Fines for non-mask wearing to be officially scrapped within weeks after MoPH announcement

[Reigntax]

55 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.

AA didn’t enforce mask wearing last week

[thurien]

4 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

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

N.B.: TH has various levels / timings for "normalities"

[thailand49]

Might as well!  I seriously doubt they collected a baht. Sure PM as news but actually paid it!????

[PJ71]

2 hours 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. 

 

 

Same in Phetchabun / KK / P'Lok, all visited in the last week.

 

I never wear one now and not been asked to for a long time. I find it bizarre the % of people that still wear them....

[paulikens]

Of course they're scrapping it because you don't have to wear masks anymore, so they can't fine you.    ridiculous statement

[Pattaya Spotter]

Few non-Thais have worn masks in Phuket for over a year, except in places where it was required. The Thais do seem quite attached to their masks, however, and will probably wear them for the foreseeable future.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

41 minutes ago, SmartyMarty said:

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

 

Thailand is still running more than 300 new COVID hospitalizations per day (2,234 for the most recent week)... so some might consider their policy to be Smart!

 

 

[MrJ2U]

Just in time for the next wave.

 

Hopefully most people are vaccinated and the hospital rates won't get to critical levels as in earlier waves. 

 

 

Edited October 20, 2022 by MrJ2U

[StevieAus]

4 hours 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?

Some government person made a comment about your point recently, to the effect that private organisations can require you to wear a mask if they so wish.

Despite what many may believe I understand they can refuse to allow you to enter their premises without giving a reason.

[Lucky Bones]

Where was this law enforced?

[alyx]

3 hours ago, prakhonchai nick said:

Makro Buriram still enforcing masks,

We are talking about Thailand here !!! ( don't get upset, it is a joke, not a lot of of opportunties to smile lately ) ????

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, Boomer6969 said:

Just curious , what  would you do?

Total defiance. I do it often with the police here. It works most of the time. You want 1,000 baht? That is not going to happen. Here is 100. See ya.

 

I just say absolutely not. Get out of my face. Most of the time they back down. 

Edited October 20, 2022 by spidermike007

[dave moir]

8 hours ago, mikebell said:

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

I've never seen a law against blacked out windscreens!

Main dealerships install blacked out windows on brand new cars! If it was illegal I would have thought they wouldn't commit an offence by blacking out windscreens!

[BostonRob2]

4 hours ago, Photoguy21 said:

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

The clue is in the very first word of the headline. Good luck with your reading.

 

Rooster

[monkfish]

The reason Thai's are still wearing masks is that they want to perceived as being good people and they are worried to be judged or bullied for not wearing one. If you see Thai's glaring at you in supermarkets when you don't wear one it's because you are being Judged as not a good person.
It's all part of being a Buddhist nothing to do with Covid anymore.

Edited October 20, 2022 by monkfish

[FarangFB]

2 hours ago, monkfish said:

The reason Thai's are still wearing masks is that they want to perceived as being good people and they are worried to be judged or bullied for not wearing one. If you see Thai's glaring at you in supermarkets when you don't wear one it's because you are being Judged as not a good person.
It's all part of being a Buddhist nothing to do with Covid anymore.

I think it's even beyond that, it's that Thais are afraid of being judged by others if not wearing masks (even though most don't give a damn), so they collectively wear it. The more "Thai" the location, the more they will wear. Pattaya and Phuket are pretty chill, I'd say less than 5% of the farangs are using masks and maybe around 70% of Thais.

But non-touristic areas of Bangkok are hardcore. I've been to Mega Bangna recently and it was properly packed (Saturday), I've walked past thousands of Thais and not even one without a mask. The only person I saw with no mask besides me was the only other farang I walked past.

 

These people will continue using masks for years no matter how optional it becomes.

 

 

Edited October 20, 2022 by FarangFB

[anrcaccount]

15 hours ago, hotandsticky said:

 

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".

 

 

 

That is not a rule, law or mandate. It was simply one statement from a health official that got widely reported. 

 

There is no mask mandate anywhere in Thailand, including on public transport or cinemas. 

[anrcaccount]

2 hours ago, FarangFB said:

But non-touristic areas of Bangkok are hardcore. I've been to Mega Bangna recently and it was properly packed (Saturday), I've walked past thousands of Thais and not even one without a mask. The only person I saw with no mask besides me was the only other farang I walked past.

 

These people will continue using masks for years no matter how optional it becomes

No, it will change sooner than years, just needs to hit a critical mass tipping point and all of a sudden the masks will be off again.

 

Once more Thais start travelling internationally again too, they will see that this permanent masking isn't happening just about anywhere else in the world.  

 

[stoner]

the clear difference in popularity in threads like this should be a good indication of the mask situation. months ago this thread would of popped off with pages and pages of comments from maskers vs anti maskers.

