Thailand’s health minister apologizes for outburst aimed at western tourists February 7, 2020    views 1,452 Share Post           Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said today that he will ask western embassies to advise their citizens visiting Thailand to wear protective face masks in public places, and in crowds, for safety. The minister, who is campaigning to get the public to wear face masks, offered an apology on his Facebook page today, after his outburst when some western tourists, he said, refused to accept the free face masks he and health officials were handing out at Siam Square on Thursday. The minister reportedly lost his temper at, what he described as, the uncooperative attitude of the western tourists, which he thought was “uncaring”. He exclaimed to reporters that “these tourists should be kicked out of Thailand.” He explained that Thailand is currently campaigning for people to wear face masks in public for theirs and others’ safety asking, rhetorically, how those tourists can be so certain that they are not infected with coronavirus, because they might have visited somewhere else before coming to Thailand. “We don’t know which tourists have visited which countries before coming to Thailand, or whether they present a high-risk. Being cooperative by wearing masks is what we have come to expect, not being brushed off with a wave of their hand and a glare, which the public health officials and I have experienced,” said Mr. Anutin.

Thai public health minister under fire for xenophobic comments

 

ByCod Satrusayang

 

February 7, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

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Thai public health minister Anutin Charnvirakul was criticized on social media on Friday for xenophobic comments he made to local media while responding to the coronavirus outbreak.

The minister had been handing out masks to citizens and tourists to raise awareness about coronavirus and was apparently irked when some tourists did not accept the handout.

“These westerners, these tourists….we gave them the mask and they wouldn’t take them, we have to kick them out of the country,” he said.

“The Chinese, the Asians, they are all accepting the masks. These Europeans…how do we know they’re not spreading the disease? They may have visited other countries before coming to Thailand.”

“Thais have to help each other, if we find people like this to kick them out of the country.”

Saksith Saiyasombut

 

✔@SaksithCNA

 

 

Thai Public Health Min Anutin Charnvirakul was handing out surgical masks today for people to protect themselves against the Novel #Coronavirus. Apparently some foreign tourists didn't take them, which led to this unusual outburst by him suggesting they "should be kicked out."

 

 

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12:23 PM - Feb 7, 2020

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The minister has been criticized previously for his mixed response to the outbreak

He's just a POS! Don't worry about the xenophobic imbecile!

Hey numbnuts, the real reason we should be wearing masks in Thailand is so we don't choke on the pollution your incompetence is inflicting on your fellow Thais.

Judging by his comments, are we to understand.... He dont like us !!

What's he doing about supplying true figures of virus cases.

Dirty farangs. 5555

Could you see 11 farangs passing around a whiskey glass and sharing a joint. You be lucky to get it passed on by first person.

It's mine p off.

55555

????❤????????

"This time he’s warned his fellow Thais about the foreigners fleeing their own countries for the ‘safe haven’ of Thailand".

 

Made me laugh out loud.  ????

There have already been threads on this in the News Forum, some still active. Closed.