My Griev'ance Living In Thailand

[bedbugy]

i would wish thais would be more considerate as noise is by far my biggest griev'ance living in thailand

the morning routine

the local mosque full blast 4. 50

local tuk tuk driver takes tuk tuk out of house leaves it running 5 minuets 5.30

locals turn on tv diffferent channels

neigbours take cars/pick-up and park out side engine's running ( air con )till they leave for work

looks like i'll be moving again

[tijnebijn]

easy solution , just move to an area where there are

no tuktuks or mosques and where people cannot afford a tv .

[jonniebkk]

Completely agree...it has to be one of the noisiest countries in the world In every place I have lived in both Bangkok and Pattaya, noise was always the main factor that pushed me to move to another place (5 places so far).

In the bangkok condos, it's the construction of other condos in the neighborhood or interior renovations that drive you nuts. In Pattaya, it's all the ensundry noises you mention...plus kids screaming and playing in the streets in the morning and nite, plus the karaoke joint down the block, or someone blasting their music with the bass on full so the whole neighborhood can enjoy their music selections.

I truly think the Thais are immune to noise pollution and think it is a good thing. Just wander around any shopping center with all the shops drowning out each other in loud music or announcements to attract customers.

No matter how carefully you inspect a neighborhood beforehand...there will always be noise that you overlook.

[eek]

lol im moving for one of those reason, albeit not a MAJOR factor, justs adds to my motivation to try out living down south. If i dont move south, ill definitely be moving anyway. My neighbour plays music often till 4am. Its the bass that gets me, not so much the song (which he seems to love as its the same song on a loop >.< ), cuz it reverberates and even earplugs dont drown out the thud thud thud. Been driving me potty. Some nights his gf is over and sadly she has a voice like a foghorn. He does seem to like his noise....

[Mobi]

You can go and live in the most remote village in the Kingdom, and be surrounded with simple peasant folk who go about their daily rural chores in a time honoured, silent and uncomplaining fashion. The air is unpolluted, the sky is blue, and you are surrounded by the beautiful things of nature - human and otherwise.

But for much of the time, this tranquil existence is illusory.

The village Wat will have a festival, or a tambon, or will celebrate the start of Buddhist Lent, or will be taking young men into the monk hood etc etc, and on these occasions your somnolent country life will be shattered by ear splitting and cacophonous sound systems blasting out music into the small hours.

Then, if that's not enough, the sound system will be hired by local residents who wish to celebrate a special occasion - a marriage, a new house blessing, a death.. whatever, and once again you will be barred from sleeping until 4 a.m. at best.

Then... just when you finally drop off to sleep from sheer exhaustion, the early morning peace is shattered by the mobile purveyors of vegetable and meat who drive through the village, with music and amplified sales pitches assaulting the poor, ear-damaged populace.

But they don't even notice it. They've been living with noise all their lives.

I reckon the OP might actually be better off staying where he is.

[jonniebkk]

i am sure that if and when i decide to pack it all in and return home, noise pollution will be a MAJOR factor in the decision. I have just about forgotten what peace and quiet are really like...it might actually dry me batty if I did in fact experience it on a regular basis...I might wake-up in a cold sweat wondering if I had died if there was no morning cacophony of noise to wake me up

You can minimize or mitigate many of the annoyances of living in thailand but often times, noise is one thing you can't control. Good home/condo construction can help, double window glazing to some extent. But why is it that in a country that is supposed to have so much Buddhist tranquility and still hearts it's so darn noisy

[toybits]

Wake up! You are in a different country and thing are different here. We have all had to go through this. If you can move to another place - then do so as soon as you can. You are lucky that you can move. Many people can't and they just get used to the noise. Its much like living beside a freeway, or a pond full of croaking bullfrogs. You get used to the noise. If you don't then you will be miserable - like you probably are now.

