News Forum - Back to the future – the resistance to taking off masks in Thailand | OPINION

[NAS]

Or you just let people choose. You felt like a pariah- poor little you! No doubt the comments from the anti mask lobby in support of your terrible experience will help your recovery from such a terrible experience!…..

[Bluesofa]

11 hours ago, Faraday said:

Spent most of the day around town, shopping, eating & buying clothes for my lovely gf in Central.

Got quite a few looks from the bemasked, & people were still checking their temperature at the entrance.

I can only summise that they just don't know masks aren't required, apart from gubbermint buildings etc.

NB. My first sentence reads as if I was eating clothes.

I wasn't.

But thought I'd clarify this, as bluesofa will no doubt be shaking his head at me poor grammer.

 

@Bluesofa

 

22 hours ago, Thaiger said:

There were still requirements to wear a mask in busy places, government buildings and public transport. Individual businesses also retain the right to require a mask for people entering their premises.

Unless Central had only a couple of customers in the entire building, according to the regulations you still need to wear a mask - as above 'busy places'.

Talking of grammer, does your girlfriend work in Central - 'my lovely gf in Central'? We'll pass on 'summise' though.

[rc1]

30 minutes ago, Bluesofa said:

Unless Central had only a couple of customers in the entire building, according to the regulations you still need to wear a mask - as above 'busy places'.

 

Incorrect. There is no mandate to wear in busy places. It's recommendation.

There is no government mask mandate Thailand at all anymore, it is voluntary. Any perceived mandate is just a current policy of an individual business.

In fact , the government recommends only wearing them in these situations:

 

"The Ministry of Public Health only recommends that the general public wear a mask in a crowded or badly ventilated place or if they have symptoms."

[Vigo]

ok, so the Asians wish to wear a mask, why would you stick your nose into their personal life? It's their right to wear a mask, so mind your own affairs.

The colonial arrogance of the elderly white males in Thailand won't end for another 30 years I suppose, until the last of the baby boomers die off.

[Bluesofa]

11 minutes ago, rc1 said:

Incorrect. There is no mandate to wear in busy places. It's recommendation.

There is no government mask mandate Thailand at all anymore, it is voluntary. Any perceived mandate is just a current policy of an individual business.

In fact , the government recommends only wearing them in these situations:

"The Ministry of Public Health only recommends that the general public wear a mask in a crowded or badly ventilated place or if they have symptoms."

OK, you'd better take it up with Tim Newton, it was his article I quoted:
https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/tourism/back-to-the-future-the-resistance-to-taking-off-masks-in-thailand-opinion

Is this incorrect as well?
"Individual businesses also retain the right to require a mask for people entering their premises."
 

[rc1]

14 minutes ago, Bluesofa said:

OK, you'd better take it up with Tim Newton, it was his article I quoted:
https://thethaiger.com/hot-news/tourism/back-to-the-future-the-resistance-to-taking-off-masks-in-thailand-opinion

Is this incorrect as well?
"Individual businesses also retain the right to require a mask for people entering their premises."
 

Everything I stated in my previous comment stands.

Individual businesses can make their own policies, but they're not done on any enforceable basis or based on public health rules. 

[Anya]

Another great opinion piece from Tim Newton. It has up till now been the government's restrictions and policies that have killed off the tourist industry. Now it is only the Thai people that have themselves to blame if they don't get over it. Millions of Thais, most of them poor, depend on tourists for their livelihood so they need to consider that reality. The terrible irony is though that common masks to protect against viruses (covid is 0.125 microns) are as useless as they are against fine pollution particles.  For this reason also I would be avoiding those sardine cans and those irresponsible infected people who think wearing a mask makes them safe to others. 

[Faraday]

1 hour ago, Bluesofa said:

Unless Central had only a couple of customers in the entire building, according to the regulations you still need to wear a mask - as above 'busy places'.

Talking of grammer, does your girlfriend work in Central - 'my lovely gf in Central'? We'll pass on 'summise' though.

Thank you for pointing this out, young man.

I stand corrected.

[NoriT]

Not mentioned is that Harvard Med. U and MIT confirmed the dangerous spike protein, so called CPVID,  goes out 29ft in a sneeze. <no corroborating link provided>

<deleted uncorroborated content>

<anti-vax content deleted>

 

Edited June 27, 2022 by KaptainRob
Refer FG's, stay on-topic and supply links please

[Donald]

Well it certainly proves that the brainwashing that has been going on over the last two years has done it's job. There have been many articles on the inefficiency of masks with regard to viral infections. Both with regard to provide personal protection and as a prevention of spreading infection. The one that jumps to mind was one done by the University of Copenhagen with over 6000 participants that proved that masks did not have any influence.  On top of that very few people wear them properly or take proper precautions when handling them or disposing of them. Whatever the case two things are sure. First some people must have made small or big fortunes from the business created and secondly we have added another mountain of waste to our planet that will take up to 450 years to break down. In each case they should never have been compulsory and should always have been a voluntary option. I personally think that the mask wearing was more a disciplinary matter to make people obey and submissive and constantly reminded of the invisible "threat".  https://fee.org/articles/new-danish-study-find-masks-don-t-protect-wearers-from-covid-infection/  

