Noise Pollution In Jomtien: No Longer Tolerable

[Awohalitsiktoli]

I have never experienced the level of noise pollution that I am experiencing now in Jomtien. Some bars blast music all day and most of the night and the police do nothing. Trucks filled with speakers in the back "patrol" the beach area and blast the loudest, most annoying music possible, and the police do nothing. Do Thais hate nature so much that they do not want to hear it? Do they hate thinking so much that they do not want to think? This place seems to be rapidly disentegrating: traffic jams, crime, skinheads and drunks all over looking for a fight, disentegrating infrastructure, and now massive noise pollution. I do not know about you, but I can't wait to get out of here.

[Pattaya28]

On the positive side, no dogs barking 24/7.

Or did u forget that ??

[paddyjenkins]

Im glad I finally gave up in the idea of living in Pattaya/Jomtien. The noise pollution, the air pollution, the cheating, the abuse, the frequent rudeness, the ugliness of much of it...I had considered buying a condo in Jomtien but once I heard the bar noise at night I forgot the idea. But it could have been anywhere, any condo. And when I read of the beach road extension, the one thing I still liked about Pattaya was a walk along beach road, well, whats the point...whereas once I used to spend months at a time in Pattaya, years ago, now its once or twice a year for a week or so...maybe I can do without even those short trips that I make more out of nostalgia than really likeing the place.

Honestly, to those that arrived for the first time a decade or more ago and loved it, if you made you first trip now would you still love it? I doubt I would, I imagine it would have been a first and last visit. I know there are still many pluses and many Thais are nice and polite, certainly not all psychos/morons/cheats, but it doesn't take too many negatives to make the positives irrelevant.

Now I look forward to all the posts that will attack me for being so negative...

Yeah yeah, good riddance, you're not wanted anyway, probably can't afford it...blah blah blah....whatever.

[OMGImInPattaya]

I completely agree, noise pollution outside, and inside stores and restaurants, and malls, basically everywhere, is one of the worst aspects of living in Thailand. Even the highest and most reverend personage has commented on it and advised that it effects both the mental and physical health of Thais and visitors in a negative manner. Alas, I guess the Thais have all gone deaf from the aural assault because they seem determined to ignore any and all advice on the subject.

Between the noise and the ever worsening traffic, I am seriously looking to relocate outside of pattaya...maybe to chiang Mai. It's not that I didn't know about these things (they drove me out of Bangkok 10 years ago) but as I get older and the excitement of "Fun City" has lost most of its allure, I can think about moving on.

[Phronesis]

Come to Patong and unwind...

[HeavyDrinker]

It's a holiday resort.

If you are looking for peace and quiet, why did you choose to live in a holiday resort?

[guzzi850m2]

It's a holiday resort.

If you are looking for peace and quiet, why did you choose to live in a holiday resort?

Exactly,

Why do you think the dark side is so popular, people want peace and quiet where they live.

My village is that and I love it.

[BlackPuddingBertha]

I detest noise more than most people but I actually find Jomtien to be quiet enough, except perhaps for special holidays like Songkran and Christmas which I can put up with as one does know in advance when it is going to end.

I suppose the trick is to not be near any bars and this is why I would probably never buy here; you just cant tell if someone is going to open a karaoke next door at some point. I'm really happy in my rented condo but would leave it like a shot if the need arose.

[VBF]

paddyjenkins, on 22 Apr 2013 - 20:48, said:

Im glad I finally gave up in the idea of living in Pattaya/Jomtien. The noise pollution, the air pollution, the cheating, the abuse, the frequent rudeness, the ugliness of much of it...I had considered buying a condo in Jomtien but once I heard the bar noise at night I forgot the idea. But it could have been anywhere, any condo. And when I read of the beach road extension, the one thing I still liked about Pattaya was a walk along beach road, well, whats the point...whereas once I used to spend months at a time in Pattaya, years ago, now its once or twice a year for a week or so...maybe I can do without even those short trips that I make more out of nostalgia than really likeing the place.

Honestly, to those that arrived for the first time a decade or more ago and loved it, if you made you first trip now would you still love it? I doubt I would, I imagine it would have been a first and last visit. I know there are still many pluses and many Thais are nice and polite, certainly not all psychos/morons/cheats, but it doesn't take too many negatives to make the positives irrelevant.

Now I look forward to all the posts that will attack me for being so negative...

Yeah yeah, good riddance, you're not wanted anyway, probably can't afford it...blah blah blah....whatever.

