Music In The Bus

[GM1955]

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 !!!!!

It's just that you don't understand it, it's different comedy for a different people.

I'm quite sure 95% of Thais wouldn't Find the BBC's ' The Office ' or ' Extras' or Americas ' Arrested Development' funny, certainly doesn't mean they're not funny to Farangs though does it ?

I see my missus and her sister laughing at these shows, I mean nearly in tears with laughter, who the heck am I to say they're not funny just cos I can't understand the comedy ?

Live and let live.

[GM1955]

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!

Earplugs.

[moskito]

LOL, just 2 hours?

I made a trip once from Bkk to Phuket. After the bus started the Bus driver switched on a CD with a nice Thai "musical" running fuc_kn noisy for over 3!!! hours. 4 Actors on a stage wich never changed the outfit, one Kathoy without teeth one real ugly lady and 2 men, one was hitting the lady sometimes and all were dressed in funny outfits....I was the only one who cant sleep and I hated every minute of it.

looked a bit like this pic

[xen]

It's just that you don't understand it, it's different comedy for a different people.

I'm quite sure 95% of Thais wouldn't Find the BBC's ' The Office ' or ' Extras' or Americas ' Arrested Development' funny, certainly doesn't mean they're not funny to Farangs though does it ?

I see my missus and her sister laughing at these shows, I mean nearly in tears with laughter, who the heck am I to say they're not funny just cos I can't understand the comedy ?

Live and let live.

There is a lot about Thailand I will never understand and anybody who has spent any amount of time here finds out that the more time they spend here the more there is to learn and understand but accusing me of failing to understand juvinille slapstick that makes Benny Hill look like an intellectual is grossly insulting. What is there to understand about grown adults still being stuck in a level of humour that most of us outgrow before we left primary school.. High volume screaming with bells and whistles and being stuck on a bus for hours is not enjoyable !!! Remember the the post about being stuck on buses with Thai music, and if you think that i am that stupid that I fail to understand the subtle shades of humour and wit of that humour then your are entitled to that opinion." Live and Let Live "

[Atmos]

we use bus services often, takes three to get from here to the airport, though 'bus' is an exaggeration

firstly 1hr on a covered pickup with wooden bench seats in the back to Sa Kaeo - some music through a small speaker mounted on back of cab - 50 baht

then a 'proper' bus from there to Chaoensgao, about 130km 2hrs, aircon, music or dvd playing - 90 baht

then minivan from Chachoensgao to Suvarnabhumi - 40 baht

In September got one of the bright coloured 'disco' buses from Bkk to SK at night-time - now that was an experience, thumping music, flashing lights off the chrome ceiling etc, beers being handed round (bad move there was no loo, and real rush at each stop for the toilets). Had some (small) sympathy for the old folks on board not everyone was in party mood.

I enjoy the bus travel, take in the scenery and put up with the music, all part of the fun.

[Atmos]

love it

get a bright-coloured party bus Bkk-Sa Kaeo on an evening run. Party!

[fantuzi]

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.

Big headphones are not very practical in travel,and they will not isolate you from outside noise completely.

Better investment is in-ear - "canal" earphones with good isolation;you have to try which model will work for you.

There are more expensive models with electronic noise reduction;you do not need to buy Bose(famous for its out-of-reach prices)

AudioTechnica and Sony make very good models.

And good,simple mp3 player is quite cheap today(Samsung,Sony,Sansa,Cowon,Iriver,Creative - 50$),save that i-pod price for some gold for your GF;she will be very gratefull.

[GM1955]

It's just that you don't understand it, it's different comedy for a different people.

I'm quite sure 95% of Thais wouldn't Find the BBC's ' The Office ' or ' Extras' or Americas ' Arrested Development' funny, certainly doesn't mean they're not funny to Farangs though does it ?

I see my missus and her sister laughing at these shows, I mean nearly in tears with laughter, who the heck am I to say they're not funny just cos I can't understand the comedy ?