 

[Fanta]

11 minutes ago, Donald said:

Well it certainly proves that the brainwashing that has been going on over the last two years has done it's job. There have been many articles on the inefficiency of masks with regard to viral infections. Both with regard to provide personal protection and as a prevention of spreading infection. The one that jumps to mind was one done by the University of Copenhagen with over 6000 participants that proved that masks did not have any influence.  On top of that very few people wear them properly or take proper precautions when handling them or disposing of them. Whatever the case two things are sure. First some people must have made small or big fortunes from the business created and secondly we have added another mountain of waste to our planet that will take up to 450 years to break down. In each case they should never have been compulsory and should always have been a voluntary option. I personally think that the mask wearing was more a disciplinary matter to make people obey and submissive and constantly reminded of the invisible "threat".  https://fee.org/articles/new-danish-study-find-masks-don-t-protect-wearers-from-covid-infection/  

You assume that no-one was walking around infected,  that otherwise ill and immune compromised people weren’t  out in public and that everyone knew they were Covid infected immediately upon infection. You are also trying to prove a point disproved long ago in an attempt to win a battle lost long ago to further a now irrelevant agenda.  
You must have missed the 3rd, 4th, 5th etc paragraphs in the article you quoted. Perhaps go read them so you can tell the whole story? 

The Times is correct that the study “did not contradict” evidence that suggests masks can prevent sick people from transmitting the virus to others. But the Danish study didn’t test for this; as the paper notes, only healthy people were tested in the experiment.

Second, there was never much dispute on whether sick people should wear a mask. From the beginning of the pandemic, public health officials agreed that infected people should wear a mask to reduce the likelihood of transmitting the virus to others.

“The masks are important for someone who is infected to prevent them from infecting someone else,” Dr. Anthony Fauci noted back in March on 60 Minutes. 

Pray tell who do the unmasked infected infect if not the uninfected? 

 

[Guest1]

3 hours ago, rc1 said:

Incorrect. There is no mandate to wear in busy places. It's recommendation.

There is no government mask mandate Thailand at all anymore, it is voluntary. Any perceived mandate is just a current policy of an individual business.

In fact , the government recommends only wearing them in these situations:

"The Ministry of Public Health only recommends that the general public wear a mask in a crowded or badly ventilated place or if they have symptoms."

Imho, central is still asking the people to wear masks.

Which would be a "shop/mall mask mandate". I'll look into that later today. ;-)

[rc1]

26 minutes ago, Guest1 said:

Imho, central is still asking the people to wear masks.

Which would be a "shop/mall mask mandate". I'll look into that later today. ;-)

Sure. Central may be doing it today.

But that's based on their own assessment,  not the government health department mandate which no longer exists. 

[Guest1]

2 hours ago, Anya said:

The terrible irony is though that common masks to protect against viruses (covid is 0.125 microns) are as useless as they are against fine pollution particles

That must be the reason, that 2020 was a "no influenca" year, right?

The thoughts that masks help against covid, that alone must have prevented the spreading of the influenca virus, even if that one is in the same size range. 

What anti maskers are likely not mention (or know?) Is, that the virus needs a translort medium. Aerosoles. And the aerosols are, what masks can stop. Both ways, in and out. And more efficent they are , if sneasing or shouting or just talking to people. 

They also like to ignore, that indoors, in badly refreshed air, but with aircon flow or just some fans, this aerosoles can "add up", groe bigger. Which is the reason, that in crowded areas indoors you can easier get infected with covid or influenca (proven over decades, in subways, busses, trains, even in airplanes/-ports, for influenca). At least, if long hours indoors. Which the staff is.doing. The customers are in and out, but transporting their aerosoles in there. And leaving them for quite some time. Any anti masker rides elevators, this times? 

 

 

[Guest1]

2 minutes ago, rc1 said:

Sure. Central may be doing it today.

But that's based on their own assessment,  not the government health department mandate which no longer exists. 

Still, if they would kick you out, for not wesring a mask, they would be right. 

The problem is, they arent doing it. So the central (shop) mask mandate is just bs, as long no one is telling customers with no mask on, to leave.

I know just a few shops, where the staff told people without mask, to leave.  Fun fact, none of these few shops had to close down for intense cleaning. Lots of others had.

[rc1]

9 minutes ago, Guest1 said:

Still, if they would kick you out, for not wesring a mask, they would be right. 

The problem is, they arent doing it. So the central (shop) mask mandate is just bs, as long no one is telling customers with no mask on, to leave.

I know just a few shops, where the staff told people without mask, to leave.  Fun fact, none of these few shops had to close down for intense cleaning. Lots of others had.

Why should a mall make their own rules when public health no longer require them?

The highest risk area for transmission in a place like Central is the food court, where there are the most unmasked patrons. The rest of the mall is well ventilated and often not crowded. 

Mask mandates don't exist in most retail, or increasingly now in any,  settings around the world. 

Thai public health recommends( not mandates) masks now only in crowded or poorly ventilated places, or if you have symptoms. That's not the majority of shoppers and staff at Central. 