PJ: I can only agree that it's not the place it was, pretty much for the reasons you state. I and several friends are re planning our trips here in the same way as yourself - others who live here are looking around for pastures new too. That's the great thing about renting as opposed to buying!

I saw Phuket go from being the best of the best to what it is now and unfortunatly Pattaya is doing the same. Jomtien is lagging behind Pattaya but as it's a sort of suburb of Pattaya, how long can that last?

Then again, parts of Cambodia are lovely now but with the ongoing development who knows in 5 or 10 years? So pleased to be able to choose!

Edited April 22, 2013 by VBF

[AloisAmrein]

You are living in the wrong place, go to the countryside and enjoy nature.

[bartender100]

Loud speaker cars advertising boxing and new condo's are an added pain to the noise pollution everyday, they crawl along slowly screeching out inaudible rubbish.

[Fgis]

People who complain about noise do not even understand that they are the problem.

At Jomtien from my condo in daytime I can only hear birds.

In evening and night insects and cicada lately.

Just try to be smarter when selecting where you live and you will know that Jomtien is still perfect :-)

[DiNiro]

I moved from Jomtien Beach, to a quiet area about 1 kilometer inland.

Out in the country, birds, trees, nice breeze and an OPEN AIR, ALL NIGHT, JUNGLE KARAOKE BAR, RUN BY POLICE. AAAAGGGHH!!!

Yes, it fires up at 2AM and goes till 8AM.

Now, I see the condo developments, Dusit Grand Park, Laguna and Maldives & Zen pre-selling units near this NOISE FACTORY.

I feel sorry for the suckers buying in these developments. They have no idea what happens after dark.

[Awohalitsiktoli]

Thanks for the responses, both pro and con. It is hard for me to imagine that anyone could live in Jomtien and not hear the horrible noise. I live way up high on the beach and perhaps that is one problem. The noise from the soi's below just travels outward, hits the condo, then goes up to the top units. It is that way all over here, so if you spent big bucks getting your penthouse condo you are now thinking: oooooppppppssssssss. Fortunately, like others have stated, I chose to rent. I can move. But where? It is unfortunate that part of the Thai cultural stream is now dominated by the idea that "fun" and "extremely loud and irritating music" go together, and to Hell with any concern about how your loud and irritating music is impacting other people. It is a selfish, idiotic pattern that is disconnecting Thais from nature, each other, and preventing positive thought. As to why someone would move to a resort town and expect a more peaceful setting--well, you could certainly find that in the past, especially in Jomtien (no more), and there are many resorts worldwide that are extremely peaceful. But, to the poster who made that comment, you are certainly right about that in terms of what Pattaya-Jomtien has become today. If you are moving here to find peace, forget it! Even when I try to escape the noise pollution by going to the edge of the ocean, it will frequently happen that a group of idiots will drive up in a truck filled with loud speakers, park it, and direct all of the noise at the beach--oddly, if Thais are irritated by this, they do not show it. What I can't understand is why the Khon Yai's who own the "nice" hotels in the area are not getting together and complaining to the police about the noise pollution, which has to be cutting into their profits. I doubt that the Russians like it, but who knows.

[guzzi850m2]

OP

Have you considered Penang, Malaysia.

I been there twice for visa runs and find it very nice and beautiful.

Okay not for me as I still like it here but I live in a village where it's quiet.

[DiNiro]

Why the Thais tolerate and don't complain ?

My landlord, that has substantial land holdings in the area in question won't complain about the illegal karaoke bar.

As he said "I have a wife and kids".

[paddyjenkins]

OP

Have you considered Penang, Malaysia.

I been there twice for visa runs and find it very nice and beautiful.

Okay not for me as I still like it here but I live in a village where it's quiet.

Yes, I have considered that...and that is exactly what I did

[BlackPuddingBertha]

It is hard for me to imagine that anyone could live in Jomtien and not hear the horrible noise. I live way up high on the beach and perhaps that is one problem. The noise from the soi's below just travels outward, hits the condo, then goes up to the top units.

Certainly sound will travel far greater distances if you are high up. In Europe I lived on the top of a big hill and on still evenings I could hear sounds coming from other villages many kilometres away but just a few yards down the hill it was silent.

Here, over Songkran, I could hear noise from the road (someone set up an open-air disco for the day) that was totally inaudible at ground level in my building. Normally I cant hear the road at all.

That said, there are still plenty of buildings in Jomtien that are silent, even on high floors. Often just moving from one side of a building to the other can make a big difference. I know that on the other side of my building there is often a lot of noise from a distant music venue and I can hear it when walking in the corridor, but I never hear it in my unit even with the windows open.