[bina]

try living in the middle east:

we have two mosques in the valley below and two across the valley, and for some bizarre reason, they are never synchronized so each one starts after the other; i hear them better then poeple i work with who live under one of the mosques. i use them to tell time since the morning prayers are an hour before sunrise (a friend of ours is a 'caller' in one of the mosques its fun to hear him sometimes and say, oh, thats z. calling out -- no its not recorded. the worst is near moslem holidays when they read extra sermons or when someone dies and there are long sermons at full volume.

then in summer its the weddings, including shooting into the air, followed by parties with classic arab music and then the dj's with the younger set's music and they shout and talk into the microphone announcing the couples dancing, and trilling and whooping,

again, we hear it inside my salon more then the below village hears it due to valley acoustics; we cant hear our tv or music in the summer;

if its not that, its the trucks early in a.m. for the chickens or the factory; garbage dumping glass from the factory; tractors going past;

at night its the younger kids playing music full blast...

the cocks crowing

but still quieter then any big city with cars and sirens and whatever all night...

and if thais can sleep thru anything, explain why my husband has no problem banging his mechanical tools at 6:00 a.m. (my neighbors go beserk when this is a saturday, our only day off to sleep in), or karoake full volume while cooking, but if tv is on after 21 00 in our salon even in whispers he cant sleep. (maybe cause its in a different language so he 'hears' it more?) . or if my daughter has friends over and giggling etc he cant sleep...

its all what u are used to hearing; i cant sleep anymore if i dont hear the mosques, i keep listening for them, its part of the scenery like a store that u are used to seeing everyday on your drive to work... all those sounds dont bug me...

however, when i was in the states in the city (boston) i woke up all the time due to bottles breaking, voices, yelling, cars, it was wierd.

as for every store blaring out music, the same here ... u just get used to it...

or maybe i'm just used to living in a noisy country also... everyone here talks loud, yells louder, blasts their car horns, radios on full...

bina

[thomo]

i would wish thais would be more considerate ..............

looks like i'll be moving again

Good.

I wish the idiots who move here and then complain about things would F off back to where they're happy - Home.

Go to another country - complain, try to change the way locals do things.

Terms like 'arrogant', 'ignorant' and 'scum of the earth' spring to mind.

When are you leaving?

[Mobi]

i would wish thais would be more considerate ..............

looks like i'll be moving again

Good.

I wish the idiots who move here and then complain about things would F off back to where they're happy - Home.

Go to another country - complain, try to change the way locals do things.

Terms like 'arrogant', 'ignorant' and 'scum of the earth' spring to mind.

When are you leaving?

With all due respect, I don't think this is quite fair.

There are many, many Thais, from all walks of life who also deplore the level of noise pollution in this country.

Indeed, the very highest person in the land made a highly critical speech on this very subject, and as a result some action was taken to reduce the decibels in some areas of Bangkok.

A majority of Thais tolerate it because they have never lived without it. That doesn't make it right.

Some noise is unavoidable, but much noise is unnecessary, selfish and certainly avoidable.

Noise pollution causes stress as well as ear damage, and has been acknowledged as such by the Thai authorities, some of whom are trying to improve things.

IMHO the way you have responded to the OP is extremely rude and unjustified.

[Travel2003]

Both places I have lived the last 8 years are in BKK.

Not down town.

Not once have I been disturbed by noice.

Took some time to get used to the birds that start singing at 2 am, every night.

And the dogs of course.

But I live in an apartment, and found out quite soon that first floor would not be an option for me.

Only a few floors up, and the noice is gone.

Of course, if one lives in a house this might not be an option.

I sleep well every night.

[1Lucky]

i would wish thais would be more considerate ..............

looks like i'll be moving again

Good.

I wish the idiots who move here and then complain about things would F off back to where they're happy - Home.

Go to another country - complain, try to change the way locals do things.

Terms like 'arrogant', 'ignorant' and 'scum of the earth' spring to mind.

When are you leaving?

With all due respect, I don't think this is quite fair.

There are many, many Thais, from all walks of life who also deplore the level of noise pollution in this country.

Indeed, the very highest person in the land made a highly critical speech on this very subject, and as a result some action was taken to reduce the decibels in some areas of Bangkok.

A majority of Thais tolerate it because they have never lived without it. That doesn't make it right.

Some noise is unavoidable, but much noise is unnecessary, selfish and certainly avoidable.

Noise pollution causes stress as well as ear damage, and has been acknowledged as such by the Thai authorities, some of whom are trying to improve things.

IMHO the way you have responded to the OP is extremely rude and unjustified.

