Angry Residents Threaten To Fire Homemade Rockets To Disrupt Flights

[Johpa]

So they figure potentially killing hundreds with their party poppers and balloons is just reward for not getting money...the government should just pay them the (surely not too high) amount needed and bulldoze the houses.

Well there is a thoughtful response from an ex-pat who has nicely assimilated towards the Bangkok Sino-elite mentality, simply bulldoze the poor away, and possibly even a few unconnected middle class denizens under the flight path who have but broken promises.

Do some other posters actually believe that the Central Plains of the Chao Phraya delta were uninhabited lands until the modern era? (Of course most modern neo-sahibs have never traveled the Central Plains other than the catered boat trip to Ayuttaya, so the Central plains really don't exist once outside the ever expanding Bangkok environs.) Do others believe that towns like Bang Phli are recent creations or that Khlong Bang Phli, dug buy corvee labor, were built to simply provide bird watchers access to wetlands? I don't know whether all the chagrined sleepless souls have more recently purchased land under a flight path, but having stayed in Bang Phli a few times in transit and having walked around a bit, there are certainly some folks who have been living under some of the flight paths far longer than the airport has existed.

Edited February 16, 2008 by Johpa

[aqua4]

This airport has been in the planning stages for more than fifty years before completion. Most, if not all these complaining residents would have been aware that an airport was to be situated on this land before they moved in.

Cash grab, pure and simple.

Correct - Some of the houses had been bought after construction of the airport had already begun. If memory serves me correct the value of the land near the airport became very expensive as everyone wanted to buy land there. I could not figure why they would want to live anywhere near the airport because of the noise and terrible vibrations which would take place once aircrafts started to land.

[Richie1971]

Just give the residents some compo. Although I don't live near the airport money has been chucked around for alot less, as always depends who you know.

[old wanderer]

As a person that lives only 1 mile fro Los Angeles International Airport, I do have quite a bit of sympathy for the people near the new airport. I did not move into my situation, but the jet age came, and the nice drone of propeller aircraft left to the shreek of the jets. (Family purchased the home in 1953).

The airport spent $85,000 on my home to negate the problem, and it works fine inside the house. I can no longer even hear a loud party next door.

If you own property, others simply do not have the right to raise the noise level by thier activities to where it becomes abnoxious to the property owner.

Property ownership comes with some expetations of privacy and not being invaded by noise from others.

[Richie1971]

Generations you gotta be kidding. Where have you been. This airport has been on the drawing board for 40 years. And 40 years ago it was still a swamp.

The vast majority of the residents bought in in the last 20 or so years and the airport was being discussed yonks before that.

Cash grab pure and simple TIT

Do you plan that far in advance? 'Oh, I'm 20 years olds I'd better not buy near Bang Na/Bang Pee etc in case they actually act on the intentions proposed by their forefathers?'

[hardy1943]

I thought in LOS the louder the better just go to any BIG C

[Choscura]

I say we just tell the sods that the only people flying low enough to rattle the windows are taliban, and if they want to make themselves a better target, by all means...

[Tony Clifton]

Isn't trying to bring planes doiwn with rockets terrorism?

Guantanamo leuh

To be in Guantanamo leuh

Guantanamooooo leuh

To be in Guantanamo leuh

[gbswales]

So they figure potentially killing hundreds with their party poppers and balloons is just reward for not getting money...the government should just pay them the (surely not too high) amount needed and bulldoze the houses.

A few of the comments being made here beggar belief coming, as they do from relatively wealthy, europeans and americans who live in Thailand as the guests of the Thai people. (and by relatively wealthy I mean YOU can afford to have some choice about where you live!) My simple observation of this tells me that the government and AoT silent response speaks volumes of their probable guilt in not fulfilling promises made. Who makes you more welcome in this country - the Government or the Thai people? From comments in other parts of these forums I would suspect not the former, who constantly increase the restrictions on visas etc.

Remember it is largly your fellow europeans, americans and Japanese who use the many flights in and out of Bangkok each day - and add to the worldwide pollution of air travel. So when it comes to local people affected by the luxury you enjoy then you should either help them or keep out of it. Incidentally I am not suggesting for a moment that they should be supported in direct action like this but I am sure the expat community could, for example, chip in a few hundred baht each to pay for solid legal representation for these people - what chance to these poor people have when fighting those who dont give a dam_n about them!

