Kanchanburi Disco Rafts To Be Strictly Regulated

[sbk]

Law being drawn up for 'discotheque rafts'

Operators violating new regulations would face legal action

By Post reporters

Local authorities will strictly regulate tourist rafting operations after receiving a flood of complaints against them from residents in Muang district. Most of the complaints were against noise and water pollution they were said to be causing.

They have accused the so-called ''discotheque rafts'' of disturbing their sleep and making their life miserable at night.

There are more than 1,520 rafts providing sightseeing tours in the Kwai Noi River. Some 160 have been transformed into ''discotheque rafts'' to operate after dark, keeping members of nearby communities awake at night with deafening music.

continued at the Bangkok Post here www.bangkokpost.com/News/10Feb2008_news05.php

[sbk]

I have to say the high number of late night disco rafts shocked me, 160!

Also, apparently, the fact that they dump ALL their waste into the river. I swam in that river a few years ago

[phutoie2]

Made the evening news on Channel 7 some nights ago, big piece on authorities raiding the disco boats.

Have to agree on the noise, myself and wife did one in daylight hours last July.

Next thing to tackle is those speed boats going flat out, the ones with a huge great diesel engine. What is it with Thais and noise??. This weekend a big motorbike rally (somewhere), hundreds of bikers going flat out through our town, loads of those retro/old Honda motorbikes, the ones with loads of chrome and noisy exhausts.

[Ajarn]

I have to say the high number of late night disco rafts shocked me, 160!

Also, apparently, the fact that they dump ALL their waste into the river. I swam in that river a few years ago

SBK, I'm sure the water you swam in is long gone. Don't worry

[kayo]

The disco boats were always a bit of a bane to us living there I was there 2003/2004.

They usually went out down/up the river kwae noi, where few people live, but increasingly would come up the kwae yai, alongside town.

The long-tail boats with their big diesel engines are also massive noise polluters, but they have a certain charm to them though.

[chavy]

The long-tail boats with their big diesel engines are also massive noise polluters, but they have a certain charm to them though.

Couldn't agree more with you there Kayo.....those long tail boats are really horrid on the ears even when sitting so far away

[prodriver]

The long-tail boats with their big diesel engines are also massive noise polluters, but they have a certain charm to them though.

Couldn't agree more with you there Kayo.....those long tail boats are really horrid on the ears even when sitting so far away

Is it the long tail boats that wake you up when you're asleep at the bar in the "4-nines" Chavy?

[chavy]

The long-tail boats with their big diesel engines are also massive noise polluters, but they have a certain charm to them though.

Couldn't agree more with you there Kayo.....those long tail boats are really horrid on the ears even when sitting so far away

Is it the long tail boats that wake you up when you're asleep at the bar in the "4-nines" Chavy?

I wonder who this might be?......round the corner....errr...prodriver

A couple more hours were lost snoozing lastnight mate after an afternoon at the fishing park !!

[Khutan]

Those Disco Rafts are great fun, but they certainly do party too long into the evening. They also have a fair share of drunks on board, partying away.

I can understand the locals being annoyed.

BTW, they are a cheap weekend if you have 5 - 10 people in a party. Thing to remember is to bring your food and have the cook prepare it for you and also you need to bring your own drinks.

I thin from memory they are about 3500 a day to rent