For those who have more pounds on their body than pounds in their pocket, exercise punishment seen in Phuket yesterday for mask violators may or may not be welcome. Officials have walked back the strict 6,000 baht punishment for the first warning against someone not wearing a mask and were spotted forcing those who have gone out without a mask to do exercise on the street.
The people forced to exercise were at a Covid-19 checkpoint in the Rawai subdistrict, where the Chalong Police along with local medical workers were checking people yesterday. The checkpoint was set up in an effort to push one hundred per cent mask compliance to stop the spread of Covid-19 on Phuket.
Not only were they checking everyone who passed by to make sure they had their masks, but also to correct those who were wearing their masks improperly. We’ve all seen the people who seem to think that a mask on their chin or underneath their nose is somehow just as effective as a properly worn mask, or at least that they can get away with “wearing a mask” while limiting their personal inconvenience.
Officials were quick to point out that the overwhelming majority of people passing through the checkpoint, both foreigners and Thai, did have their masks with them and were wearing them properly. But they did catch more than 10 people not wearing their face mask or not using them correctly.
Authorities decided to let them off with a first soft warning by moving bodies instead of moving baht. Police made violators do exercise right there on the street in hopes of shaming them into making better decisions next time. All violators did have their names and details taken down with a promise that if they were caught again proper traditional fines would be handed down.
No word yet on any plans to make this punishment into a Tik-Tok Channel.
SOURCE: The Pattaya News
Very creative.
Press-ups only for Thais huh? Any ferangs caught and they would fine them B6000.
I find myself in full support of this. Salutes to the Thai police for this approach.
Marvelous idea, Thais don’t have cash so embarrass them – to be fair when I drive around Rawai is see very high compliance on bikes anyway, can’t see inside cars
Covidiacy on the part of mask wearers continues.
That chap helping Thais needs to watch out. I seem to remember that a group of British builders holidaying in Phuket when the Tsunami struck were fined or deported when they were discovered helping locals rebuild their homes free of charge.
“Press-ups only for Thais huh? Any ferangs caught and they would fine them B6000”
“Marvelous idea, Thais don’t have cash so embarrass them”
Neither of you appear to have read the original article or watched the video.
The “medical officials” weren’t counting out the exercises in English for the benefit of the Thais, but for the farangs, male and female.
They’re clearly copying the police in Bali. I wonder if they’ll start deporting farangs as well, as they have done with over 60 from Bali …
Why are we pretending masks work? It’s like catching mosquitoes with a basketball net.
Besides, of those daily 2000+ “infected”, are we to believe they all didn’t wear masks, or…. again…. Their masks didn’t work??? (Same as vaccines doesn’t work much, they merely helps you have more light symptoms of you’re old, meaning it will create lots of super spreaders)
Yet we aren’t allowed to exercise in gyms
Correct. Because a gym is usually indoors where the virus can accumulate. It’s really not so difficult to understand why gyms are closed lots of huffing and puffing taking place in an enclosed environment.
How primitive
so if masks work……why is there more covid now than before? every covid case in thailand was a mask wearer.
why do people not understand this? wearing a mask is simply 1 small thing that may give u and others additional protection in a crowded situation when social distancing is not possible. wearing a mask on ur motorcycle is quite simply retarded.
Correct. A mask is only necessary when in close contact (less than 2 metres) from a person, or indoors where the virus can accumulate if the room is unventilated.
Public humiliation instead of a fine, good job Thailand. Save the fine for repeat offenders.
Blanket rules like this are made, simply to make it easier for the police to enforce. Although where I live, the police had a ready supply of masks on hand. You would be stopped, offered a mask for free or cop a fine if you refused to wear it. This approach made it happen 100%. The person couldn’t say they weren’t given the opportunity to comply (or say they were too poor to buy one) and the police giving them the choice, couldn’t be seen as just revenue raising for the Government.
Forcing people to do exercises, without knowing their medical condition, is a BAD idea.
Human stupidity at its best (or shall I say worse since most people do not seem to understand sascasm…). This “new normal” world is full of suprises and it is only starting.
Wearing a mask should NOT be worn during exercise contrary to what the mask nazi’s would have you believe. In general exercise is the way to build an immune system and avoid sickness. Hysterical response will do nothing.
The Thais would be foolish to deport ferangs. They need all the ferangs they can keep.
But the Thais are stupid enough, even with businesses closed everywhere from lack of tourists, to deport ferangs for the great crime of not wearing s mask. `
Wow! I better call up the WHO and let them know that the thousands of medical professionals, virologists and epidemiology experts are all wrong and that we don’t need masks because Thomas on the Thaiger forum read an article on “I’ve got a crackpot theory.com” and he’s now smarter than the lot of them.
Great idea, too many pumpui’s in Thailand nowadays so forcing them to exercise might teach them a lesson..
Thai government are as stupid as they look. If you outside in the sun you don’t need a mask. A 4 year old could understand that yetthese morons actual believe wearing masks outside will stop spread. Wear masks only in crowded public places and not walking in fresh air.
@Shemozzel. Yes some real experts in these comments. Never fails to amaze me how people can so readily dismiss the opinions on highly technical matter of people who have studied the topic for decades. That’s the problem with social media. It’s called “confirmation bias”. No matter what crackpot theory you think of, you will always find others who agree with you and hence make your opinions feel like a credible fact. in reality they remain crackpot ideas and just proves the world is full of crackpots.
Dear Shemozzel (Walking Eagle) – please provide the link/report that details the scientific studies that prove wearing a mask stops the spread of a virus in a closed environment. Obviously those
“thousands of medical professionals, virologists and epidemiology experts” who you claim all state wearing masks works, would only make such a claim based on real science. So where is the science??
Bob, I’ll show you mine if you show me yours. Here’s two, from reputable sources. How about you cough up with your sources two the contrary.
https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2020/06/417906/still-confused-about-masks-heres-science-behind-how-face-masks-prevent
https://files.fast.ai/papers/masks_lit_review.pdf
P.S. Who/What is walking eagle?
Bob, out of curiosity I googled “walking eagle”. Pretty pathetic to be resorting to crude insults when all I’ve done is offer an alternative science based view to the social media rants with no basis in fact. I can see arguing you is like wrestling with a pig. We’ll both get dirty but
you’ll enjoy it so I’ll leave it there.
@Shemozzel – I have read those reports and many others including Lancet – masks do not stop any virus spreading = fact. Certainly they help a little, but without distance and also eye protection the virus can spread from breathing – let alone coughing or sneezing. But wait – why do we wash our hands? Because infected people touch their masks and other surfaces and the virus is spread that way too. Masks dont stop virus from spreading – they will help slow it spreading compared to allowing everyone to sneeze and cough into the air – but there are also many ways viruses spread. Did you know people in quarantine hotels with strict enforcement of things like masks etc. have caught covid from others and they were never even close to each other? Masks are not the answer you and others claim it is – watch people closely and you will see them adjust their mask and then touch things – it is that method that spreads viruses much more than through breath – unless an infected person sneezes or coughs in your direction. Oink Oink.