I’ve just come back to Thailand for the first time in two years to see my father, and honestly, I’m in absolute disbelief. How on earth are people STILL wearing masks everywhere? And I mean everywhere. Out in the open sun, alone on motorbikes, in empty corridors, walking on the beach – you name it. The most illogical, pointless situations imaginable… yet the masks are still glued on like some national uniform.

I used to love the warmth, personality and vibrancy of this country. Thailand always had a strong identity – expressive, open, full of character. Now? It feels like the soul has been completely drained. It’s like everyone is hiding behind the same blank expressionless sheet of fabric. A faceless society. That’s honestly what it feels like.

And the worst part? It’s clear this isn’t going away. There’s no sign that this obsession will ever stop. People seem terrified to break from the habit, as if the mask has become a permanent part of Thai culture. How did something meant to be temporary turn into a bizarre long-term behavioural ritual?

Tourism numbers make total sense to me now. Why would people “flock” back to a country where you can’t even see anyone’s face? Where the atmosphere feels controlled, muted, and borderline dystopian? It’s not welcoming – it’s just depressing. This is not the Thailand people fell in love with.

I never imagined I’d say this, but coming back has been a real shock. It’s like returning to a place you once knew only to find it’s been replaced by some strange masked-version of itself. Atmosphere stinks of covid paranoia - nobody give me this pm25 bull<deleted> either - there is sod all pm25 inside 7-11

I know, it's astounding. The fear and paranoia is ingrained now.

 

It's terrible, you can't see young women's faces...

This is puzzling.

School run this morning, Sattahip, not a single parent or child wearing a mask. Shopping in Big C this evening, not a single customer or member of staff wearing a mask as far as I could see.

Out last evening, Bang Saray restaurant and bars - no masks there.

I was in Jomtien Immigration last week, maybe one or two staff with masks, perhaps they had colds and didn't want to spread their germs.

I rarely see anyone masked up these days.

It is not natural or normal to live like this. Not in any way, shape or form. It is anti-human and borderline dystopian. What's even more bewildering is that many seemingly well-educated foreigners think it's also totally normal. They pretend it has always been like this (it hasn't) or come up with the Pm25 bull<deleted>. PM25 on the top floor of a state-of-the-art shopping mall? Are you kidding me - what an insult to my intelligence to think I would believe such nonsense. I am just grateful that my stay is only for 3 weeks - I would go insane if I was living here full-time.

1 minute ago, chickenslegs said:

This is puzzling.

School run this morning, Sattahip, not a single parent or child wearing a mask. Shopping in Big C this evening, not a single customer or member of staff wearing a mask as far as I could see.

Out last evening, Bang Saray restaurant and bars - no masks there.

I was in Jomtien Immigration last week, maybe one or two staff with masks, perhaps they had colds and didn't want to spread their germs.

I rarely see anyone masked up these days.

That's good to hear. Maybe it's just a Bangkok thing then - as that is where I am. 

I love masking up

5 minutes ago, Celsius said:

I love masking up

You must have some essential part of your soul missing then. The human face is a vehicle for human emotion and connection. It is part of our shared humanity. Without facial cues our human experience is dulled. From a humanist perspective, they are just awful. In Europe, nobody has worn masks for 3 years now - not even old people. When I see all these young 7-11 girls wearing masks still knowing that my 90 year old Gran doesn't wear one still - I just can't help but think many Thais are soft and cowardly. 

12 minutes ago, chickenslegs said:

This is puzzling.

School run this morning, Sattahip, not a single parent or child wearing a mask. Shopping in Big C this evening, not a single customer or member of staff wearing a mask as far as I could see.

Out last evening, Bang Saray restaurant and bars - no masks there.

I was in Jomtien Immigration last week, maybe one or two staff with masks, perhaps they had colds and didn't want to spread their germs.

I rarely see anyone masked up these days.

Some still mask up. Mainly older Thais and young women. Not sure why the girls do it. Fashion accessory? There are of course some on here that still hang on to the Covid thing. 

29 minutes ago, PerfidiousAlbion said:

I’ve just come back to Thailand for the first time in two years to see my father, and honestly, I’m in absolute disbelief. How on earth are people STILL wearing masks everywhere? And I mean everywhere. Out in the open sun, alone on motorbikes, in empty corridors, walking on the beach – you name it. The most illogical, pointless situations imaginable… yet the masks are still glued on like some national uniform.