Good point well made. Why is it that some people (seemingly usually farangs) think that when you move to a different country you have to think everything is perfect and can't possibly consider that its a wonderful place but think that one or two things could be improved? I certainly didn't think everything was perfect when I lived in England but nobody thought that that meant I had to leave the country. I enjoy a certain amount of freedom of speech and thought in Thailand and like the OP am perfectly entitled to love Thailand but not every single aspect of it. Presumably the erudite 'scum of the earth' poster's enlightened viewpoint is that extra-judicial killings, corruption, natural disasters, etc. are all wonderful otherwise he/she would presumably have left Thailand already based on the philosophy expressed above

I sympathise very much with the OP's noise pollution problems. If possible I'd suggest looking for a condo high up in a building and visiting it a number of times at different times of the day before you sign a lease. Also try and negotiate a clause into the lease whereby you can break it early in the event of noise nuisance. We've managed to do all this at each place we've lived at in Bangkok and have been relatively successful at reducing noise pollution as a result.

Lucky

[Dakhar]

You can go and live in the most remote village in the Kingdom, and be surrounded with simple peasant folk who go about their daily rural chores in a time honoured, silent and uncomplaining fashion. The air is unpolluted, the sky is blue, and you are surrounded by the beautiful things of nature - human and otherwise.

But for much of the time, this tranquil existence is illusory.

The village Wat will have a festival, or a tambon, or will celebrate the start of Buddhist Lent, or will be taking young men into the monk hood etc etc, and on these occasions your somnolent country life will be shattered by ear splitting and cacophonous sound systems blasting out music into the small hours.

Then, if that's not enough, the sound system will be hired by local residents who wish to celebrate a special occasion - a marriage, a new house blessing, a death.. whatever, and once again you will be barred from sleeping until 4 a.m. at best.

Then... just when you finally drop off to sleep from sheer exhaustion, the early morning peace is shattered by the mobile purveyors of vegetable and meat who drive through the village, with music and amplified sales pitches assaulting the poor, ear-damaged populace.

But they don't even notice it. They've been living with noise all their lives.

I reckon the OP might actually be better off staying where he is.

I have seen, and heard speakers stacked at least 2 stories high.... for a monk party. Geez, and the music would litterally rattle the windows and doors in the house. They would start it up at about 4:30 in the morning, keep it going until mid night etc. Back were I come from.... some one would get seriously hurt for this type of action. Here, they are applauded. Although, my mother-in-law has been known to go out and tell folks to turn things down. It usually is no help. My wife, just stays it is stupid, but people will continue to do it no matter what.

I imagine a lot of countries are like this. I know Mexico has issues too.

Folks I know of a company that builds sound treaty rooms for hearing tests, recording studios etc. If you wanted a room in your house built or retro fitted specifically for a place of refuge from noise, I would imagine that could be done. If you want more information, PM me.

[eek]

i would wish thais would be more considerate ..............

looks like i'll be moving again

Good.

I wish the idiots who move here and then complain about things would F off back to where they're happy - Home.

Go to another country - complain, try to change the way locals do things.

Terms like 'arrogant', 'ignorant' and 'scum of the earth' spring to mind.

When are you leaving?

well imo...the only attitude that comes over as being in "arrogant", "ignorant" and "scum of the earth", is yours sadly....

[Samuian]

I have lived comfortably and happy for many, many years in "not-me-noiseland"!

Why?

1.) I have NO problem with what "the others" do!

2.) I never had to consult a shrink, a neurologist or any other brain mechanic!

3.) I aware of the fact that I do have multiple choices of how to entertain myself, love to go in a disco and dance till sweat runs down my body like waterfalls, I love music... even house or hip hop, but classic as well, but everything at it's time! (i am born in 1953!)

4.) I love life as it is.

5.) I have learned to take the environment as given, can change the topping of the pizza for my liking, but not the world around me.

6.) Bad noise shatters my eardrums as any others, but I learned not to give a Hoot!

7.) the more you care about something you can't change, the more it will bother you!

8.) Remember every day, is the first day of the rest of your life!

9.) It's only you, yourself that worries nobody else necessarily shares your views & worries!

