noise "wow"kite flying problem

[MiKT]

Anybody else experienced a problem with crazy Thai kite flyers who put up their kites all night with very noisy "wow" strips attached and then go home and leave them making a noise all night?

 

I love kites, especially with lights at night; but the "wow" sound can be very loud and gets to be like a torture after a while.

 

Politely asking for the "wow" to be removed has not been well received by some die-hard idiots who claim its necessary as "its a Thai tradition".

 

 

 

[johng]

13 minutes ago, MiKT said:

Anybody else experienced a problem with crazy Thai kite flyers

That's a new one on me    "flying the kite" should be quiet IMHO ????

anyway when the "fliers" go home...maybe the strings "accidentality" break..but probably too late now that you already complained about them as you would be prime suspect ????

 

[Vacuum]

As johng said, cut the strings.

[MiKT]

Not as easy as it seems.

 

Although  we have had some land in Buri Ram for about 18 years, it is only for the last 3 years that we have been building a small resort and a house here because the new football stadium and race track were built quite near our land.

 

There is a very large area of open land adjacent to ours (allegedly owned by the family that also built the race track) but this is normally just used as grazing land by local cow farmers.

 

In the winter months this is ideal kite flying countryside and lots of locals come at different times to fly their kites. Lovely, I love kites and often flew a large army surplus arial flying kite as a child, especially at night with a light on. But the local kites are huge and have long tails and some have strips of bamboo/plastic that vibrate in the wind and make a "wowing" sound. This is why kites are called "wow's" in Thailand.

 

But the problem here is that one or two BR locals have a lot of kites and one in particular who is (allegedly) an ex policeman who thinks he can do whatever he likes (often driving his pick-up at speed around the local lanes) has for the last 3 years ignored my polite requests to remove the wow strip from his kites and delights in flying them as close to our land as possible all night.

 

Last year somebody did go out one night and haul in one kite and the wow strip disappeared, but would not want anybody to damage the expensive wire strings that they use for these kites.  

 

Also, it is incredibly hard to actually locate the strings at night and the area is full of snakes, so its not as easy as it sounds.

 

I want the family to talk to the local headman, but they think this ex cop has too much influence. I went to talk to him again the other day, but before I could speak he assaulted me and I had to defend myself, then I was surrounded by some adults and kids all chanting "Thailand, Thailand" as if anybody else who lives near is not Thai and it was most unpleasant.

 

He does not actually live in our village, just comes in sets up his kites and goes home but some of his friends do live here and my family are very reluctant to do anything. I know some locals hate the noise, but TIT nobody will do anything and nobody will call the local cops as they think they are his friends.

 

Ear plugs help, but it is not a nice situation.

 

There has been a huge drive to attract overseas tourists and Thai visitors to Buri Ram and some have complained about the kite noise, but some locals just don't care.

 

We don't have a lot of money for lawyers and anyway that would only alienate more of the villagers. So any "Thai" solutions that come to mind will be gratefully examined.

 

Yes, extermination has been considered many a noisy night, but swmbo will not hear of it. (pun intended).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[kokesaat]

20 years ago when I moved to the countryside outside of Udon, my gardener flew these kites from our land.  Sometimes two at a time.  I found them extremely peaceful....the sound depending on the direction of the wind.....but I never found it disturbing.  No one ever complained. 

 

I found the local man who made these kites for our gardener........I took probably 50 or so photos of the process.  He's since died, as has our gardener.  I've long wished someone else in the area would take up the hobby.

[johng]

I see a good use for a rather large "Makita"  angle grinder ???? 

just joking hope you recover quickly and fully.

 

PS maybe fly your own kite that "accidently" crashes into the others...it quite therapeutic.

[MiKT]

I like that idea. but...

 

there are actually big kite battle festivals somewhere in Thailand (I forget where) and they use glass coated string to cut the opposing kites string. Must look it up. Unfortunately our guy uses steel wire, which adds to the noise.

