24 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

 

Not exactly, it seems to me there's very little "we" about wearing masks and a lot of "me". It is rooted in fear surely...are leftwingers more fearful than rightwingers perhaps?

 

It just doesn't make sense, if you think about conservatives are the ones who want to retain the old order, they should be wearing masks. Whereas leftwingers are supposedly progressive and carefrees, yet they are anal retentive about masks.

 

I find it very odd.

The only "we" the mask clowns like him care about is validation from others. In this case, the "we" being local Thais who live in constant fear and have become irreversibly damaged by endless healthy anxiety. As mentioned in my OP - the atmosphere is not the same in Thailand these days, and that is largely due to the lingering stench of covid paranoia created by the mask zombies who simply cannot and will not let go. Visitors notice this vibe and either at the conscious or unconscious level decide this is not a vibe or atmosphere they wish to participate in, particularly when nearly all other countries in the world are totally back to normal and have been for a good few years now.

Just now, Knocker33 said:

It's an Asian thing

Yes, I will grant you that. This whole nonsense started in Asia, and only Asians who still give a toss about it. So many emasculated men and insecure women in this part of the world. There is a softness to people here that makes my skin crawl. I have played football with many Chinese and other East Asian men before, and nearly all of them are total cowards on the pitch, always backing out of 50-50 challenges. Some of them are very nice, yes, but they are total wimps. 

4 minutes ago, PerfidiousAlbion said:

 

 

What a tragically feeble man you are. Mask-wearing in late 2025 has nothing to do with prioritizing the collective good over self-interest. We now have six years of real-world data clearly showing that mask use makes no meaningful difference to infection rates. Compliance was at its highest in 2020 and 2021, and the virus still tore through societies. Masks achieved nothing; instead, they became a proxy for morality - a way for people to feign a sense of moral superiority. In your case, they function as virtue-signalling devices, filling an empty void, because you seem to crave validation from others who participate in this same performative display.

Social psychology research shows that moral decisions are heavily shaped by concerns about one’s reputation rather than by genuine convictions about what is good or pure. I am certain that if we analysed the full complexity of your moral character, we’d find plenty of behaviours that are selfish and individualistic. The fact that, in 2025, you’re still clinging to the idea that wearing a mask signals moral superiority is frankly pathetic - and one of the main reasons so many people have come to resent the “mask zombies.”

Political leanings have little to do with any of this. I consider myself economically left-wing: I believe in common ownership of the means of production, equal rights for minorities, and I think Elon Musk is a complete clown. I am, however, also a humanist and a rationalist. I understand that living in a society of faceless, anonymised people is damaging to our spiritual and psychological well-being. The face is a crucial engine of human connection, and covering it only serves to atomise and isolate us.

What a tragically brave and strong man you are. 

I don't believe all the "facts" you quoted above about wearing masks.

Social psychology is just a group of people's opinions on how and why others act the way they do. 

My political leanings significantly influence my views on this. However, I identify as left-wing due to my interest in social issues, rather than economic issues, but I do agree with your list of things you believe in, and I do disrespect Musk almost as much as I disrespect Trump. 

Your ideas about what is important in a society differ from mine. People's faces are not as important to me as their actions.

 

17 minutes ago, PerfidiousAlbion said:

The only "we" the mask clowns like him care about is validation from others. In this case, the "we" being local Thais who live in constant fear and have become irreversibly damaged by endless healthy anxiety. As mentioned in my OP - the atmosphere is not the same in Thailand these days, and that is largely due to the lingering stench of covid paranoia created by the mask zombies who simply cannot and will not let go. Visitors notice this vibe and either at the conscious or unconscious level decide this is not a vibe or atmosphere they wish to participate in, particularly when nearly all other countries in the world are totally back to normal and have been for a good few years now.

 

Are you the example of what is consider normal in the West? If so, I'd rather be in Asia. You seem angry, very angry.

When I visited Vietnam, before COVID, everyone on bikes was wearing a mask, due to the traffic pollution. I used to wear a mask in the west when I was out cycling . All normal. When I would take it off, the filter was black with dust. Am I happy that didn't enter my lungs? Most definitely.

