How to get a local wat to not play a loud single song every day?

[Briggsy]

The Thais did not want to get covered in dust and rice field burn-off soot. The daft farang hadn't got a clue not knowing about these things because when it is stuffy, people open windows in farangland. Having filled the carriage with soot and dust and smudged everyone's clean T-shirts, she smugly sat there whilst the Thais opened the windows to blow it out. The farang thought she was some kind of community leader.

[boomerangutang]

The Thais did not want to get covered in dust and rice field burn-off soot. The daft farang hadn't got a clue not knowing about these things because when it is stuffy, people open windows in farangland. Having filled the carriage with soot and dust and smudged everyone's clean T-shirts, she smugly sat there whilst the Thais opened the windows to blow it out. The farang thought she was some kind of community leader.

You get today's prize for 'Making Crazy Justifications For Sheep-Like Thai Behavior'

[wym]

The arrogance of Westerners is startling. Do you actually think that you can move to a country and expect them to change their views to placate your self importance! An ordinary Thai would never approach a head abbot for this reason so a farang will hardly make a difference and probably make the situation worse....

There is arrogance, and there is speaking up for what you feel is right. People are people. National boundaries are man-made. I have respect and tolerance for others, but there are places where I draw the line. If I see a mother bashing her son in public, or a husband pummeling his wife/g.f. or someone tying up a dog and beating it with a stick (something I saw in Mexico), then that would compel me to take action.

I think many of us would agree, depending on whether our definitions of "bashing" "pummeling" and "beating" - in my case the child would have to be in danger of actual physical injury, and I'd leave the dog-beater alone (are you a meat eater?)

However when we're not talking about physical violence, but some supposed "right" to have peace and freedom from noise pollution, that compulsion is of course based on extreme arrogance, there is no such "right" here.

[kannot]

Buy or rent the "speaker truck" park outside the temple everyday at a certain time, turn on and party, they might get the message.

3 am should be fine, itll be worth it for a few nights of your lost sleep.

[boomerangutang]

Buy or rent the "speaker truck" park outside the temple everyday at a certain time, turn on and party, they might get the message.

3 am should be fine, itll be worth it for a few nights of your lost sleep.

Actually, that's one of the first things I thought of doing, over a decade ago, when intense noise pollution first became evident as a fact of life here in Thailand. I've never done it, though I have banged on p.u. truck hoods when they come and park nearby and blast away. One time, I took two kettle tops out to a Thai woman who was sitting in her truck playing some un-Godly loud Christian advertisement for her Church. I clanged them together like cymbals, right alongside her window. If looks could kill, I'd be dead, but she reluctantly backed her truck up and out of my neighborhood. Never returned. I'm less confrontational now, because I'm a bit older and less inclined to resort to fisticuffs over being assaulted with painful sound. I broke both wrists last year, so wouldn't be much use in a fist fight. Thais are quick to getting offended and just as quick to anger, plus they're quick to bunch together when threatened. So yes, this is my adopted country, and I chose to reside here, so, I'll find ways to make the best of a sometimes trying situation. I'm also a musician, so being forced to hear the same song playing a hundred times a week, is trying - to put it nicely.

True Story: A forensic scientist, who had seen thousands of human brains, said there was one profession where the two lobes had many connections. Musicians. Yup. He said he didn't see such connections in the brains of any other professions. Not professors, scientists, artists, ....unless those people were also adept musicians.

[Briggsy]

The Thais did not want to get covered in dust and rice field burn-off soot. The daft farang hadn't got a clue not knowing about these things because when it is stuffy, people open windows in farangland. Having filled the carriage with soot and dust and smudged everyone's clean T-shirts, she smugly sat there whilst the Thais opened the windows to blow it out. The farang thought she was some kind of community leader.

You get today's prize for 'Making Crazy Justifications For Sheep-Like Thai Behavior'

Take a train in Thailand with open windows and see the result.

[thaipod]

We have a property in Talingchan that we visit twice a week as I cannot live there because of the same reason the wat 1- 2 kilometer away plays music and speeches from the head monk every morning for 30 minutes a day . They have multiple large speakers and horns placed on a tower about 15-20 meters in the air facing in every direction. The noise is incredible . If there is a celebration or a Buddhist holiday it's worse.I can hear this racket for several kilometers.

I had a discussion with the locals about talking to the head monk to reduce the noise pollution but nobody wants to get involved and prefer to live with it.

[boomerangutang]

We have a property in Talingchan that we visit twice a week as I cannot live there because of the same reason the wat 1- 2 kilometer away plays music and speeches from the head monk every morning for 30 minutes a day . They have multiple large speakers and horns placed on a tower about 15-20 meters in the air facing in every direction. The noise is incredible . If there is a celebration or a Buddhist holiday it's worse.I can hear this racket for several kilometers.

I had a discussion with the locals about talking to the head monk to reduce the noise pollution but nobody wants to get involved and prefer to live with it.

Thanks for sharing that. At least two points pop out: {A} some head monks are insensitive bordering on rude, and {B} local Thais are too meek and/or cowed to stand up for what's right.

