How does the Ark Bar continue to get away with their excessive noise pollution?

[spidermike007]

A while back, I was told the Army visited the Ark Bar on Chaweng Beach, and had a discussion with them. This was after years of being a very bad citizen. Years of blasting their music at unbelievable volume. They were as quiet as a church mouse after that, for about 2 months. Within the past two or three weeks, their nonsense has started again. They have their speakers pointed out toward the bay, and blast their music at such horrendous volumes, that it can be heard all the way to Chaweng Noi, and throughout the adjacent hills. Dozens of hotels are being disturbed by their volume, and nobody seems to be able to do anything about it. They brag about having 36 subwoofers, and over 50 speakers, and they can be heard 5 km. away, across the water. Our rather unimpressive mayor will not do anything. The police will not do anything. Apparently neither will the army. Who are these people anyway, and why are they above the law?

It used to be that they could be heard mostly two nights a week. Now, it is every night of the week. It is the volume of the music, but mostly it is the bass, which travels many kilometers, and the constant thumping can be heard through glass, and creates such disturbance. Does anyone with any power care?

Edited August 3, 2015 by spidermike007

[HeijoshinCool]

You've been here long enough to know why they get away with it.

[Brit_Doggie]

Money but no axes huh it can't be that bad or are the thai locals attending the partially impaired deaf school,

[Basil B]

Presume the complainants have changed their minds or disappeared...

[Rooo]

I hear they opened something in Pattaya & this one is for sale.

[BigC]

It is not nice to have to put up with noise pollution

[spidermike007]

They are at it again tonight. Been nonstop for about the last 6 or 7 nights, since the big holiday. They just do not seem to care. I guess when you are making the kind of money they are making, and the authorities do not have the courage or conviction to step in and stop you, why would you regulate yourself? Article 44 does mention nightspots that create noise pollution that disturbs the public. How does one go about reporting this kind of abuse?

Edited August 6, 2015 by spidermike007

[Truroboy]

Bring back the Commandos and Helicopters

[dotpoom]

I've no idea where Chaweng Beach is located but I hope I never end up there...a yacking dog does my head in.

[crazykopite]

The faring owner has three cars which I would suggest are worth over 50 mil Lambroghini , Ferrari, and a Merc so I guess money talks . They do a very good all day breakfast but yes the music can be very annoying to us older types !

[oztaurus]

I hear they opened something in Pattaya & this one is for sale.

I don't know about Pattaya, but yes, the Chaweng one is for sale. The owner hardly goes there anymore and leaves the day-to-day running to the GM. They have other interests now and other ideas about what they want to do with their lives, but they still want to get a good price for what is after all a pretty prime property and business.

[Crash999]

Take a funny video and post it up on Facebook and other social media groups. If you get enough local support then you may attract media attention and embarrass the local police into doing something. Might want to do it anonymously though!

[Tchooptip]

They are at it again tonight. Been nonstop for about the last 6 or 7 nights, since the big holiday. They just do not seem to care. I guess when you are making the kind of money they are making, and the authorities do not have the courage or conviction to step in and stop you, why would you regulate yourself? Article 44 does mention nightspots that create noise pollution that disturbs the public. How does one go about reporting this kind of abuse?

I am not disturb in the least by noise pollution, in my house in Maret I hardly hear anything except the birds, BUT I I really empathised, it is a absolute shame and the CEO of this company is a real morron for how on earth is it possible to have such anti social attitude?

[soalbundy]

I knew that place years ago, used to be run by Australians, big Ian who died and the eternally drunk Peter who wanted to be called croc, it wasn't a noise polluter then and it wasn't making such serious money as that so it has obviously changed hands. Koh Samui has fallen a long way down, do they still change the police every 6 months so that everyone gets a fair go at ripping off the farangs?

[fitnesspm]

Chaweng is a major tourist hotspot on Koh Samui. The full moon party was last week on Koh Phangan (20,000 people). Most people stay at Samui then head over to Koh Phangan for the full moon then head back to Samui. Main reason is cause we have an airport.

1. Buy ear plugs

2. Move more in land like I did away from the tourists that are here to party.

[Rooo]

Another property on Bophut Hills running under false pretences, with NO licence ( fake one from old premises ), blasting away every so often.

Told by BKK lawyers , nothing can be done as heavily connected, go figure. So if a small place can get away with it, imagine what this one can do.

Edited August 7, 2015 by Rooo

[StevieDee]

The farang owner's partner and ex wife is the niece of the island's ex police chief. The family that owns all of soi green mango and many fingers in many other pies on the island, also it was her brother, Tak, that got gunned down on the island a few months back. I believe this answers why they get away with it!

