Masks - Why still now?

[Liverpool Lou]

On 4/11/2025 at 12:57 PM, Hamus Yaigh said:

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

How is it respectful of others, exactly?

[Liverpool Lou]

On 4/11/2025 at 1:02 PM, KannikaP said:

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.

...and the ones that are usually seen being worn really, honestly and truly, work!

[Sir Dude]

People should try to ditch masks for a couple of reasons:

1. Masks are designed so that you don't give something to others, hence why doctors doing surgery wear them... not about preventing you from getting something, thats called a  gas mask.

2. Constantly wearing a mask ensures that you are inhaling micro-fibers from the mask, which isn't good in the long run for your lungs.

3. Wearing a mask inhibits your natural immune system from normal bateria etc., so ironically lowers your resistance to viruses etc.

Better to just face it full on, and come what may... rather that trying to isolate yourself and pretending you can dodge the pathogens. When it comes to this stuff, you either survive or you don't... can't dodge the bullet, even if you can lengthen the odds a bit through some actions.

 

[Don Chance]

Neurotic and paranoid culture.  They think all the farangs are carrying diseases.

[actonion]

22 hours ago, Hamus Yaigh said:

You must live in a rough part of the neighborhood. It happens.

Rough? is there any other part

[actonion]

22 hours ago, Jonathan Swift said:

Project much? In case you don't know the term, people see in other people their own worst qualities because they lack the self awareness and honest introspection that mature enlightened adults hav achieved. People like you come here and complain about things that nobody else has a problem with, including and especially seeing and interpreting human qualities. If Thai people don't respect you maybe it means YOU aren't worthy of their respect, maybe  YOU'RE the ɑsshole, not them. It certainly shows in your language. I certainly don't like you. So leave, surely there's some place in the world that measures up to your lofty expectations. Oh, but wait, no matter where you go you will complain, because, project much? We don't need sour attitude chronic complainers, we left them behind in our own countries. Be gone.

We?, Speak for yourself ...   You're obviously one of there 2 week millionaire  <deleted>

[Tomtomtom69]

17 hours ago, sandyf said:

It is all about perception, if you don't want to see it you won't.

 

I notice things much more than your average person; clearly, Thailand is number one in mask wearing worldwide although Japan and Taiwan come very close.

[Tomtomtom69]

11 hours ago, Don Chance said:

Neurotic and paranoid culture.  They think all the farangs are carrying diseases.

 

Spot on. I laugh at their paranoia. 

[brewsterbudgen]

12 hours ago, Don Chance said:

Neurotic and paranoid culture.  They think all the farangs are carrying diseases.

How does that explain Thais wearing masks in areas where there are no 'farangs' and why is mask wearing common throughout Asia?

[Tomtomtom69]

12 hours ago, Sir Dude said:

People should try to ditch masks for a couple of reasons:

1. Masks are designed so that you don't give something to others, hence why doctors doing surgery wear them... not about preventing you from getting something, thats called a  gas mask.

2. Constantly wearing a mask ensures that you are inhaling micro-fibers from the mask, which isn't good in the long run for your lungs.

3. Wearing a mask inhibits your natural immune system from normal bateria etc., so ironically lowers your resistance to viruses etc.

Better to just face it full on, and come what may... rather that trying to isolate yourself and pretending you can dodge the pathogens. When it comes to this stuff, you either survive or you don't... can't dodge the bullet, even if you can lengthen the odds a bit through some actions.

 

 

The irony is that long term mask wearing is more likely to lead to lung infections as you've pointed out, causing a hospital stay, which many Thais mistakenly believe they're avoiding by wearing a mask.

 

The other disturbing thing is the still common Thai practice of masking young children.

 

I was just in Mae Sot and saw a little Thai kid getting ready for Songkran. He must have been just 2 or 3 but his father made him wear a mask, which was dangling on a cord around his neck.

