The Great Thai Mask debate: Dr Taveesin asks the public in Thailand to continue to wear masks in enclosed spaces

[webfact]

Picture: Siam Rath

 

Despite a midnight order a few weeks back to end mask wearing in most settings the issue continues to be raised again and again by various authorities in the country.

 

And with online comment on the issue continuing to rage - especially as tourists and many expatriate locals take the issue of wearing masks generally less seriously than most Thais - it is becoming like "The Great Mask Debate".

 

Yesterday Siam Rath quoted comments from Dr Taveesin Visanuyothin, the CCSA or Covid steering committee spokesman who became a household name throughout the pandemic, as saying that cases were on the rise again especially in Bangkok and surrounding areas and in "tourism provinces".

 

This was fueled by the long holidays when people travel, like this week. It should be noted here that the word "tourist" here is not a dig at foreigners but principally Thai tourists moving about more.

 

Dr Taveesin said that despite the earlier mask edict, face protections are still a good way to prevent infection of Covid and other lung diseases.

 

Consequently even at open air places like concerts, outdoor movie screenings and sporting events and where social distancing is hard then people should continue to wear masks. 

 

In addition he said:

 

"Please wear masks in enclosed spaces and where there is not good air flow especially to protect those with underlying health conditions and the elderly and pregnant women.

 

"If you have not yet received three vaccination doses, are infected or have been in close proximity to an infected person please wear a mask at all times," he stressed. 

 

ASEAN NOW reports that in Bangkok the very great majority of Thais both in the main streets as well as inside shopping centers and stores are still wearing masks. 

 

For some it has become a bit of a fashion statement. Many were used to wearing masks because of pollution well before the pandemic struck in early 2020.

 

Foreigners - or at least those identified as such by Caucasian looks - and coming from countries where mask wearing came in later in the pandemic and was abandoned earlier - are less likely to be seen wearing them in the Thai capital. 

 

It appears that the issue will not go away easily and will still stir up much debate in social circles and online. 

 

-- © Copyright  ASEAN NOW 2022-07-15

 

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[DezLez]

Who is going to be first, a Pro or an Anti?

[Dmaxdan]

Too much mask-debating going on here for my liking...

[Reposed]

Most Thais wear masks because they want to conform to whatever everyone else is doing, not because they are worried about covid.

 

They don't want to be the first to stand out in the crowd by taking them off, which also can be inferred by other Thais that the de-masker considers themselves special or superior.

 

Westerners tend to be more independent thinkers.

 

 

[ThailandRyan]

13 minutes ago, Reposed said:

Most Thais wear masks because they want to conform to whatever everyone else is doing, not because they are worried about covid.

 

They don't want to be the first to stand out in the crowd by taking them off, which also can be inferred by other Thais that the de-masker considers themselves special or superior.

 

Westerners tend to be more independent thinkers.

 

 

Wow, a true Thai bashing comment has appeared.  You really believe what you write?  I guess if you tell yourself over and over the same thing it becomes a truth for you.  You might want to rethink your views and find middle ground. I will agree with your critical thinking comment but the rest pure baloney.

 

More food for thought from a virologist

 

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2022-07-11/never-had-covid-omicron-ba-4-and-ba-5-may-end-your-luck

 

"she’s remained uninfected by wearing high quality masks when warranted"

[Reposed]

3 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

Wow, a true Thai bashing comment has appeared.

If so, then I am also bashing the Japanese, Koreans, and Chinese. 

 

My comment was not demeaning; it was a cultural observation.

 

And thank you for the thoughtful suggestions on how I can be a better person.

[RandiRona]

Anyone who feel like wearing should and anyone who dont want to should not. 

Easy decision!!

[shackleton]

I wear my face mask when out take off if on  walking exercise in the park open area 

My choice ????

[transam]

20 minutes ago, Reposed said:

If so, then I am also bashing the Japanese, Koreans, and Chinese. 

 

My comment was not demeaning; it was a cultural observation.

 

And thank you for the thoughtful suggestions on how I can be a better person.

No, it was a farangies observation who thinks he knows better than others......????

