Thai Police Wear Smiley Faces

Thailand has a reputation as a land of smiles, but this might be going a bit too far.

Thailand’s police are wearing goofy, smiley faces.

It was not an easy year for Thailand. Governments came and went. Protesters overtook Bangkok’s airport. Widespread demonstrations rocked the country.

It was too much for a lot of people, especially the police, to keep the traditional smile going as the International Herald-Tribune reports:

“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.”

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.