Rooster Reports 7: Hello Thai people: The pandemic's over now, pretty please, ditch the face masks!

[Nicholas Paul KNIGHT]

Rooster, please shut up and be quiet, maybe in your small mind the PANDEMIC IS over, BUT POLLUTION IS NOT, NOR residual infections of a COVID Variant and in any case when you can PRODUCE FULL qualifications stating you are a Virologist or other notable Health Care Professional Qualifications  if not , please keep your uneducated MOUTH SHUT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited March 28, 2023 by Nicholas Paul KNIGHT
spelling

[LukKrueng]

Hello Thai people: The pandemic's over now, pretty please, ditch the face masks! 

 

Why do you care what other people do it wear if it doesn't effect you? Were you happy to be forced to wear a mask during COVID restrictions?

Live and let live.

[Cricky]

15 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

I don't want this thread to turn into a debate about the freedoms

It's not up to you.

 

Geeze, another Control freak

Edited March 28, 2023 by Cricky

[richard_smith237]

9 minutes ago, Nicholas Paul KNIGHT said:

Rooster, please shut up and be quiet, maybe in your small mind the PANDEMIC IS over, BUT POLLUTION IS NOT, NOR residual infections of a COVID Variant and in any case when you can PRODUCE FULL qualifications stating you are a Virologist or other notable Health Care Professional Qualifications  if not , please keep your uneducated MOUTH SHUT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So why is no one wearing a mask in the vast majority of other countries in the world ?????

Because the virologists and public health experts have agreed that it is no longer required. 

The virologists and public health experts and policy makers in Thailand have agreed that mask wearing is no longer required - it's no longer law. 

 

Your response is aggressive and also wrong, as Covid-19 enters 'endemic status’ the need for mask wearing is no longer present.

 

I agree that some will be wearing masks because of pollution, thats fine, there is no disagreement with that from anyone. However, when mask wearers were a small minority before Covid-19 and now mask wearers remain in the majority *post Covid, common senses suggests that the mask wearing is not due to the same factors that have existed before Covid-19 - clearly, when observing the majority the mask wearing is covid-19 related and is a clear example of the 'Bandwagon effect’, a legacy of a conformist society where the majority copy the majority. 

 

 

*it seems most agree were in the post Covid-19 era.

 

 

 

 

 

[Thailand]

5 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

I have a friend who is a surgical nurse at a large, local hospital. She says she cannot remember the last time they saw a covid patient. 

 

It is over. Some have a hard time letting go of the panic. Some don't want to let it go. Masks serve little to no function now, other than preventing inhalation of pollution. 

Interestingly my 95 year old stepfather in the UK has this week contracted Covid for the second time in a year following visits to the the local hospital!

[transam]

1 minute ago, richard_smith237 said:

So why is no one wearing a mask in the vast majority of other countries in the world ?????

Because the virologists and public health experts have agreed that it is no longer required. 

The virologists and public health experts and policy makers in Thailand have agreed that mask wearing is no longer required - it's no longer law. 

 

Your response is aggressive and also wrong, as Covid-19 enters 'endemic status’ the need for mask wearing is no longer present.

 

I agree that some will be wearing masks because of pollution, thats fine, there is no disagreement with that from anyone. However, when mask wearers were a small minority before Covid-19 and now mask wearers remain in the majority *post Covid, common senses suggests that the mask wearing is not due to the same factors that have existed before Covid-19 - clearly, when observing the majority the mask wearing is covid-19 related and is a clear example of the 'Bandwagon effect’, a legacy of a conformist society where the majority copy the majority. 

 

 

*it seems most agree were in the post Covid-19 era.

 

 

 

 

 

I wear a mask in any shop I go into, because in the shops I go into the staff are wearing them, plus in other places I don't know who is going to cough in my ear, which has happened.

As far as I know, I haven't had C19, and I intend to keep it that way until the coast is clear. 

But most of all, I have absolutely no problem wearing a mask if I think I need to, bit like wearing a seat belt in a car, no problemo.....   ????

[Thailand]

Spoke to a few Thai's last week and some foreigners in Chiang Mai, they are wearing masks because of the appalling air pollution.

Tempted to myself  on the golf course yesterday, the air was chewable but I find masks uncomfortable and my lungs are probably shot after breathing in the sh-t for some 20 years.

[richard_smith237]

1 minute ago, transam said:

I wear a mask in any shop I go into, because in the shops I go into the staff are wearing them, plus in other places I don't know who is going to cough in my ear, which has happened.

As far as I know, I haven't had C19, and I intend to keep it that way until the coast is clear. 