As for "not wanting to work" - can you imagine what it must be like trying to get a decent sleep in these conditions - I am sure that most are working anyway because this is not a country where they will be given cash handouts to eat if they dont!

For health, and other reasons, I cannot afford to live in Thailand but if my partner and I could live there then I really hope that we would be more supportive of local communities

[gbswales]

Please - I am not getting at the majority who I am sure play their part in many ways in helping Thai people. My comments are directed at the loud few expressing extreme points of view.

[soundman]

Whilst launching balloons & rockets is hardly going to endager a 747 more than a flying penguin - it is still an attempt to extort money from a known, pre-existing problem that the money grabbers think they can win by putting the political powers that be in the limelight.

Money grabbing? I thought these people were already promised a compensation, but for some reason that has not materialized yet.

Please correct me if I am wrong.

For what exactly? Give them some money today & they will think up an new excuse to extort some more money next year. ie: now the planes are causing wear and tear to our roofing tiles or sewage systems.

As long as the politically inspired gravy train is out there giving away to whatever cause will gather them votes - people will be putting their hands out....

[MrsExpat2B]

My greatgrandfather still lives in the area and has been for all his life. Not sure how old he is but he must be at least or close to 80's. Admittedly I've not visited him in the last two and a half years; but my mum who does occasionally says there's some noise pollution but not as bad as people make out to be. He lives quite close to where the KMITL is so to me it's pretty close. She does say though the house shakes a bit everytime planes fly by

Edited February 16, 2008 by MrsExpat2B

[soundman]

Please - I am not getting at the majority who I am sure play their part in many ways in helping Thai people. My comments are directed at the loud few expressing extreme points of view.

Thai people need your "help" with what exactly?

Don't take this the wrong way, but Thai people don't need or want our "help" for anything. Please feel free to dispute this.

This is the way it is and the way it should be. Thailand is not a nation of beggars lining the streets waiting for a hand out.

Cheers,

Soundman.

[geriatrickid]

Unfortunately, as soon as the physical threats were made, the possibilitiy of paying compensation was further reduced. If the governmemnt pays compensation now that the extortion strategy has been employed, it will set a precedent.

To cut through all the BS about people moving in for a cash grab, the compensation could have been paid to those that were there prior to the announcement of construction of the airport. Anyone purchasing 6 months after would be excluded.

To those that say the Thais are lazy, shiftless etc., such people are no different than people in our own countries that have become dependent upon the welfare system and government handouts. Just that in Thailand the approach is different. There are also a great many Thais that work hard and are honest. Perhaps, because some people only deal with the service sectors they do not interact with Thai people that are educated, industrious and honourable people. I know that I sure as heck am not into the 6 day work week and long hours that many Thai professionals follow.

[Maizefarmer]

Oh boy - lets launch homemade rockets at airplanes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - yup, could only happen here in Thailand

....... a link to the Heathrow residents objection website?

Imagine someone protesting like that back in the UK - or even threatening to do so.

[KKK]

Update:

Airport-area residents threaten flight disruptions next Saturday

They charged that the AoT on that day signed a formal agreement to buy homes from owners who had been suffering aircraft noise of above 70 decibels.

--TNA 2008-02-16

70dB!! My neighbour makes more noise than that when he starts up his Harley. Thais have no concept of noise pollution..ever been to a food hall in one of the shopping malls? 1,000 people all chatting plus plates clattering it's unbearable. Hasn't anyone here heard of sound proofing or White Noise!

Edited February 16, 2008 by KKK

[hagler]

Why is it that the people who complain about others recieving money usually have not quite enough of their own?

And why is that the people who complain about others asserting tbeir rights usuallly arent quite satisfied with their own lot?

hmmmm...could it be that there is a tinge of jealousy amoungst the whingers? Surely not ! After all they are the highly successful members of their own society arent they? They have worked hard, invested well, made good life decsions and are now in a very comfortable position arent they?

Surely the loudest whingers couldnt be failures of own could they?