Go into the Underground in London and then blow your nose. Black dust.

 

But you seem to freak out at the sight of a mask. Not normal. 

I don't know how old you are, but I advise that you go for a check up, from the neck up. Such anger indicates problems with your brain. Probably all that dust you inhaled.

 

 

On 11/6/2025 at 8:32 PM, 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...

 

Just look at their knees, instead.

I am going to guess masks on BTS???? ... because it is so RARE to see people with masks.  Just so you know, long before COVID. Thai people, and women in particular, wore masks on BTS.  It is considered polite to not breath on the person standing next to you.  Second point, NONE of the personal choices other people make, are ANY of your business.

32 minutes ago, BatteringRam said:

 

Are you the example of what is consider normal in the West? If so, I'd rather be in Asia. You seem angry, very angry.

When I visited Vietnam, before COVID, everyone on bikes was wearing a mask, due to the traffic pollution. I used to wear a mask in the west when I was out cycling . All normal. When I would take it off, the filter was black with dust. Am I happy that didn't enter my lungs? Most definitely.

Go into the Underground in London and then blow your nose. Black dust.

 

But you seem to freak out at the sight of a mask. Not normal. 

I don't know how old you are, but I advise that you go for a check up, from the neck up. Such anger indicates problems with your brain. Probably all that dust you inhaled.

 

 

This thread has never been about masks in relation to dust, it is about why Thais still poop their pants over covid and the impact this has on the environment 

1 minute ago, JustinTyme said:

I am going to guess masks on BTS???? ... because it is so RARE to see people with masks.  Just so you know, long before COVID. Thai people, and women in particular, wore masks on BTS.  It is considered polite to not breath on the person standing next to you.  Second point, NONE of the personal choices other people make, are ANY of your business.

Lie and you won't be able to find me evidence of this because it is simply not true 

43 minutes ago, WDSmart said:

We now have six years of real-world data clearly showing that mask use makes no meaningful difference to infection rates.

Studies supporting surgical mask efficacy

• Bangladesh randomized controlled trial (2021): A large-scale randomized trial involving nearly 350,000 people in rural Bangladesh found that surgical masks reduced symptomatic COVID-19 infections by 11% in the intervention villages compared to control villages. The effect was even stronger among older adults, with infections reduced by nearly 35% in those over 60. This gold-standard study showed that promoting mask-wearing could significantly cut community transmission.
• Case-control studies: A meta-analysis of case-control studies found that wearing a surgical mask reduced the chance of COVID-19 infection by 49% compared to not wearing a mask. The review noted that the quality of evidence was low due to potential biases in observational studies, but the findings still indicated effectiveness.
• Observational studies: Multiple observational studies during the pandemic found that mask use and mask mandates were associated with reduced spread of SARS-CoV-2 in community settings. Analyses on a population level suggested that mask mandates were linked to substantial declines in daily COVID-19 case growth rates.
• Lab and animal studies: Controlled experiments have shown that surgical masks are effective at blocking virus-containing aerosols and droplets, confirming their role as source control. For example, one animal study showed that a "surgical mask" partition reduced transmission of SARS-CoV-2 between infected and naive hamsters. 

 

Conflicting or inconclusive evidence

It is important to note that a few studies, often with methodological limitations, reported less certain or inconsistent results for surgical masks, leading to some disagreement. 

• Some meta-analyses of RCTs: Some meta-analyses focusing only on Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs), which are often small and difficult to implement perfectly in a public setting, found less conclusive evidence for surgical masks compared to no masks, or no significant difference between surgical masks and higher-grade N95 respirators for community transmission. However, this perspective has been criticized for relying on an incomplete view of the available evidence, as RCTs are not always the "gold standard" for evaluating public health interventions.
• Early, smaller studies: Early in the pandemic, some smaller studies and commentaries raised questions. For example, a 2020 controlled comparison on only four patients found that surgical masks did not effectively filter SARS-CoV-2 particles during coughs. However, this finding was limited by its very small sample size and later refuted by larger, more robust studies. 

