This might be the most stupid topic ever but nevertheless. I was doing a 2 hour trip with the gouvernment bus today and at some point the driver decided to start playing awfull thai music really loud. Loud enough for me to be really bothered with it even though I was already listening to my own music which I could no longer enjoy. So after a while I got up and had to ask the driver about 5 times too often to put of the music ignoring me as he was.

There's nothing worse than people forcing their music on you like this but am I right or am I wrong? I know it's better to avoid any type of trouble over here at all times but <deleted>? I already carry duck tape every time to close the <deleted> aircon holes... I don't even complain about that...

Buy a car?

Hire a taxi?

Fly?

I suggest next time you take one of those colorful paintbrushed buses,you will get the disco lights as a free option

Carry ear plugs.

Edited October 17, 201015 yr by gotlost

Buy some of those really big head phones, the ones that have the spongy foam padding that cover your ears.

or walk.

and you carry ducked tape around????? hope the police do not stop and search you, they might think you are off to do a kidnapping!

it keeps the driver awake.

Great, makes you wonder where David and Swift are when you need them the most...

I've always viewed it as a quirk of Thailand living, yes annoying but not really anything we can control. This is afterall not Europe or US/OZ where we complain to a manager or company & something gets done. Been to a bunch of places all over the world with their own variation of the theme, yes can be annoying but usually best to go with the flow. Should have started singing along really loudly & badly & he might have thought it better to carry on with out the music

I always liked this about Thailand, even if the music is awful. Sometimes people even sing along, that always brings a smile to my face. Better than a bus in england where most people either try to avoid eye contact or try to rob you.

I'm with you on the air con holes though, gunna go to 7 and buy some duct tape.

I've always viewed it as a quirk of Thailand living, yes annoying but not really anything we can control. This is afterall not Europe or US/OZ where we complain to a manager or company & something gets done. Been to a bunch of places all over the world with their own variation of the theme, yes can be annoying but usually best to go with the flow. Should have started singing along really loudly & badly & he might have thought it better to carry on with out the music

"...where we complain to a manger and something gets done..."

That's one way of addressing the problem. There may be other ways that we dont know about...

If it was me, I'd offer him Bht500 to play Tom Jones all night - that way, everyone wins (except the other passengers...)

SC

2 hours on a goverment bus?

Are they the real sh!tty looking ones?

Don't they have VIP on your route?

Closest I have come to this is catching the 1st Class (VIP?) Gov't Bus from Aranyaprathet to BKK after a particularly lonely break in Cambodia...

The bus driver put on the Titanic DVD, and I tell you, that scene where Kate Winslet's Rose (not the Gloria Stuart old Rose) gets her Chest Pillows out, I was tempted to take matters into my own hands...

Would that have been inapproapriate? Would you prefer Thai music to seeing that?

Daewoo

Edited October 18, 201015 yr by Daewoo

This might be the most stupid topic ever but nevertheless. I was doing a 2 hour trip with the gouvernment bus today and at some point the driver decided to start playing awfull thai music really loud. Loud enough for me to be really bothered with it even though I was already listening to my own music which I could no longer enjoy. So after a while I got up and had to ask the driver about 5 times too often to put of the music ignoring me as he was.

There's nothing worse than people forcing their music on you like this but am I right or am I wrong? I know it's better to avoid any type of trouble over here at all times but <deleted>? I already carry duck tape every time to close the <deleted> aircon holes... I don't even complain about that...

When you've spent a bit of time in Thailand and have to travel by bus for more than an hour it pays to have your own music and big ear phones. I just purchased a nice I-Pod touch and a set of Bose earphones. It makes trips anywhere much more pleasant. The big ear phones muffle all outside noise and you only hear what you want. They are great for those long flights as well. The ear phones will fit into the airlines speaker outlets. No more crying babies to annoy me when I want to watch a movie.

The big ear phones muffle all outside noise and you only hear what you want. They are great for those long flights as well. The ear phones will fit into the airlines speaker outlets. No more crying babies to annoy me when I want to watch a movie.

Thanks Ian. Good suggestion. As much as I try to ignore it, the constant din of the engines can also be a bit annoying, not to mention chatter and coughing of other passengers. I'm going to try one of those headsets on my next flight.

sooooooooooooo? here, most busses have radio tuned in on local news stations or talk shows or even relgious stuff if the driver is remotely religious. some have dvd players and their own discs but for long hauls, they will often let u give them a disc to play,; and majority voices will change a station or remove a disc; and its never ever classical , but rather local language/ethnic .... even the kids school busses have dvd nowadays, and they put on age appropriate movies/music.

westerners...... so spoiled...........

however, they VIP busses we were on dont seem to change the movie section... going to bangkok from korat and vice versa, twice, in different years!!!! i saw the same stupid slapstick (which was funny once but annoying after seeing it four times over) ... cant remember what comedy group it was... well, guess that makes me a bit spoiled too; although hubby also seemed to get annoyed fourth time round. he also has an annoying thai habit of being able to go to sleep no matter how much noise, fuss, whatever, is going on at any given time...

bina

israel

A Thai government bus has only two (2) colours...blue & white. There are no other colours on this bus.