You must already know the mask doesn't protect you from Covid-19.... it just helps to some extent protect others if you do have Covid-19.

 

This comes back to the reasoning about wearing masks... You have throught about the why’s and how’s etc...  do you really think all of society think about this issue with the same critical thought ? or are they wearing masks because everyone else does ????

 

That is the point Rooster was making - So many people wearing masks here not through fear of Covid, but through fear of being different... 

 

1 minute ago, transam said:

But most of all, I have absolutely no problem wearing a mask if I think I need to, bit like wearing a seat belt in a car, no problemo.....   ????

Mask wearing vs seat-belt analogy is rather misleading, its not as if no-one wears their seatbelts in most other countries any more... In fact it could be argued the opposite is true in Thailand compared to the west - I wonder why this comparison is actually upside down... 

- In Thailand fewer wear seatbelts meanwhile everyone wears masks. 

- In the West, all wear seatbelts while none wear masks. 

 

 

[Donbuie3]

When I was last in central Bangkok 3 weeks ago, BTS were still requesting that you wear a mask on their trains and in their stations.

[brewsterbudgen]

7 minutes ago, Donbuie3 said:

When I was last in central Bangkok 3 weeks ago, BTS were still requesting that you wear a mask on their trains and in their stations.

I was there last week, and mask wearing on the BTS is just recommended.  Plenty of passengers, including myself, were maskless.

[Snugs08]

11 minutes ago, Donbuie3 said:

When I was last in central Bangkok 3 weeks ago, BTS were still requesting that you wear a mask on their trains and in their stations.

In the interest of avoiding ambiguity, which has in the past been labelled as misinformation, the BTS is merely recommending you wear a mask whilst using the system, it is not required, it is not mandated, and many visitors and expats and a small but growing percent of Thais, especially the younger student generation, use the system without a mask without incident all day long.

Edited March 28, 2023 by Snugs08

[metisdead]

Off topic posts and the replies have been removed.  This topic is not about Muslims wearing hijabs. 

[Moonlover]

1 hour ago, Baht Simpson said:

1 hour ago, Moonlover said:

I do not believe that mask wearing in Thailand is a personal choice at all. It's become a compulsive collective behaviour, much like the wearing of amulets.

 

1 hour ago, Baht Simpson said:

Well Moonlover , I can't vouch for where you are but here that's demonstrably untrue. Some people are wearing masks and some aren't, so it's obviously a personal choice.  Even during Covid here not everyone wore a mask, it depended on circumstances. In shops or on songthaews fair enough.  Outside, on your own perhaps not. 

What's happening in our respective regions isn't really the issue is it. The Rooster is speaking of Bangkok where some 22% of the Thai population live and his observations on which this thread is based.

 

But for the record, I live near Sakon Nakhon where the the reported occurrence of Covid has been very low throughout and now it's not even worth bothering about. And yet the percentage of the population still wearing masks is still very high, probably in the order of 80% or more and yet there are no restrictions anywhere that I have so far encountered.

 

We do not have poor air quality even in the 'burning season', so I can only put this down to compulsive behaviour. It's become a habit.

[CygnusX1]

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Has it ?....  In Japan recent (Tokyo) the vast majority were wearing facemasks.

I spent a week in Australia’s Gold Coast last month, and there were heaps of Japanese tourists there, speaking Japanese. Direct flights from Japan. I didn’t see a single one wearing a mask, in shopping malls or on packed public transport. I wonder if part of the appeal of Australia as a holiday destination for Japanese is that it’s now a place where they can escape from Maskland.

 

I’d just disagree with Rooster’s estimate that 1 person in 20 in Bangkok was wearing a mask pre pandemic. I’d guess less than 1 in a hundred, unusual to see someone in a mask.

 

Mate of mine returned from Thailand last month. He said masks were absolutely mandatory on airport bus to Pattaya and on Bangkok BTS. If I finally return to my place in Thailand, December at earliest, I assume that I wouldn’t have to wear one in a taxi? Maybe promise driver a good tip?

 

 

 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

 

 

A valid point was raised about how easy and effective communication can aid wellbeing within a community, that much of communication is non-verbal and comes from body language and facial expression... Does mask wearing impact the ease of communication. 

 

I believe it does... 

 

Could long term mask wearing become detrimental to the wellbeing of communities and society on a whole ??... I think there is scope for consideration on this point...  

 

So what societies do we know of that cover their faces and how would we evaluate the wellbeing of those societies ?  are they are fair case study? perhaps not because there are community factors at play.

 

Nevertheless, does mask wearing impede communication ?