 

To answer another post, the noise depends upon the material of the "wow" , the tension it is under and the wind velocity. Our bastard flier's kites are very noisy indeed and can be heard over the TV. When they go on all day and all night it certainly is not peaceful.

 

We have motorbike/car races that go on all night in the stadium, but they don't bother me the way the kite noise does.

[Enki]

On 1/8/2019 at 5:00 PM, Vacuum said:

As johng said, cut the strings.

Not a good idea. Just bring it down and give it back to the owner.

[Enki]

On 1/8/2019 at 8:30 PM, MiKT said:

there are actually big kite battle festivals somewhere in Thailand (I forget where) and they use glass coated string to cut the opposing kites string. Must look it up. Unfortunately our guy uses steel wire, which adds to the noise.

No, that is the supposed chinese competition. (Actually I think that glass coating was made 'popular' in a novel, and is not true), the traditional Thai Kite Fighting is done by teams. One team flies a "male kite" a Chula (Thai: จุฬา) and the other one a female one, a Pakpao (Thai: ปักเป้า). The terrain is divided by a rope, sometimes the teams have a square, but usually it is only divided by a rope. Both sides try to capture the other sides kite. The male one has bamboo sticks attached to its flying wire. The female one has an extra loop about 15 yards long along it flying wire, and a very long cotton stripe as tail. So the female one is very small and very agile and tries to wrap its tail around the male, or catch him with the loop. The male one tries to use its bamboo sticks to catch the females tail or string. If one is captured, they try to pull the other one over to their side of the rope.

 

Competitions like this are done all over Thailand.

[Enoon]

 

Unbelievable.

 

Sometimes have 12 up over the village here, that's their world....it's beautiful.

 

You are the problem.

 

Not a centuries old tradition.

 

Glad to hear that you have complained about it and that a "Thai solution" will probably be found to fix you.

 

Amazing, you had it all but now you've blown it.

 

 

[Enoon]

 

You are also wrong about "wow" referring to the singing bow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MiKT]

9 hours ago, Enoon said:

 

Unbelievable.

 

Sometimes have 12 up over the village here, that's their world....it's beautiful.

 

You are the problem.

 

Not a centuries old tradition.

 

Glad to hear that you have complained about it and that a "Thai solution" will probably be found to fix you.

 

Amazing, you had it all but now you've blown it.

 

 

well, its nice to finally have a reply to a post I made 4 months ago, but hey, glad it has finally got you excited.

 

I am not sure if you have really read and assimilated my post, which is far from anti-kite flying, which I love, it is the louts who send up their kites in the late evening, when they can barely be seen, then jump in their pick-up and go home leaving the noisy buggers to annoy us all night that I object to. Those that fly all night, using attached lights without "wow" strips are of course very welcome.

 

I know there are other explanations for the "wow' word, but around here it applies to the strip that is attached to a "bow" that is under the kite and oscillates in the wind causing the "wow" noise that can be so loud and annoying.

 

Making " wow" kites is an old and lovely tradition using traditional bamboo and banana leaf strips. it is the modern materials that they use here that cause the problem. They use "wow" strips made from 1/2" wide packing case strapping (which is heavy duty plastic) attached to the bow via nylon line so the tension on the bow is quite a lot, Nothing traditional about that. Particularly as the steel strings allow the kites to fly in very strong winds, thus amplifying the noise. 

 

Not quite sure what you think I have "blown", or why I am the problem. I only object to the noise all night, especially because the kite flyers are not there to "appreciate" it.

 

Hope you can continue to enjoy kites over your village and that they don't fly right over your place and "wow" all night for you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rookiescot]

In another thread NCC is apparently a keen kite flyer.

Perhaps its worth asking him for advice?

