Nimman Noise

[peekint]

The informal Nimmanhemin community group met for its fourth time this week, with a great success in its pocket.

This organization, which is composed of mostly long-term Thai residents of the area between Nimmanhemin and Sirimangaljant Roads from Soi 1 to Soi 17, has been working on methods of community planning for area growth since the middle of last year.

One of the projects taken on was to quiet a noisy outdoor "Live Music" venue called "Moisture" on Soi 17.

With the community group getting signatures in the area, generating letters and visits to the Tessaban, Police and the Governor, investigations were conducted . . . and the venue was closed within three weeks of the start of the campaign. Good work!

According to the last meeting, having discovered the process for getting effective enforcement of noise, liquor and underage drinking laws, there are new targets in sight for the next campaign:

The Bridge Bar (Soi 11)

Pinocchio (Soi 7)

and the newly renovated Monkey Club (Soi 9)

(Author's note re Monkey Club - this one surprised me because in the past, Monkey Club has always a "good neighbor" in the area. However, they've now added outdoor live music which used to be at their University location, which is closed. My only hope is that they'll return to their previous "good neighbor" ways once they find out how disruptive their new format is - all the way to Soi 3, according to the neighbors at the meeting!)

Good Luck to the Nimmanhemin Community Group. Let's hope they can succeed and improve the quality of life in the Nimman area by reducing the volume of "loud outdoor live music" adjacent to residences!

[mcgriffith]

Late this afternoon around 5 PM out near CMU on Huay Kaew some entity started up a "concert" with various Thai performers.

It was probably in the student market almost opposite CMU main gate.

My windows were almost rattling from the sheer volume, on the 11th floor of an apt bldg 1 km away.

What is truly unfortunate about this is not my personal discomfort.

It is that Thai people simply don't seem to realize the damage they are incuring to their hearing, listening to this ridiculous loud sound volume.

In a decade or so, there will be an entire generation here of 30-somethings with tinnitis who are functionally deaf.

Sad.

[rikki]

theres a lot of noise from concerts every night near Soi6,till midnight or later, from a carpark by the canal road.

otherwise I'd be asleep by now.

Can you tell me more about the Nimmanhemin Community Group?

[realthaideal]

Best o' luck to all a y'all. If I was the community, my actions would either be a)to move, or B ) earplugs. That's the kind of action you can follow thru on easily i this country.

[amexpat]

You may be right, RTD. That is the easiest, fastest, surest, way to deal with a problem.

But what's to lose by trying to improve one's environment? A little time? Most of us have plenty of that.

Of course any attempt to make things better will be met by the usual TV members calling it "moaning" and telling you to go back where you came from, etc.

Remember when people who didn't want to eat dinner next to a table full of smokers were told they had to just go somewhere else? Change can happen.

Edit for formatting

Edited February 13, 2011 by amexpat

[Drew Aitch]

My actions would either be a)to move, or B ) earplugs. That's the kind of action you can follow thru on easily i this country.

Hmm! RTD, this is not really very sympathetic advice to the poor sod that has bought a condo or house in this part of the city. It sounds as though you're not a resident of the said area, but I could be wrong?

Over the past few years, the Nimmanhaemin area has turned into a vibrant and noisy township in its own right! It has basically become an entertainment district where amusement infrastructure now overshadows residential dwellings.

There's also a huge new condo project being constructed right under the windows of an older building in Soi Sukkasame. Not only is ear-splitting building work going on well into the evening most days, but the views of Doi Suthep in the old project will soon be blocked by the concrete walls of the new structure. I doubt the condominiums in the older building will be fetching much of a price now! The entire urban landscape of any area in Thailand can change in the blink of an eye, and it's times like this that renters must be happy they never invested in residential real estate.

Ear plugs might help you sleep, but those living in the area will soon tell you that there are times when the noise outside is so loud that it competes with interaction indoors. In addition to this, listening to TV or music in the comfort of one's own home, can at times be nigh on impossible, even with windows shut tight.

The other downside of stuffing earplugs into your lug holes at bedtime is one of safety. So effective are the modern earplugs, if someone should go running through the corridors at 3 AM screaming out FIRE, FIRE, FIRE!!! the silent sleeper may be oblivious to the commotion and simple melt into the mattress!

Aitch (ex resident of the Nimmanhaemin area)

Edited February 13, 2011 by Drew Aitch

[ChiangMaiFun]

The noise is deafening - any chance of Nimman going 'upscale' has to deal with this problem first - from that huge area off canal road

[realthaideal]

Sorry for the lack of (sound of sympathy) guys. I seem to be in a neighborhood myself right now where they're bent on construction projects that go on and on and on and on... and there's seemingly no end to the amount of hammering or high-pitched sawing of metal that that involves. I am more likely one you should call 'ye of little faith.'