 

And does impeded communication have an aggregate impact on society ?

 

 

It would be extremely difficult to quantify - but for example on the very extreme fringes... 

Would a mask wearing society have a greater number of people requiring treatment for depression than a society of equal number where people didn’t wear masks ?

 

 

 

 

[Snugs08]

8 minutes ago, CygnusX1 said:

 

 

Mate of mine returned from Thailand last month. He said masks were absolutely mandatory on airport bus to Pattaya and on Bangkok BTS. If I finally return to my place in Thailand, December at earliest, I assume that I wouldn’t have to wear one in a taxi? Maybe promise driver a good tip?

 

 

 

 

 

Your mate is wrong and has been for several months, on the BTS, they are not mandatory, they are certainly not absolutely mandatory, he has mistakenly assumed based on observing herd mentality of many of the locals.  Patts bus might be a different story. As for taxis not required, I take taxis every other day and I haven't been asked to wear a mask once recently, would of been about four or five months ago since someone actually asked, it was a short trip so I just pulled my tshirt over my mouth, which satisfied her.. The only time you need a mask in Bangkok is immigration and some bank branches, but that's changing too now

Edited March 28, 2023 by Snugs08

[brewsterbudgen]

7 minutes ago, CygnusX1 said:

 

 

Mate of mine returned from Thailand last month. He said masks were absolutely mandatory on airport bus to Pattaya and on Bangkok BTS. If I finally return to my place in Thailand, December at earliest, I assume that I wouldn’t have to wear one in a taxi? Maybe promise driver a good tip?

 

 

 

 

 

As has already been pointed out (a few times), masks have not been mandatory on the BTS for many months.

[CygnusX1]

5 minutes ago, Snugs08 said:

Your mate is wrong and has been for several months, on the BTS, they are not mandatory, they are certainly not absolutely mandatory, he has mistakenly assumed based on observing herd mentality of many of the locals.  Patts bus might be a different story

OK, great, thanks, but I still wouldn’t like to be the only maskless passenger. Happy to use taxis as a substitute for mass transit though.

[richard_smith237]

3 minutes ago, CygnusX1 said:

I spent a week in Australia’s Gold Coast last month, and there were heaps of Japanese tourists there, speaking Japanese. Direct flights from Japan. I didn’t see a single one wearing a mask, in shopping malls or on packed public transport. I wonder if part of the appeal of Australia as a holiday destination for Japanese is that it’s now a place where they can escape from Maskland.

 

I’d just disagree with Rooster’s estimate that 1 person in 20 in Bangkok was wearing a mask pre pandemic. I’d guess less than 1 in a hundred, unusual to see someone in a mask.

 

Mate of mine returned from Thailand last month. He said masks were absolutely mandatory on airport bus to Pattaya and on Bangkok BTS. If I finally return to my place in Thailand, December at earliest, I assume that I wouldn’t have to wear one in a taxi? Maybe promise driver a good tip?

 

I'd agree - in 2018 it was about 1 in 100 people walking around wearing masks in Bangkok (obviously for pollution reasons)...  It was also probably about 1 in 30 motorcyclists (at a guess).

 

The BTS has an announcement asking people to wear masks but I dont think its mandatory. 

I wear a mask on the BTS because I’m asked to.

 

No real issues with that, but as we are having the discussion on this forum, I don’t think mask wearing for the purposes of Covid-19 is necessary any longer. 

 

IF someone wants to protect themselves, thats up to them - they should be choosing an N-95 mask through, not one of the useless surgical masks (same goes for protection against pollution). 

 

 

Other than the BTS I have not worn a mask in Bangkok for about a year, there has simply been no need.

 

That said, I have stayed at a couple of hotels that have a mask policy...  at breakfast in a room full of people the mask on - mask off palaver is rather ridiculous... 

 

 

 

 

[Snugs08]

2 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

That said, I have stayed at a couple of hotels that have a mask policy...  at breakfast in a room full of people the mask on - mask off palaver is rather ridiculous... 

 

 

 

 

Yes, hotel breakfasts and the mandatory glove insanity.. Thank heavens that's far in the rear view mirror now..

[richard_smith237]

6 minutes ago, CygnusX1 said:

OK, great, thanks, but I still wouldn’t like to be the only maskless passenger. Happy to use taxis as a substitute for mass transit though.

I think that is the whole point Rooster was trying to make with this thread...

 

One one wants to be the only maskless passenger / person in the room / mall etc etc...  so, most people are still wearing a mask because most people are still wearing a mask.. 

 

Hence the request “Please Thailand, take off your masks” which for some reason seems to have rubbed so many up the wrong way while they seem not to have realised the rest of the world has moved on. 