I just purchased a nice I-Pod touch and a set of Bose earphones. It makes trips anywhere much more pleasant. The big ear phones muffle all outside noise and you only hear what you want. They are great for those long flights as well.

What did you buy Ian, Quiet Comfort 15's ?

I have those now, very good, I was using Quiet Comfort 3's on international flights, what a difference it makes on a long haul, I haven't flown since I was given the QC15's but they'll be great.

Problem is they will be horrendously expensive in Thailand, I was given mine by a Bose agent I know from the US, I shudder to think what they would cost here, 300$ in the States for the QC 15's and 350$ for the QC3's !!

Nice though.

2 hours on a goverment bus?

Are they the real sh!tty looking ones?

Don't they have VIP on your route?

Some government buses are the far best buses in Thailand, most people don't know.

Thais are a strange mix of very social and extremely anti-social, take the annoying insane loudspeaker cars. It doesn't even come up in their mind that some people might feel disturbed by this.

Edited October 20, 201015 yr by bangkokcitylimits

I have never been on a 'Thai government bus' (blue & white) in which the driver played any kind of music.

OP is used to Western habits. Stay a year in...India e.g. After that Thailand is soooo silent .....

If I wanted to hear a lot of irritating noise I would have stayed married.

If I wanted to hear a lot of irritating noise I would have stayed married.

funnily enough, my daughter just came in and told me that on the bus back to home (kibbutz) some mother put her cell phone radio on, full volume, with a certain type of 'oriental wailing' type music so another older woman asked her to turn it off. the driver sided with the musical woman, then some 'greaser' type sided with her also, the first woman closed her cell phone music so someone else turned on theirs super loud... we arent talking here about teenager types,but families with their kids, coming home from the city from shopping.. finally, the outcome was the driver turned on his radio, chose the music he wanted, loudly, and that was that... try that in the states, or even thailand.

and thais are very social, and that is not considered anti social... the minority will go with the majority everytime, to not make waves...

bina

israel

If I wanted to hear a lot of irritating noise I would have stayed married.

funnily enough, my daughter just came in and told me that on the bus back to home (kibbutz) some mother put her cell phone radio on, full volume, with a certain type of 'oriental wailing' type music so another older woman asked her to turn it off. the driver sided with the musical woman, then some 'greaser' type sided with her also, the first woman closed her cell phone music so someone else turned on theirs super loud... we arent talking here about teenager types,but families with their kids, coming home from the city from shopping.. finally, the outcome was the driver turned on his radio, chose the music he wanted, loudly, and that was that... try that in the states, or even thailand.

and thais are very social, and that is not considered anti social... the minority will go with the majority everytime, to not make waves...

bina

israel

haahaa... do u notice that its always the men complaining about all this stuff... ? as my mother would say, 'u dont like the noise, then dont listen. - she has a point....

I like the music they typically play in those buses. Most of it is likely on my iPod anyway.

Pick a different country where you do like the music.

I once got on a bus from Korat to Trat, we asked when its was setting off and the answer was about 15 minutes.

2 hours later we set off did I complain? No TIT go with the flow and when we arrived we asked about a decent hotel and the driver took us on the bus to one about 5 Kilometers out of his way.

Not much concilation for a two hour wait but every cloud has a silver linning. My advice chill out a bit.

The Thai music i don't mind or actually enjoy and it is far perferable to when they put the DVDs on - the so called comedys with all the accompaning sound efects and badly made up ladyboys screaming at ear bleeding volume at each other and throwing flour at each other. pulling chairs from under others as they try to sit down. Sophiticated humour !!!!! You all know the type of shows. .Or equally as bad is the dubbed hollywood movies - the ones that Bruce Willis with the same voice as Arnie as Sylvester Stallone as whoever.

Please turn the music back on .

Edited October 22, 201015 yr by xen

I remember a journey from Phuket to Chumphon [9 f@#king hours] of "listening" to the SAME 2 CDs played at ear splitting volume while nursing the hangover from hel_l. As I write this, tears are moistening ny eyes....

If music is not considered intrusive, how come reading lights are, as they never turn those bastards on at night? Eh? EH?

Dammit, I am off to kick a puppy.....

I have never been on a 'Thai government bus' (blue & white) in which the driver played any kind of music.

I have never been on a government bus here period. I took the public in bangkok once about 14 years ago, it didn't happen twice.

Why even put yourself into the situation?

>but am I right or am I wrong?

Unfortunately here you will be wrong as it's how things are done here. Noise pollution is in every walk of life. I learned a long time ago to get a taxi then I got my own transport when I got sick of the taxis as well.

What gets me are these painted up student buses with a gazzilion headlights and a power amp that can be heard a kilometer away. I get rather irritated when the din enters the personal cocoon of my own car. I like to think my tastes in music are rather adventurous but that is just crap.

It's not music on buses that drives me mad, it's the noise that pervades every aspect of life in Thailand, at all times of the day. The nights often seem to be the worst as music can be heard but without obvious source. Plus of course I have the man with the reverse siren going down the Soi every night at 2:30am. Such a colourful people!