thedailywhat: Thai Police Put On Smile To Mask Their True Feelings Thailand — a country plagued by political upheaval and rampant crime — is trying to reclaim its reputation as “The Land of Smiles” by having its police wear pollution masks with big painted-on smiles. From the International Herald Tribune: For the first week of the year - and longer if people seem to be smiling back - highway policemen in Thailand will wear the masks “to lift the mood of motorists,” according to police officials. “For our highway policemen, we have the policy that the police must be friendly and smiling all the time, but the problem is, when we’re tired, it’s hard to keep smiling,” said Colonel Somyos Promnim, the Highway Police commander. […] Starting out his new administration, the already embattled prime minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva - the fourth prime minister this year - made a promise to his people this month: “I will prove that once again Thailand can be the land of the free, the land of opportunities, and the land of  smiles.” The highway police seem to be as good a place to start as any. The new cloth masks, which hook behind the ears and cover the mouth and nose, will help “reduce the stress from drivers when they see the police,” said Somyos, the Highway Police commander. […] “The police are not that scary,” he said. “When I was in the United States, their highway police seemed to be more fierce than Thai police. I was scared of them.” I know this is probably a cultural thing—fear of clowns or something—but if I saw an NYPD officer wearing this it would scare the crap out of me.

thedailywhat:

Thai Police Put On Smile To Mask Their True Feelings

Thailand — a country plagued by political upheaval and rampant crime — is trying to reclaim its reputation as “The Land of Smiles” by having its police wear pollution masks with big painted-on smiles.

From the International Herald Tribune:

For the first week of the year - and longer if people seem to be smiling back - highway policemen in Thailand will wear the masks “to lift the mood of motorists,” according to police officials.

“For our highway policemen, we have the policy that the police must be friendly and smiling all the time, but the problem is, when we’re tired, it’s hard to keep smiling,” said Colonel Somyos Promnim, the Highway Police commander. […]

Starting out his new administration, the already embattled prime minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva - the fourth prime minister this year - made a promise to his people this month: “I will prove that once again Thailand can be the land of the free, the land of opportunities, and the land of  smiles.”

The highway police seem to be as good a place to start as any.

The new cloth masks, which hook behind the ears and cover the mouth and nose, will help “reduce the stress from drivers when they see the police,” said Somyos, the Highway Police commander. […]

“The police are not that scary,” he said. “When I was in the United States, their highway police seemed to be more fierce than Thai police. I was scared of them.”

I know this is probably a cultural thing—fear of clowns or something—but if I saw an NYPD officer wearing this it would scare the crap out of me.

Notes

  1. stellavista reblogged this from roadscholar
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  4. ncroal reblogged this from markcoatney and added:
    Who? Who is but the form following the function of what, and what I am is a man in a mask.
  5. rispostesenzadomanda reblogged this from wearetheweirdos
  6. markcoatney reblogged this from thedailywhat and added:
    probably a cultural thing—fear...clowns or something—but if I saw an NYPD officer wearing...
  7. wearetheweirdos reblogged this from thedailywhat and added:
    For the first week of the year - and longer if people seem to be smiling back - highway policemen in Thailand will wear...
  8. thedailywhat posted this