[spidermike007]

They are at it again tonight. Been nonstop for about the last 6 or 7 nights, since the big holiday. They just do not seem to care. I guess when you are making the kind of money they are making, and the authorities do not have the courage or conviction to step in and stop you, why would you regulate yourself? Article 44 does mention nightspots that create noise pollution that disturbs the public. How does one go about reporting this kind of abuse?

I am not disturb in the least by noise pollution, in my house in Maret I hardly hear anything except the birds, BUT I I really empathised, it is a absolute shame and the CEO of this company is a real morron for how on earth is it possible to have such anti social attitude?

He has zero concern for the community. They give nothing back to the community, as far as i know, contrary to what the buffoon manager Ken, claims. They are parasites, sucking the blood out of Samui and polluting their way through life.

[spidermike007]

Take a funny video and post it up on Facebook and other social media groups. If you get enough local support then you may attract media attention and embarrass the local police into doing something. Might want to do it anonymously though!

I do not even think embarrassment would compel the local police to do something right. Same goes for the useless mayor. Same goes for the provincial governor. The bottom line is the Ark Bar is more powerful than all of them. Maybe even more powerful than the army. What other reason justifies the lack of action against these hooligans?

If you start walking at the Saraan Hotel on the south end of Chaweng Noi beach, any given night, past about 9pm, and walk north on the beach, the astonishing degree of noise created by these goons, can be heard the entire stretch. As you get within 2 km., the noise is so deafening there is hardly anybody on the beach hanging out at the dozens of bars and restaurants. That is the level of annoyance these lawless pests are creating. Is anybody in a position of authority listening?

[gchurch259]

Sometimes Lighting will strike and cause a fire, also sometimes God needs help as he is busy sending Lighting to anther location, get the drift !!

[Shaunduhpostman]

The locals have been raised to not care about their health, comfort, or safety. Extreme noise is just one sub-category of all that. I am not saying it is right, I think they cause themselves a lot of problems, sleepless nights, hearing damage etc., but the point is it just isn't considered an issue to most Thais. Even my wife who hates the noise is adamant that we not complain to anyone whenever an all night festa with giga-mega-bass kicks off.

Maybe in the same way that if someone points their foot at me, it doesn't bother me in the slightest. If I had never spent time in Thailand and a Thai on public transportation in the U.S. called me out for pointing my foot at him I'd probably pat him on the head and say, "Chill out! What's the deal here anyway, why are you so upset about that? Don't be silly!(pat pat pat again)" I have found in the past that if I get myself together to politely suggest that noise is an issue, it flies about as far as a Thai asking a local in the US to stop pointing their foot in his direction. They just don't get it.

The speaker volumes have really been ramping up in the last few years. Apparently there are new technologies or something that make concert festival sound systems affordable to anyone. One family in our villlage even runs their television audio through one. The reasoning is that they don't want to appear to be hogging the televison for themselves that are just sharing with everyone whatever show they are watching.

The local Buddhist temple in our village sponsors shin digs that last all night for entire weeks. Ironically our contributions have no doubt gone to fund this killer sound system. Little did we know. The house, the entire village is literally shaking from very powerful sub-sonic bass frequencies. Ear plugs are no use, your body is being vibrated you are literally in the middle of a low frequency tsunami . I will be leaving town next time it happens and wait it out for them to finish, the new style bass speakers and amps are truly at weapons grade level, it is semi-traumatic, but there is no way you can get them to stop. It has been claimed in our village that a new born baby died from the bass frequencies and still it doesn't occur to anyone that maybe they ought to lay off.

You just have to get away from there unfortunately or learn to somehow psychologically block the reality of it out, maybe a self-hypnosis course or something and you could learn to do what Thais seem to have an inborn gift for doing: erasing the reality of anything unpleasant or just sleeping through it.

Edited August 7, 2015 by Shaunduhpostman

[soalbundy]

The locals have been raised to not care about their health, comfort, or safety. Extreme noise is just one sub-category of all that. I am not saying it is right, I think they cause themselves a lot of problems, sleepless nights, hearing damage etc., but the point is it just isn't considered an issue to most Thais. Even my wife who hates the noise is adamant that we not complain to anyone whenever an all night festa with giga-mega-bass kicks off.

Maybe in the same way that if someone points their foot at me, it doesn't bother me in the slightest. If I had never spent time in Thailand and a Thai on public transportation in the U.S. called me out for pointing my foot at him I'd probably pat him on the head and say, "Chill out! What's the deal here anyway, why are you so upset about that? Don't be silly!(pat pat pat again)" I have found in the past that if I get myself together to politely suggest that noise is an issue, it flies about as far as a Thai asking a local in the US to stop pointing their foot in his direction. They just don't get it.