 

i can't believe people are even talking about this anymore.

[hotandsticky]

21 minutes ago, anrcaccount said:

No, it will change sooner than years, just needs to hit a critical mass tipping point and all of a sudden the masks will be off again.

 

Once more Thais start travelling internationally again too, they will see that this permanent masking isn't happening just about anywhere else in the world.  

 

Wrong again.

 

Masks are worn by Asians for a variety of reasons ...Covid prevention, PMI2.5, habit etc 

 

My missus experienced Europe earlier this year where mask wearing was unusual. On her return to Thailand she reverted to wearing a mask in shops and on public transport.

[anrcaccount]

16 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

My missus experienced Europe earlier this year where mask wearing was unusual. On her return to Thailand she reverted to wearing a mask in shops and on public transport.

Yes, exactly, which is why Thais are only doing it for social norm reasons rathe  than anything to do with health. There's no difference in the virus between Thailand and anywhere else in the world.  

 

I do believe the mass masking will fade away in Thailand, it's already happening, albeit slowly. 

[hotchilli]

21 hours ago, webfact said:

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.

I didn't know it had actually become a law?

[roo860]

13 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Total defiance. I do it often with the police here. It works most of the time. You want 1,000 baht? That is not going to happen. Here is 100. See ya.

 

I just say absolutely not. Get out of my face. Most of the time they back down. 

So what 'law' have you apparently broken to offer 100bt instead of 1000bt?

[marcusb]

All this psycho analysis of Thai mask wearing habits by professional forum members is so enlightening.  Peer pressure, fashionable, conforming.  Maybe, just maybe they don't want to get sick. 

 Why on earth do the mask wearers annoy the non mask wearers, don't say it doesn't it obviously does.  I don't care if someone wears socks with sandals, don't care if folks wear stained oversized wife beaters to go 'out", don't care if someone wears a helmet or not. Why would I care if others prefer to mask?  None of my business. 

 

 

[marcusb]

14 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Total defiance. I do it often with the police here. It works most of the time. You want 1,000 baht? That is not going to happen. Here is 100. See ya.

 

We must live totally different lifestyles. Thirteen years here, never been in situation like that.

 

 I've had a few tickets, deserved each and every one. 

[PJ71]

18 minutes ago, marcusb said:

All this psycho analysis of Thai mask wearing habits by professional forum members is so enlightening.  Peer pressure, fashionable, conforming.  Maybe, just maybe they don't want to get sick. 

 Why on earth do the mask wearers annoy the non mask wearers, don't say it doesn't it obviously does.  I don't care if someone wears socks with sandals, don't care if folks wear stained oversized wife beaters to go 'out", don't care if someone wears a helmet or not. Why would I care if others prefer to mask?  None of my business. 

 

 

It annoys me coz it's not necessary anymore and life goes on.

 

Don't know why people don't want to go back to pre Covid life......strange.

 

 

[mikebell]

22 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

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

The police decide what laws are to be enforced not the Government.  Prayuth declared re-enactments were to be outlawed but the photo-cops ignored him anyway to ensure they got their fifteen minutes of fame.

[jacko45k]

50 minutes ago, PJ71 said:

It annoys me coz it's not necessary anymore and life goes on.

 

Don't know why people don't want to go back to pre Covid life......strange.

 

 

There are bigger issues.......what other people do, and obviously should have zero impact on your life, should not stress you so.

To go back to pre-Covid behaviour,, with 6.5 million lost souls,  as if nothing happened would be a monumental mistake.... lessons to be learned. 

[spidermike007]

2 hours ago, roo860 said:

So what 'law' have you apparently broken to offer 100bt instead of 1000bt?

Speeding, illegal lane change, fleeing from speed traps, just riding around Pattaya on a motorbike, and being a target for "opportunistic franchisees". I pay as little respect to the cops as I possibly can, unless they have a valid cause. It usually works. They do not like the extra effort required when someone pushes back. In the US, I would likely get gunned down, or locked up for my lack of respect and deference. Not here. Never even came close. If the cop is not cooperating, I ask for his superior. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

3 hours ago, PJ71 said:

It annoys me coz it's not necessary anymore and life goes on.

Mask wearing continues to be "recommended" by the Thai MoPH for the general public when they are indoor spaces that are congested or poorly ventilated, and that apparently includes when people are on public transportation as well.

 

And, mask wearing continues to be recommended everywhere for several specific at-risk populations, including the elderly, those with chronic medical conditions and pregnant women.

 

More than 300 people per day are being hospitalized for COVID in Thailand, still, right now, even with Omicron as the dominant variant here.

 

So clearly, for those who want to protect their own health and the health of those around them, it IS necessary and a prudent form of protection.