MaxYakov

Money/income is the essence of 'freedom'. So are free association and the ability to travel freely. Enough said?

If the group photo of the OP was made at this actual event then some seriously brain-dead actions were being taken by the group.

If the OP group photo was from a pre-covid similar event and the group was actually wearing masks and social distancing during the infection event, then my hypothesis that the cheep, paper medical/surgical masks (which most people wear out of lower perceived cost and probable ignorance) are ineffective in protecting against this or any viral/bacterial as well as protection against inhaling PM2.5 particulate air pollution by their very design.

For a comment regarding the 12 years of my wearing respirator style 0.2 micron filter masks as a protection against air pollution as well as some level of viral/bacterial protection go HERE.

If you really want to protect yourself rather than just satisfy some arbitrary authoritarian mandate please read my advice and experience (12 years) on anti-virus/bacteria, anti-PM2.5 (respirator style) masks HERE.

18 hours ago, gunderhill said:

On 4/25/2021 at 12:46 PM, MaxYakov said:

I haven't had even a cold since 2016

Confounded by that evidence, I havent had a  cold since I went to Hong Kong in 2010, I've never worn a mask.

And...?  P.S.: Ref. HERE for my entire comment.

6 minutes ago, jak2002003 said:

38 minutes ago, MaxYakov said:

You should be wearing a one-way 200 nano, respirator type mask mask to filter road motor vehicle exhaust and other pollution. You should be wearing the same type of mask when not cycling to effectively filter out liquid and solid pollution particles that may be.harboring/carrying viruses, bacteria and pollen, etc and anything else you probably don't want in your lungs. The paper/surgical masks will not/cannot do this type of filtering because they were not designed to do so.

 

These are sold by HomePro (119 Baht) or you can buy a six-pack from Sira safety for 420 Baht. They come with a spare carbon/200 nano-capable filter - 1/5 micron(they advertise). I don't leave home without one one on. In fact, I don't even leave my 'clean room' bedroom/den without wearing one since I air-purify only that room.

 

The details of this mask are HERE. 

 

 

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Cost money, bad the the environment and waste. Pointless when running / cycling in the countryside away from pollution and people. 

 

Next we will all have to wear plastic disposal gloves when we go outside so we don't get virus on our hands.  Where to draw the line?

 

These masks have been a security blanked for many people who have developed an irrational phobia about germs.

 

They only need to be worn when in an enclosed public area like shopping malls and shops, or in crowded busy places, and of cours in hospitals. 

 

Yes, adequate lung/body protection does cost money. So do the effectively worthless paper, surgical/masks. I have found a way to stretch a single TG-50SV (including the spare filter) to two months of use.

I have every TG-50SV mask I ever purchased and used as well as the dirty filters and will retain them (dozens) until I can find a suitable recycler (or not).

As a matter of fact, I do wear white cotton, washable work gloves when cycling (19 Baht at FoodLand). I will continue to wear them if for no other reasons than to keep my hands clean and to make any turn hand-signals I may make (rarely) more visible to other people.

Security blanket? Do you have a problem with security from airborne pollution and pathogens? I haven't had even a cold since 2016 when I seriously started using these masks on a full-time basis. I'll take the security over pathogens, Thank You very much!

One has to use common sense when deciding to wear a mask or not. I live and cycle in dirty, noisy central Bangkok so it's a 'no-brainer' for me. Stay safe and secure!

3 hours ago, BestB said:

Why do I have to wear a mask when riding bike alone? 
 

You should be wearing a one-way 200 nano, respirator type mask mask to filter road motor vehicle exhaust and other pollution. You should be wearing the same type of mask when not cycling to effectively filter out liquid and solid pollution particles that may be.harboring/carrying viruses, bacteria and pollen, etc and anything else you probably don't want in your lungs. The paper/surgical masks will not/cannot do this type of filtering because they were not designed to do so.

These are sold by HomePro (119 Baht) or you can buy a six-pack from Sira safety for 420 Baht. They come with a spare carbon/200 nano-capable filter - 1/5 micron(they advertise). I don't leave home without one one on. In fact, I don't even leave my 'clean room' bedroom/den without wearing one since I air-purify only that room.

The details of this mask are HERE. 

Ah, isn't central planning great? I believe Hybrid would be best for the Thais that can afford them and most cannot. Thailand doesn't (and probably won't) have enough infrastructure to support EVs (grid capacity, charging stations and wealth to pay for it all for the general public).

Honda advertised a hybrid motorbike back in 2017 but I'm sure the price would be out of reach for most Thais. All-electric motorbikes likewise and the 'range issue' would be a show-stopper (not to mention they are too quiet, as I've already mentioned). Too many Thais like loud and need cheap which means hydrocarbon, IC motorbikes for a long time into the future for Thailand, IMO.

