Foreigners in Thailand warned about not wearing face masks

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1 hour ago, kiteman9 said:

I rarely see anyone wearing a i-95 surgical mask which are the only masks that are supposed to work.

Wrong.

This is a surgical mask:

 

This is an N-95 mask( I-95 is the name of a highway in the USA.)

[mahtin]

35 minutes ago, Clarkey611 said:

They are mandatory on the plane.

Wouldn't be too hard to announce on the plane the fact that masks are mandatory in the Kingdom .

[RBOP]

CCSA probably saw the many videos of the most recent full moon party on Koh Phangan. Hundreds of mask-less party goers drinking, socializing and milling about during the event.  

[RBOP]

17 minutes ago, ronster said:

Most of the tourists I seen on Sunday evening in an area of samui were not wearing masks while walking around or arriving at restaurants in minivan’s. Then add to that the photos online of the full moon party with just about everyone not wearing masks . Might be why they had 50 new infections In phangan the other day .

On November 19th Koh Phangan reported 185 cases. Koh Phangan Hospital facebook page a good source of the situation and report cases daily. 

[CharlieH]

Reported post removed.

[Moonlover]

13 hours ago, koratkarlos said:

I am farang and yes I wear a mask, even when bicycling in the countryside.  I certainly do not need this mask in remote areas but I wear the mask.  Why?  Because of the dirty looks I get when as a farang I do not have a mask on.  It is easier to just wear one.  You know, all farangs have COVID.  That is what the locals asked me a few days ago at the market.  Do you have COVID?   Perhaps there is a lack of education and understanding.

I am a farang who refuses to wear a mask unless I am visiting such places as supermarkets and banks, where I am obliged to wear one.

 

I live in the countryside in a village where only around half of villagers wear one. Nobody has given me dirty looks, in fact I quite often get a 'thumbs up' when I'm out on my daily walk. There is no Covid in our area and I'm very confident that the risk around here is negligible.

 

Wearing a mask should, IMO be optional, allowing the individual to make his or hers own risk assessment according to the circumstances they find themselves in.

 

And the sooner the mask is gone altogether, the better.

[LetsGoJoe]

In my neck of the woods I'm seeing more Thais wearing a mask now than I ever had since this show begun.

I don't wear a mask in the car on my bike or when I'm cycling - I have a limit to sensible compliance.

I do wear a mask in public (indoor/outdoor) places as we all should, regardless of the debatable effectiveness they provide.

[dkg224]

yes i don't understand where they get the information or prejudice against Farangs as to why they think we all are risks and have Covid.  This year I've gone back to my Girlfriends village in Buriram 4 times.  Ive been vaccinated since February.  Every time I go the village headman says I have to quarantine,  then I have to have my girlfriend argue with him telling him i'm vaccinated, I didn't come from a red area, ect and I don't have to quarantine.  And at least a few people in the village also ask me or ask my girlfriend if i quarantined, test for covid blah blah.  Last time i drove with her 2 uncles that live in Bangkok and nobody said anything to them when we arrived, the village health officer didn't check their temperatures, ask to see covid test or vaccination, only wanted to check me.

Then i was sitting at a stop light on my motorcycle, and a guy in a BMW SUV next to me rolled down his window and started grilling me on how long i've been in Thailand, where i came from, did i quarantine, where i stay.  <deleted> CRAZY!

[snowgard]

Did someone of you think about that the most farangs what comes in to thailand now are from countries on the TOP10 of new Covid infections?

And than do you feel discriminated about "wearing a mask"?

Full list: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/
 

[toofarnorth]

4 hours ago, kiteman9 said:

I have been pedaling my bike every day around my village far away from people without a mask since Covid 19 started. The Thai Department of Health advises against wearing a face mask when exercising. You are not getting enough oxygen into your lungs and heart, so your body has to work harder, which is more dangerous. When I'm close to people I put my mask on.

Same same.  Every day around sundown I pedal my ex Japanese postman bike through the rice fields here.

1 mile to Ban Hoi .  I see the same folk most days and they are jogging or walking , we nod and most are maskless like me.  Oddest thing is it never seems to rain around bike time.

[WEBBYB808]

4 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

I am a farang who refuses to wear a mask unless I am visiting such places as supermarkets and banks, where I am obliged to wear one.

