Will they ever stop wearing masks?

[VinnieK]

Thais take their lead from the t.v.

If they hear of a new COVID strain in a small town in Patagonia, presto,next morning the masks are on.

Being dumdums, the first farang they see on the street, they assume he's from Patagonia. 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

 

[Highlandman]

4 minutes ago, connda said:

ALL of the 7/11 that I have been to in Lamphun and Chiang Mai have been masked.  If they aren't wearing one, then it's around their necks.  Now - obviously I can't speak for those outside of my area.  And I doubt that is something being enforced in places like the US where employees (not raised to conform) would rebel.
Other SE Asian countries.  Don't know.  But I firmly believe that some corporate entities make it policy for their employees to mask.

Precisely my experience. Maybe out of 100 7-11 staff, you might see 2 or 3 wearing their masks on their chin or around their neck, but never not at all. 

 

Like I mentioned earlier, it's CP policy to require masks be worn by their 7-11 staff, also at their branches in Cambodia, which are wholly CP owned.

 

In Vietnam, whether masks are required by employees seems to be a case of the type of corporate owned business and its location. In downtown Saigon, where I spent most of my time, masks are definitely worn by staff at 7-11, Circle K and Family Mart as well as Annam Gourmet Supermarket. 

 

However, masks were not worn by staff at Circle K and some of the other aforementioned stores in locations further away from downtown urban areas. In particular, even in August 2022, staff already didn't wear masks at Circle K in Mui Ne, a beach town 200km east of Ho Chi Minh.

[transam]

1 hour ago, Highlandman said:

It's not being nosey as just noticing how weird it is.

 

I'm not one to tell people what to do.

 

However, it is curious that ONLY Thai people are still masked, which was clearly NOT the case, prior to January 2020.

 

When I travel to Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, China etc. I now see more or less the same amount of mask wearing as pre Covid. Maybe slightly more, but not by much.

 

At most 20% of the general population is still masked in Vietnam and this includes all the motorcycle riders who ONLY wear masks while riding and take them off immediately upon disembarking. 

 

I was in Vietnam again last week for work and I didn't see even one Vietnamese person sit at a table in a restaurant wearing a mask. 

 

In Laos, 5% of the population wears a mask....in Vientiane. In the countryside its maybe 1%. If you count more than this, it's among motorcycle riders only (as dust protection).

 

In Myanmar, essentially no masks are worn by anyone.

 

In China, no one is masked outside of maybe 10% of train riders and hospitals.

 

The only country where I've had meetings with recently where people have been wearing masks during the meeting was in Thailand. In Vietnam, it's unthinkable to do this these days. Ditto for China, Laos etc.

See what I mean, look at the homework you have done on mask wearing...

I rest my case..............🤭

[transam]

1 hour ago, bob smith said:

they make it incredibly easy for us though, dont they 😄 

Just the nosey farangy people watchers.......😉

[Highlandman]

1 minute ago, transam said:

See what I mean, look at the homework you have done on mask wearing...

I rest my case..............🤭

It's called noticing things. You might want to try it. Doesn't take much effort.

 

Alternatively, stick your head in the sand and pretend this isn't happening.

 

Then, once you emerge, if you can still think rationally, ask yourself WHY the rest of the world, not just western countries but also neighboring Asian countries, have all decided to go back to living normal, mask-free lives with only a small minority still donning masks on occasion.

 

So I ask you, why is Thailand so obsessed with masking now, almost 1.5 years after the end of the mask mandate and over a year following the end of the state of emergency? Why Thailand but not Laos? Why Thailand but not China? Why Thailand but not India? 

[transam]

1 minute ago, Highlandman said:

It's called noticing things. You might want to try it. Doesn't take much effort.

 

Alternatively, stick your head in the sand and pretend this isn't happening.

 

Then, once you emerge, if you can still think rationally, ask yourself WHY the rest of the world, not just western countries but also neighboring Asian countries, have all decided to go back to living normal, mask-free lives with only a small minority still donning masks on occasion.

 

So I ask you, why is Thailand so obsessed with masking now, almost 1.5 years after the end of the mask mandate and over a year following the end of the state of emergency? Why Thailand but not Laos? Why Thailand but not China? Why Thailand but not India? 