Impossible! They don't make enough noise. They would have to install very powerful IC engine sound systems and loud speakers. eMotorbikes entirely out of the question, of course.

Impossible! They don't make enough noise. They would have to install very powerful IC engine sound systems and loud speakers. eMotorbikes entirely out of the question, of course.

I'm going to continue to wear my upgraded, 0.2 micron, N95 (at least) mask when out and about regardless of the state of the presence of Sars-Cov-2. Why? Take a look at the Bangkok Real-time Air Quality Index sometime. For me, even "moderate" pollution is unacceptable. Even the allegedly "Good/Green", a Bangkok rarity, is not good enough for me because it's not based, usually, on 0 micrograms/cubic meter of PM2.5 particulates.

How is it that the most powerful man in Thailand is wearing a relatively un-protective, cheap, paper medical/surgical mask (refer to OP's image) that will not protect him from the runaway air pollution's PM2.5 particles (or smaller) nor from virions and bacteria. One would think he could afford at least an N95 personal protection mask. Maybe he's trying to appeal to the masses by wearing the same type of relatively un-protective mask that most of them are wearing?

1 hour ago, tinca tinca said:

i was at an outside restaurant.......motorbike drivers were going past (many of them no helmets) along comes a copper on a bike, had helmet on......he over take 5 or 6 of them NEVER STOPPED anyone who was NOT wearing  a helmet......here lies the problem......or at least one of them....

i see hudreds driving down this road....and up it....most wearing masks but NO helmet........!!!!!

The mask helps prevent the mouth-breathers from injesting bugs.

Why would anyone purloin ancient stone carvings what weren't erotic in subject matter such as from those notoriously suggestive (euphemism) Indian temples?

Every 30 minutes. One can set one's watch by this...but don't do that while you're riding.

7 hours ago, Healthy Farang said:

@MaxYakov What mask? Can you share the brand / name / photo? Thanks! I'm using the Cambridge PRO masks that are n99 and last up to 300+ hours.

Documented in the forum HERE. I add an additional pre filter layer and replace it about every week or two depending on pollution levels. I replace the primary filter every month. I get two months use out of what is intended to be a rather disposable mask although it comes with a spare filter. It's the head straps that get grungy and eventually give out.

7 hours ago, brewsterbudgen said:

This thread is very out of date.  Today Bangkok is only 29th in the world - Chiang Mai, Hua Hin, Pattaya, not to mention Milan, Hanoi, Kuwait, Yangon and Shanghai are all far worse.  Where to go?

Well, I'm seriously miffed that Bangkok is not a big-time air pollution hub, nowadays!

Maybe Sukhumvit Road can qualify for the sound pollution hub. Or a motorbike infestation/pollution hub. Or some other type of unhealthy-for-humans hub.

I don't like any more that 2 micrograms/meter³ in my clean room where I spend 90% of my time. Outside my clean room I will be in a N99/200-nano-stopping respirator-type mask the remaining time I'm in Bangkok (and probably elsewhere) and breathing.

Where to go? Start searching here: aqicn.org for green. Unbelievably, Los Angeles air is petty clean when there aren't any southern CA wildfires. BTW, aqicn.org is predicting "very unhealthy - magenta" air for next Tuesday (and part of next Monday and Wednesday). I'm curious to know how they think they can do these AQI predictions.

Please Refer to a forum comment HERE which contains a particle size comparison chart which shows particles down the sub-micron sizes as well as some info on a pollution mask that will actually protect you rather than just get you into an establishment requiring a mask (even if the mask is only, actually for show and not go). ????

On 1/15/2021 at 9:31 AM, LALes said:

Here we go.  The height of smog season is here.  Mid-January to mid-February.

Crank up your air purifiers to high and have the N95 mask at the ready.

Don't leave home without it.

A N99 mask (at least) with an excellent facial seal and good for stopping particles as small as 200 nano (.2 microns) - not the cheap paper, medical/surgical masks that offer almost no personal protection from pollution or viruses/bacteria. I can't believe how ignorant people and governments are about how important mask type is in terms of protection, not cost. My N99 200 nano (or so) particle-stopper costs me only 2 baht/day overall (3 Gems with a USA-made (allegedly) TG-50SV filter and spare filter - available at HomePro when not sold out). 

This chart indicates that covid-19 virus size is 100 to 500 nano (how can that be?) so maybe I'll get lucky and catch the big ones!

On 1/16/2021 at 11:02 PM, chilli42 said:

Not to worry.  I have seen the BMA teams out misting the air at intersections.

Were they wearing masks - scuba masks?

And of course he is wearing a mask that is totally ineffective and not designed to protect against air pollution (not to mention protection from any you-name-it-virus or bacteria).

Someone should inform someone else that it is NOT YET April 1^st.

It might have been a promotion. Did the can have advertising saying something like "Free Fishing Gear Inside"?