[boomerangutang]

The Thais did not want to get covered in dust and rice field burn-off soot. The daft farang hadn't got a clue not knowing about these things because when it is stuffy, people open windows in farangland. Having filled the carriage with soot and dust and smudged everyone's clean T-shirts, she smugly sat there whilst the Thais opened the windows to blow it out. The farang thought she was some kind of community leader.

You get today's prize for 'Making Crazy Justifications For Sheep-Like Thai Behavior'

Take a train in Thailand with open windows and see the result.

The way I understood the story was: the train compartments was stuffy, very warm, with cigg smoke and odors. The Thai wanted to get some fresh air, but were not bold enough to open any windows. It took a farang woman to break the myopia - then the Thais followed suit.

[wolfmuc]

I feel sorry for you, boomerangutang, really. - I have a 'similar' problem with crowing faucets/loud roosters. Makes me crazy. Sometimes. Each night. -

Don't know if offering money to the abbot would solve the problem. You should try it nevertheless. -

Better might be to move, at least sometimes. If possible. - Take a trip to the sea or visit friends. Or sleep in a house in the garden, far away from the village...

If you would like to visit our place just send me an PM. Don't be afraid, I / We later would love to hear your wat's music/prayers personally...

[boomerangutang]

I feel sorry for you, boomerangutang, really. - I have a 'similar' problem with crowing faucets/loud roosters. Makes me crazy. Sometimes. Each night. -

Don't know if offering money to the abbot would solve the problem. You should try it nevertheless. -

Better might be to move, at least sometimes. If possible. - Take a trip to the sea or visit friends. Or sleep in a house in the garden, far away from the village...

If you would like to visit our place just send me an PM. Don't be afraid, I / We later would love to hear your wat's music/prayers personally...

Thanks for the compassion; something which is sorely lacking among Buddhist head monks in Thailand.

BTW, the glitzy wat near me is still playing that same song on a tape loop. morning and evening. at least 15 minutes before the national anthem. I now love to hear the nat'l anthem, because it indicates the end of the tape loop.

I won't offer to pay money, in the hopes the head monk will be decent. Two reasons: I don't have extra money, and I don't like the idea of bribing someone to not annoy me (and the community). This is what I'll do: I'll write a note using Google Translate - and try to get it to His Holiness. It may be blocked by the monks who protect him (sounds like mafia, doesn't it?). I could also write something in Thai and post it at a few places in the village. I can't organize resistance for several reasons:

>>> I'm not fluent in Thai, and don't have a Thai g.f./wife to do that sort of thing.

>>> I'm a farang, and therefore have little rights in Thailand, even if I lived here 65 years.

>>> In Thailand, The Sangha can do no wrong. It's sacrosanct, untouchable.

[wym]

>>> I'm not fluent in Thai, and don't have a Thai g.f./wife to do that sort of thing.

That's OK nothing to be ashamed of having an illiterate SO, some of my best ones have been. . .

Otherwise <deleted> are you doing out in woop-woop??

Edited February 18, 2014 by wym

[hookedondhamma]

I feel sorry for you, boomerangutang, really. - I have a 'similar' problem with crowing faucets/loud roosters. Makes me crazy. Sometimes. Each night. -

Don't know if offering money to the abbot would solve the problem. You should try it nevertheless. -

Better might be to move, at least sometimes. If possible. - Take a trip to the sea or visit friends. Or sleep in a house in the garden, far away from the village...

If you would like to visit our place just send me an PM. Don't be afraid, I / We later would love to hear your wat's music/prayers personally...

Thanks for the compassion; something which is sorely lacking among Buddhist head monks in Thailand.

BTW, the glitzy wat near me is still playing that same song on a tape loop. morning and evening. at least 15 minutes before the national anthem. I now love to hear the nat'l anthem, because it indicates the end of the tape loop.

I won't offer to pay money, in the hopes the head monk will be decent. Two reasons: I don't have extra money, and I don't like the idea of bribing someone to not annoy me (and the community). This is what I'll do: I'll write a note using Google Translate - and try to get it to His Holiness. It may be blocked by the monks who protect him (sounds like mafia, doesn't it?). I could also write something in Thai and post it at a few places in the village. I can't organize resistance for several reasons:

>>> I'm not fluent in Thai, and don't have a Thai g.f./wife to do that sort of thing.

>>> I'm a farang, and therefore have little rights in Thailand, even if I lived here 65 years.

>>> In Thailand, The Sangha can do no wrong. It's sacrosanct, untouchable.

compassion is comprehended a bit differently with thai monks (thai compassion). As is common sense (not from a western view but a thai one) - (chatting as loud as one can when it's 2 in the morning, touching and/or then taking items which don't belong to them only to recieve it later broken 8 times out of 10, complaining how cold it is outside then opening a window, asking another thai monk how to say this or that in english knowing good and well he can't speak it ... the list goes on and on).

Doesn't apply to all of them but many won't say a thing out of fear of being labeled as 'jai dum'.

if the noise stops congratulations; but unless someone personally destroys the system I would expect hell to freeze over first.

your written letter will just be thrown in the trash after he comments something like 'falang bla bla bla.'

The only ones who can manage to get him to listen will be thai. Even if you could speak and write fluently in thai his falang blinders are cemented on.