10.) be happy with what you've got and live in peace with your surroundings!

if it still bothers you try a change......there are people out "there" who have to worry about simple things like food, water, shelter, warring rebells looting their villages, raping their children, slaughtering their cattle, burning their crops - aren't we quite some lucky bunch already - we only have to worry about the "noise resistant Thais"!

I recommend Cairo or New Delhi for training!

One day a customer asked me in the Resort what this noise was.... "it's a cricket" I answered,

She then said: "and that can't be turned off?"

that's life - i guess....

Edited December 26, 2007 by Samuian

[Beardog]

I do feel for you, but there are options.

Move out of Pattaya or BKK..... Sounds like you most likely live in Pattaya & it is very noisy there & even if you are awesomely rich & buy up 1/4 mile of land there a disco with 6000 watts of power with a transmitting tower to boost the signal opens up or The Monks(which I always thought{till I moved here} were suppose to only speak when necessary)blast their 3000 watt Amps with additional transmitting tower to boost the signal. I can handle the vendor truck loudspeakers.

I moved to Bang Sare just 15-22 kilo's from Pattaya & it is much quieter. But even here the local monks at the temple (from what I understand) go berserk till 4 am. Similar to us farangs(used to be loud or now retired from being loud) a lot of people just love to hear their voice & the more power the bigger the ego grows. The noise has now all but died away here in Bang Sare. So their are options. Not saying you need to move here, but there are sleepier places than where you are.But even at that to kind of insure the peace you want-you have to be willing to buy a good amount of land & have no neighbors or have good neighbors(sometimes us Foreigners are no bargain either) & pray no one builds next to you or opens a condo development!Thailand changes so often it is tough to predict how to achieve this. Where i bought there is no way without my permission to get electricity from the government. My only neighbr a(a great Thai man is quiet enjoyable & owns the other land rights for the electrical poles. the govn. here so far will not allow underground electric(from their poles-you can have on your land) so whoever develops here has no electric unless he pays 2 million + to run copper Which 10-1 odds will be stolen from 3/4's of a kilo away& my neighbor & I have become one with the top government official that approves all power issues.

Herein lies the flaw. Can't get electricity but can afford a d9 caterpillar diesel engine to power up 3 kilo's & run it all night. This is Thailand & it can happen

The other option is & it is a Drastic change It is not in Thailand but I have been to an Island in Indonesia called Gilly Trawagin

Along from it being absolutely gorgeous- You can own a house(in your name)rent or sleep under the stars almost zero crime.

They do not allow cars. the only trucks are for deliveries & by 5pm. no vehicles aloud accept for motorbikes with exceptable noise levels.

I have just learned to live with the minor inconveniences here, but if noise meant that much to me I would move to Gilly Trawagin in a heartbeat. I would bring your own camp meat the local girls are beastly!

But in retrospect not to long ago I was sporting 1300 watts of power & it didn't mater if i was spinning Rock Hip Hop House Dance or mellow music -you were sure to here it a mile away before it dropped on you. PAYBACK can be a btch as now I am more reserved & getting more of the same (as well as all of us in LOS) Apologize for the length of this post!

Good luck whichever way you choose. Valium is another option.....maybe not the best!

Beardog

[Dakhar]

I do feel for you, but there are options.

Move out of Pattaya or BKK..... Sounds like you most likely live in Pattaya & it is very noisy there & even if you are awesomely rich & buy up 1/4 mile of land there a disco with 6000 watts of power with a transmitting tower to boost the signal opens up or The Monks(which I always thought{till I moved here} were suppose to only speak when necessary)blast their 3000 watt Amps with additional transmitting tower to boost the signal. I can handle the vendor truck loudspeakers.

I moved to Bang Sare just 15-22 kilo's from Pattaya & it is much quieter. But even here the local monks at the temple (from what I understand) go berserk till 4 am. Similar to us farangs(used to be loud or now retired from being loud) a lot of people just love to hear their voice & the more power the bigger the ego grows. The noise has now all but died away here in Bang Sare. So their are options. Not saying you need to move here, but there are sleepier places than where you are.But even at that to kind of insure the peace you want-you have to be willing to buy a good amount of land & have no neighbors or have good neighbors(sometimes us Foreigners are no bargain either) & pray no one builds next to you or opens a condo development!Thailand changes so often it is tough to predict how to achieve this. Where i bought there is no way without my permission to get electricity from the government. My only neighbr a(a great Thai man is quiet enjoyable & owns the other land rights for the electrical poles. the govn. here so far will not allow underground electric(from their poles-you can have on your land) so whoever develops here has no electric unless he pays 2 million + to run copper Which 10-1 odds will be stolen from 3/4's of a kilo away& my neighbor & I have become one with the top government official that approves all power issues.

