Bangkok Temple Bell To Lower Toll Volume After Condo Complains

[webfact]

Bangkok Temple Bell To Lower Toll Volume After Condo Complains

By Pravit Rojanaphruk, Senior Staff Writer

 

Wat Sai’s bell tower and the luxury condominium Star View.

 

BANGKOK — A three-century-old Bangkok temple on Thursday caved in to a new luxury condominium residents’ demands to lower the noise level of its pre-dawn bell tolling.

 

Monks at Wat Sai temple decided to lower the decibel level of its 4am and evening bell tolls starting Thursday after Bangkok’s Bang Kho Laem district office filed a complaint saying the nearby upscale Star View condominium told them they were disturbed by the noise.

 

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/featured/2018/10/04/bangkok-temple-bell-to-lower-toll-volume-after-condo-complains/

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2018-10-04

[Justgrazing]

Bellends for buying without a bit of checking it out first .. Temple's been there a lot longer than their box in the sky but they then have the neck to bleat about the noise .. And how quite do you turn the volume down ona bell .. Whack it a bit softer .? 

[webfact]

Sangha council seeks compromise after bell-ringing disturbs condo residents

By The Nation

 

 

Hot debates on social media has prompted Buddhism’s highest body to seek middle-ground solutions, in a controversy over a 300-year-old Bangkok temple’s pre-dawn bell-ringing that led to a complaint being filed by a resident of a nearby condominium that was built less than a decade ago.

 

 “We have to find a common ground where monks can perform monastic duties fully while nearby community residents don’t feel that their rights are violated,” said Sipbavorn Kaew-ngam, secretariat office director for the Sangha Supreme Council (SSC) of Thailand. “We must find a middle ground for co-existence, so there will be no dispute.” 

 

The SSC on Thursday dispatched officials on a fact-finding mission to Wat Sai in the Rama III area. The officials will seek information from both temple abbot Phra Athikarn Preecha Punnasilo and the Bang Kho Laem district office in an effort to find solutions to this sensitive matter, Sipbavorn said. 

 

In a follow-up to a warning issued to the temple by the district office during the Buddhist Lent period last year, it this week asked the temple to tone down daily ringing of the 1.2-metre-tall bell from 3.30am to 4am to avoid disturbing nearby residents.

 

If more complaints were filed, the district office may send officials to measure the decibel level of the bell while it was being rung as measured at the temple and nearby, said district assistant director Wanthanee Sawangtrakul.

 

Upon receiving the complaint letter this week, the abbot instructed monks to gently ring the bell to minimise its sound. The matter was a personal complaint by one resident, he said.

 

 The condominium had previously asked the temple to perform rites on its site, and the previous abbot had granted required approval for the building’s height prior to construction, as the building was well beyond the height of the temple.

 

The abbot said he couldn’t totally stop the bell-ringing, as it was a traditional practice during the Buddhist Lent period.

 

Sipbavorn said that although similar issues had been raised in other communities, residents accepted temple explanations about the need for monastic activities during the three-month Buddhist Lent period. During this period monks must strictly perform routines – including the bell-ringing to call all monks to attend morning prayer and take alms – to set a good example to newly-ordained members.

 

He said temples are required to abide by community noise control regulations and remain within legal decibel levels.

 

Phra Maha Praiwan Wannabut from Wat Soi Thong commented on social media that times and context had changed, and so the temple bell-ringing that was once so welcome in rural communities of old are perceived differently in urban communities.

 

The city lifestyle was different, he said, with temples and nearby people not interacting and thus lacking a sense of mutual dependence, he said.

 

“I sympathised with people’s wish to sleep fully after a day of hard work,” he said. “But this small matter over bell ringing can find a compromise and be solved among the parties.”

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30355804

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-10-04

[shady86]

City planing at its finest.

[Henrik Andersen]

Rich people always get what they want 

I am disappointed because  the temple have been there for centuries 

Buddhist complaining about Buddha sorry you have no respect for your own religion 

 

[krystian]

I wish our neighbours would do the complaining with the mosque behind our moobahn load prayers with load speakers at 4.30 in the morning this is in Rmakamheng 24 yeak 30

 

[webfact]

Bid to find middle ground in temple bell-ringing drama

By THE NATION

 

A monk at Wat Sai in Bangkok’s Rama III area rings the temple bell yesterday as per the traditional practice during the Buddhist Lent period, despite complaints from condominium residents about the sound disturbing their sleep.