I'm actually happy for CM to get a vibrant area like Hauy Kaew and Nimmanhaemin which is mostly focused, as if there were some sort of intentional zoning going on in this town. It's not a place that I frequent all too much, but it's nice to know it's there. I do feel sorry for those who happen to live there - especially property owners. But you guys know this town is changing, and that's the hotspot where more and more of the youth and the CM (faux/ self-believed)hi-so kids go. So whaddya gonna do ? Attempts at action may help. Again, best of luck to you, but I forecast more growth for that area and not less. And I forsee the rise of revenue being a deciding factor in which way the scales of justice balance out.

Keep us posted with your progress or what you learn.

[roger1999]

Is all of this development in the Nimmen area increasing property prices or not? Three bars have no opened up right near me in my street in Nummen, and I feel as if it will hurt the property value since you can hear the noise from three different venues at some times. When are these places required to close? Some of them seem to "close" (sort of) around 12:30 AM, but the sometimes still have music. Sometimes loud music.

[ChiangMaiFun]

Is all of this development in the Nimmen area increasing property prices or not? Three bars have no opened up right near me in my street in Nummen, and I feel as if it will hurt the property value since you can hear the noise from three different venues at some times. When are these places required to close? Some of them seem to "close" (sort of) around 12:30 AM, but the sometimes still have music. Sometimes loud music.

I believe its not - the noise is lowering prices - they have a great opportunity to make a swish area and pave some of Nimman and what do they do? blast everyone with loud music - if any buyers/renters come at night and hear that they leave.

[mic6ard]

This is an unfortunate trend. It actually amazed me if the patrons can actually distinguish the music from the bar they are sitting/standing in. I used to live across the canal (not the moat) and OMG during the loy Kratong, it was crazy. I'm on the 7th floor and I still couldn't hear my tele. Plus it was Carabao on overdrive, I mean they somehow speed it up. .

There should be some kind of noise pollution limits and actually enforces it, lots of ฿฿฿ in there

Is Monkey's live music really that loud? It seems to be the quietest one!! But I havn't been there since December so it might have changed.

[boney]

I live in Nimmanhaemin, Hillside 3.

Every weekend there is loud music to be heard from the back of the condo where they stage a live music show in (cant remember name of it)

I have been there once, to see what all the noise was for and it was quite entertaining.

But, I just do not know how anyone could hear themselves talk. I will not go back there. It doesn't have to be that loud.

As for the Monkey Club, I think its very well run. As said, there was not a problem with music outside until recently. I do hope they get that they get their act together and stop the outside music.

I do totally agree with the closure of Moisture" on Soi 17, I used to drive past there and think how do the people living there, put up with that.

I love the way Nimmanhaemin road and soi's has become the "in" place to be seen for young Thai's. Its vibrant and lively, I hope that it continues to be so. It's not boring and its not sleazy. I think its becoming chic,

It is bringing in a good standard of young (mostly uni students as one would expect) into the area who enjoy just sitting having a coffee or a beer.

[Sao Jiang Mai]

I am fully behind any initiative to get business owners to be accountable for their actions. Moving is not an option. It is my land and my house and I won't be run off by selfish and unscrupulous business owners. So, let's keep this up!

[clinique]

Is all of this development in the Nimmen area increasing property prices or not? Three bars have no opened up right near me in my street in Nummen, and I feel as if it will hurt the property value since you can hear the noise from three different venues at some times. When are these places required to close? Some of them seem to "close" (sort of) around 12:30 AM, but the sometimes still have music. Sometimes loud music.

I believe its not - the noise is lowering prices - they have a great opportunity to make a swish area and pave some of Nimman and what do they do? blast everyone with loud music - if any buyers/renters come at night and hear that they leave.

Actually I would say the opposite. The increasing commercial activity/building IS increasing the prices in Nimman area.

It was possible last year to get land in Nimman for 70-80,000- per square wah. The prices now are 90,000- to 120,000- .

[hillside]

We live at Hillside4. The noise from Think park and the bars is sometimes so loud that even with our windows closed and the AC on we can still hear the racket that they call music.

We know of many condo's shops and hotels that are actually losing money because people are moving out of the condo's, some of the shops have closed because of the enormous expansion in the area. And the hotels can't rent there rooms out anymore.

Will someone in authority please listen to there residents and do something before tourists realise that The Rose of Chiang Mai is dying.

[Ulysses G.]

After you save Nimanhaemin from loud, lousy music, maybe you could focus on Thapae Gate next. If at least they played something half-decent every once in a while, it would be far less annoying.

[vacationman]

We live about 1 k.m. or TEN Minute walk from a number of Bars in this area.

We like to go walking almost every night sooo we walk past many of these places.

What seems amazing is when we are standing right in front of the place the music is LOUD but

about what you might expect at a night club anywhere.

But when we get back to our CONDO it seems sooooo much LOUDER... like the sound is

being projected out of a MEGA PHONE or something.

Tonight is VERY QUITE perhaps the above mentioned place is the one that got shut down... we have been out

of town for a week.