 

BTS footage from 2018 - not a mask in sight. Back when Thailand was charming, vibrant and full of heart-warming faces and smiles. Thailand today, in particular Bangkok looks like a dystopian B-corp movie. The education system and media propaganda here has a lot to answer for. 

 

1 minute ago, gamb00ler said:

Studies supporting surgical mask efficacy

• Bangladesh randomized controlled trial (2021): A large-scale randomized trial involving nearly 350,000 people in rural Bangladesh found that surgical masks reduced symptomatic COVID-19 infections by 11% in the intervention villages compared to control villages. The effect was even stronger among older adults, with infections reduced by nearly 35% in those over 60. This gold-standard study showed that promoting mask-wearing could significantly cut community transmission.
• Case-control studies: A meta-analysis of case-control studies found that wearing a surgical mask reduced the chance of COVID-19 infection by 49% compared to not wearing a mask. The review noted that the quality of evidence was low due to potential biases in observational studies, but the findings still indicated effectiveness.
• Observational studies: Multiple observational studies during the pandemic found that mask use and mask mandates were associated with reduced spread of SARS-CoV-2 in community settings. Analyses on a population level suggested that mask mandates were linked to substantial declines in daily COVID-19 case growth rates.
• Lab and animal studies: Controlled experiments have shown that surgical masks are effective at blocking virus-containing aerosols and droplets, confirming their role as source control. For example, one animal study showed that a "surgical mask" partition reduced transmission of SARS-CoV-2 between infected and naive hamsters. 

 

Conflicting or inconclusive evidence

It is important to note that a few studies, often with methodological limitations, reported less certain or inconsistent results for surgical masks, leading to some disagreement. 

• Some meta-analyses of RCTs: Some meta-analyses focusing only on Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs), which are often small and difficult to implement perfectly in a public setting, found less conclusive evidence for surgical masks compared to no masks, or no significant difference between surgical masks and higher-grade N95 respirators for community transmission. However, this perspective has been criticized for relying on an incomplete view of the available evidence, as RCTs are not always the "gold standard" for evaluating public health interventions.
• Early, smaller studies: Early in the pandemic, some smaller studies and commentaries raised questions. For example, a 2020 controlled comparison on only four patients found that surgical masks did not effectively filter SARS-CoV-2 particles during coughs. However, this finding was limited by its very small sample size and later refuted by larger, more robust studies. 

 

Honestly I don't give a <deleted> about efficacy. Even if you convinced me that they worked I still wouldn't wear one. Why? Because I am a normal human who shows his face in public, not some dog who spends their whole life behind a muzzle. Also, don't care if I catch a cold - that's life and always has been, you suck it up and get on with it. Only wimps and brainwashed losers wear muzzles still.

5 minutes ago, PerfidiousAlbion said:

Honestly I don't give a <deleted> about efficacy. Even if you convinced me that they worked I still wouldn't wear one. Why? Because I am a normal human who shows his face in public, not some dog who spends their whole life behind a muzzle. Also, don't care if I catch a cold - that's life and always has been, you suck it up and get on with it. Only wimps and brainwashed losers wear muzzles still.

definitely your problem is with attitude rather than aptitude.  If your attitude was made as obvious as other's masks your experience of the world would be markedly different.

2 minutes ago, gamb00ler said:

definitely your problem is with attitude rather than aptitude

And what about the studies which show how masking impacts mental well-being and communication, particularly for children? All you mask zealots conveniently ignore this dimension of the debate, since many of you lack basic critical thinking skills or are just as brainwashed as many of the locals. 

OP, you've described the situation well.  Those who get it get it - and the rest probably never will.

 

Thailand has had the life sucked out of it in recent years.  Here's hoping it and the Thais recover soon.

3 minutes ago, Lee65 said:

OP, you've described the situation well.  Those who get it get it - and the rest probably never will.

 

Thailand has had the life sucked out of it in recent years.  Here's hoping it and the Thais recover soon.