 

HOT DEBATES on social media have prompted Buddhism’s highest body – as well as related authorities – to seek middle-ground solutions, after complaints were filed by two residents of a condominium built less than a decade ago against a 300-year-old Bangkok temple’s pre-dawn practice of ringing the bell.

 

 

Later yesterday, Bangkok Governor Pol General Aswin Kwanmuang and Bang Kho Laem district office director Anan Khaipan, who also visited the temple, said they would hold meetings on October 10 to resolve this issue. The condominium, the temple and the district office – as well as nearby community residents – will attend the talks.

 

“We have to find a common ground where monks can perform their monastic duties fully while nearby community residents don’t feel that their rights are violated,” said Sipbavorn Kaew-ngam, secretariat office director of the Sangha Supreme Council (SSC). 

 

 

The SSC yesterday dispatched officials on a fact-finding mission to Wat Sai in the Rama III area in an effort to find a solution to this sensitive matter. 

 

Sipbavorn said that although similar issues had been raised in other communities, residents accepted temple explanations about the need for monastic activities during the three-month Buddhist Lent period. During this period, monks must strictly perform routines – including the bell-ringing to call all monks to attend morning prayers and collect alms – to set a good example to newly-ordained members.

 

 

In a follow-up to a warning issued to the temple by the district office during the Buddhist Lent period last year, it this week asked the temple to tone down the daily ringing of the 1.2-metre-tall bell from 3.30am to 4am to avoid disturbing nearby residents. Upon receiving the complaint letter, the abbot instructed monks to ring the bell gently to lower its sound but insisted he could not totally stop the ringing of the bell, as it was a traditional practice during the Buddhist Lent period.

 

A representative from the condominium management said they understood the temple’s activities. They said they had no idea who had filed the complaints, while district office director Anan said his office did not specifically ask the temple to tone down the bell-ringing. 

 

 

Anan has been instructed by Aswin to respect the abbot’s wishes and to explain that the office would help resolve the problem.

 

Aswin said the temple would be allowed to continue the bell-ringing practice. He also insisted that the two residents who had filed the complaints had no special connection with the district office. “This is a long-standing tradition, how can it be stopped? It would be easier for the plaintiffs to move away from the temple area,” Aswin said.

 

The case has led to heated debate on Thai social media, with many siding with the temple.

 

 

Among the commentators was Phra Maha Praiwan Wannabut from Wat Soi Thong. The outspoken monk said that times and context had changed, and so the temple bell-ringing that was once so welcome in rural communities of old was perceived differently in urban communities. The city lifestyle is different, he said, with temples and nearby people not interacting and thus lacking a sense of mutual dependence, he said. 

 

“I sympathise with the people’s wish to sleep fully after a day of hard work,” he said. “But this small matter can be solved by the parties.”

 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30355845

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-10-05

[inThailand]

Doesn't LOS have noise ordinances? 

 

My buddy in Hong Kong says there is no ringing of bells in the early mornings there, they have come into the 21 st century. 

[Enoon]

1 hour ago, inThailand said:

Doesn't LOS have noise ordinances? 

 

My buddy in Hong Kong says there is no ringing of bells in the early mornings there, they have come into the 21 st century. 

 

21st century.........PRC style.

 

Lucky them.

 

 

[Chang_paarp]

So a condo complex is built next to the 300 year old temple that has a tradition of ringing a bell at odd hours during lent and they did not contemplate double glazing?

 

Oh silly me, that would  reduce profits. Reduce the ongoing costs for the residents in reduced cooling in the hot season and add value to the property.

[a977]

The old story location, location, location dumb asses for not checking out the site before outlaying ridiculous amount of money 

[Darcula]

15 hours ago, Justgrazing said:

And how quite do you turn the volume down ona bell .. Whack it a bit softer .? 

 

I'm guessing they called in the expert.....

 

On 9/27/2018 at 1:13 AM, webfact said:

The owner has said he has done everything he can to minimize noise for the neighbors.

 

On 9/27/2018 at 4:57 AM, Darcula said:

 

Changed work order from bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang, to bang-bang......bang-bang.....bang-bang?

 

 

[Jeremy50]

The answer to this kind of noise nuisance, is not to have your room so quiet. These idiots never heard of white noise? A couple of fans running close to the bed will muffle most noises, including <deleted> slamming their room doors shut and gibbering in the corridor, which is far more disruptive than temple bells.