Look chummy, you are just nosey, can't wait for your contribution to the next riveting thread,

"Do Thai blokes wear underpants"..........😂

[EVENKEEL]

1 hour ago, bob smith said:

how long did it take you to blow her up? 😄 

Mine's a plus size, so it takes awhile. 

[Highlandman]

Just now, transam said:

Look chummy, you are just nosey, can't wait for your contribution to the next riveting thread,

"Do Thai blokes wear underpants"..........😂

No, it's called using my eyes to notice things. You're simply a troll who's attempting to shut down debate because I'm presenting uncomfortable facts. 

[transam]

1 minute ago, Highlandman said:

No, it's called using my eyes to notice things. You're simply a troll who's attempting to shut down debate because I'm presenting uncomfortable facts. 

😂........The troll card, because you have the mask wearing facts...............🤣

 

Shut down the debate, gawd, with your help, I am keeping it going.........

[Highlandman]

8 minutes ago, transam said:

😂........The troll card, because you have the mask wearing facts...............🤣

 

Shut down the debate, gawd, with your help, I am keeping it going.........

No, you're just continuing making useless off topic remarks because this topic makes you uncomfortable. You're probably one of the farang I still see wearing a mask at all times, so you can "fit in". 

 

I doubt you've gained any friends by doing this, but glad to know you feel virtuous doing so. 

[transam]

3 minutes ago, Highlandman said:

No, you're just continuing making useless off topic remarks because this topic makes you uncomfortable. You're probably one of the farang I still see wearing a mask at all times, so you can "fit in". 

 

I doubt you've gained any friends by doing this, but glad to know you feel virtuous doing so. 

😂...........You're now a guesser too, know all about what folk do, as I said, you are nosey..................😉..................🤭

[Highlandman]

2 hours ago, sirineou said:

Just as soon as all deciase and dust is removed from thailand. 

 

I have never seen that,  perhaps you have pirate breath. 

Nah, that has nothing to do with it and won't change a thing even if Thailand's air quality were to approach that of Switzerland or Tasmania.

 

Masks will always be worn here from now on, among probably 50% of the population at least and in some situations approaching 100% of the population in those circumstances. Dust or pollution isn't the main reason they're worn. It's fear of Covid (and each other) standing out from the crowd. It's following the herd.

 

Thais love wearing masks; masks have become a sort of currency if you will. Mask wearing has become correlated with politeness in Thai culture (whereas everywhere else, they're regarded as being associated with illness and low self-esteem).

 

In every other culture, wearing a mask during a meeting would be considered rude, but in Thailand it's considered "normal".

[Highlandman]

5 minutes ago, transam said:

😂...........You're now a guesser too, know all about what folk do, as I said, you are nosey..................😉..................🤭

No, I have eyes. Clearly you're blind or are becoming blind, because everyone and their dog notices what I do...except you. 

 

Anyway, yawn to your comments. I have better things to do than reply to your drivel.

[transam]

1 minute ago, Highlandman said:

No, I have eyes. Clearly you're blind or are becoming blind, because everyone and their dog notices what I do...except you. 

 

Anyway, yawn to your comments. I have better things to do than reply to your drivel.

Great, get out there and do some "spotting"...........

[Highlandman]

1 minute ago, transam said:

Great, get out there and do some "spotting"...........

Yeah and time to get yourself some glasses. Be careful, you might fog them up while wearing your mask, that you so religiously wear. 

[bear9]

People tell me thais wore masks before covid that’s a myth that’s untrue and kept being repeated until people actually believe it then repeat the same to others.

 

The masks they are wearing dont work for pollution or covid only a well fitted N95 mask will block those particles.

 

Its not a very welcoming experience from a customer service point of view as a customer or tourist when you cant see the staff members faces. I’m unlikely to ask a staff member with a mask on a question as appose to a staff member without a mask on as it’s just socially awkward.

 

If there was 2 restaurants next door to each other and 1 restaurant has all the staff masked up and the other restaurant all the staff smiling I know id be going to the restaurant were you could see peoples faces and smiles.