Thank you - I knew this topic would polarize people, so I was expecting an onslaught of abuse and gaslighting for some. Many people trying to cling onto the idea that Thailand was full of masks before 2020, even though I and others have provided clear evidence this is not true. I am going to Ko Samet tomorrow, away from miserable Bangkok, hopefully this island is still as charming as I remember and has moved on from mask madness.

1 hour ago, BatteringRam said:

 

Are you the example of what is consider normal in the West? If so, I'd rather be in Asia. You seem angry, very angry.

When I visited Vietnam, before COVID, everyone on bikes was wearing a mask, due to the traffic pollution. I used to wear a mask in the west when I was out cycling . All normal. When I would take it off, the filter was black with dust. Am I happy that didn't enter my lungs? Most definitely.

Go into the Underground in London and then blow your nose. Black dust.

 

But you seem to freak out at the sight of a mask. Not normal. 

I don't know how old you are, but I advise that you go for a check up, from the neck up. Such anger indicates problems with your brain. Probably all that dust you inhaled.

 

 

The abnormal ones are those who still wake up every morning and put their masks on before they leave the house, even for simple trips to the shops. Don't even get me started on those clowns who drive bike with masks on and no helmets, or the many drivers who still drive alone with them on. I am the normal one calling out the abnormal. 

On 11/7/2025 at 5:29 PM, PerfidiousAlbion said:

I wouldn't say it makes me go insane. I just preferred Thailand when I could walk into 7-11 and see human faces. I don't think it is unreasonable to think that. I know not everyone agrees, but many do.

I guess you haven't been to Japan

 

 

you are surprised about mask wearing here because of your ignorance of thai, and asian, culture. mask wearing was pretty common in asian countries, in particular japan, long before covid. it was seen, quite sensibly, as a proactive, and polite, way of not spreading germs and infection, especially when sick with, for example, flu. 

 

so, in fact, nothing to be surprised about.

44 minutes ago, PerfidiousAlbion said:

The abnormal ones are those who still wake up every morning and put their masks on before they leave the house, even for simple trips to the shops. Don't even get me started on those clowns who drive bike with masks on and no helmets, or the many drivers who still drive alone with them on. I am the normal one calling out the abnormal. 

 

No, you are not 'normal'.

It's like me getting mad about someone who decides to wear a red shirt. You are responsible for the feelings. that you create. Blaming others for your being mad, doesn't negate the fact that you are mad.

Normal is stable. You seem unstable and blaming people who wear masks for your instability. That seems strange, from where I am standing. It takes all sorts I suppose. But you don't seem normal to me.

29 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

 

Everyone can have multiple nics.... just dont post from the same IP !

I doubt that the forum management team bothers to check IP address ... and together with the frequent reassignment of IP addresses.... there will be no repercussions from multiple accounts posting from the same address.

Flame post & replies removed 

 

@PerfidiousAlbion

 

Flame post removed 

 

@sungod

3 hours ago, PerfidiousAlbion said:

BTS footage from 2018 - not a mask in sight. Back when Thailand was charming, vibrant and full of heart-warming faces and smiles. Thailand today, in particular Bangkok looks like a dystopian B-corp movie. The education system and media propaganda here has a lot to answer for. 

 

You are not in Bangkok are you, you're stuck in rural Thailand somewhere. 

I used the ARL and the BTS a couple of times each yesterday. And I tried to count the masks. In my ARL carriage I counted 4. And the are mostly Thai commuters.

On the BTS I couldn't see the whole carriage as it was too busy, but in my half of it, maybe 6-7 masks. So maybe 5% of people. Absolutely, 100%, not more than 10%.

So you are crying about nothing. But at least we've all learned how tough you are, and how you go in to 50-50 tackles, what a hero!!

2 hours ago, BatteringRam said:

 

No, you are not 'normal'.

It's like me getting mad about someone who decides to wear a red shirt. You are responsible for the feelings. that you create. Blaming others for your being mad, doesn't negate the fact that you are mad.

Normal is stable. You seem unstable and blaming people who wear masks for your instability. That seems strange, from where I am standing. It takes all sorts I suppose. But you don't seem normal to me.

