Masks - Why still now?

[2long]

Still so many locals wear masks.

My wife does when she's on the motorbike, and she claims it's to protect her skin from the sun.

Recently in Vietnam and Taiwan i saw the same.

[brewsterbudgen]

Maybe they just have a cold?

[johnnybangkok]

15 minutes ago, 2long said:

Still so many locals wear masks.

My wife does when she's on the motorbike, and she claims it's to protect her skin from the sun.

Recently in Vietnam and Taiwan i saw the same.

And why do you care?

[KhunBENQ]

13 minutes ago, 2long said:

My wife does when she's on the motorbike, and she claims it's to protect her skin from the sun.

Sometimes I think noone should ride without but for another reason.

Protect yourself from the terrible pollution from (Diesel) exhaust.

 

Was at an eye doctor with my wife recently and they simple insist on masks.

Also at most hospitals you won't see many without mask.

[Dan O]

22 minutes ago, 2long said:

Still so many locals wear masks.

My wife does when she's on the motorbike, and she claims it's to protect her skin from the sun.

Recently in Vietnam and Taiwan i saw the same.

This is not new, they wore them well before covid manly for the air pollution issues

[Hamus Yaigh]

It comes from respect for others, something visiting foreigners could learn from.

[Sheryl]

It has always been customary in Asia to wear a mask if suffering from a cold, and also common to use them during times of air pollution. Well before COVID.

[CallumWK]

I know a few shops in Naklua where they still have the covid restrictions, and you can't enter the shop

[Sheryl]

Just now, CallumWK said:

I know a few shops in Naklua where they still have the covid restrictions, and you can't enter the shop

 During COVID many shops set it up so that customers need not enter the store and while most have stopped this, some  have made it permanent, probably because the staff find it easier not to have close dealings with customers.  Not a COVID issue, just something they have found they can get away with doing.

[cdemundo]

So since you say "still" I think you correctly attribute some mask wearing to COVID precautions.

 

But before COVID Thai people would wear masks if they had a cold to prevent giving it to others.

I notice a high proportion of taxi drivers seem to wear masks, I guess in the confined space of a taxi and being exposed to a lot of people each day it makes sense.

[KannikaP]

3 minutes ago, Hamus Yaigh said:

It comes from respect for others, something visiting foreigners could learn from.

No, I think it is for ME ME ME, I do not want to catch anything, or breathe in pollution, or because my Mum told me to.

[Gottfrid]

40 minutes ago, 2long said:

Still so many locals wear masks.

My wife does when she's on the motorbike, and she claims it's to protect her skin from the sun.

Recently in Vietnam and Taiwan i saw the same.

Do you know how bad air quality Thailand have, or do you think that is a hoax?

[BangkokReady]

I think there is an element of pollution protection, but many Thais will put masks on before entering a building, having not worn one outside.  You can still see them lifting up masks when they see foreigners also.

 

There's definitely still an element of covid protection.  It seems that covid (or airborne viruses in general) is kind of a permanent thing for some Thais.

 

Possibly there's some snobbery/xenophobia around it also for a few people.  "Us good clean Thais need to wear masks around these dirty foreigners."

 

Things have definitely improved after covid, though.  Thailand was a couple of years behind the rest of the world, but they've softened towards foreigners a fair amount.  I don't know if it will ever go back to how it was before, though.

[Presnock]

FYI: N95 surgical masks plus some even block up to 99% of the pollutants.  If you doubt my comment,, I will not link you but you can very easily google air pollution and N95 masks.  So, the people wearing masks are breating cleaner air than you are if you think that wearing a mask is a waste of time.  Since the air in SEA and all of S. Asia anyway is almost always polluted, if you are not wearing a mask and don't have air purifiers in your abode, then you are risking the health and those living with you.  I am surprised that the number of Thais wearing masks increases as the ill health effects of the pollution are sometimes slow in action.  I have my own 2.5 monitor (cheap from lazada) and measure the air quality daily several times especially if we are going out.  I also check "accuweather (city) every day as they too publish the pollution.  NASA has a satellite that shows a representation of open burning and one can easily see that SEA countries are more red than green! Local news media reported over a 100 forest fires burning in Chiang Mai Province alone plus both Myan Mar and Laos are always RED too.  But, to wear a mask is only mandantory by certain Thai govt, such as hospitals, recommended for all trains as farangs for the most part wear no masks, cough, and some stores require it for service too.

[brewsterbudgen]

1 hour ago, Presnock said:

FYI: N95 surgical masks plus some even block up to 99% of the pollutants.  If you doubt my comment,, I will not link you but you can very easily google air pollution and N95 masks.  So, the people wearing masks are breating cleaner air than you are if you think that wearing a mask is a waste of time.  Since the air in SEA and all of S. Asia anyway is almost always polluted, if you are not wearing a mask and don't have air purifiers in your abode, then you are risking the health and those living with you.  I am surprised that the number of Thais wearing masks increases as the ill health effects of the pollution are sometimes slow in action.  I have my own 2.5 monitor (cheap from lazada) and measure the air quality daily several times especially if we are going out.  I also check "accuweather (city) every day as they too publish the pollution.  NASA has a satellite that shows a representation of open burning and one can easily see that SEA countries are more red than green! Local news media reported over a 100 forest fires burning in Chiang Mai Province alone plus both Myan Mar and Laos are always RED too.  But, to wear a mask is only mandantory by certain Thai govt, such as hospitals, recommended for all trains as farangs for the most part wear no masks, cough, and some stores require it for service too.

