Locals cry foul as new condo owners have Chinese opera performance shut down

By The Nation

 

 

Long-time residents of a Bangkok community have cried foul over a condo project’s intervention in their tradition of staging Chinese operas at the local Chinese shrine.

 

The condo was reportedly opened just a few years ago on Soi Narathiwas Ratchanakharin 14, while their traditions have lasted decades.

 

Earlier this week, while a Chinese opera was about to conclude at about 10pm at night, policemen turned up and demanded that the actors and actresses stop their performance immediately in response to complaints from the condo project.

 

“The show was about to end in just five to 10 minutes. But still, police forced the troupe to end it abruptly. It’s the first time I saw such an intervention,” a local resident said via a Facebook account registered under the name Charlie Chew.

 

He felt it was unfair for a newcomer to force long-time residents in the community to give up their tradition.

 

“Chinese operas will be staged just a few days each year. Before you move in, you must be aware that there is a Chinese shrine here,” he lamented.

 

Uploaded just on Wednesday, his post has attracted thousands of reactions. It has also been shared more than 2,200 times.

 

Many locals living near the shrine have also come forward to defend their tradition. They insist that they cannot consider Chinese opera to be noise pollution.

 

Source: http://www.nationthailand.com/news/30372305

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand  2019-07-04

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

Good on the condo owners. This is Thailand not China. If you want to listen to that horrible screechy music and screechy, whiny singing bugger off to China. I even bet the condo owner is Thai/Chinese. 

 

Seems a little irrational with 10 minutes to go.

Wow an opera at 10 pm, must have disturbed the condo project construction workers from getting drunk.

 

The fun police is in action again, about to destroy everything that's left from cultural activities here.

 

So there really are  occasions when noise ordinances in Thailand are enforced.

 

 

Thais make noise with blaring music, whistles and dodgy motorbike exhausts all the time.

When farangs complain, nothing is ever done. 

Great to see when it’s on the other foot something is done! 

18 minutes ago, watcharacters said:

 

So there really are  occasions when noise ordinances in Thailand are enforced.

 

 

 

Only until the noise tax has been paid. 

33 minutes ago, watcharacters said:

 

So there really are  occasions when noise ordinances in Thailand are enforced.

 

Against Chinese opera in the wrong place, apparently yes.

 

But against roaring, muffler-less cars and motorcycles that sound like jet engines, no. Against music blaring bars operating past legal hours into the early morning, no. Against the infernal security guard traffic directors who are constantly blowing their whistles for no real reason, definitely not!!!  

 

1 hour ago, chowny77 said:

Good on the condo owners. This is Thailand not China. If you want to listen to that horrible screechy music and screechy, whiny singing bugger off to China. I even bet the condo owner is Thai/Chinese. 

 

And any Thai band trying to do 'Zombie' and 'Hotel California' should be put up against a wall, because Glen Frey and Dolores O'Riordan are dead. Someone has to take the rap.

 

By the way 62% of Thai's have Chinese heritage.

2 hours ago, watcharacters said:

 

So there really are  occasions when noise ordinances in Thailand are enforced.

 

 

I wonder what hi-so lives there....

 

5 hours ago, Traubert said:

By the way 62% of Thai's have Chinese heritage.

 

Many "Thais" may have a Chinese ancestor way back "down the line". 

 

However it is of as much relevance to their present ethnicity, the culture they evince, and how they self identify, as does the fact that a defiantly "English" person may well have a 16th century French ancestor, a late Medieval German one and a Dark Age Norseman in their "heritage".......none of which they are aware of.

 

The people having their long standing traditions assaulted (as reported in the news item) are:

 

CHINESE IN THAILAND | Facts and Details

"Thailand had the largest Chinese population in Southeast Asia. Ethnic Chinese make up 10 to 14 percent of the population of Thailand, or around than 6 million to 9 million people (the range in numbers has to do with how mixed-blood Thai Chinese are counted). They are largely assimilated and many have intermarried with Thais."

 

Thai Chinese - Wikipedia

"Thai Chinese are the largest minority group in Thailand and the largest overseas Chinese community in the world with a population of approximately 10 million people, accounting for 14% of the total population of the country as of 2012."

 

 

 

9 hours ago, wisperone said:

Seems a little irrational with 10 minutes to go.

Police had to finish their dinner first !

If I was the organiser I'd have ignored the police. What are they going to do? Bring in the riot squad (which judging by the recent Udom Suk fracas might take several hours or never happen at all), or arrest everyone involved? Then the police could have just stood around doing nothing, which is their normal way of dealing with anything. Ten pm isn't late to be making music, and as others have said there are more serious noise problems that are routinely ignored. My guess is that the new condo has someone of influence living there.

12 hours ago, chowny77 said:

Good on the condo owners. This is Thailand not China. If you want to listen to that horrible screechy music and screechy, whiny singing bugger off to China. I even bet the condo owner is Thai/Chinese. 

 

I'm guessing the condo owners were all complaining about not being able to listen to the music that accompanies the thai boxing !!

11 hours ago, Traubert said:

And any Thai band trying to do 'Zombie' and 'Hotel California' should be put up against a wall, because Glen Frey and Dolores O'Riordan are dead. Someone has to take the rap.

 

By the way 62% of Thai's have Chinese heritage.

And 100% of Thais have African heritage. As does the rest of humanity. So, get our the djembes!

Money Talks; Culture Walks.

14 hours ago, wisperone said:

Seems a little irrational with 10 minutes to go.

But 10 minutes of Thai time could be hours in the real world

so condo owners pay more money then opera watchers and police move on.

we miss big joke!

2 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

I'm guessing the condo owners were all complaining about not being able to listen to the music that accompanies the thai boxing !!

That's music?

I always felt sorry for the cat..

" Many locals living near the shrine have also come forward to defend their tradition. They insist that they cannot consider Chinese opera to be noise pollution. "

I love opera, but do agree that Chinese opera is noise pollution.

But yes, this has been going on for years and years already, a few days a year, just let it continue a few days a year.

Isn't it like building a home next to an airport runway, and then complain about the noise...????