Some people need to accept that they havent made a success of their life, that the world doesnt owe them a luxurious standard of living and that it is not anyones elses fault that their life is so.....average.

The term "chattering middle classes" comes to mind reading some of the stuff on this thread.

[philliphn]

I sympathize with any one who has to endure their house shaking. The extreme noise levels that can be generated by Jet planes. No matter where they may be.

Reasonable measures should be taken in terms of noise abatement. In my mind this would include soundproofing of homes. In some instances it may be necessary for the government to buy out the home owner and demolish the dwelling.

It is some times necessary to say harsh words to get any governments attention.

Having said that, I could not condone actions that would endanger the public.

I sympathize with the poor especially the working poor any where. Most of us are very fortunate not to have to bear this type on situation.

Edited February 16, 2008 by philliphn

[Galong]

It should be against the law to threaten to do such a thing. Throw anyone who threatens to do this in jail right away.

BTW, I want compensation from all of the modified motorbikes that race down my street and disrupt the peace and quiet... or I'll start throwing nails on the street!

[Florin]

So they figure potentially killing hundreds with their party poppers and balloons is just reward for not getting money...the government should just pay them the (surely not too high) amount needed and bulldoze the houses.

Well there is a thoughtful response from an ex-pat who has nicely assimilated towards the Bangkok Sino-elite mentality, simply bulldoze the poor away, and possibly even a few unconnected middle class denizens under the flight path who have but broken promises.

Do some other posters actually believe that the Central Plains of the Chao Phraya delta were uninhabited lands until the modern era? (Of course most modern neo-sahibs have never traveled the Central Plains other than the catered boat trip to Ayuttaya, so the Central plains really don't exist once outside the ever expanding Bangkok environs.) Do others believe that towns like Bang Phli are recent creations or that Khlong Bang Phli, dug buy corvee labor, were built to simply provide bird watchers access to wetlands? I don't know whether all the chagrined sleepless souls have more recently purchased land under a flight path, but having stayed in Bang Phli a few times in transit and having walked around a bit, there are certainly some folks who have been living under some of the flight paths far longer than the airport has existed.

It's called progress...all over the world people have had to lose their homes in the face of highways, railways, airports, etc. I was reading recently about an old man who had stalled a highway widening here because he didn't want to accept the amount of money given and wanted more. So it's not about emotional attachment (how many 100+ year-old houses have you seen in Thailand?) or not being able to move anywhere else (this is not Singapore and reasonably priced land is still available in many provinces).

In this case the government is to blame for not giving them compensation, though I would say the stagnation because of the coup had something to do with that...but the residents are also to blame for resorting to these kind of threats. Picketing could have eventually solved their problem, I reckon.

And give me a break with the "Bangkok Sino-elite mentality" - if you don't want to deal with modern corporations building airports and malls, move to the provinces of Myanmar, nothing much has been built there for 50+ years.

Might I also ask where you live? Who do you think provides the Internet connection for you to bash the "elite mentality"? Or little niceties like running water and electricity? You can be sure that someone had to be bulldozed to build all that, but nooo, we must all hate and fear the "elite".

[bob/nyc]

Totally aggree,

Why dont they just do the same as the Heathrow residents and get the government to put double glazing in their houses??? Just another CASH GRAB totally aggree. Any excuse not to go and earn some money.....

Wow, your first post, and you couldn't even say something positive. Just we need on Thaivisa, another cry baby.

[jeebusjones]

well said it saddens me to read people slagging off Thailand all the time. If you dont like the country and its ways sod off as at the end of the day we are guests in the country

There's one of these every time!

[Chopper]

This airport has been in the planning stages for more than fifty years before completion. Most, if not all these complaining residents would have been aware that an airport was to be situated on this land before they moved in.

Cash grab, pure and simple.

Oh really. My Thai family lives in a house about 1Km from one of the runways of the old Don Mueng airport. It used to be pretty noisey, depending on which direction the planes were landing/taking off. They flew directly over the Moo Banh either on take-off or landing. Now that the new airport is being used for international flights it is much quieter.