 

 

My theory is Thai people always wanted to hide by covering their faces and this just gave them the perfect excuse.

 

It's like if you wear a hat daily, when you don't have it you feel exposed.

 

That's how some Thai's must feel having their face exposed to the world for everyone to see.

Another whining exaggerating clueless anti masker. I was hoping they had sort of disappeared.

 

Thais wear masks for a number of reasons .

They prefer to keep the  sun off their faces,

And don’t want to breathe in traffic fumes.

If they have a cold, cough, Covid etc it is common courtesy for those around them.

To protect themselves from the BS that sprays out of anti maskers mouths.

14 minutes ago, PerfidiousAlbion said:

That's good to hear. Maybe it's just a Bangkok thing then - as that is where I am. 

A small percentage of people in Bangkok only, by far the majority do not wear masks, the only exception seems to be 7-Eleven staff but not sure if that is a company policy or a choice of the staff due to the sheer number of people they deal with face to face every day.

There are a few viruses going around at the moment (cold, flu), lots of kids have been sick at school, so if people feel sick they mask up out of consideration for others - that is a nice trait to have, not like the selfish people "back home" who sneeze and cough in public.

 

And if people want to wear them for other reasons, so what??

I can't believe this is still a topic, who cares.

3 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Not sure why the girls do it. Fashion accessory?

White skin.

Ask them, they will tell you

1 minute ago, MalcolmB said:

Another whining exaggerating clueless anti masker. I was hoping they had sort of disappeared.

 

Thais wear masks for a number of reasons .

They prefer to keep the  sun off their faces,

And don’t want to breathe in traffic fumes.

If they have a cold, cough, Covid etc it is common courtesy for those around them.

To protect themselves from the BS that sprays out of anti maskers mouths.

You are a Nigel Farage fan yet enjoy face masks - very strange combo

28 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

I know, it's astounding. The fear and paranoia is ingrained now.

 

It's terrible, you can't see young women's faces...

I know it's a travesty. There are some 7-11s where I haven't seen the girls faces in years. It's always the cute service worker girls who are covered up. It must be the new store policy because it's way higher than the average person outside.

I think Bob has a new user name.

Just now, MalcolmB said:

White skin.

Ask them, they will tell you

 

2 minutes ago, NorthernRyland said:

 

My theory is Thai people always wanted to hide by covering their faces and this just gave them the perfect excuse.

 

It's like if you wear a hat daily, when you don't have it you feel exposed.

 

That's how some Thai's must feel having their face exposed to the world for everyone to see.

That is not psychologically healthy - and it's at odds with the rest of the world.

20 minutes ago, PerfidiousAlbion said:

That's good to hear. Maybe it's just a Bangkok thing then - as that is where I am. 

 

City dwellers are by far the most affected. Something about trapped with that many people in a  concrete jungle makes me feel infected so I can almost understand people wanted to cover their faces and retreat inwards.

2 minutes ago, NorthernRyland said:

I know it's a travesty. There are some 7-11s where I haven't seen the girls faces in years. It's always the cute service worker girls who are covered up. It must be the new store policy because it's way higher than the average person outside.

 

I will ask them. There is a super cute girl in my local 711. Now I have an excuse to chat her up. This thread has been so useful.

3 minutes ago, MalcolmB said:

Another whining exaggerating clueless anti masker. I was hoping they had sort of disappeared.

 

Thais wear masks for a number of reasons .

They prefer to keep the  sun off their faces,

And don’t want to breathe in traffic fumes.

If they have a cold, cough, Covid etc it is common courtesy for those around them.

To protect themselves from the BS that sprays out of anti maskers mouths.



They wear them indoors and in the evening - so your points don't stack up. Most people don't like masks, which is why you don't see them in Europe, Africa, South America, Australia - only in countries like Thailand where people never seem to question anything is this nonsense still going on. It is madness and deserves to be scrutinized and ridiculed.

1 minute ago, PerfidiousAlbion said:

That is not psychologically healthy - and it's at odds with the rest of the world.

 

I know Thai people are friendly and easy going but there's a very repressed to side them, like how they avoid confrontation at all costs and speak quietly when outside so to not bring attention to themselves.  That's just how they are so I'm not surprised some people feel safer masked up.

