Picture: Siam Rath

 

Thailand will officially end the practice of fining people for not wearing masks after a MoPH meeting yesterday.

 

Dr Tharet Kratnairawiwong, chief of the Department of Disease Control said that this related to powers given to provincial authorities to issue mask wearing orders. 

 

Thailand's health minister is Anutin Charnvirakul, pictured here.

 

 

Such laws were still on the books. There was no need for the matter to be decided by cabinet, it could be signed off by the health minister, he said.

 

The laws would be officially scrapped within 2-3 weeks after announcement in the Government Gazette. 

 

Matters related to compensation were also decided, reported Siam Rath.

 

ASEAN NOW notes that mask wearing in Thailand is still prevalent especially in Bangkok.

 

However, slowly but surely the number of Thais wearing masks is beginning to decrease even in the Thai capital.

 

This is especially noticable in tourist and nightlife areas where both Thais and foreign nationals are mostly mask-less. 

 

Outside Bangkok there is far less masking up.

 

During the pandemic fines existed on three levels of 1,000, 6,000 and 20,000 baht for repeat offenders.

 

ASEAN NOW carried very few stories about people being fined, however. 

 

-- © Copyright  ASEAN NOW 2022-10-20

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Monthly car subscription with first-class insurance, 24x7 assistance and more in one price - click here to find out more!

 

Get your business in front of millions of customers who read ASEAN NOW with an interest in Thailand every month - email [email protected] for more information

9 minutes ago, webfact said:

Such laws were still on the books.

As are those for helmet wearing; black windscreens; drunk driving; dogs not on a lead?

5 minutes ago, mikebell said:

As are those for helmet wearing; black windscreens; drunk driving; dogs not on a lead?

Your point being what, they should scrap those laws as well?

1 hour ago, ThailandRyan said:

Your point being what, they should scrap those laws as well?

They may as well as little adherence appears to be the norm ...........LOL

1 hour ago, ThailandRyan said:

Your point being what, they should scrap those laws as well?

I think his point is a more cynical 'might as well'......

Oh my goodness.. no fines anymore for no mask wearing. I see a lot of motorcycles wearing masks but no helmets...Now they are in real danger if they don't need to masks anymore.... They probably think that a  mask is much more protecting against an accident than a helmet. 

 

Besides that, Thailand was back to normal on the 1st October already???

Edited October 20, 20223 yr by ikke1959

6 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

They probably think that a  mask is much more protecting against an accident than a helmet. 

You are really suggesting they are wearing masks on a motorcycle as a perceived protective measure against  accidents? And some deride the locals!

Except for PM's PR stunt, does anyone personally know anyone, the law was actually enforced against.

 

PoPo saw me almost daily without, with an acknowledging head nod or wave, and apparently could care less.  All during the mandatory 'outside of home' rule.

Who is supposed to issue these fines? I would like to see one of these goons even attempt to fine me. It would be a very amusing thing to witness. Such stupidity. What can one even say? 

4 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Who is supposed to issue these fines? I would like to see one of these goons even attempt to fine me. It would be a very amusing thing to witness. Such stupidity. What can one even say? 

The threat of fines is all about us, hand written 'Fine 2000 baht' next to parking, smoking and littering warnings are plentiful. Nearly as abundant as foreign scofflaws!

Does this mean the signs outside Makro and other supermarkets and department stores saying effectively  "no mask-no entry" cannot be enforced?

1 hour ago, ikke1959 said:

I see a lot of motorcycles wearing masks 

I know Thais like their masks but the bikes too! Whatever next, traffic lights wearing masks? ????

35 minutes ago, prakhonchai nick said:

Does this mean the signs outside Makro and other supermarkets and department stores saying effectively  "no mask-no entry" cannot be enforced?

Not necessarily, as if store policy, then so be it.  Though yet to see any enforced of late.

 

Our local Makro has removed the temp screening monitor.  The local Lotus still has the mask detect turnstile installed, which I haven't seen anyone use in months, simply walking around it, and no mask requirement.  Along with 7-11s locally.

 

BluPort Mall / Hua Hin, and Hua Hin Imm. no mask required, as we were there Tuesday.

 

Just lovely.

Makro Buriram still enforcing masks,

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand's health minister is Anutin Charnvirakul, pictured here.

what's that got to do with it?

"Outside Bangkok there is far less masking up."

 

Here in rural Nakhon Sawan 99 percent are still masked up.

 

The ones alone on a bike or in a car always give me a chuckle. 

 

 

Edited October 20, 20223 yr by onthedarkside
misinfo comment removed

41 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Not necessarily, as if store policy, then so be it.  Though yet to see any enforced of late.

 

Our local Makro has removed the temp screening monitor.  The local Lotus still has the mask detect turnstile installed, which I haven't seen anyone use in months, simply walking around it, and no mask requirement.  Along with 7-11s locally.