 

Makes learning thai more difficult when you can’t see the facial movements along with what you hear.

 

 

Edited October 21, 2023 by bear9

[transam]

2 minutes ago, Highlandman said:

Yeah and time to get yourself some glasses. Be careful, you might fog them up while wearing your mask, that you so religiously wear. 

More assumptions, you get out there chap, don't forget your notebook and pen.....................................😂

[LosLobo]

I was actually thinking along similar lines to the OP and considering possibly posting another useless topic like 'Will they ever stop wearing pants'?

 

 

[StayinThailand2much]

As soon as it starts snowing in Thailand...

[tkramer]

3 hours ago, connda said:

Go to any corporate run retailer and see how many employees are masked.
7/11 for instance - all employees in every store I've been to up here in Northern Thailand are masked and probably will be for God only know how long.  Why is corporate policy created to "mask" the employees?  The same reason that in some places women are forced to cover their faces.
 
Ultimately it's about power and the projection of power over those whom you believe you control.

"Ultimately it's about power and the projection of power over those whom you believe you control."

 

Yeah right...! 

 

Thanks for that 'Secret Agent Man'...

 

(are you still in high school...?)

[connda]

1 hour ago, VinnieK said:

Thais take their lead from the t.v.

If they hear of a new COVID strain in a small town in Patagonia, presto,next morning the masks are on.

Being dumdums, the first farang they see on the street, they assume he's from Patagonia. 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

 

Now it's "The Flu Is Gonna Get You, And Your Little Dog Too!," and the masks go on about 95% of the population, then after a few weeks the ones who stopped compulsively wearing masks this year take them back off.

[connda]

37 minutes ago, LosLobo said:

I was actually thinking along similar lines to the OP and considering possibly posting another useless topic like 'Will they ever stop wearing pants'?

 

 

Notice                                                                           Not wearing mask    ☝️

I assume Gates was in his whitey-tighties for that interview.  Smug globalist trash.

[Lemsta69]

1 hour ago, Highlandman said:

It's called noticing things. You might want to try it. Doesn't take much effort.

He doesn't need to as he already knows everything about Thailand even though he never leaves Ubon or Udon or whichever backwater he lives in.............................

[transam]

3 minutes ago, Lemsta69 said:

He doesn't need to as he already knows everything about Thailand even though he never leaves Ubon or Udon or whichever backwater he lives in.............................

Aaaah, another "spotter" comes to the fore with his assumptions.......😋

 

You could start a club, ya know.......😂

[transam]

6 minutes ago, Lemsta69 said:

He doesn't need to as he already knows everything about Thailand even though he never leaves Ubon or Udon or whichever backwater he lives in.............................

And how's Scunthorpe............

[EVENKEEL]

More power to the mask wearer, just don't try to make it sound normal. Or, well Thais were all wearing masks before Covid. 

 

I feel sorry for the kids when I see them all masked up still.

[ravip]

2 hours ago, connda said:

ALL of the 7/11 that I have been to in Lamphun and Chiang Mai have been masked.  If they aren't wearing one, then it's around their necks.  Now - obviously I can't speak for those outside of my area.  And I doubt that is something being enforced in places like the US where employees (not raised to conform) would rebel.
Other SE Asian countries.  Don't know.  But I firmly believe that some corporate entities make it policy for their employees to mask.

Many 7/11 outlets in Bangkok, Hua Hin, Cha Am, Pattaya I've seen staff without masks.

Edited October 21, 2023 by ravip

[Highlandman]

17 minutes ago, ravip said:

Many 7/11 outlets in Bangkok, Hua Hin, Cha Am, Pattaya I've seen staff without masks.

Like the one staff member going outside for a smoke?

[ravip]

2 minutes ago, Highlandman said:

Like the one staff member going outside for a smoke?

Up to you to find out proper.

Thank you.

[Highlandman]

12 minutes ago, ravip said:

Up to you to find out proper.

Thank you.

I already have. Other than the odd mask on chin or sometimes mask dangling around their neck, 711 staff remain masked up, though this could change in the near future if THAI Airways is anything to go by.