Except 90% of the masks being worn are not N95 masks, but just cheap surgical masks.

[Presnock]

1 hour ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Except 90% of the masks being worn are not N95 masks, but just cheap surgical masks.

even the Thais now have a company making quality masks.   But I think many of the Thais do not know nor understand "quality" N95 masks that advertise on the package can be used to block 2.5 micron pollutants.

[Hamus Yaigh]

3 hours ago, KannikaP said:

3 hours ago, Hamus Yaigh said:

It comes from respect for others, something visiting foreigners could learn from.

No, I think it is for ME ME ME, I do not want to catch anything, or breathe in pollution, or because my Mum told me to.

My point exactly, some foreigners still got to learn about respect.

[1FinickyOne]

Why do men wear neckties? 

[Don Giovanni]

Cos they are weird.

 

Kobe Don.

[GammaGlobulin]

If someone has a cold or illness, then the polite thing to do, according to the locals, is to don a mask.

Which is good.

Though, we need another study to gauge the effectiveness of this behavior.

 

Meanwhile, I use the 3M N98 respirators for severe air pollution.

However, unfortunately, we have not had any, and I have not worn my masks this year.

I still have plenty.

 

So, yes, good to wear a mask if one is suffering from some illness.

However, efficacy must be further tested to judge which masks are best, and by how much.

 

[KannikaP]

2 hours ago, Hamus Yaigh said:

My point exactly, some foreigners still got to learn about respect.

No, in my opinion it is NOT out of respect for anyone else but themself. 

[Presnock]

14 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

If someone has a cold or illness, then the polite thing to do, according to the locals, is to don a mask.

Which is good.

Though, we need another study to gauge the effectiveness of this behavior.

 

Meanwhile, I use the 3M N98 respirators for severe air pollution.

However, unfortunately, we have not had any, and I have not worn my masks this year.

I still have plenty.

 

So, yes, good to wear a mask if one is suffering from some illness.

However, efficacy must be further tested to judge which masks are best, and by how much.

 

you obviously are not in Bangkok nor the north nor northeast as the pollution is over the WHO recomendation almost daily.  and I am not sure I understand your comment about not having had any bad pollution as being unfortunate.

[BKKBike09]

19 hours ago, Dan O said:

This is not new, they wore them well before covid manly for the air pollution issues

 

19 hours ago, Sheryl said:

It has always been customary in Asia to wear a mask if suffering from a cold, and also common to use them during times of air pollution. Well before COVID.

 

Having lived in Bangkok since the late 1980s I can assure you that, prior to Covid, virtually no-one wore masks at any time. Seasonal mask wearing because of air pollution only started once people had access to smartphone apps warning about PM2.5 levels and even then, it was a very small minority that wore masks.

 

It is false to suggest otherwise. This is an image from 2016. Not a mask in sight.

 

 

 

[FlorC]

Why do YOU think the majority of Thai mask wearers do it?

 

Thai ?  I still wear one outside when PM 2,5 is over 35.

[bignbad]

To mask the smell from Farrangs who ony clean their bodies on 'bath night'

[bwanajohn]

Lots of people in jobs and situations where they are in close contact with lots of other people, masseuses,passengers on planes and mass transit etc .who want to  reduce there risk of contracting an illness or in some cases spreading an illness wear masks...not unreasonable especially during flu season..Many people just can't afford to be sick and unable to work 

[Cameroni]

18 hours ago, Presnock said:

if you are not wearing a mask and don't have air purifiers in your abode, then you are risking the health and those living with you. 

 

Utter drivel. I do not wear masks, I do not run the purifiers. Yet healthy as a young puppy.

 

So much for that theory.

[FlorC]

1 minute ago, Cameroni said:

 

Utter drivel. I do not wear masks, I do not run the purifiers. Yet healthy as a young puppy.

 

So much for that theory.

You better start then Cameroni. We cannot afford to loose you fighting the lefties on AN. 

[Cameroni]

6 minutes ago, FlorC said:

You better start then Cameroni. We cannot afford to loose you fighting the lefties on AN. 

 

Don't worry, my grandmother is 93, still alive. She smoked, ate butter and never saw an avocado.

 

Imma be around a looooong time.

 

Yeeeeehaaaaaaa!!!!

[WorriedNoodle]

14 hours ago, KannikaP said:

in my opinion it is NOT out of respect for anyone else but themself. 

Digging a hole here. People who show no respect for others in public won't be able to grasp the idea of why Thais wear masks in public.