Herein lies the flaw. Can't get electricity but can afford a d9 caterpillar diesel engine to power up 3 kilo's & run it all night. This is Thailand & it can happen

The other option is & it is a Drastic change It is not in Thailand but I have been to an Island in Indonesia called Gilly Trawagin

Along from it being absolutely gorgeous- You can own a house(in your name)rent or sleep under the stars almost zero crime.

They do not allow cars. the only trucks are for deliveries & by 5pm. no vehicles aloud accept for motorbikes with exceptable noise levels.

I have just learned to live with the minor inconveniences here, but if noise meant that much to me I would move to Gilly Trawagin in a heartbeat. I would bring your own camp meat the local girls are beastly!

But in retrospect not to long ago I was sporting 1300 watts of power & it didn't mater if i was spinning Rock Hip Hop House Dance or mellow music -you were sure to here it a mile away before it dropped on you. PAYBACK can be a btch as now I am more reserved & getting more of the same (as well as all of us in LOS) Apologize for the length of this post!

Good luck whichever way you choose. Valium is another option.....maybe not the best!

Beardog

Then there are the foam ear plugs if you want

Edited December 26, 2007 by Dakhar

[mrtoad]

i would wish thais would be more considerate ..............

looks like i'll be moving again

Good.

I wish the idiots who move here and then complain about things would F off back to where they're happy - Home.

Go to another country - complain, try to change the way locals do things.

Terms like 'arrogant', 'ignorant' and 'scum of the earth' spring to mind.

When are you leaving?

Oi Scrooge, did you have a bad Christmas?

Lighten up and have a look at what you have posted.

[stevemiddie]

i would wish thais would be more considerate ..............

looks like i'll be moving again

Good.

I wish the idiots who move here and then complain about things would F off back to where they're happy - Home.

Go to another country - complain, try to change the way locals do things.

Terms like 'arrogant', 'ignorant' and 'scum of the earth' spring to mind.

When are you leaving?

I just love these well thought out replies.

[Beardog]

I do feel for you, but there are options.

Move out of Pattaya or BKK..... Sounds like you most likely live in Pattaya & it is very noisy there & even if you are awesomely rich & buy up 1/4 mile of land there a disco with 6000 watts of power with a transmitting tower to boost the signal opens up or The Monks(which I always thought{till I moved here} were suppose to only speak when necessary)blast their 3000 watt Amps with additional transmitting tower to boost the signal. I can handle the vendor truck loudspeakers.

I moved to Bang Sare just 15-22 kilo's from Pattaya & it is much quieter. But even here the local monks at the temple (from what I understand) go berserk till 4 am. Similar to us farangs(used to be loud or now retired from being loud) a lot of people just love to hear their voice & the more power the bigger the ego grows. The noise has now all but died away here in Bang Sare. So their are options. Not saying you need to move here, but there are sleepier places than where you are.But even at that to kind of insure the peace you want-you have to be willing to buy a good amount of land & have no neighbors or have good neighbors(sometimes us Foreigners are no bargain either) & pray no one builds next to you or opens a condo development!Thailand changes so often it is tough to predict how to achieve this. Where i bought there is no way without my permission to get electricity from the government. My only neighbr a(a great Thai man is quiet enjoyable & owns the other land rights for the electrical poles. the govn. here so far will not allow underground electric(from their poles-you can have on your land) so whoever develops here has no electric unless he pays 2 million + to run copper Which 10-1 odds will be stolen from 3/4's of a kilo away& my neighbor & I have become one with the top government official that approves all power issues.

Herein lies the flaw. Can't get electricity but can afford a d9 caterpillar diesel engine to power up 3 kilo's & run it all night. This is Thailand & it can happen

The other option is & it is a Drastic change It is not in Thailand but I have been to an Island in Indonesia called Gilly Trawagin

Along from it being absolutely gorgeous- You can own a house(in your name)rent or sleep under the stars almost zero crime.