 

I live in the countryside in a village where only around half of villagers wear one. Nobody has given me dirty looks, in fact I quite often get a 'thumbs up' when I'm out on my daily walk. There is no Covid in our area and I'm very confident that the risk around here is negligible.

 

Wearing a mask should, IMO be optional, allowing the individual to make his or hers own risk assessment according to the circumstances they find themselves in.

 

And the sooner the mask is gone altogether, the better.

You don't wear a mask to protect yourself.   You wear a mask to protect the other people around you.  See there is the issue. Everyone  thinks wearing a mask is to protect  the individual  wearing it.  No, its the opposite.   Do surgeon's  wear a mask during surgery to keep the germs, and bacteria  from entering their lungs from the patient  they are operating  on?  No!  They wear a mask to keep the patient safe and for protection  of the patient.   So in reality  one not wearing a mask it assaulting everyone else.  Not wearing a mask is like saying I dont care about you my neighbor.   Are we in the middle ages?  Are we really that uneducated  as a people that we haven't  learned from history or the purpose  of hygiene?  So all your neighbors  must just not understand  it.  There was recently  a group of young people in Italy who had whats called a Covid party.  Where they all try and get covid  by not wearing mask, breathing in each others air, all because  they didn't  believe.   Now everyone of them are on a respirator fighting  for their life.  They believed mask not important,  risk not big, and who needs a mask.  Same as you seem to think.  Same as everyone whos caught this virus and almost died.  If it was up to me and only the ones who dont care about their fellow human beings and dont want to wear a mask were the only ones getting sick and dying then I would say ok, dont wear a mask youll be the only one getting sick, but its not! The non mask wearer who is at risk.  Its everyone else arond you.  

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16 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

I am a farang who refuses to wear a mask unless I am visiting such places as supermarkets and banks, where I am obliged to wear one.

 

I live in the countryside in a village where only around half of villagers wear one. Nobody has given me dirty looks, in fact I quite often get a 'thumbs up' when I'm out on my daily walk. There is no Covid in our area and I'm very confident that the risk around here is negligible.

 

Wearing a mask should, IMO be optional, allowing the individual to make his or hers own risk assessment according to the circumstances they find themselves in.

 

And the sooner the mask is gone altogether, the better.

With a lot of people don't seem to understand is that masks or a lot better at protecting others  from the wearer they are for protecting the wearer from others.

 

[pizzachang]

16 hours ago, pattjock said:

What about all the Thai people not wearing masks?

Absurd to open restaurants and have useless mask rules.  Not logical.  Masks should be for sick people.

 

[raccos21]

I think since their tourism industry is hiccuping, they are targeting the local unmasked foreigners for a quick rip off.

[paul1804]

Thailand really knows how to put off visitors, the article should read.

It is Thailand law to wear a face mask and this applies to both citizens, residents & visitors, no exceptions. 

But instead they have to single out "foreigners" why would they do this if they really want people to visit. 

If they feel foreigner visitors are the bigger offenders then make it one of the stipulations on Thai pass so visitors are fully aware! 

[toofarnorth]

1 hour ago, DjSilver said:

What about the stupid people riding a motorbike with only face masks and no helmet? Smart Thai people ????????????

Yep , always good for conversation when one is trying to drink coffee through a mask. Just yesterday when out having a maskless coffee 3 lads on a motorbike went past , the one driving looked about 10 , no masks between them and no hats. Which of these 3 items is the worse ( Rhetorical ).

[fulhamster]

17 hours ago, pattjock said:

What about all the Thai people not wearing masks?

They're not Dirty Falang

[paulikens]

mask wearing is absolute covid theatre, especially outside, that's even more ridiculous.      I cant believe people actually think they do anything.  and you might quote doctors and scientists who say they do but there's just as many doctors who say they dont do anything as well.  and the doctors who do say they are effective mean proper masks.             not the cheap flimsy ones most of us wear and even then you should be changing them every four hours.    

[Straight8]

Why on earth would any tourist want to go through a tonne of testing, insurances, & what not's, then be subject to wearing a farrkin mask in public.?

 

Guess its why there are hardly any real "tourist" around.

 

 

[Straight8]

6 minutes ago, fulhamster said:

They're not Dirty Falang

You mean the kind that were/are responsible for spreading this disease??