[riclag]

7 hours ago, Skip said:

Good for you... I will be the one without the mask

Curious ,would you wear a mask if your sick  with the (flu ,common cold or with covid)?

Thats a big concern for me ,people walking around sick and spreading their germs and not caring about others ,post covid pandemic.

[jnorre]

4 hours ago, Donald said:

Well it certainly proves that the brainwashing that has been going on over the last two years has done it's job. There have been many articles on the inefficiency of masks with regard to viral infections. Both with regard to provide personal protection and as a prevention of spreading infection. The one that jumps to mind was one done by the University of Copenhagen with over 6000 participants that proved that masks did not have any influence.  On top of that very few people wear them properly or take proper precautions when handling them or disposing of them. Whatever the case two things are sure. First some people must have made small or big fortunes from the business created and secondly we have added another mountain of waste to our planet that will take up to 450 years to break down. In each case they should never have been compulsory and should always have been a voluntary option. I personally think that the mask wearing was more a disciplinary matter to make people obey and submissive and constantly reminded of the invisible "threat".  https://fee.org/articles/new-danish-study-find-masks-don-t-protect-wearers-from-covid-infection/  

That study is from March 2021 and was criticized for using self-test kits, which resulted in a 2% infection rate in the study, while the general infection rate in Denmark at the same period was 0.07%. This can of cause not be true and many studies since has found a correlation between mask use and reduction in number of infections (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/science/science-briefs/masking-science-sars-cov2.html refers to 10+ studies and also mentions the Danish study above as inconclusive and why). 

I am fully supportive of not wearing a mask when the infection levels allow it, but don't use inconclusive data to "prove" a personal opinion, when a lot of other studies shows that wearing a mask actually does reduce the infection risks (around 70% according to some studies - again listed on the CDC page in the link).

[Guest1]

6 hours ago, Guest1 said:

Imho, central is still asking the people to wear masks.

Which would be a "shop/mall mask mandate". I'll look into that later today. ;-)

I stand corrected, Central and other malls just "please wear a mask", no one really pushes people to do that. No loudspeaker announcement "don't drink or eat while walking, you have to wear the mask at all times" any longer. So it is up to single shops (LV is one of them, still), to have staff at the entrance, to not let in the (mostly)  male groups of the last 2 targeted tourist nationalities, which aren't even having masks with them, it seems.

 

So looks like, everything is fine, all "up2you", you wanna use a mask, use it. You don't, don't. 

And shops with mask mandate, no-masker don't need to go in, same for maskers and "no mask mandate" shops. No harm to anybody, in my eyes. 

Let's move on.

 

[JohnBangkok123]

Smart the Thai's are aren't they?

When will the dumb foreigners come to realize that wearing a mask makes sense?

Why was the author of this article the only one not wearing a mask? My guess is because he has yet to understand the value of them. Maybe he could check with his Thai friends and educate himself.

[rc1]

8 hours ago, JohnBangkok123 said:

Smart the Thai's are aren't they?

When will the dumb foreigners come to realize that wearing a mask makes sense?

Why was the author of this article the only one not wearing a mask? My guess is because he has yet to understand the value of them. Maybe he could check with his Thai friends and educate himself.

So you're saying Thais know something the rest of the world (vast majority who aren't wearing masks anymore),  doesn't?

Also, the Thais continuing to universally mask up know something their public health department (Now only recommended in limited settings) doesn't?

 

[Skip]

16 hours ago, riclag said:

Curious ,would you wear a mask if your sick  with the (flu ,common cold or with covid)?

Thats a big concern for me ,people walking around sick and spreading their germs and not caring about others ,post covid pandemic.

Your premise is flawed... why would I venture out of my home with even a mask on if I were sick?  

[Fanta]

44 minutes ago, Skip said:

Your premise is flawed... why would I venture out of my home with even a mask on if I were sick?  

Because people have to work, eat, meet commitments, go to the doctor etc etc. Wearing a mask reduces the risk of transmitting viral infections, same as condoms. It’s a no brainer. 

[Mudshark]

An anecdotal observation, I know more people with covid in Thailand right now than at any time during the last two years, three months. No clue if it is the new variants or not. The numbers reflect the fact that Thais for the most part are not reporting infections unless than have to in some way. 

Quote

Some sort of campaign to encourage Thais to remove their masks will certainly be needed to ween them off the habit

Hard to do when people feel their health is at stake. People are generally more concerned about their own health, than other people. Perhaps Mr. Tim should consider that when making sweeping generalizations about what the Thai populace should or should not do to make tourists, and expats more comfortable and their vacation more aesthetically pleasing.

[DiJoDavO]

On 6/26/2022 at 11:33 PM, PapayaBokBok said:

the non stop white male diatribe of grievance over a damn face covering is stunningly pathetic to me....

but not one word about putting on underwear --or socks--or a shirt.....what a bunch of crybabies smh

As soon as my underwear or socks have to go over my face, I'll complain about it too. 

Maybe the ones who are wearing masks stay in air conditioned buildings and have no idea how hot it could get for some others wearing it all day. Besides that, if your breathing is all perfect, great, but for others those masks cause breathing trouble which affects many other things over a long period.