[Emster23]

Lived in Phra Kanong condo for a few years, 100 m or so from Mosque, on 7th floor so same level as speakers used to call to prayer 5 times a day. Got used to the "noise" in not too long a period of time, just became part of the background.

 They did wake me up a few times with too loud amps a few times pre dawn for funeral. Went over (with trepedation) to ask them to turn it down. They promptly did so, apologized and were very gracious.

 Any comments about church bells in Western countries?

[MikeN]

Looking at the pics in the “other paper” there are two condo blocks closer than the one where these two complainants live, but they are low level lo-so buildings, guess the residents there don’t have connections....

 That paper also says the woman whining has also complained about other noise from the temple not just the bells. Guess she is okay about noisy motorbikes, barking dogs, loudspeakers on trucks, etc etc. Just cannot stand the temple noise ?

Edited October 5, 2018 by MikeN

[MichaelJohn]

Of course it's the Thai way of life.

Where I live, on the 20+ floor I can here the "lady" shouting in Thai to the tourist boats across the other side of the river (not that they can understand her). We can here the dance music in the park which is turned up so loud that everyone in a 100m radius can enjoy it. And on it goes.

Together with the absolute necessity for anyone making a speech to use a microphone, "pretties" selling in shopping centres it's no wonder that the majority of Thai people have hearing difficulties over 50.

Moderation is the answer but the felling I get here is that anyone making a noise feels the need to let everyone else benefit from it?

[quandow]

Friend: "I have very obnoxious noise early in the morning where I live."

Me: "Not me."

Friend: "Where do you live?"

Me: "2018. THAT'S where I live. 2018."

[klauskunkel]

here is the solution to many common problems:

monks - they ring the bell, don't give them food

dogs - they bark, don't give them food

pigeons - they crap everywhere, don't give them food

[inThailand]

What would the Good book of Buddhism say about this? 

[inThailand]

1 hour ago, MichaelJohn said:

Of course it's the Thai way of life.

Where I live, on the 20+ floor I can here the "lady" shouting in Thai to the tourist boats across the other side of the river (not that they can understand her). We can here the dance music in the park which is turned up so loud that everyone in a 100m radius can enjoy it. And on it goes.

Together with the absolute necessity for anyone making a speech to use a microphone, "pretties" selling in shopping centres it's no wonder that the majority of Thai people have hearing difficulties over 50.

Moderation is the answer but the felling I get here is that anyone making a noise feels the need to let everyone else benefit from it?

So right! Anyone who has lived in a highrise in a busy city knows the noise is deafening even at 20, 30 or 40 stories up. Purposely making noise will not help the situation. 

[PhilippBKK]

Middle Ground has been reached as reported in Bangkok Post:

 

https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1552158/click_url#cxrecs_s

 

 

 

[Vacuum]

7 hours ago, inThailand said:

Doesn't LOS have noise ordinances?

 

No need for that. The regular Somchai is born and rised with (for a westerner) disturbing noise. These luxury condominium residents must be farangs.

[wgdanson]

20 hours ago, webfact said:

including the bell-ringing to call all monks to attend morning prayer and take alms – to set a good example to newly-ordained members.

Can't they sample the bell and then set it as an alarm on their phones?

Edited October 5, 2018 by wgdanson

[Lucky mike]

Bet condo seller had not tolled them about the temple !

[Stargeezr]

It is the early morning call to prayers from a nearby Mosque that drives me

crazy as it happens every day. At least the Buddhist Monks do not ring the

bells all the time.

Geezer

[Ulic]

As I understand it this is during Buddhist Lent. What about the daily pre-dawn Muslim call to prayer using modern sound systems. 

[user343434]

Ooh, come on,

this is a typical western thinking, starting with the noise and ends with the wild herbs from the neighbors bad maintained Garden growing through our fence, all self made reasons for making dramas until to go to court. 

Where I came from it was the Church Bell and I tell you on a cold calm Sunday winter morning it always had something magic.

Now its the Monk at 5 am over his loudspeaker and the Temple Bell.

It still has something magic to me.

I can't understand what the Monk says but its somehow drawing my attention.

It's part of the day, starts with the Big Ben bell melody and then his calm and monotone voice.

Then during the day this Temple Bell, its actually making me forgetting the time for a moment.

I still love it and never felt annoyed about it and somehow its a part that makes me living here.