Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog

Thailand is known as the Land of Smiles but in recent years smiling has declined because of social and political conditions. There are roving mobs, government changes, and the two Bangkok airports were shut down for over for a week at one point. Many people are angry.

In December, 2008 a polling agency did a large study, questioning over 2,000 people about the Thai Smile and found that on a scale of one to ten, people gave Thailand only a little over five points for smiles.

The new prime minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, was elected on December 15 2008, and is already dealing with protesters. To help the general mood of the country, and to help the Thai tourist industry improve, his government has begun a new program with the Thai motorcyle police.

Smiley Cloth Masks

These highway police will be wearing cloth masks which cover the mouth and nose. They have a red cartoon smile painted on them and hide any possible scowls that might be on the police officer's face. They also protect the police officer from air pollution.

When these motorcycle police approach a motorist their mask smile is meant to reduce stress for the drivers. Supporting this goal, there are 200 police booths distributing mints, chewing gum and bottles of holy water.

If you are a motorcycle rider, why not reduce your own stress related to U.S. highway police officers by riding safely? The Motorcycle Safety Foundation offers excellent courses and on their website you can click on your state in their map to find all the local locations where you can take a riding course.