of masks as the new normal in Thailand, and many other countries around the world. Some people are fine with wearing masks whilst other remain strongly opposed to it, for a variety of reasons. Whether you like it or not it is “strongly encouraged” to wear a mask in Thailand. But do you legally have to wear a face mask? Do you get a fine if you are caught without a mask? Can you get away with not wearing one? Tim Newton sits with Ben Hart from Integrity legal to find […]

The story Do you legally have to wear masks in Thailand? as seen on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

[Stonker]

TN: " if you type in 'Ben Hart mask wearing' it probably will take you to the video".

BH: "Probably will do, probably will".

Reality: NO IT WON'T

...

TN: "Ben, you put us straight".

BH: "What precisely are we prohibiting - are we prohibiting breathing?"

Reality (BH): "I'M A LITTLE BIT CONFUSED"

Allow me to help you both out, as someone who's at least able to read, understand and quote simple English.

The very simple and very authoritative reality is that it's not a "national law", which is why Ben Hart was unable to find it, but PROVINCIAL mandates, authorised by the Communicable Disease Act, 2015 which  gives provincial authorities the authority to: "conduct surveillance, disease investigation, prevention and control of dangerous communicable diseases or epidemics." (Section 34 para 6 and Section 36):

https://ddc.moph.go.th/uploads/ckeditor/c74d97b01eae257e44aa9d5bade97baf/files/001_2gcd.pdf

That's the very obvious and very clear legal authority.

The penalties are equally clear, under the Act, under "Penalty Provisions", Chapter IX (my bold):

"CHAPTER IX
PENALTY PROVISIONS
_________
Section 49. ... imprisonment
for a term of not exceeding one month or to a fine not exceeding ten thousand bath or to
both.
Section 50. ... a fine not exceeding twenty thousand
baht.
Section 51. ... a fine not exceeding twenty thousand baht.

Section 52. ... imprisonment for a term of not exceeding one year or to a fine not exceeding one
hundred thousand baht or to both.", etc down to Section 57.

That has been repeated consistently across Thai news media and in public announcements, and repeated in national travel advisories:

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2105235/masks-made-compulsory-in-bangkok

 

"Bangkokians are ordered to put on masks from Monday or be subject to a hefty fine.

Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang announced the new measure on Sunday.

Violators risk a fine up to 20,000 baht under the Communicable Disease Act.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration said in another announcement released on Sunday the penalty would also apply to all establishments that fail to enforce mask-wearing for those on their premises."

https://www.tatnews.org/2021/04/face-masks-compulsory-in-public-places-in-a-number-of-thai-provinces/

"Bangkok, 29 April, 2021, 18.00 Hrs. – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) would like to inform travellers that Bangkok and all 76 other provinces have made it compulsory for everyone to wear a face mask when they are outdoors. Offenders are liable to a fine up to 20,000 Baht."

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/thailand/coronavirus

Until further notice you must also wear a mask in all indoor and outdoor public spaces in Thailand and in vehicles if you are with others. If you do not wear a mask you may have to pay a fine.

The CDA gives all provinces the authority to enforce any measures they see fit for the  "prevention and control of dangerous communicable diseases or epidemics."

The Emergency Decree delegates authority for declaring Covid-19 a "communicable disease or epidemic" to the CCSA.

The CCSA has said that it's an epidemic with a communicable disease. The provincial authorities have all said masks are to be worn to control it.

End of "confusion": it's not "expected" - it's the law.