Are There Noise Regulations In Bangkok?

[raswartz]

I have to ask this, but are there are any noise regulations in Bangkok?

I happen to live next to a hotel which just opened up a beer garden with a "singer" who is perhaps the most awful-sounding creature I have ever heard. So besides calling the hotel and complaining, I'm wondering if there is any kind of legal recourse here.

To wit, are there rules about how loud you can play music, what time you have to stop, do the rules depend upon whether you serve alcohol, and so on?

And if so, who are the authorities responsible for this? The police? The Bangkok Metropolitan Authority? The Klong Toey Office?

I know Bangkok is not a quiet place, and Thais are generally not sticklers for rules, but I'm kind of desperate. Any ideas?

[Jimjim]

You must be kidding. Bangkok is one of the loudest places on earth. If there are noise regulations, I fear there is no way to force someone to follow them.

[billp]

are there are any noise regulations in Bangkok?

:D

[DP25]

If you're renting, you're best off just moving. Make sure the new place is quiet and there aren't any likely locations for a karaoke bar or beer garden to open up nearby. If you own and can't move, buy some earplugs.

[kiakaha]

There is "regular noise" but no "noise regulation" .

[petercool]

My understanding is that between the hours of 2am and 5am it is against the law to make loud noise and that includes music.

That seems to have been the reason why certain bars with music in some areas were strictly controlled in terms of closing even before recent closing hours were set. Despite the comments made above, police will act in some circumstances of a private dwelling call about noise and I have known it to happen.

[britmaveric]

move...

[seonai]

[spot]

I think there is a regulation that makes it illegal for anyone to do anything quietly.

This law also includes mandatory singing out of tune louder than in tune, illegal to fit bafflers on motorbikes, and driving a pick up in anything other than 1st gear is illegal until you have reached 30 miles an hour.

[popshirt]

I moved.

And now I pay much more rent.

It's worth it.

My condo is as quiet as a tomb.

And I live in Sathorn!

[raswartz]

My understanding is that between the hours of 2am and 5am it is against the law to make loud noise and that includes music.

That seems to have been the reason why certain bars with music in some areas were strictly controlled in terms of closing even before recent closing hours were set. Despite the comments made above, police will act in some circumstances of a private dwelling call about noise and I have known it to happen.

This is really what I wanted to know. Although I'm glad people found my post amusing, I wanted to know what the laws says, if anything, about noise, especially in conjuction with serving alcohol. Bangkok is not an anarchy and someone, be it the police, the BMA, or even organized crime, must have some say in who does what, where, and when. I'd like to be as informed as possible before I start making phone calls to the police, etc. Any advice here would be much appreciated.

In my case, I do rent, so I could move a few months from now. But by the time my lease expires, it will be the hot season, and I'm pretty sure the offending beer garden will be closed. Of course, if I stayed another year, then I'd probably have the same problem again next winter. But that's my decision.

I'm not really bothered by tuk-tuks, motorcycles, and so on. I've been in Bangkok long enought that I basically consider that ambient noise. But music, which is supposed to get the ear's attention, is really hard to shut out mentally, especially when it's performed badly. To make matters worse, the beer garden is stationed in front of a high-rise, which reflects all of the sound directly into my bedroom window.

[thaihome]

Dude, you are living in a third world country. You cannot have it both ways...

TH

[sutnyod]

Well, there seems to be an initiative called "Quiet Bangkok". I also heard frequently that (for instance in shopping malls) people refuse to turn down the general speaker volume "because nobody has complained". I conclude that it would help to write complaints...

Sometimes I really wonder what's next. There are new noise producers being installed non-stop. The latest thing those truck-mounted TV panels nobody looks at.

[PadThaiGuy]

Complaining to Thai Officials about noise?

They will think your crazy.

Noise doesn't bother them, but YOU will be considered a pain in the as*s.

[dsys]

I have to ask this, but are there are any noise regulations in Bangkok?

I happen to live next to a hotel which just opened up a beer garden with a "singer" who is perhaps the most awful-sounding creature I have ever heard. So besides calling the hotel and complaining, I'm wondering if there is any kind of legal recourse here.

To wit, are there rules about how loud you can play music, what time you have to stop, do the rules depend upon whether you serve alcohol, and so on?

And if so, who are the authorities responsible for this? The police? The Bangkok Metropolitan Authority? The Klong Toey Office?

I know Bangkok is not a quiet place, and Thais are generally not sticklers for rules, but I'm kind of desperate. Any ideas?

Yes there are laws and there are monitoring stations to record noise levels.

Contact the pollution contol department or check out their website - http://www.aqnis.pcd.go.th/maineng.php

http://www.aqnis.pcd.go.th/en/mainnoise.htm

Unfortunately the regulations are in Thai.

[thaibkk]

I have to ask this, but are there are any noise regulations in Bangkok?