 

Not a single Burmese child I saw anywhere in the area was wearing a mask. Not even 2 years ago on my first post Covid trip did I see any Burmese children wear masks in greater Mae Sot, but some of the Thai kids sure were.

 

It's really fascinating how different Thai and Burmese culture is, despite being separated just by an invisible border. Thais are much more paranoid and obedient to authority, the Burmese just get on with life. 

[Tomtomtom69]

2 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

How does that explain Thais wearing masks in areas where there are no 'farangs' and why is mask wearing common throughout Asia?

 

It's not. Mask wearing is most common in Thailand, while Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea come close.

 

There are very few masks worn in Myanmar, Laos or Cambodia, while in Vietnam, it's mostly motorcycle riders that wear them as dust protection, although Hanoi locals also wear them outdoors due to the heavy pollution.

 

Still, I don't see Vietnamese virtue signaling while wearing masks like the Thais do. They wear them for a purpose and take them off when not needed.

[Tomtomtom69]

13 hours ago, zepplin said:

Why would every staff member of makro still have to wear one? It’s f horrible to breath your expelled air in over and over and has been shown to cause harm , it’s because they are sheeple and can never question authority, like most Thais do their whole lives…

 

Exactly. You'd think that by this stage, seeing most customers no longer needing to wear one and with the mask mandate having ended coming up to 3 years ago now, staff would simply ask their managers: why do we still need to wear masks? I don't understand their fear. Do they really believe they'll be fired for asking a simple question, politely? 

[Tomtomtom69]

16 hours ago, Presnock said:

I continue to laugh at so many folks here on this forum.  I am not and most say that they won't wear masks,  What difference does it make anyway.  Are you nay sayers afraid the facts will show a different story?  Seems like too much complaining about folks wearing masks when these very complainers about others wearing them are at fault,   I haven't seen anyone saying you have to wear masks, some claim that I started that but that is a false statement too. I wear a mask when I go outside.  I have been in Thailand since the 70's and US doctors visiting employees advised us to wear a mask when doing anything outside in the polluted air.  Yeah some of the pollution changed as unlead gas replaced leaded gas but the pollution levels did drop at first but then more and more burning every year throughout SEA means the air is polluted more often than not.  That is easy to see or know about as reports are done regularly by the government and by accuweather for particular areas.  Every day on the Thai TNN news, they give the government weather bureau warning for provinces with higher than the standard each day several times and they actuall show some of the polluted areas and the forest fires creating that foul air.  I didn't make any claims for people to wear masks, just that good quality N95 and N99 masks can block 2.5 micron particles.  AGAIN, no one is telling anyone that they have to wear masks unless it is the government stating masks to be worn in certain buildings or businesses can also require masks on customers.  Otherwise it is up to the individual.

 

No ONE should be forcing anyone to be wearing a mask in ANY setting at this point. The mask mandate was lifted on June 23, 2022, almost 3 years ago now, so whether it's a government building a hospital or whoever, it's time to let this superstition go. The government lifted the mandate in 2022 so there can't possibly be a requirement anywhere left when they were the ones who lifted it.

 

Don't force unwilling locals or foreigners to participate in this madness.

 

Now I haven't encountered it myself since late 2023 when unbelievably, one Japanese manufacturing company in Samut Prakan was still demanding visitors submit Covid test results and all employees and visitors wear masks.

 

Even if I see an old mask sign up, I ignore it and there's no issue. That particular company was the one and only exception, which was still demanding masks I've seen since early 2023, although I am aware of some schools still requiring them as recently as 2024 or even more recently for students undertaking certain exams.

[BKKBike09]

18 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Covid is still active. 

 

Asians at greater risk 

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/12/black-and-asian-people-at-greater-risk-of-getting-covid-meta-study-finds

 

They are protecting themselves. 

 

 

 

Buddy - we're in 2025, not 2020. Why on earth would you cite an article from five years ago, which also reported research conducted "between 1 December 2019 and 31 August this year [2020]"?

