“Farangs not wearing masks should be kicked out,” says health minister
BANGKOK — Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Friday criticized foreign tourists who refused to weak masks given by the government. They “should be kicked out,” he said.
In an interview at BTS Siam on Friday morning as reported by Khaosod English, Health Minister Anutin also said that embassies should be notified of their non-compliance attitude.
“Ai farangs, those tourists – that’s something the embassies should be noticed of and the public as well that are not wearing masks,” Anutin said, using the term farang, which refers to Caucasians. “We’re handing them out and they still refuse. They need to be kicked out of Thailand!”
Thai Public Health Min Anutin Charnvirakul was handing out surgical masks today for people to protect themselves against the Novel #Coronavirus. Apparently some foreign tourists didn’t take them, which led to this unusual outburst by him suggesting they “should be kicked out.” pic.twitter.com/UcVJtYCqeM
— Saksith Saiyasombut (@SaksithCNA) February 7, 2020
“They don’t care about the big picture and these tourists are in the country. We’re giving the masks to them and they still refuse,” he said.
Anutin continued, “The Chinese, the Asians – they are all taking [the masks], but those ai Europeans… that’s unbelievable,” he said using a Thai derogatory prefix.
Despite the health minister’s insistence on wearing face masks, the World Health Organization suggested that it is not required for individuals without respiratory symptoms since “it may cost unnecessary cost and false sense of security.”
Source: Khaosod English
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