The speaker volumes have really been ramping up in the last few years. Apparently there are new technologies or something that make concert festival sound systems affordable to anyone. One family in our villlage even runs their television audio through one. The reasoning is that they don't want to appear to be hogging the televison for themselves that are just sharing with everyone whatever show they are watching.

The local Buddhist temple in our village sponsors shin digs that last all night for entire weeks. Ironically our contributions have no doubt gone to fund this killer sound system. Little did we know. The house, the entire village is literally shaking from very powerful sub-sonic bass frequencies. Ear plugs are no use, your body is being vibrated you are literally in the middle of a low frequency tsunami . I will be leaving town next time it happens and wait it out for them to finish, the new style bass speakers and amps are truly at weapons grade level, it is semi-traumatic, but there is no way you can get them to stop. It has been claimed in our village that a new born baby died from the bass frequencies and still it doesn't occur to anyone that maybe they ought to lay off.

You just have to get away from there unfortunately or learn to somehow psychologically block the reality of it out, maybe a self-hypnosis course or something and you could learn to do what Thais seem to have an inborn gift for doing: erasing the reality of anything unpleasant or just sleeping through it.

There seems to be this myth that you can do nothing about noise pollution here. You can, but you have to go the right way about it,it's no good appealing to the Thais causing the noise. I have twice now gone to the police station and made an official complaint and demanded a written report of my complaint, it's helpful if you speak Thai, usually my missus stands next to me and tells the officers that her farang husband is so annoyed he will get a lawyer to look into the matter if they don't do their job, wonder of wonders, it works when two pissed off policeman have to drive 20 km into the village about a minor complaint and start having a go at the miscreant causing the noise while touching their guns at the same time, it stops and not just for a few weeks.

[whaleboneman]

Sometimes Lighting will strike and cause a fire, also sometimes God needs help as he is busy sending Lighting to anther location, get the drift !!

Are you counseling arson?

[bbbbooboo]

Stupid IS what stupid DOES ?

[csabo]

Money talks, kee kwai walks.

[watcharacters]

It is not nice to have to put up with noise pollution

That's true but in Thailand that's generally the only option.

[spidermike007]

The locals have been raised to not care about their health, comfort, or safety. Extreme noise is just one sub-category of all that. I am not saying it is right, I think they cause themselves a lot of problems, sleepless nights, hearing damage etc., but the point is it just isn't considered an issue to most Thais. Even my wife who hates the noise is adamant that we not complain to anyone whenever an all night festa with giga-mega-bass kicks off.

Maybe in the same way that if someone points their foot at me, it doesn't bother me in the slightest. If I had never spent time in Thailand and a Thai on public transportation in the U.S. called me out for pointing my foot at him I'd probably pat him on the head and say, "Chill out! What's the deal here anyway, why are you so upset about that? Don't be silly!(pat pat pat again)" I have found in the past that if I get myself together to politely suggest that noise is an issue, it flies about as far as a Thai asking a local in the US to stop pointing their foot in his direction. They just don't get it.

The speaker volumes have really been ramping up in the last few years. Apparently there are new technologies or something that make concert festival sound systems affordable to anyone. One family in our villlage even runs their television audio through one. The reasoning is that they don't want to appear to be hogging the televison for themselves that are just sharing with everyone whatever show they are watching.

The local Buddhist temple in our village sponsors shin digs that last all night for entire weeks. Ironically our contributions have no doubt gone to fund this killer sound system. Little did we know. The house, the entire village is literally shaking from very powerful sub-sonic bass frequencies. Ear plugs are no use, your body is being vibrated you are literally in the middle of a low frequency tsunami . I will be leaving town next time it happens and wait it out for them to finish, the new style bass speakers and amps are truly at weapons grade level, it is semi-traumatic, but there is no way you can get them to stop. It has been claimed in our village that a new born baby died from the bass frequencies and still it doesn't occur to anyone that maybe they ought to lay off.

You just have to get away from there unfortunately or learn to somehow psychologically block the reality of it out, maybe a self-hypnosis course or something and you could learn to do what Thais seem to have an inborn gift for doing: erasing the reality of anything unpleasant or just sleeping through it.

There seems to be this myth that you can do nothing about noise pollution here. You can, but you have to go the right way about it,it's no good appealing to the Thais causing the noise. I have twice now gone to the police station and made an official complaint and demanded a written report of my complaint, it's helpful if you speak Thai, usually my missus stands next to me and tells the officers that her farang husband is so annoyed he will get a lawyer to look into the matter if they don't do their job, wonder of wonders, it works when two pissed off policeman have to drive 20 km into the village about a minor complaint and start having a go at the miscreant causing the noise while touching their guns at the same time, it stops and not just for a few weeks.