Completely different. Red shirts were never used to impose medically dubious authoritarian measures on the masses, red skirts were never used to besmirch foreigners as 'dirty farangs' red shirts were never used to exclude people from society, red shirts don't make someone looks like a zombie. It's a false equivalence, and any moderately intelligent person would understand that. You're a complete moron.

2 hours ago, BatteringRam said:

 

No, you are not 'normal'.

It's like me getting mad about someone who decides to wear a red shirt. You are responsible for the feelings. that you create. Blaming others for your being mad, doesn't negate the fact that you are mad.

Normal is stable. You seem unstable and blaming people who wear masks for your instability. That seems strange, from where I am standing. It takes all sorts I suppose. But you don't seem normal to me.

And who said I have instability, that's a strawman argument to try and assert some power over me. I don't live in Thailand and I am leaving BKK tomorrow so don't have to worry about these masked morons for much longer. My OP was clear - seeing masked faces everywhere demoralizes the atmosphere and makes a mockery of Thailand's Land of Smiles nonsense. Nothing to do with unresolved issues, masked faces are creepy, depersonalizing and dehumaninsing. You're an idiot though so no point wasting my breath explaining why I don't like to see masked faces everywhere. ROW moved on ages ago - if you actually bothered to move your wrinkly arse away from your Nana bar stool you would realize how miserable and brainwashed many Thais are in comparison to other countries. Even their neighbours in the North, Laos stopped muzzling ages ago.

37 minutes ago, josephbloggs said:

You are not in Bangkok are you, you're stuck in rural Thailand somewhere. 

I used the ARL and the BTS a couple of times each yesterday. And I tried to count the masks. In my ARL carriage I counted 4. And the are mostly Thai commuters.

On the BTS I couldn't see the whole carriage as it was too busy, but in my half of it, maybe 6-7 masks. So maybe 5% of people. Absolutely, 100%, not more than 10%.

So you are crying about nothing. But at least we've all learned how tough you are, and how you go in to 50-50 tackles, what a hero!!

Going into a 50-50 tackles is just a normal part of playing football. I used that as an example to illustrate how unbearably soft many Asian men are. And lol, clearly more than 10% loads of videos online prove this. Bangkok is a miserable dump full of paranoid covid freaks and sexpats like you.

Just did a quick Youtube search and it is around 40% - usual suspects. Dumpy old middle-aged women and soppy young men with less testetreone than a rotting cabbage. Complete freaks who will never let it go. 
 

19 minutes ago, PerfidiousAlbion said:

Just did a quick Youtube search and it is around 40% - usual suspects. Dumpy old middle-aged women and soppy young men with less testetreone than a rotting cabbage. Complete freaks who will never let it go. 
 

 

I only watched the first 7 minutes of that 50+ minute video. I counted 7 mask wearers (including 1 security guard) wearing masks, out of 200+ folks in the station and train.

 

Again, I think you are grossly exaggerating the mask wearing in Thailand - but I suppose I should congratulate you. An 8-page rant against Thais and Thailand is quite an achievement. Expert level trolling.

 

 

3 minutes ago, chickenslegs said:

I only watched the first 7 minutes of that 50+ minute video. I counted 7 mask wearers (including 1 security guard) wearing masks, out of 200+ folks in the station and train.

 

Again, I think you are grossly exaggerating the mask wearing in Thailand - but I suppose I should congratulate you. An 8-page rant against Thais and Thailand is quite an achievement. Expert level trolling.

 

 

Maybe I am still tripping from that shroom shake I did at Railay beach 

2 minutes ago, PerfidiousAlbion said:

Maybe I am still tripping from that shroom shake I did at Railay beach 

Now I'm feeling just a little bit stupid for feeding the troll. 

On 11/6/2025 at 8:28 AM, 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.

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

Wearing masks is not rare in Asia.  The crowded Japanese trains where people are shoved in, it is quite common to see people wearing masks.  This was before COVID and not a horrible idea to wear masks when so close to so many people.    As for really do a lot of viral or bacterial infection prevention.... debatable