sandrew33

As it should be. Good to hear. I’ll be down there in a couple of weeks. My only concern is the health of a certain member of a certain family and whether that will result in more interruptions to things for a period of time.

Right. But the masks aren’t helping are they? This is the point. I got stuck for much of Covid in WA, so barely worn a mask in 3 years. The only time we wore them was when we reopened the borders. We wore them for a couple of months as case soared. Then we stopped wearing them and cases plummeted. That’s how waves work. Once Covid particularly since Omicron is in a location masks are a largely futile. But many will assign value to them on the “it could have been worse” or the “at least we did something” arguments. I get that. There’s just no real world evidence that mass mask wearing has done anything v Omicron.

And my 1300 co workers? In our building people wear them to enter as it’s a large commercial building but once they hit our floors they largely take them off. I’d suggest maybe 20% wear them in the office and 99% wear them to enter and leave the office. Summarising the most common observation it’s “it’s easier for Thai to just wear them so other people don’t scold”

Well, there is literally no evidence that mask mass wearing anywhere has achieved anything and the current situations in China and Japan illustrate that perfectly. There is certainly evidence that in controlled circumstances including certain types of masks worn perfectly for defined (short) periods they have some impact. But that’s not what people are doing in Thailand or anywhere else. So they are in fact pointless. I understand you can’t bring yourself to grasp that so here we are ???? i don’t care if people wear them by the way, just when they either force others to or coerce others to (which is the Thai way)

“Anti-maskers”? Surely we are all anti mask in the sense that all things being equal we wouldn’t wear them. I mean why would anyone wear them if, for example, they were pointless. It’d almost make folk an object of ridicule at that point right?

It’s interesting to look at cases in those 3 places too. China and Japan leading the world in current daily cases per million. Also RE Thailand interesting to look at its excess death rate. It argues low cases and deaths and attributes that to its Covid response - although many have doubted the numbers - but it’s excess deaths are well above other countries with similarly good Covid responses. Countries that haven’t used masks in ages. So maybe the masks are pointless theatre as the data suggests elsewhere. Since attention to detail is your thing ????

I think it’s funny that you think Thais are making up their own mind on this. They are doing it out of conformity. The fact they remove them in an instant in farang focused venues or in the company of farang or at farang owned business confirms this. Asking them confirms it more.

Huh, I was in Thailand every month until February 2020. You are exaggerating.

Lol. Yes because they really reduce spread right? The waves have been identical everywhere with reasonable measurement. They surge, then they peak and then they abate. Every time. Masks, no masks, doesn’t matter.

It’s not being triggered to point out absurdity, I mean if you want up wear a maxi pad on your head that’s your call too. But when 90% of people wear them I’ll probably observe that it looks absurd. Cos it does. And Thais acknowledge that the primary driver now is social conformity not health. It’s not wanting to face the stares of other Thais. In areas heavily populated with tourists this conformity rapidly falls away. If people genuinely believe they help and are free to choose then go for it. But the absurdity is real when you see people masked up outdoors and then quickly removing them to go into a crowded indoor cafe/restaurant and leave them off for hours only to put them back on to go outdoors. It’s absurd. But sure if people want to do it that’s fine. It’s unwelcoming and it deprives the place of much basic human connection but sure whatever …

I lived in Thailand from 2008 until 2018, the number of Thais wearing masks was miniscule. You made that up. And it’s genuinely hilarious that the response to an increase of Covid cases in fully masked schools is to extend the mask rules in schools. Which based on the first half of the sentence clearly don’t work. Which is of course evidenced everywhere else in the world. But sure double down on masks to solve a problem masks don’t solve. Thai logic at its best ????????

If common sense had anything to do with masks you wouldn’t see people wearing them outdoors and you certainly wouldn’t see quite so many Thais riding motorbikes with their mask on but no helmet.

Hopefully it reduces the absurd level of pointless mask wearing. Was quite jarring to e see folk wearing pointless cloth & surgical masks even outdoors en masse in BKK just a couple of weeks ago. For those of us currently living elsewhere it is quite odd.

And in tourist focused establishments. The funniest thing is when Thais take them off the second they walk into a restaurant and leave them off until they leave, then place them back on to go outside in the fresh air ????????‍♂️????

It’s because in Thailand it largely remains a community enforced thing, not really a choice at all. You are a “bad Thai” if you don’t wear one. Of course Anutins mates, and every Thai I know, take them off as soon as they leave Thailand. It’s not really about safety now it’s about appearances. See how few Thais wear them in “non-Thai” establishments.

“Committed a crime in Myanmar” Odd that the same Thai immigration staff kept missing the Red Bull heir on his frequent trips in and out of the country but someone who spoke some home truths about a junta gets this treatment ????????‍♂️ its almost like Thailand is run by its own pseudo junta who like the idea of sending messages about political dissent more than they care about actual crimes

So you are saying it’s a pain in the <deleted>?

I’m unsure what that has to do with masks other than to confirm that even with widespread mask usage Covid comes in waves and they surge. Then they abate. Like every respiratory virus in history.

I wouldn’t care. I mean we don’t have mask mandates here in my Oz and presently about 2% wear them. Roughly 90% of the wearers are ethnically Asian. It’s an interesting study.

Indeed. No amount of science seems to make these folk change their position. The CMO when asked about the BBC report which was widely circulated yesterday by one of Australia’s leading infection disease experts and simply shrugged and indicated that it was his belief that masks added “some level of protection”. Of course he has no data to support that with Omicron. And any basic observation of places with and without mask mandates post Omicron shows similar levels of spread. NZ (mask mandate) v Aust (no mask mandate) currently has NZ comfortably out in front in terms of cases ????????‍♂️ People will believe what they will but other than fit tested N95 style masks worn properly they are doing absolutely nothing to stop spread.

This UK study on schools is an interesting insight into humans. The study shows no statistical difference between schools that wore masks v those that didn’t (consistent with a recent Omicron observation in California). BUT 70% of people felt safer with them on. So we are a world full of Linus’ with masks not doing much in general use but making the anxious feel better ????????‍♂️???? https://www.bbc.com/news/health-59895934

Both of which are pointless and speak to a mindset of ignorance and irrational fear

So you’ll be wearing masks everywhere forever? Really? Why?

????????‍♂️ “Outbreaks” & “super spreaders” - how is 2020? Still tough?

AUD then. I think the point is focusing on USD only is simplistic AND asserting that being relatively weaker against that currency is automatically a bad thing is also simplistic.