Normally that might work. But the police on samui are so fabulously incompetent and useless. And the Ark Bar owns them and the army both. A friend went to the minister in charge of noise. Yes, there is one. He squirmed in his seat for an hour while hearing how my friend was going to have to shut down his hotel, due to his guests checking out over the Ark Bar hooliganism. The volume on the hills of Chaweng Noi is ridiculous. Nothing got done. The only thing that will work is the Army behaving like men, and doing real work. Will they? Up until now they seem to be leaving Samui alone. I think even the Army realizes Samui is beyond law and order. Either the powers that be are too powerful or there are other forces at work on Samui.

[soalbundy]

A lot of Asia is noisy so is South America, i think peace and quiet is a European thing. If you put a Thai in a peaceful quiet European forest i think they would get depression.

[soalbundy]

The locals have been raised to not care about their health, comfort, or safety. Extreme noise is just one sub-category of all that. I am not saying it is right, I think they cause themselves a lot of problems, sleepless nights, hearing damage etc., but the point is it just isn't considered an issue to most Thais. Even my wife who hates the noise is adamant that we not complain to anyone whenever an all night festa with giga-mega-bass kicks off.

Maybe in the same way that if someone points their foot at me, it doesn't bother me in the slightest. If I had never spent time in Thailand and a Thai on public transportation in the U.S. called me out for pointing my foot at him I'd probably pat him on the head and say, "Chill out! What's the deal here anyway, why are you so upset about that? Don't be silly!(pat pat pat again)" I have found in the past that if I get myself together to politely suggest that noise is an issue, it flies about as far as a Thai asking a local in the US to stop pointing their foot in his direction. They just don't get it.

The speaker volumes have really been ramping up in the last few years. Apparently there are new technologies or something that make concert festival sound systems affordable to anyone. One family in our villlage even runs their television audio through one. The reasoning is that they don't want to appear to be hogging the televison for themselves that are just sharing with everyone whatever show they are watching.

The local Buddhist temple in our village sponsors shin digs that last all night for entire weeks. Ironically our contributions have no doubt gone to fund this killer sound system. Little did we know. The house, the entire village is literally shaking from very powerful sub-sonic bass frequencies. Ear plugs are no use, your body is being vibrated you are literally in the middle of a low frequency tsunami . I will be leaving town next time it happens and wait it out for them to finish, the new style bass speakers and amps are truly at weapons grade level, it is semi-traumatic, but there is no way you can get them to stop. It has been claimed in our village that a new born baby died from the bass frequencies and still it doesn't occur to anyone that maybe they ought to lay off.

You just have to get away from there unfortunately or learn to somehow psychologically block the reality of it out, maybe a self-hypnosis course or something and you could learn to do what Thais seem to have an inborn gift for doing: erasing the reality of anything unpleasant or just sleeping through it.

There seems to be this myth that you can do nothing about noise pollution here. You can, but you have to go the right way about it,it's no good appealing to the Thais causing the noise. I have twice now gone to the police station and made an official complaint and demanded a written report of my complaint, it's helpful if you speak Thai, usually my missus stands next to me and tells the officers that her farang husband is so annoyed he will get a lawyer to look into the matter if they don't do their job, wonder of wonders, it works when two pissed off policeman have to drive 20 km into the village about a minor complaint and start having a go at the miscreant causing the noise while touching their guns at the same time, it stops and not just for a few weeks.

Normally that might work. But the police on samui are so fabulously incompetent and useless. And the Ark Bar owns them and the army both. A friend went to the minister in charge of noise. Yes, there is one. He squirmed in his seat for an hour while hearing how my friend was going to have to shut down his hotel, due to his guests checking out over the Ark Bar hooliganism. The volume on the hills of Chaweng Noi is ridiculous. Nothing got done. The only thing that will work is the Army behaving like men, and doing real work. Will they? Up until now they seem to be leaving Samui alone. I think even the Army realizes Samui is beyond law and order. Either the powers that be are too powerful or there are other forces at work on Samui.

Yes Samui is different, its the wild west of Thailand, i knew it 25 years ago when it was still nice, now they might just as well put a toilette seat over the island.

[dotpoom]

The shock and awe expressed by a lot of posters on matters such as this always give me the impression that they have either lived very secluded lives and never ever heard of such crimes as these before, or they come from countries that this type of thing simply never ever happens (hence the shock and awe)?