Thailand scores highest for mask-wearing in survey of ASEAN nations

A survey carried out by internet-based market research firm YouGov reveals that Thais are the most likely to wear face masks and to use hand sanitiser. Khaosod English reports that the survey examined the habits of citizens from 6 ASEAN member-states and found that 95% of Thais always wear a face mask in public.

(It’s currently still law to wear a face-mask in public as part of the emergency decree)

Vietnamese citizens were a close second at 94%, followed by the Philippines (93%), Malaysia (89%), and Indonesia (87%). Singapore came in last with just 66% of people saying they always wear a face mask in public. Those surveyed were chosen based on age, income, education level and gender to ensure a wide representation for each country.

YouGov/Imperial College London

The Covid-19 outbreak has led to more people wearing face masks, particularly in countries where it is now mandatory to do so while in public. While there was a degree of panic-buying of surgical masks in the early days of the pandemic, many Thai fashion brands are now producing their own, along with creative individuals who started making masks to alleviate the initial shortage.

The owner of the I’m Not A Morning Person fashion label, 28 year old Jarauyporn Khamwan started by using leftover material to make satin masks which she sold for 290 baht. She believes masks have the potential to become a fashion accessory, particularly if wearing them remains a permanent requirement.

Overall, the wearing of face masks is far more prevalent in Asian culture, although things are slowly changing in some Western countries as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Across the 6 ASEAN members surveyed, 86% of respondents say they always wear a face mask in public. By contrast, 48% of people in the US do, followed by 44% in France. In the UK, just 15% of respondents say they always wear a face mask when leaving home.

SOURCE: Khaosod English