Do the cotton masks they wear in Bangkok actually work to filter the air ? Cant see it working if its just a piece of cotton?

I brought thick Cotten masks with a central inlaid plastic filter from the US - made for house spray painting equipment. Rather uncomfortable for riding however. Suggest next visa run or short trip, check out Laos specific shopping. They're the best I've seen in the region. Masks of a fabric based, half-face breather with space for mouth & nose. Looks more like a pilot breather though fabric & very comfortable - saw both motorcyclists & Tuk Tuk drivers using them.

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Do the cotton masks they wear in Bangkok actually work to filter the air ? Cant see it working if its just a piece of cotton?

As far as I'm concerned they filter pretty much nothing. For that you would need a proper respirator with a filter.

They don't look like proper respirators anyway.

Just to say, the cotton filters (I use the US Household varieties, but cotton) do, do the job in keeping the dust & excess pollution out when riding a motorbike but VERY uncomfortable and last only a month or so. I used one in Issan (extreme dirt/dust) for 3 months & my allergies/lung effects became minimal.

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you can buy proper 3M respirators and replacement filters, just particulates not CO but helps

I think they would filter very little but possibly some. It will filter larger pieces of airborne dust or debris. It wont filter smaller airborne matter.

When you buy a dust or vapour mask it will tell you how small in PPM. Parts per million it can filter.

I personally wouldnt bother with the cotton masks. If you want a decent mask order a 3M 8835. A pack of 6 will be about £25.

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I think they would filter very little but possibly some. It will filter larger pieces of airborne dust or debris. It wont filter smaller airborne matter.

When you buy a dust or vapour mask it will tell you how small in PPM. Parts per million it can filter.

I personally wouldnt bother with the cotton masks. If you want a decent mask order a 3M 8835. A pack of 6 will be about £25.

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Yes, I read into this in the past. Those cotton masks are 'slightly' useful in preventing disease spreading if the person who has the disease wears them. They help prevent particles from the 'ill person' spreading when they cough or sneeze.

Apparently they're good for allergies as well.

Thai chili powder is 19 baht for a large package. I wear one of those masks when I sift the Thai chili powder through a kitchen strainer (remove seeds) and add ingredients to make Mexican chili powder. It works fine for that.