Just now, PerfidiousAlbion said:

6 minutes ago, MalcolmB said:

Another whining exaggerating clueless anti masker. I was hoping they had sort of disappeared.

 

Thais wear masks for a number of reasons .

They prefer to keep the  sun off their faces,

And don’t want to breathe in traffic fumes.

If they have a cold, cough, Covid etc it is common courtesy for those around them.

To protect themselves from the BS that sprays out of anti maskers mouths.



 

They wear them indoors and in the evening - so your points don't stack up. Most people in the world don't like masks, which is why you don't see them in Europe, Africa, South America, Australia - only in countries like Thailand where people never seem to question anything is this nonsense still going on. It is madness and deserves to be scrutinized and ridiculed.

7 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

A small percentage of people in Bangkok only, by far the majority do not wear masks, the only exception seems to be 7-Eleven staff but not sure if that is a company policy or a choice of the staff due to the sheer number of people they deal with face to face every day.

There are a few viruses going around at the moment (cold, flu), lots of kids have been sick at school, so if people feel sick they mask up out of consideration for others - that is a nice trait to have, not like the selfish people "back home" who sneeze and cough in public.

 

And if people want to wear them for other reasons, so what??

I can't believe this is still a topic, who cares.

If you read my post properly, you would see I don't live here. I am visiting for the first time in two years, so notice it more as I spend most of my time outside of SE Asia. And no, they don't just wear them when they are sick - that is patently false. The country calls itself Land of Smiles - yet clearly it isn't. That why it continues to be a noteworthy topic. If Thais didn't have so many ostensible psychological ailments and moved on like the rest of the world, I wouldn't even mention it as there would be no need. Clearly though - for much of the population, this is not true and most likely never will be. To spend your whole life behind a mask is utter insanity - most rational people would agree with this statement.

Masks are worn for the pollution. 

 

Try walking sidewalks and see the black smokes being emitted from vehicles nearby. Thailand has basically next to no check on emissions on vehicles (you will notice this if you go get your car serviced) This is dangerous. 

If you are on a bike it's particularly important you mask up. 

 

If you see the red public busses coming at you then you are in trouble as you can see the black disgusting emissions coming from them. 

 

 

 

Furthermore there is also air pollution which gets bad during burning season. 

 

There is also a small element who wear it for Sun protection. 

 

2 minutes ago, PerfidiousAlbion said:

If you read my post properly, you would see I don't live here. I am visiting for the first time in two years, so notice it more as I spend most of my time outside of SE Asia. And no, they don't just wear them when they are sick - that is patently false. The country calls itself Land of Smiles - yet clearly it isn't. That why it continues to be a noteworthy topic. If Thais didn't have so many ostensible psychological ailments and moved on like the rest of the world, I wouldn't even mention it as there would be no need. Clearly though - for much of the population, this is not true and most likely never will be. To spend your whole life behind a mask is utter insanity - most rational people would agree with this statement.

Ok Bob.

2 minutes ago, DonniePeverley said:

Masks are worn for the pollution. 

 

Try walking sidewalks and see the black smokes being emitted from vehicles nearby. Thailand has basically next to no check on emissions on vehicles (you will notice this if you go get your car serviced) This is dangerous. 

If you are on a bike it's particularly important you mask up. 

 

If you see the red public busses coming at you then you are in trouble as you can see the black disgusting emissions coming from them. 

 

 

 

Furthermore there is also air pollution which gets bad during burning season. 

 

There is also a small element who wear it for Sun protection. 

There are no red buses inside shopping malls 

4 minutes ago, MalcolmB said:

Ok Bob.

You're obsessed with little boats coming to the UK - that is more pathetic. The lack of critical thinking you have shown thus far is typical of Farage bum boys like you.  Yea Thais wear masks inside supermarket and shopping malls because of air pollution and the sun. Sure thing. If you believe that, then please message me privately, I have some snake-oil I would like to sell you.

12 hours ago, MalcolmB said:

I think Bob has a new user name.

 

yes, and what does perfidious even mean? 

23 minutes ago, MalcolmB said:

White skin.

Ask them, they will tell you

Do you mean white chin? Most Thais I know wear chin warmers

20 minutes ago, PerfidiousAlbion said:

There are no red buses inside shopping malls 

 

 

Not everyone inside those malls are going to be Thais. Many will be tourists - especially Koreans and Japanese.