 

BluPort Mall / Hua Hin, and Hua Hin Imm. no mask required, as we were there Tuesday.

 

Just lovely.

I have shopped maskless in Big C many times and no one has said anything 

I was unaware there was a legal requirement to wear a mask at all any more...  Particularly since the the Emergency Decree was dropped. 

 

 

Wearing of masks has already been scrapped. What is this article about? Am I travelling backwards in time?

4 minutes ago, Photoguy21 said:

Wearing of masks has already been scrapped. What is this article about? Am I travelling backwards in time?

 

You should go further back in time and re-read the rules:-

 

"masks are still compulsory on public transport and when visiting cinemas in Thailand".

 

From Thursday June 23, the wearing of face masks outdoors and in public places is no longer mandatory and people are free to choose whether to wear one, according to an announcement published in the Royal Gazette yesterday.

 

What I find strange is that the Bangkok Post every day for a few weeks now when reporting under Covid, is showing Zero infections. This is not the same as there being a previous announcement that infection rates would no longer be recorded. So my interpretation that showing a figure, albeit zero cases, is being shown, suggests that all those tested for covid were negative and nobody registered as infected at a hospital. If this is true, and I doubt that very much, with no infections in all of Thailand, how would it be possible for anyone to catch covid? And of course, apart from other reasons to wear a mask, why is the majority still wearing and for some not so doing, inviting the black look? 

 

28 minutes ago, ChrisKC said:

What I find strange is that the Bangkok Post every day for a few weeks now when reporting under Covid, is showing Zero infections. This is not the same as there being a previous announcement that infection rates would no longer be recorded. So my interpretation that showing a figure, albeit zero cases, is being shown, suggests that all those tested for covid were negative and nobody registered as infected at a hospital. If this is true, and I doubt that very much, with no infections in all of Thailand, how would it be possible for anyone to catch covid? And of course, apart from other reasons to wear a mask, why is the majority still wearing and for some not so doing, inviting the black look? 

 

 

Now, it seems, the MoPH is doing WEEKLY recap public reports on the numbers of COVID hospitalizations (not cases) and deaths.

 

The latest is the following:

 

"Stay on top of weekly COVID-19 cases
Between 9 - 15 October 2022

Patients hospitalized (weekly)
2,234 cases : daily average of 319 cases/day

 

Deceased (Weekly)
53 cases : daily average of 7 cases/day"

 

 

Source link

 

37 minutes ago, Photoguy21 said:

Wearing of masks has already been scrapped

Thank you for this information. I have just purchased a return ticket with Air Asia from Siem Reap to Bangkok DMK  with outward flight on 9 November 2022. Air Asia clearly states that face masks must be worn on the plane, unless, I presume, when I am eating and drinking water during my one hour flight. It will be interesting to see what transpires. I then travel onwards from DMK railway station to Chiang Mai so will I have to wear a mask on the train? If I choose not to do so I presume I will not get fined? For reference, Cambodia is now more or less mask-less.

I really noticed some improvement recently. In my area here in Bangkok people wearing masks outdoors went from +95% to around 80% and basically no one jogging is wearing a mask anymore. Slow but steady. ????
 

 

Edited October 20, 20223 yr by SpanishExpat

1 hour ago, Bim Smith said:

"Outside Bangkok there is far less masking up."

 

Here in rural Nakhon Sawan 99 percent are still masked up.

 

The ones alone on a bike or in a car always give me a chuckle. 

 

 

Today shopping in Makro Hua Hin there were more than half masked up...those masked were Thai and a few foreigners. The majority of those unmasked were foreigners whose Thai partners were masked.....

6 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Your point being what, they should scrap those laws as well?

Doesn't make sense! They officially dropped all covid restrictions as from the 1st of October 2022. But ADVISED/ REQUESTED people to wear masks on public transport. This guy and other members of the junta have been photographed over the last 3 weeks and most if not all were not wearing a mask!

 

23 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

Thank you for this information. I have just purchased a return ticket with Air Asia from Siem Reap to Bangkok DMK  with outward flight on 9 November 2022. Air Asia clearly states that face masks must be worn on the plane, unless, I presume, when I am eating and drinking water during my one hour flight. It will be interesting to see what transpires. I then travel onwards from DMK railway station to Chiang Mai so will I have to wear a mask on the train? If I choose not to do so I presume I will not get fined? For reference, Cambodia is now more or less mask-less.

 

My wife took a domestic flight with Thai AirAsia last week.

 

TH AirAsia's website currently says masks are required on their flights. And, my wife reported that the air crew during her flight indeed told passengers that they should be wearing face masks.

 

Here in China Mai they are still compulsory if you go into an SCB branch. Stupid.

4 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

I would like to see one of these goons even attempt to fine me. It would be a very amusing thing to witness. 

Just curious , what  would you do?

Shocker, I wasn't aware of anyone ever, ever, ever being fined...!!! And I've seen coppers walking past none mask wearers countless times!