 

Back then, the super easy to catch Omicron variant wasn't around either, and there were no vaccines. If you're going to peddle claims about certain ethnic groups being more susceptible to Covid, at least cite up-to-date research.

 

 

[BKKBike09]

20 minutes ago, Tomtomtom69 said:

 

Exactly. You'd think that by this stage, seeing most customers no longer needing to wear one and with the mask mandate having ended coming up to 3 years ago now, staff would simply ask their managers: why do we still need to wear masks? I don't understand their fear. Do they really believe they'll be fired for asking a simple question, politely? 

 

I suspect management in many service businesses have come to believe (and they may be right, sadly), that the average customer now expects servers/customer-facing staff to wear masks, even if the customer does not. All part of the social hierarchy thing here where the customer is superior to the hired help.

 

[SAFETY FIRST]

9 minutes ago, BKKBike09 said:

 

Buddy - we're in 2025, not 2020. Why on earth would you cite an article from five years ago, which also reported research conducted "between 1 December 2019 and 31 August this year [2020]"?

 

Back then, the super easy to catch Omicron variant wasn't around either, and there were no vaccines. If you're going to peddle claims about certain ethnic groups being more susceptible to Covid, at least cite up-to-date research.

 

 

Buddy, Covid is still active, like I said Asians are at greater risk 

[Purdey]

The results of the poll make it very clear that people wear masks due to the pollution. Why argue further?

[Presnock]

On 4/11/2025 at 3:18 PM, brewsterbudgen said:

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

from what valid source?

[Presnock]

46 minutes ago, Tomtomtom69 said:

 

No ONE should be forcing anyone to be wearing a mask in ANY setting at this point. The mask mandate was lifted on June 23, 2022, almost 3 years ago now, so whether it's a government building a hospital or whoever, it's time to let this superstition go. The government lifted the mandate in 2022 so there can't possibly be a requirement anywhere left when they were the ones who lifted it.

 

Don't force unwilling locals or foreigners to participate in this madness.

 

Now I haven't encountered it myself since late 2023 when unbelievably, one Japanese manufacturing company in Samut Prakan was still demanding visitors submit Covid test results and all employees and visitors wear masks.

 

Even if I see an old mask sign up, I ignore it and there's no issue. That particular company was the one and only exception, which was still demanding masks I've seen since early 2023, although I am aware of some schools still requiring them as recently as 2024 or even more recently for students undertaking certain exams.

so why do you care what other people are doing when you seem to be anti-mask and as far as I know, only the government and some businesses require masks.  No one on this forum is forceing anyone to wear a mask that I have seen anyway.  But seem to be a lot of nay sayers commenting as if they can determine if others wish to wear masks.

[brewsterbudgen]

3 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Buddy, Covid is still active, like I said Asians are at greater risk 

Most Asians in Thailand are hopefully vaccinated and boosted.

 

3 hours ago, Presnock said:

from what valid source?

None.  Just my own eyes.

[sandyf]

20 hours ago, BangkokReady said:

 

If we cannot trust his perception, how can we trust yours?

There is no trust in perception, it is an individuals assessment.

I don't see the need for the pontification over masks, it is another individual assessment.

The Thai bashers want to make a mountain out of a molehill just for the sake of it and the covid skeptics don't want to admit that alot was learned from the outbreak.

[sandyf]

22 hours ago, blaze master said:

 

Because it wasn't there. Yes some people wore masks before covid but it was a very small percent of the population. 

 

A quick search on YouTube settles this. 

If YouTube satisfies your desires, so be it.

[blaze master]

Just now, sandyf said:

If YouTube satisfies your desires, so be it.

 

It doesn't satisfy any desire. It shows reality. Also if you,note there are a few people.commenting on this thread who experienced it. 

 

Strange reply to evidence. 

 

Did you not see the picture posted of the bkk sky train with hundreds of people. Not a single wearing a mask. Typical day typical station. 

 

Keep pushing the myth though good luck with all that. 