I happen to live next to a hotel which just opened up a beer garden with a "singer" who is perhaps the most awful-sounding creature I have ever heard. So besides calling the hotel and complaining, I'm wondering if there is any kind of legal recourse here.

To wit, are there rules about how loud you can play music, what time you have to stop, do the rules depend upon whether you serve alcohol, and so on?

And if so, who are the authorities responsible for this? The police? The Bangkok Metropolitan Authority? The Klong Toey Office?

I know Bangkok is not a quiet place, and Thais are generally not sticklers for rules, but I'm kind of desperate. Any ideas?

well i got another kind of the same problem ...

muslim speakers at 5 am, every dam_n day...

was not aware until the first couple of nights i came here, probably too tired because of jetlag

is 5 am really an hour to be awaken ...

live in a separated house area (villa) in a gated community

but the mosk is about 500 m away ... they have speakers all over and awake everybody

they don't give a crap about waking up everybody overhere also (about 80 villa's)

something we can do ? complain policy? I guess they are afraid of moslim ...

any suggestions ?

[JSixpack]

I have known of a case where a large group of neighbors signed a petition to stop the noise coming from a karaoke bar that had opened nearby. I don't know whom they presented it to, but they did succeed in getting the noise stopped.

[Furbie]

I have known of a case where a large group of neighbors signed a petition to stop the noise coming from a karaoke bar that had opened nearby. I don't know whom they presented it to, but they did succeed in getting the noise stopped.

I know of two successful major noise interventions:

1) A friend who lives with his wife's family in Bangkok had a condo going up nearby - every night they worked a little later into the evening. When they reached 10pm, my friend's wife called the police and the construction went back to ending at 8pm the next day. I should point out; they live in a pretty upper class neighborhood.

2) A Thai friend who owns her own condo (decent place, maybe worth about 3.5-4 mil Baht) had issues with the construction site next door. In this case, it was the karaoke bar that sprang up to serve the local workers, which blared truly horrible singing until about 3am. It took weeks to get it closed, but a combination of building management and the tenants were able to respond to this and force the police to act.

My suggestion to you - I would work with your landlord and building management (people are wrong when they say Thais don't complain - poor Thais don't complain, middle class and wealth Thais actually complain more than Westerners) as well as contact the hotel's regional management (hopefully, it is a Western owned chain) and let them know. If you can hear it, it is for sure the guests and neighbors can too. The local staff may not care, but the regional staff will.

Despite what others have said, it is possible to win in a noise situation such as this. What won't win is one lone Westerner complaining.

[Scott]

Best of luck to you. Noise is a perennial problem in Bangkok. I live in a very, very quiet neighborhood, but if there is anyway for anybody to destroy it, they will. The latest obnoxious behavior was for a series of dump trucks to use a small, dirt road nearby and thunder through as fast as possible over bumps! It's neither more convenient or quicker for them to use this road than the regular one. It only disturbs the neighborhood and raises dust. This hauling is always done beginning after midnight and goes on until about 5:00 a.m.--then they start using the regular road!

[alaina]

I have known of a case where a large group of neighbors signed a petition to stop the noise coming from a karaoke bar that had opened nearby. I don't know whom they presented it to, but they did succeed in getting the noise stopped.

Rumor had it that Mystique nightclub on soi 31 closed because of noise complaints. Being that this was a Bangkok rumor, "Important people with money and connections", was also part of the story. Before it closed it was being raided and closed promptly at midnight as well.

[raswartz]

I have to ask this, but are there are any noise regulations in Bangkok?

I happen to live next to a hotel which just opened up a beer garden with a "singer" who is perhaps the most awful-sounding creature I have ever heard. So besides calling the hotel and complaining, I'm wondering if there is any kind of legal recourse here.

To wit, are there rules about how loud you can play music, what time you have to stop, do the rules depend upon whether you serve alcohol, and so on?

And if so, who are the authorities responsible for this? The police? The Bangkok Metropolitan Authority? The Klong Toey Office?

I know Bangkok is not a quiet place, and Thais are generally not sticklers for rules, but I'm kind of desperate. Any ideas?

Yes there are laws and there are monitoring stations to record noise levels.

Contact the pollution contol department or check out their website - http://www.aqnis.pcd.go.th/maineng.php

http://www.aqnis.pcd.go.th/en/mainnoise.htm

Unfortunately the regulations are in Thai.

Thank you, this is very interesting. I didn't know such a bureau existed, but it seems like its the relevant authority.

My next question is how a hotel can get a license to serve beer outdoors-- don't they need to get a waiver from all of the property owners within a certain radius? I've talked to the landlord about this, and he said he never agreed to it.

[raswartz]

I have known of a case where a large group of neighbors signed a petition to stop the noise coming from a karaoke bar that had opened nearby. I don't know whom they presented it to, but they did succeed in getting the noise stopped.