 

 

I wonder IF those who who have become upset at Roosters request to Thai’s not to wear masks have been outside of Thailand recently and witnessed how mask wearing is a thing of recent history (other than Japan which has actually always had somewhat of a love affair with mask wearing even pre-covid).

 

I also want to note: I like the idea of mask wearing if someone has a cold (which is how it used to be in Japan). Thus, IF someone has the snivels, they just wear a mask. I’d like to see that adopted. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

5 minutes ago, Snugs08 said:

Yes, hotel breakfasts and the mandatory glove insanity.. Thank heavens that's far in the rear view mirror now..

And the over use of plastic... never before have I seen such unnecessarily excessive use of plastic...  

 

On busy public transport think mask wearing is a pretty good idea anyway....

....   But, beyond that, there are not many situations whereby I think mask wearing is beneficial... 

 

 

 

[EVENKEEL]

Awhile back I felt self conscious not wearing a mask the first time at 7-11, our school stopped mandatory masks. Remember when C19 first hit and how not to touch mask for fear of contamination, changed mask everytime I wore one. Now, I'll bet the mask wearers use the same mask for days and days. You really think if c19 was a danger that mask wouldn't be contaminated after days.

[sometime]

Today Kiss restaurant 2nd road Pattaya only one staff wearing a mask, so good to see there smiling  face once again

[richard_smith237]

20 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

Awhile back I felt self conscious not wearing a mask the first time at 7-11, our school stopped mandatory masks. Remember when C19 first hit and how not to touch mask for fear of contamination, changed mask everytime I wore one. Now, I'll bet the mask wearers use the same mask for days and days. You really think if c19 was a danger that mask wouldn't be contaminated after days.

I think that was one of the original points made by the CDC who at the time were in disagreement with the WHO regarding the effectiveness of mask wearing. 

 

I think the CDC consensus was that mask wearing could exacerbate spread with more ‘facial touching’ and cross contamination from that, more contaminated material, masks being re-worn and ultimately acting like a petri-dish and becoming unhealthy for the wearer. 

 

Loads of hysteria surrounding masks...  

[tandor]

8 hours ago, Gaccha said:

* Off topic comments regarding wearing a hiqab edited out *

 

I invite you to think of the consequences.

 

What are the consequences for social solidarity when you can't see the other person? Do we need social solidarity? Do we need society? Can't we just sit in our rooms alone, munching cheetos and date AI chatbots? Why do we  even need to communicate with other humans? Why not upload ourselves and escape our meat bodies? Why not become Skygods?... 

 

In other words, your dismissive "what's the problem?" is exactly the problem. There is always a problem.

 

 

What a rediculous reply.

People can choose whatever they want to do.

Bad air quality, excessive levels of PM25 and increase in numbers of Influenza A and B, plus the emergence of H5N1 expound the justification.

Try to keep up friend.

[still kicking]

11 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

I haven't worn a mask for over a year, caught nothing, am vaxed x 3 with Pfizer and have had Covid after my 3rd jab.

 

Enough fear mongering I say, but yes, as you say, "up to them".

 

https://nypost.com/2023/02/14/face-masks-made-little-to-no-difference-in-preventing-covid-study/

Can't talk about Thailand since I am in the west for a number of years had 4 Pfizer shots and have not worn a mask for 2 years never had Covid 

[4MyEgo]

7 hours ago, still kicking said:

had 4 Pfizer shots and have not worn a mask for 2 years never had Covid 

Could be that you had it, but didn't even notice it, that was the case with me, until one day when I sitting down with a mate who just got over having it, and my question to him was what were your symptoms.

 

His reply made me take one of those home tests because his symptoms matched mine, i.e. in the beginning, a sore throat for a day, then a mild headache, eyes sensitive to sunlight, sort of tired and wanting to sleep, suffice to say, I feel like the above on occasion so had no idea that I had it until the test showed the 2 lines, the 2nd line being really faint, probably because I was at the tail end of it.

[IAMHERE]

15 hours ago, transam said:

Think you are overreacting to mask stuff............

"Evil eye".............????

Nope, I was on the Sky  to their peer pressure Train in Bangkok, cars are full of Thai's. I'm sure they were giving me the evil eye until I succumbed and put on my mask. Of course it could be the only thing I saw on their faces were the eyes and the forehead sometimes.

[jacko45k]

19 hours ago, Gaccha said:

In other words, your dismissive "what's the problem?" is exactly the problem. There is always a problem.

People are not wearing masks at home sitting with friends. You are building a strawman argument!