rattlesnake

Indeed, and I find it incredible (and even a bit disturbing) that anyone should claim otherwise.

Of course it is part of the culture here to wear a mask in exceptional circumstances. But 24/7 masking for 100% of the population for over 30 months is unprecedented and claiming it is in any way normal and customary is just presposterous and distorting reality. I also want to take this oppotunity to add something: users of this forum love posting links to prove their points, which is a shame as it is not conducive to constructive and dialectical argumentation. Anyone can type anything on Google and come up with several results which fit their view. Posting a link is not proof you are right.

They don't, I was in Thailand for over a decade before Covid and the overwhelming majority of Thais never wore masks. That's a BS stereotype, like saying Brits don't rinse the dishes when washing up or Frenchies like garlic.

Bloke.

The fear of losing face takes over everything.

Yeah it's gonna take a few weeks/months, it's a habit and habits die hard.

Science™.

Guess that answers my question, seems another booster will be required then. Good luck.

Vaccinated, boosted but still gets Covid and feels terribly ill. Let me guess the next part: "if he was not vaccinated, it would be much worse", right? Should he get another booster maybe, just to be on the safe side?

Absolutely.

Not really. I explained my point and gave a personal example to illustrate, which has some (admittedly minor) relevance. You're confusing Millennials with Generation Z. Apart from that, agree 100%. I agree. If you look at the Roman and Mongol empire, their fall was preceded by times of hedonism and moral collapse, which is undeniably what we are going through nowadays. Aldous Huxley hit the nail right on the head with his prophetic Brave New World (published in 1932) which depicted a world government controlling uneducated masses through sex and presciption drugs, all in the name of the universal Good.

If you start going down that path, the only solution is to become a hermit. Do you wear gloves when pushing the trolley at the supermarket? Those are probably the most disgusting things ever if you look at them with a microscope. Germs are everywhere and healthy people have nothing to fear from them. Just clean your hands after going to the toilet and when returning home after going out.

My wife has won 6 or 7 times, not big amounts, between 5,000-15,000 each time but it covers the 300-400 she typically splashes on it so I refrain from making any comments.

Been using them for years, until last year a transfer typically took 5 hours to complete on weekdays. A transfer sent on a Friday would only arrive on Monday. Now it is a few seconds 7 days a week so they have actually improved their service. I know some Thai banks are less "compatible" than others, Kasikorn works great with them.

"Wealthy, educated societies": you mean Western societies, I presume? This is a myth, the vast majority of people of working age are neither wealthy nor educated in these countries. They don't have kids because they can't afford it and can't be bothered, which is a clear sign of decline IMHO. 8-18 years old is not a relevant age bracket. Let's see what they are up to when they are in their 30's. The fact that they are idle does not mean they will lead fulfilling lives, quite the contrary, as you pointed out they are unable to manage hardship which is part of the problem.

I think what defines political awareness is being able to take a step back and see the big picture, regardless of one's personal situation. I have done fairly well for myself but that does not prevent me from observing the downwards spiral in which most of the Western world is caught, most people my age have between 0 and 1 child because it is materially impossible to have more, couples spend most of their time working underpaid jobs and struggle to eat decent food, this was not the case for our parents.

I agree that lots of youngsters are lazy and ignorant. Personally I have done pretty well, essentially through hard work so I think you and I are on the same page on that one. It is still doable but I think the current ultra-liberal system produces 10% of winners and 90% of losers. Do you think that you would have enjoyed the same success in life if you had been born 30 years later?

I am under the impression lots of this forum's users are boomers/pensioners, which at least partially explains my divergences of opinion with them (I am in my early 40's). They lived their most productive years in times of prosperity and were able to accumulate wealth and succeed in ways which are impossible nowadays. This is a macro-level observation and nobody should take it personally. My own dad (who falls into the category described above) agrees with me and says he could not have done half the things he did if he was my age.

Perhaps, although it's essentially in the eyes. I honestly did not sense any hostility. I know how Thais behave when they disapprove of something, that was not the case here. This is my 2nd maskless day and it's going well, I have been carrying a spare one in my bag just in case but have not felt the need to use it.

Was in Makro today with no mask and nobody said anything but 90% of people gave me surprised looks. Give it a few weeks, it's like stopping smoking, it can't happen overnight.

Thanks for that. There are always opposing viewpoints regarding scientific issues. In this particular case, one can read the articles I posted, then read yours, and make an informed decision based on what one believes to be true.

The fact that they are adaptable does not justify or legitimate the predicament they are adapting to.

https://cognitiveresearchjournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s41235-022-00360-2 The current study provides evidence for quantitative and qualitative changes in the processing of masked faces in children. Changes in face recognition performance and alteration in the processing of partially occluded faces could have significant effects on children’s social interactions with their peers and their ability to form relationships with educators. Previous research in adults has already demonstrated the detrimental effect of reduced face perception abilities on one’s level of social confidence and quality of life (Lane et al., 2018). Given the recent increased uptake in mask-wearing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, future research should explore the social and psychological ramifications of wearing masks on children’s performance. https://uwaterloo.ca/news/media/research-suggests-mask-wearing-can-increase-struggles-social#:~:text=June 21%2C 2021-,Research suggests mask-wearing can increase struggles with social anxiety,past may also be affected.&text=People who struggle with social,after the COVID-19 pandemic. People who struggle with social anxiety might experience increased distress related to mask-wearing during and even after the COVID-19 pandemic. A paper authored by researchers from the University of Waterloo’s Department of Psychology and Centre for Mental Health Research and Treatment also has implications for those who haven’t necessarily suffered from social anxiety in the past.

I agree with that. And I never denied that mask-wearing has long existed in Thailand. I am refuting the claim that it was a widespread, standardised thing before Covid came along. Unless I lived in a parallel dimension from 2009 to 2020.

I see from your profile that you are in Bangkok, which is a very polluted city, as are Chiang Mai, Korat and a few other places at times. On a macro level though, I have lived in 5 different provinces and masks were a very marginal thing until January 2020.