[tomazbodner]

1 hour ago, tomazbodner said:

Saw article (but not in English) that masks were 53% effective in preventing transmission and distancing about 20 something %. Not sure where they got that article from, it was posted 2 days ago with title (translated) "How effective are masks against COVID, really?". I'm sure it's not their article, as they keep reposting stuff from other agencies, but it's from one of largest media companies in Europe.

 

 

Adding link in English to that: https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2021/11/18/mask-wearing-cuts-new-covid-19-cases-by-53-its-the-best-public-health-measure-against-the-virus-study-finds/?sh=4eadd20f12ab

[khunpa]

According to Dr Apisamai many foreigners who have arrived in Thailand since its reopening have not been wearing face masks as required and have also been gathering in groups and at parties. 
 

OMG! The white people are gathering in groups and even partying on their hard-earned holiday. Just like normal Thais also do.

 

Guess it’s time to focus on the super-rich Indians again, who will for sure not do this kind of horrible thing. 
 

Welcome to Thailand! Enjoy!

[userabcd]

 

9 hours ago, redwood1 said:

Masks do nothing, thankfully many Thais and farang are realizing this and taking the proper course of action or is that in-action....

By you wearing a mask protects others from your breath.

[NanLaew]

17 hours ago, ukrules said:

This is what happens when you advertise a country as being 'open' again when really it's just a lie.

 

The law regarding mask wearing should be made very clear on the website where you apply for your visa or 'entry pass' / whatever they're calling it this week, make it a checkbox that they acknowledge they know it's the law, that it is enforced and that there are large fines.

 

Thailand is open. I know this isn't a lie because I re-entered 12 days ago.

 

The lack of mask wearing by the new arrivals is probably the result of the same westerners gradually ignoring any mask rules in their home countries or their government's relaxing these requirements. As for not paying attention to the existing rules that apply here, it's hard to educate those that are just too stupid to read and observe. Mask wearing is stressed at every point of the trip to Thailand from the departure airport, during the flight to getting cleared into your AQ hotel. Once there, you see everyone wearing a mask and signage saying that these are required. The mask wearing by the locals is self-evident.

 

I have been in England for the past 2 months and the lack of mask wearing in public was notable. Since there's a growing fear of the UK following the rest of Europe into the 4th wave this winter, my friends in the UK have recently commented that they are seeing more mask wearing in public (in the last 2 weeks or so).

 

You don't need laws or rules. You just need common sense.

[NorthernRyland]

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

I am in the US right now, and a minority of people are wearing masks outdoors. Thailand happens to be one of the most fearful and paranoid nations around,

Let's all not forget Thai people  (most?) believe in literal ghosts and spirits. COVID has become just another evil spirit to them. RIP normal life in Thailand for the foreseeable future.

[NanLaew]

1 hour ago, mahtin said:

1 hour ago, Clarkey611 said:

They are mandatory on the plane.

Wouldn't be too hard to announce on the plane the fact that masks are mandatory in the Kingdom .

Maybe an IQ test should be an integral part of the ThailandPass application as well?

[Cabradelmar]

Enforcement would obviously be skewed towards foreigners because when you walk the streets of Bangkok it's a foreigner who you are likely to see not earing a mask at all... the profile is fairly straight forward -- white, poorly dressed in circa 1990s cargo shorts, overweight, 55+ years old, with a scowl on their face. Just pointing out the obvious. It's not that hard to be a good guest of the Kingdom, and if you can't do that then maybe try a different country

[NanLaew]

52 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

Wearing a mask should, IMO be optional, allowing the individual to make his or hers own risk assessment according to the circumstances they find themselves in.

Doing a 'risk assessment' on yourself is easy. Have you tried doing one on behalf of the people you come across?

[NanLaew]

29 minutes ago, raccos21 said:

I think since their tourism industry is hiccuping, they are targeting the local unmasked foreigners for a quick rip off.

You think?

 

Really?

[mikeymike100]

Why do the Thai authorities continue to do this? As may posters have said this is plainly xenophobic or even racist, because it is implying Thais are better at obeying the law, when we all know they are not!

They want more tourists to come into the country then pull ridiculous stunts like this, what a joke!

Why not just say People instead of Foreigners?