I know of two successful major noise interventions:

1) A friend who lives with his wife's family in Bangkok had a condo going up nearby - every night they worked a little later into the evening. When they reached 10pm, my friend's wife called the police and the construction went back to ending at 8pm the next day. I should point out; they live in a pretty upper class neighborhood.

2) A Thai friend who owns her own condo (decent place, maybe worth about 3.5-4 mil Baht) had issues with the construction site next door. In this case, it was the karaoke bar that sprang up to serve the local workers, which blared truly horrible singing until about 3am. It took weeks to get it closed, but a combination of building management and the tenants were able to respond to this and force the police to act.

My suggestion to you - I would work with your landlord and building management (people are wrong when they say Thais don't complain - poor Thais don't complain, middle class and wealth Thais actually complain more than Westerners) as well as contact the hotel's regional management (hopefully, it is a Western owned chain) and let them know. If you can hear it, it is for sure the guests and neighbors can too. The local staff may not care, but the regional staff will.

Despite what others have said, it is possible to win in a noise situation such as this. What won't win is one lone Westerner complaining.

Thanks, I think this is very good advice. Am I to understand from your two examples that they did call the police, and more than once, in order to get some action?

I'll bring this up with my landlord again. He initially said that he wasn't sure whether it was better to call the police, the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority, or the Klong Toey office. I live on Sukumvit Soi 20, in the Klong Toey area, but I think the nearest police station is on Thong Lor.

If I call the police, do I need to speak Thai, or can I speak English? My Thai is decent, but it's not very good on the phone.

[sriracha john]

Not Bangkok, but a Songkhla resident is taking "Noise Control" to the extreme:

Suspect admits he carried out killings

SONGKHLA : The gunman who shot dead a female doctor and her seven friends allegedly confessed yesterday he went on a shooting spree to silence their noisy karaoke party which had disturbed his sleep for months. ''I had already warned them that I would kill them,'' said Weenus Chukamnerd, 52.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/08Mar2008_news06.php

[tgeezer]

I have to ask this, but are there are any noise regulations in Bangkok?

I happen to live next to a hotel which just opened up a beer garden with a "singer" who is perhaps the most awful-sounding creature I have ever heard. So besides calling the hotel and complaining, I'm wondering if there is any kind of legal recourse here.

To wit, are there rules about how loud you can play music, what time you have to stop, do the rules depend upon whether you serve alcohol, and so on?

And if so, who are the authorities responsible for this? The police? The Bangkok Metropolitan Authority? The Klong Toey Office?

I know Bangkok is not a quiet place, and Thais are generally not sticklers for rules, but I'm kind of desperate. Any ideas?

I am sure that there are noise regs. but it doesn't bring any comfort to know that, in fact I think it best to assume that there are no regulations at all for anything.

[Aries74]

I have to ask this, but are there are any noise regulations in Bangkok?

I happen to live next to a hotel which just opened up a beer garden with a "singer" who is perhaps the most awful-sounding creature I have ever heard. So besides calling the hotel and complaining, I'm wondering if there is any kind of legal recourse here.

To wit, are there rules about how loud you can play music, what time you have to stop, do the rules depend upon whether you serve alcohol, and so on?

And if so, who are the authorities responsible for this? The police? The Bangkok Metropolitan Authority? The Klong Toey Office?

I know Bangkok is not a quiet place, and Thais are generally not sticklers for rules, but I'm kind of desperate. Any ideas?

Hello, and Welcome to Thailand.

Best not to complaint and keep thing to yourself especially if you are a foreigner.

Talking to the wrong people can get you in troubles.

Good Luck

[jonniebkk]

...are there are any noise regulations in Bangkok?

555555555555555555555555555555555

hah hah hahahahahahahah hah hah hahahahahahaha

Gotta love the Thailand newbies (or pity the poor tourist)!!!!

[Badb0y]

On 3/8/2008 at 9:07 PM, Aries74 said:

Hello, and Welcome to Thailand.

Best not to complaint and keep thing to yourself especially if you are a foreigner.

Talking to the wrong people can get you in troubles.

Good Luck

Why?

[Youlike]

1 hour ago, Badb0y said:

Why?

Because bullets are faster than your eyes.

[PhilippBKK]

On 1/24/2008 at 11:23 PM, thaibkk said:

well i got another kind of the same problem ...

muslim speakers at 5 am, every dam_n day...

was not aware until the first couple of nights i came here, probably too tired because of jetlag

is 5 am really an hour to be awaken ...

live in a separated house area (villa) in a gated community

but the mosk is about 500 m away ... they have speakers all over and awake everybody

they don't give a crap about waking up everybody overhere also (about 80 villa's)

something we can do ? complain policy? I guess they are afraid of moslim ...

any suggestions ?

Oh no...damn that mosk (sic)

You should convert and praise the lord at this fine hour my friend.

[Badb0y]

57 minutes ago, Youlike said:

Because bullets are faster than your eyes.

Ahh I seee hahahahahaaa, I started to scare.