[sandyf]

7 hours ago, Tomtomtom69 said:

 

I notice things much more than your average person; clearly, Thailand is number one in mask wearing worldwide although Japan and Taiwan come very close.

Thailand had a fraction of the deaths from covid compared to most western  countries  and you want to make an issue over masks.

See where your priority lies.

[blaze master]

On 4/11/2025 at 4:18 AM, brewsterbudgen said:

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

 

Masks that are also extremely dirty from being overused.

[safarimike11]

On 4/11/2025 at 12:31 PM, 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.

I remember when the Covid started; think it was February 2021 - tell me if I am wrong. I started off being kind of (hate that expression) "anti-mask" but changed my mind due to (1) the fact that most - if not all - Thais were wearing masks and (2) watching that Thai government official scolding Farangs on the BTS for not wearing masks. On a lighter note, I observed a lady in the next village - while looking out of an upstairs window - attending to her flower pots on the road outside her gate while wearing a mask... maybe the flowers smelt not so good?

[Tomtomtom69]

1 hour ago, safarimike11 said:

I remember when the Covid started; think it was February 2021 - tell me if I am wrong. I started off being kind of (hate that expression) "anti-mask" but changed my mind due to (1) the fact that most - if not all - Thais were wearing masks and (2) watching that Thai government official scolding Farangs on the BTS for not wearing masks. On a lighter note, I observed a lady in the next village - while looking out of an upstairs window - attending to her flower pots on the road outside her gate while wearing a mask... maybe the flowers smelt not so good?

 

Covid began in January 2020 but the major restrictions were introduced in March. Nationwide mask mandates came into force on March 26, 2020 and were repealed on June 23, 2022. However, some individual businesses, government offices, schools and other settings required masks before March 26, 2020 and after June 23, 2022.

 

2) That incident occurred on November 30, 2022 long after the mask mandate was lifted. The problem is, the Thai government never officially announced whether mask mandates were lifted for all settings. Yes, many settings continued requiring masks after this date but I thought the Skytrain only recommended, not required them beginning in July.

 

The "farang" being berated was Indian, not a farang. The official was a police volunteer.

 

Also at the same time, a Thai national who boarded a bus without a mask was prevented from doing so, all of a sudden. He claims that he had no issues not wearing a mask for the previous few months. Again this was around November 2022.

[Tomtomtom69]

1 hour ago, sandyf said:

Thailand had a fraction of the deaths from covid compared to most western  countries  and you want to make an issue over masks.

See where your priority lies.

 

You actually believe that? Firstly, Thailand tested only a fraction of the number of people that western countries did. Secondly, especially in the US, "Covid" was fraudulently applied to such a lot of deaths that it wasn't possible to determine whether it was a contributing factor or not.

 

Thirdly, masks don't work.

 

All it showed is that Thailand is a very obedient society and that Thais do what they're told. They stay in line and don't dare think for themselves.

[Tomtomtom69]

7 hours ago, Presnock said:

so why do you care what other people are doing when you seem to be anti-mask and as far as I know, only the government and some businesses require masks.  No one on this forum is forceing anyone to wear a mask that I have seen anyway.  But seem to be a lot of nay sayers commenting as if they can determine if others wish to wear masks.

 

You're talking nonsense

 

The government does NOT require masks anymore. No businesses still require masks. The mandate was repealed on June 23, 2022.

 

Just because a mask sign is up, doesn't mean anything. Probably they've been forgotten to be taken down. 

 

I've not had to wear a mask in ANY setting in recent times. Not government offices (where I've been multiple times) not at immigration, not at hospitals or clinics I've been to either (I've mostly been to those settings as a visitor not as a patient) but still, the same rules apply.

[Cameroni]

So I am on Bumble. A photo comes up. Of a girl. Wearing a mask.

 

On Bumble. She put a profile photo of herself. Wearing a mask.

 

I mean what the literal fk?

 

Swipe left!!!