Live and let live.

There is a lot about Thailand I will never understand and anybody who has spent any amount of time here finds out that the more time they spend here the more there is to learn and understand but accusing me of failing to understand juvinille slapstick that makes Benny Hill look like an intellectual is grossly insulting.

Thai people do find them funny, so what are you tying to say, Thai people shouldn't have their own brand of comedy because it doesn't suit Farangs, are you really that arrogant ?

And yes, it's because you're not Thai and because you don't understand it that you find it offensive, quite obvious really, as Thai people do understand and do find it funny.

Like I said, put on an episode of The Office ( Uk Version ) and see how much that's appreciated, I say UK version as I don't find the American version funny, different type of comedy, maybe funny to Americans but different to British humour, you see where I'm going with this, even the great Farangs have different styles of humour.

Buy an iPod or a netbook with your own choice of music or video and some Bose noise cancelling headphones, and you won't hear any bells whistles or screaming or Thai people laughing and enjoying the show at all.

[siam2007]

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

I agree.

this is a typical FARANG TOPIC. posted by someone of the "why it is not same as in my home country" - crowd.

I just had a 10-hrs Bus-ride from Viantiane to Luang Prabang. Loud ( and I said LOUD) Thai and Lao-Pop all the way. The Lao and Thai people on board were not bothered at all and could easily fall asleep.

I could not fall asleep but instead I did enjoy the landscape, despite the blaring speakers just above my head.

this is ASIA, after all ;-)

[GM1955]

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!

" Why oh why did I ever come to Thailand, it's nothing like my home country "

[tigerfish]

got to admit though theres nothing better than when they crank this one up full volume.

especially on a bus full of isaanites drinking lao khao and eating sticky rice with the sweet smell of som tam boo plah drifting through the air.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sk3RoTDhf5k

[bina]

got to admit though theres nothing better than when they crank this one up full volume.

especially on a bus full of isaanites drinking lao khao and eating sticky rice with the sweet smell of som tam boo plah drifting through the air.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sk3RoTDhf5k

soooooooooooo ethnic........ it will all go the way of other local colour soon enough. our busses used to be filled with little old ladies and chickens,egg packs, veggies, and 'oriental/arabic style music on non air conditioned busses that drove at break neck speeds and were never on time.

nowadays, its just generic radio with a few local varioations, no animals allowed apart from service dogs , thelittle old ladies dont get in to town much anymore to the market, unless kids or grandkids can drive them in; people get furious if the bus is ten minutes late (well, still not very western here about TIME ) ; in summer the air is meant for penguins, and the local noise gets yelled at and quelled double time.

probably for daily commuters all the noise etc is annoying but for others its still like the wild west, exotic, slightly dangerous, extravagant, vulgar, 'in your face' and real. i mean if the guy put on beethoven at full volume it just wouldnt be the same. (we had a driver here listen to classial and the locals gave him hel_l, but nowadays, if someone gives the driver a hassle, he just drives straight to the police station ,making the passengers furious at the instigator of the problem. peer pressure works every time. my husband would go beserk ifhe had to listen to classical music for four hours straight, andnot be able to eat. he tried eating on our busses and gets withering looks from the 'little old ladies'. here, eating food is not ok. eating sunflower seeds and spitting them mostly in to a bag is ok.

i just dont understand how it was that we had the same stand up comedy disc on the same bus to and from korat, in a four year time difference. does the driver never change the disc in the dvd?

bina

israel

[canuckamuck]

I wish Thailand would give up on producing popular entertainment entirely.

But I am barely allowed to stay here let alone have any rights; so I suck it up and do my best to avoid being assailed by the noise. The bus is a bad place, if you are stuck on one just remember the trip will end eventually.

[Birdman]

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!

A change of location would help maybe. I for one can hear the wind in the palm trees, the sea, some crickets, birds, rain drops....or nothing, if I close doors & windows. All the time. It's nice.