 

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1141502-hua-hin-pervert-leaves-obscene-message-for-spa-employee-in-pen-on-her-knickers/#comments

[Dumbastheycome]

As an "noise" issue  do you feel it is appropriate to  object  to a sound that annoys you  any more than the other excesses common in Thailand? Have you established  a communal consensus  of support in your objection to a  traditional activity? Or perhaps even the  distressing sound of  babies incessantly  crying?

Scottish  bagpipe music  that  lasts  more  than 2  minutes? Kareoke singers  who  have  no chance in hell of qualifying  in any  competition  but insist  on grinding out  a  sound that could  break rocks  or  glass  depending on which random pitch they  accomplish at any moment?

So what is that  whining  sound I hear?

 

[impulse]

9 minutes ago, Dumbastheycome said:

Scottish  bagpipe music  that  lasts  more  than 2  minutes?

 

Hell, even I'd complain about that one...

 

[Dumbastheycome]

5 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

Hell, even I'd complain about that one...

 

SShh!  I have a  good  friend  who is  a Scots Piper.

But I  really  like the  Oirish  modern  pipes. At least they  can not  take it outside  the Pub so easy ! lol

[MiKT]

26 minutes ago, Dumbastheycome said:

As an "noise" issue  do you feel it is appropriate to  object  to a sound that annoys you  any more than the other excesses common in Thailand? Have you established  a communal consensus  of support in your objection to a  traditional activity? Or perhaps even the  distressing sound of  babies incessantly  crying?

Scottish  bagpipe music  that  lasts  more  than 2  minutes? Kareoke singers  who  have  no chance in hell of qualifying  in any  competition  but insist  on grinding out  a  sound that could  break rocks  or  glass  depending on which random pitch they  accomplish at any moment?

So what is that  whining  sound I hear?

 

Well, if you had really assimilated my post, you would have noted that my resort is just across the road from the new international race track in Buri Ram, so it can be very, very noisy, even all night races and the frequent concerts at the track and football stadium, not to mention the monks next door loudspeakers and the local village news loudspeakers that open at 5AM.  I have no problem with any of that, only the constant, certainly not traditional, noise of highly tensioned plastic strips being tortured all night.

NB I would have no problem with Traditional bagpipes all night, or a nice traditional "Korn" or even traditional drums, they will not be hovering over my head.

 

After 8 kids the sound of babies crying is  "what noise"

 

NB (again) Thailand has a traditional cure for Kareoke singers, just check with the dentists association.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Enki]

1 hour ago, Dumbastheycome said:

As an "noise" issue  do you feel it is appropriate to  object  to a sound that annoys you  any more than the other excesses common in Thailand? Have you established  a communal consensus  of support in your objection to a  traditional activity? Or perhaps even the  distressing sound of  babies incessantly  crying?

Scottish  bagpipe music  that  lasts  more  than 2  minutes? Kareoke singers  who  have  no chance in hell of qualifying  in any  competition  but insist  on grinding out  a  sound that could  break rocks  or  glass  depending on which random pitch they  accomplish at any moment?

So what is that  whining  sound I hear?

 

The noise goes all night, you would complain as well. I have kits around here, too. But they are barely audible. When I heard them the first time, I actually though: now it got me too, I hear voices! As my wife did not hear them ... but one day she could and explained. those are kites. We have some that basically play a melody, kind of "pentatonic sounds" ... so it is actually very pleasant.

[Dumbastheycome]

11 minutes ago, Enki said:

The noise goes all night, you would complain as well. I have kits around here, too. But they are barely audible. When I heard them the first time, I actually though: now it got me too, I hear voices! As my wife did not hear them ... but one day she could and explained. those are kites. We have some that basically play a melody, kind of "pentatonic sounds" ... so it is actually very pleasant.

I actually do understand what you  say. I hear "Music " in the sound  from  kites. Not here  but in Indonesia  where  are  probably  more  prolific  at times  than in Thailand. How  can I  object  to  a  cultural  phenonemon that is not mine simply  because I  reside  in  it??