[ozimoron]

24 minutes ago, Reposed said:

If so, then I am also bashing the Japanese, Koreans, and Chinese. 

 

My comment was not demeaning; it was a cultural observation.

 

And thank you for the thoughtful suggestions on how I can be a better person.

look up "stereotype."

[John Drake]

44 minutes ago, Reposed said:

Most Thais wear masks because they want to conform to whatever everyone else is doing, not because they are worried about covid.

 

They don't want to be the first to stand out in the crowd by taking them off, which also can be inferred by other Thais that the de-masker considers themselves special or superior.

 

Westerners tend to be more independent thinkers.

 

 

Hmmm. I must have suddenly become Thai. I think the mask mandates are largely useless. And I don't wear one when walking the streets in and around the village. But every time I walk into a store, a mall, come to a area with many vendors and customers on the side of the street, or get in a taxi, on goes the mask. There is no point in antagonizing the people you live around. They want the damn masks. So I oblige while in their company.

[ozimoron]

1 minute ago, John Drake said:

Hmmm. I must have suddenly become Thai. I think the mask mandates are largely useless. And I don't wear one when walking the streets in and around the village. But every time I walk into a store, a mall, come to a area with many vendors and customers on the side of the street, or get in a taxi, on goes the mask. There is no point in antagonizing the people you live around. They want the damn masks. So I oblige while in their company.

I think they understand that all medical experts world wide recommend continued wearing of masks in confined areas.

[ThailandRyan]

14 minutes ago, transam said:

No, it was a farangies observation who thinks he knows better than others......????

So as the poster wrote

 

52 minutes ago, Reposed said:

Most Thais wear masks because they want to conform to whatever everyone else is doing, not because they are worried about covid.

 

They don't want to be the first to stand out in the crowd by taking them off, which also can be inferred by other Thais that the de-masker considers themselves special or superior.

 

Westerners tend to be more independent thinkers.

 

 

This section from above:

 

"which also can be inferred by other Thais that the de-masker considers themselves special or superior."

 

If you can, please explain if there Is any truth in that statement or have my observations been done through rose colored glasses?

[rattlesnake]

2-3 weeks in I am noticing that more and more Thais are taking them off, or under their noses which is the intermediate step. My wife has stopped wearing hers, she is Thai and if it was a problem in society she would never do it. Masks are coming off, whether one likes it or not.

[ozimoron]

2 minutes ago, rattlesnake said:

2-3 weeks in I am noticing that more and more Thais are taking them off, or under their noses which is the intermediate step. My wife has stopped wearing hers, she is Thai and if it was a problem in society she would never do it. Masks are coming off, whether one likes it or not.

It is true but in Pattaya most of those not wearing masks are foreigners indoors. Thais are still wearing them in confined spaces. Thais are getting more relaxed about dumping the masks outdoors.

[mnomad]

2 minutes ago, rattlesnake said:

2-3 weeks in I am noticing that more and more Thais are taking them off, or under their noses which is the intermediate step. My wife has stopped wearing hers, she is Thai and if it was a problem in society she would never do it. Masks are coming off, whether one likes it or not.

Seeing this as well. More Thais demasking, still single digit percentages though but noticeable increase since last week

I think it will be interesting in the next few months what the farang pro-maskers that justify their stance with sayings like "i do it for the good of the community", "when in rome i do like the romans", "its courtesy as the locals want masks", "if everyone is doing it then.." . Of course we've seen with the flip flopping of their fear from omicron to moneypox to ba5 and ba6 their justification can change just as easily as rewriting history - who forgets the classic - most thais wore masks before the pandemic nonsense..

Masks are indeed coming off ????

[ThailandRyan]

6 minutes ago, mnomad said:

Seeing this as well. More Thais demasking, still single digit percentages though but noticeable increase since last week

I think it will be interesting in the next few months what the farang pro-maskers that justify their stance with sayings like "i do it for the good of the community", "when in rome i do like the romans", "its courtesy as the locals want masks", "if everyone is doing it then.." . Of course we've seen with the flip flopping of their fear from omicron to moneypox to ba5 and ba6 their justification can change just as easily as rewriting history - who forgets the classic - most thais wore masks before the pandemic nonsense..