[TexasRanger]

I love the quiet in our village but we rented a beautiful house in Jomtien to be near a certain hospital for the arrival of our baby. Our estate is beautiful, and everyone who lives here abides by the noise rules and the price is quite high so no riff raff. The place is perfect in my mind and I woukd live to buy one, but.........

Outside the estate you still get the low intelligence types with the tunes thumping out of their trucks driving past. Also somewhere near there is music in the evenings, 90% of the time you can barely hear it but once or twice the windows shook. So glad I didn't spend 10 mill on the place or I might have committed suicide.

Now we have a kid giing up to the village will have to be for holidays as education up there is no good so Jomtien will probably be our choice. Will I ever find a house here that is quiet? Doubtful sadly.

[Langsuan Man]

With no zoning here in Thailand no matter where you go the noise is going to follow you

I moved to a secluded moo ban only to have the serenity broken by a forest monk operation that has morphed into a three room wat that appears to be on schedule to become a full blown wat in the future

The first thing they did was install a loudspeaker system to make sure we knew they were there

[Rimmer]

Overly negative posts removed and quoted reply

[Spalpeen]

It's a strange fact that many Thai's not only like but actually need a constant background noise. Have you noticed that wherever you go the television is always on even if no one is watching it? They get creeped out by silence.

[ARGUSEYE]

Since Pattaya has more or less "Had It" for me for the aforementioned reasons, I thought I go to explore Burma, the new "promised land".

So I went to Chaung Tha, the beach resort west of Rangoon. Really beautiful, hardly any developement, no high rises, quiet': Perfect!

..... That was until that Friday afternoon, when the "nuveau riche" and the new Rangoon middle classes arrived in their SUVs and tour busses. What an infernalic noise they made! Deafening Karaoke. They cart speakers the size of family vans right on to the beach. The generators to power them are a nuisence in itself.

So much for "Quiet Chaung Tha". Where can I flee to??

[bartender100]

I moved from Jomtien Beach, to a quiet area about 1 kilometer inland.

Out in the country, birds, trees, nice breeze and an OPEN AIR, ALL NIGHT, JUNGLE KARAOKE BAR, RUN BY POLICE. AAAAGGGHH!!!

Yes, it fires up at 2AM and goes till 8AM.

Now, I see the condo developments, Dusit Grand Park, Laguna and Maldives & Zen pre-selling units near this NOISE FACTORY.

I feel sorry for the suckers buying in these developments. They have no idea what happens after dark.

I heard a lot of potential customers are being put off NOT buying at Dusit Grand Park, Laguna and Maldives & Zen projects, because of the noise at night there, guess its up to the developers to shut them down

[DiNiro]

The Nova Ocean View also is suffering from the thump thump thump of the night market.

How do they expect to sell these places?

[BlackPuddingBertha]

It's a strange fact that many Thai's not only like but actually need a constant background noise. Have you noticed that wherever you go the television is always on even if no one is watching it? They get creeped out by silence.

Not just Thais. Other SEAsians have the same propensity. It probably explains how they all manage to live on top of each other all the time. I certainly couldnt share my living space with anyone like they do.

[Kananga]

It's a strange fact that many Thai's not only like but actually need a constant background noise. Have you noticed that wherever you go the television is always on even if no one is watching it? They get creeped out by silence.

Means they have to think.

[Card]

I completely agree, noise pollution outside, and inside stores and restaurants, and malls, basically everywhere, is one of the worst aspects of living in Thailand. Even the highest and most reverend personage has commented on it and advised that it effects both the mental and physical health of Thais and visitors in a negative manner. Alas, I guess the Thais have all gone deaf from the aural assault because they seem determined to ignore any and all advice on the subject.

Between the noise and the ever worsening traffic, I am seriously looking to relocate outside of pattaya...maybe to chiang Mai. It's not that I didn't know about these things (they drove me out of Bangkok 10 years ago) but as I get older and the excitement of "Fun City" has lost most of its allure, I can think about moving on.

Welcome to the smoke then.

[rascalman]

Just got back from there, and their is to much unnessary noise. Like writer stated just crazy. Thought about buying another codo down there! Hell no now!

[Gsxrnz]

I can't understand why anybody could consider alleged noise pollution as being a cultural issue or a cultural trait. A social issue in many countries it ma ybe, but making it a cultural issue in this forum is quite absurd. The Thais don't have a monopoly on making noise.