Another point....not for you but for another person who made a comment about "any reason not to look or find a job"..... but have you ever really talked to a poor Thai who wants to work but finds he/she can't get a job? Not to be picky about it but let me educate you with the story of the experience of my brother-in-law. He left the Thai army after doing his national service. He had a wife and a 2 year old child then. He managed to find a job in a Bangkok hotel food court clearing tables. He thought it was a good job. It turned out that in order to keep the job, he was required to give 1000 baht a month to the supervisor of the food workers. Since he was earning only 2500 baht a month (not counting tips which were devided equally among the 5 or 6 workers) he couldn't afford to keep that job and feed his family at the same time. He moved out of Bangkok and moved upcountry because it was cheaper to live. He found a job upcountry carrying goods on his back loading and unloading trucks.

I wonder if the person who made that comment really knows like it is like to live in Thailand as a poor Thai? Maybe that person ought to get out of the bars and massage parlors, and see what it is really like for one of the thousands...no millions...of ordinary Thais.

Not that I'm criticising, you understand.

Yet the richest man in the World lives in the very same country.

emperor_tud, you may wish to recheck your facts on that one.

[stattointhailand]

Feb 23 ....... day of action?? Solidarity with our brothers and sisters?? The Airport tanker staff can refuse to re-fill planes or park their tankers on the runways, the taxi drivers can refuse to take passengers to/from the airport, the check-in and security staff can "work to rule", all bar and massage parlour staff can strike for the day, and we can all march in our thousands with big banners and chanting through megaphones supporting .............................. "who was it??"

Oh yes ....... this is Thailand not Europe/US ....... lets just all go and watch the fireworks and send the videos to CNN

[steinyphil]

Several off-topic posts and personal insults removed, please keep on topic.

Thanks

[steinyphil]

hmmmmmm,,,,, sometimes,,, reading these " topic threads" it can become very confusing as to just what the poster(any of the many)is

actually trying to say....

If, some of you used some PUNCTUATION in your diatribes, then your points may have some logic in them !!!! Otherwise, many of the opinins are to say the

least, self contradictory !!!

I do however, agree with some of the opinions,interpretations in this current " noise/airport/broken promises, topic.

IN MY VERY HUMBLE OPINION, " accountabillity, is a new ethic that Thai Politics MUST learn if it wishes to join the 21st century"....

Bottom line ,,, " keep up the open chat,but try to insert some punctuation in your threads people, ok....

cheers. :D

[britmaveric]

Easy - live with it or move. Funny - when has loud noise ever disturbed most thai(s)??

[gwynt]

This airport has been in the planning stages for more than fifty years before completion. Most, if not all these complaining residents would have been aware that an airport was to be situated on this land before they moved in.

Cash grab, pure and simple.

oh dear soundman, 50yrs, i dont think so. also you should know these local residents have, more than likely,have been there for generations, just moved in?? i dont think so. give the poor sods a break.

well said it saddens me to read people slagging off Thailand all the time. If you dont like the country and its ways sod off as at the end of the day we are guests in the country

Well said, don't like the people, don't like weather, don't like the way they run the country, well leave us that do stay and enjoy and sod off back to wonderful UK?US?Aus?

[gwynt]

This airport has been in the planning stages for more than fifty years before completion. Most, if not all these complaining residents would have been aware that an airport was to be situated on this land before they moved in.

Cash grab, pure and simple.

oh dear soundman, 50yrs, i dont think so. also you should know these local residents have, more than likely,have been there for generations, just moved in?? i dont think so. give the poor sods a break.

well said it saddens me to read people slagging off Thailand all the time. If you dont like the country and its ways sod off as at the end of the day we are guests in the country

Well said, don't like the people, don't like weather, don't like the way they run the country, well leave us that do stay and enjoy and sod off back to wonderful UK?US?Aus?

[safarimike11]

Do you mean some of the poor people can actually afford glass for their windows? What about tearing down their wooden houses and throwing them in the poor house too? Afterall shouldn't they have done a property search and believed the government.

Perhaps the government should actually do what they said and pay up. Show some sympathy for people who are constantly lied to.

However I don't condone the threats to put people's lives at risk. If anything happens then they should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

So, are you in favour or against the proposed demonstration?