[Enki]

Well, point is: here they make music, not just wow wow wow ...

[MiKT]

On ‎1‎/‎8‎/‎2020 at 10:15 PM, Enki said:

Well, point is: here they make music, not just wow wow wow ...

music would be good and as I have said earlier, their is nothing cultural about torturing plastic strips.

 

Anyway, it is not just me, other members of my family and other nearby residents also object to the noises caused by a selfish few (read mostly one person) who puts up his noisy kites in the late evening and then goes home a long way away. He can get no pleasure from that.

 

 

[Yom]

MiKT,

I'm really sorry for you. - All the best for the future.

 

Replacing 'kite' with 'dog' I might tell you a very similar story.

For some reason the former policeman wants to annoy you.

Stay away from this man and from his kite.

 

You probably can't do anything at all.  I don't see a good way.

So: move or try to endure it.

Sometimes a short vacation might help...

 

[digbeth]

unfortunate for you, it appears to be superstition that if the kite is flew overnight will result in good harvest, there has been cases reported where police were called to bring down noisy kites to the chargrin and surprise of locals  sentiments seem to be that these kite sounds are a feature of Isan winter/dry season so unless your neighbour supports you, getting authorithy involved would single you out as the weird one out. 

 

Maybe after a couple of times where his kite mysteriously flew away, he'll learn to go fly ite somewhere else  

[sirineou]

As kids we flew fighting kites . there were many different types but the best ones were the triangular shape ones because they were very maneuverable/

for he tail we would take a piece of paper roll it up and cut it lengthwise to two inches from the top,it would effectively make like handlebar tassels 

 

These tassels would be infused with double sided razor blades, and the tail consisted of these tales lied to a string every 6 or 7 inches.

Maneuver your kite in the vicinity of the other kite and keep jerking the line maling the kite flu left and right , trust me you will find his line.

  

[MiKT]

On ‎1‎/‎20‎/‎2020 at 12:18 AM, sirineou said:

As kids we flew fighting kites . there were many different types but the best ones were the triangular shape ones because they were very maneuverable/

for he tail we would take a piece of paper roll it up and cut it lengthwise to two inches from the top,it would effectively make like handlebar tassels 

 

These tassels would be infused with double sided razor blades, and the tail consisted of these tales lied to a string every 6 or 7 inches.

Maneuver your kite in the vicinity of the other kite and keep jerking the line maling the kite flu left and right , trust me you will find his line.

  

Yes, I flew an ex army signalling kite used to raise radio aerials. But the locals are really big buggers and the "string" is steel cable you can't cut it with a razor blade. I don't  cut their cables, but occasionally sneak out and wind one in and cut off the "wow" strip. But since the area is infested with snakes, its not always a good idea to be walking around in the dark trying to wrestle a kite down without a winder.

 

 

 

[MiKT]

On ‎1‎/‎19‎/‎2020 at 1:36 PM, Yom said:

MiKT,

I'm really sorry for you. - All the best for the future.

 

Replacing 'kite' with 'dog' I might tell you a very similar story.

For some reason the former policeman wants to annoy you.

Stay away from this man and from his kite.

 

You probably can't do anything at all.  I don't see a good way.

So: move or try to endure it.

Sometimes a short vacation might help...

 

thanks for you comments, unfortunately its not easy to move an 11 rai resort. Still I expect things to improve (in one way) as some of the open land adjacent to ours is being sold off in building plot size lots now and eventually the open area will be reduced. So they will have to go elsewhere (plenty of options)……...eventually.

 

Also this winter season I have not actually been at home in Buri Ram and only my poor sisters in law are being bothered by the noise. It seems like such a silly complaint, until you  have to endure the peculiar noise all day and all night. Would be good for physiological "keep awake" torture sessions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Yom]

No, it's not  ' a silly complaint '.

I think it can actually be torture.

So, good luck for you and the resort in the future.