Masks are indeed coming off ????

Your classic put down of mask wearing before covid can be found many times over in many studies and stories, but believe what you want.

 

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/culture-shocked/202005/why-was-mask-wearing-popular-in-asia-even-covid-19

 

Fast forward to 2010 when I lived in Tokyo again. Right away, I noticed that medical masks had become ubiquitous. And when I traveled to other countries in Asia, such as South Korea, China, Thailand, and Malaysia, it seemed that many more people were wearing them than decades before. When I asked, I was again told that people wore them when they were sick, to protect others. One was expected to wear them, and it was considered extremely selfish not to. People also wore them to protect themselves from air pollution,

[John Drake]

3 minutes ago, mnomad said:

I think it will be interesting in the next few months what the farang pro-maskers that justify their stance with sayings like "i do it for the good of the community", "when in rome i do like the romans", "its courtesy as the locals want masks", "if everyone is doing it then.." .

I freely admit to following the Thai lead on this matter. I have no intent of being a pioneer. Makes perfect sense to me to follow the practices of the people who live around me. 

[transam]

I thought no-it-alls didn't wear masks, when in fact C19 numbers are now rising.....????

[Rampant Rabbit]

suggests  he tries  the new  police  approved mask , for purchase  details contact J Ferrari...........ps  you go first minster.........its  only fitting you should  lead by example

[Rampant Rabbit]

7 minutes ago, John Drake said:

I freely admit to following the Thai lead on this matter. I have no intent of being a pioneer. Makes perfect sense to me to follow the practices of the people who live around me. 

if they all  jumped  off a  cliff  would you?

[transam]

2 minutes ago, Rampant Rabbit said:

if they all  jumped  off a  cliff  would you?

I don't think Thai folk would do that on mass, so not a relevant comparison.....????

[Mentors65]

I wear it in a Lift/Elevator.

 

[Rampant Rabbit]

47 minutes ago, transam said:

I don't think Thai folk would do that on mass, so not a relevant comparison.....????

They all  dont wear  helmets  so Id  say it  was

[transam]

14 minutes ago, Rampant Rabbit said:

They all  dont wear  helmets  so Id  say it  was

Wearing a helmet is the law, but if folk choose to not wear one, that's their choice, same as wearing a mask....????

[zzaa09]

More baffling might be continued and current OTT use of the proverbial HAZMAT suits by particular officialdom in selected airports and hospitals - which appeared to be an extreme and creepy measure reflective of a Huxley futuristic piece, all of which wasn't necessary. In the early [first year] unknown COVID era, the accepted mandates of mitigation and whatnot....OK, no problem. 

 

But, the vaccinated era was ushered in and passed by already as well as the scientific understanding that with each generational mutation/strain, the COVID cooties "danger" weakens. Enough with the OTT fear imagery. 

 

 

[Rampant Rabbit]

Just now, transam said:

Wearing a helmet is the law, but if folk choose to not wear one, that's their choice, same as wearing a mask....????

were  not discussing  laws but whether  thais  follow  like  sheep................baaaaaa

[transam]

Just now, Rampant Rabbit said:

were  not discussing  laws but whether  thais  follow  like  sheep................baaaaaa

My law statement just buried your baaaah accusation........????

[vandeventer]

2 hours ago, RandiRona said:

Anyone who feel like wearing should and anyone who dont want to should not. 

Easy decision!!

I think I am the only one in my area that hasn't got covid maybe I should just take off my n95 and see if it's just the mask?

[ThailandRyan]

1 minute ago, DezLez said:

At least the CH7 so called "newsbroadcasters" have stopped wearing the stupid things, especially as they are in a "controlled" environment!

Call it a mask, because that is what it is.  You and others keep on using derogatory terms to describe a mask and call it what it isn't.  Why is a mask a "Stupid Thing" as you put it.  A mask is a mask, if one wants to where it why decry it and complain, I sure do not complain about folks not wearing one.  If you want to go mask less then that is your right, except where it is still being required.  Even then you would chastise those for wearing them in a Government office, and so on which still have signs indicating mask wearing is needed.