They do not allow cars. the only trucks are for deliveries & by 5pm. no vehicles aloud accept for motorbikes with exceptable noise levels.

I have just learned to live with the minor inconveniences here, but if noise meant that much to me I would move to Gilly Trawagin in a heartbeat. I would bring your own camp meat the local girls are beastly!

But in retrospect not to long ago I was sporting 1300 watts of power & it didn't mater if i was spinning Rock Hip Hop House Dance or mellow music -you were sure to here it a mile away before it dropped on you. PAYBACK can be a btch as now I am more reserved & getting more of the same (as well as all of us in LOS) Apologize for the length of this post!

Good luck whichever way you choose. Valium is another option.....maybe not the best!

Beardog

Then there are the foam ear plugs if you want

And a heck of a lot safer than a possible Valium addiction although once getting used to the plugs one might opt to never want to remove them until needed!!!

[mrtoad]

i would wish thais would be more considerate ..............

looks like i'll be moving again

Good.

I wish the idiots who move here and then complain about things would F off back to where they're happy - Home.

Go to another country - complain, try to change the way locals do things.

Terms like 'arrogant', 'ignorant' and 'scum of the earth' spring to mind.

When are you leaving?

I just love these well thought out replies.

It probably took him five hours to come up with it.

[The Professor]

I live on the 10th floor of a condo and it's nice and quiet up here; costs 50K / month though

[nidge]

7.) the more you care about something you can't change, the more it will bother you!

[a2396]

easy solution , just move to an area where there are

no tuktuks or mosques and where people cannot afford a tv .

That's certainly no solution. You forgot the barking dogs, crowing roosters, outdoor concert stages, loudspeakers from the local Wat, to name a few.

[toybits]

But why should the OP burden the rest of us with his misfortune of living in such a place? Why doesn't he just move on instead of moan and groan about the noise?

Good point well made. Why is it that some people (seemingly usually farangs) think that when you move to a different country you have to think everything is perfect and can't possibly consider that its a wonderful place but think that one or two things could be improved? I certainly didn't think everything was perfect when I lived in England but nobody thought that that meant I had to leave the country. I enjoy a certain amount of freedom of speech and thought in Thailand and like the OP am perfectly entitled to love Thailand but not every single aspect of it. Presumably the erudite 'scum of the earth' poster's enlightened viewpoint is that extra-judicial killings, corruption, natural disasters, etc. are all wonderful otherwise he/she would presumably have left Thailand already based on the philosophy expressed above

I sympathise very much with the OP's noise pollution problems. If possible I'd suggest looking for a condo high up in a building and visiting it a number of times at different times of the day before you sign a lease. Also try and negotiate a clause into the lease whereby you can break it early in the event of noise nuisance. We've managed to do all this at each place we've lived at in Bangkok and have been relatively successful at reducing noise pollution as a result.

Lucky

[MrSquigle]

you need to meditate more....find somewhere nice and quiet and go for an hour in the morning and evening.

[dantilley]

Noise pollution is a problem in Bangkok, some of it can't really be avoided but some of it is totally unnecessary.

Whistle blowing car park attendants? Completely pointless, needless extra noise.

Souped up motorbikes with ridiculously loud engines should be made illegal. And so should those incredibly irritating squeaky children's shoes for that matter.

[Crossy]

you need to meditate more....find somewhere nice and quiet and go for an hour in the morning and evening.

This would not be anywhere near your place then

What am I talking about? Look in the DIY forum

[pointofview]

i would wish thais would be more considerate ..............

looks like i'll be moving again

Good.

I wish the idiots who move here and then complain about things would F off back to where they're happy - Home.

Go to another country - complain, try to change the way locals do things.

Terms like 'arrogant', 'ignorant' and 'scum of the earth' spring to mind.

When are you leaving?

What a stupid and absoulutley ignorant point of view - i hope you have been warned for your flaming

[MrSquigle]

you need to meditate more....find somewhere nice and quiet and go for an hour in the morning and evening.

This would not be anywhere near your place then

What am I talking about? Look in the DIY forum

Depends if before or after....quiet time comes over us all at some point.