I don't know where you were living during the pandemic but I would have to guess that you were in a tourist area.
Where I live, (Samutprakarn) everyone wore masks and followed the mandates, if you were not wearing a mask, you would not have gotten onto any shops.
Even the outside markets had a mask requirement and they has temperature posts at the entrances.
In fact, apart from the airport, masks are still very much the norm in Samutprakarn.
Also, you would not get into shops here without a top on, again that's only normal in tourist areas or deep, deep Isaarn.