What's with all the annoying motorbike pipes / noise pollution?

[Woke to Sounds of Horking]

Back in Bkk only a couple of days and already my ears are shattered by these aftermarket exhausts that sound nothing like the sweet saxophones of my imagination. I don't recall so many loud <deleted> pipes from my last visit a couple yrs ago. What's the deal? Everyone gone deaf? Or is the unwavering pleasantness of daily life in Thailand a little too boring now?

I'll sit back and wait for the LOUD PIPES SAVE LIVES guy to turn up . . .

[puck2]

My experience in the remote area of Thailand:

a noisy motorbike gives them some attraction. A substitutefor for what they cannot deliver by their brain.

But ... if causing such noise and pollution wouldn't be restricted by law you would experience the same in Western countries.

Edited December 29, 2015 by puck2

[stubuzz]

It is restricted by law here. It carries a 2000Bt fine.

[Thian]

Well it's true that loud pipes save lifes, i'm still thinking if i need one or not. When i stand 2 metre away from our security they still don't open the barrier because they don't hear my bike.

But these days also many cars have loud exhausts, especially cheap cars for young boys. They add dangerous sharp-edged spoilers, many stickers, many blue lights and loud pipes. The real hero's even disconnect their headlights and only have some blue led's at the front of the car, or a huge sticker with english text on the backscreen of the pickup-truck.

Personally i hate the pickups/SUV's with a side-exhaustpipe which gets very hot of course and can easy be touched by motocyclists.

Or jetski/longtailboats who make loud noise and of course have to drive along full restaurants along the waterline.

Well what can you do? The latest trend is malls building skywalks and gardens at the 20th floor to protect their customers from the cockroaches on the streets.

Edited December 29, 2015 by Thian

[Thainess]

Nah, you just need to adjust your hearing aid, old man.

[cgphuket]

Little boys desperate for attention. Same for a 125cc scooter or a 1200cc Harley.

[elgordo38]

It is restricted by law here. It carries a 2000Bt fine.

Can I make a citizens arrest?. I will buy one of those strips that you throw out on the road when you hear them approaching. Forget about only a problem in the hinterland I live in Chiang Mai and it is terrrrrible and frankly getting worse. Could this be a sign that the economy is really improving or just an increase in juvenile jerkyness. For the sake of disclosure I am one of those guys that pops out of the bushes each time this subject comes up one of my favorite pet peeves. As one young pup states on here adjust my hearing?? What a stupid answer. Edited December 29, 2015 by elgordo38

[Thian]

It is restricted by law here. It carries a 2000Bt fine.

Can I make a citizens arrest?. I will buy one of those strips that you throw out on the road when you hear them approaching. Forget about only a problem in the hinterland I live in Chiang Mai and it is terrrrrible and frankly getting worse. Could this be a sign that the economy is really improving or just an increase in juvenile jerkyness. For the sake of disclosure I am one of those guys that pops out of the bushes each time this subject comes up one of my favorite pet peeves. As one young pup states on here adjust my hearing?? What a stupid answer.

The hinterland?? What's that with americans using german words? I see it often on this forum, is it hi-so to use german words or do you guys speak german in the bars or so?

It's a sign that the economy is getting worse, if there was money to make out of those blokes on noisy bikes the bib sure would do it.

[Woke to Sounds of Horking]

Nah, you just need to adjust your hearing aid, old man.

Yeah, you think? Why don't you try growing some antenae. Might come in handy one day.

[Woke to Sounds of Horking]

Little boys desperate for attention. Same for a 125cc scooter or a 1200cc Harley.

125cc scooters are somewhat useful for Westerners 2-up so I don't quite understand the point you're making . . .

You get the 1400cc Harleys back in Winnipeg Kanada where the exhaust note'll shred your eardrums and stop your heart. But this I can almost understand - having the loud pipes. Drivers in Kanada are blind to motorcycles, plus all those Hummers H2s block the view, I know from experience, almost got T-boned once. Here in Thailand everyone's acutely aware of motorcycles, they can see 'em with their eyes closed. So the loud pipes thing can't be an accident-prevention measure.

Back in the 70s or 80s Thailand launched a "stop tooting your horn" campaign. You see the results today. Barely a peep out there on the roads. Time to do a similar thing with the loud pipes.

[NormanW]

Police in Pattaya look straight at your exhaust and love to say modify modify 1000 baht.

I've got the original pipe on the big bike now.

I don't know how other riders seem to get away with it.

Some here are so loud it's embarrassing.

Anything from original but not straight through pipes are ok I have found.

Some of the Harleys make your ears bleed.

[BuaBS]

It's big trucks too. I live not far from a big road and the noice is the same as back home living near an airport with lots of small planes. I often wonder whether it's a plane or a truck...but there are no sportsplanes ( = little planes) here.

[AlQaholic]

Yaah, the first thing that happens to a newly purchased vehicle in Thailand, the exhaust pipe goes away and the original is sold, the belief is that it will go faster and save "nam-man". Next the wheels are replaced with something cheap and local and the originals are sold, because owner can't afford to replace the original once anyways. Next to go are the rear view mirrors if its a "motocy". If its a car a shitload of decals goes on the rear window, along with pillows and teddy bears and other "tukata", then its't time to hang all those amulets and garlands in the front wind screen and place a bunch of statues and shit in front. Then smudge the ceiling with blessed talcum powder mixed with blessed water and some gold leafs.

[dotpoom]

"I'll sit back and wait for the LOUD PIPES SAVE LIVES guy to turn up . . ."

Well well well....imagine that never occurred to me....so to keep my blood pressure down in future I'll try....."What a thoughtful citizen, keeping us alert to his whereabouts in order to avoid an accident....wish we were all as considerate and caring for our fellow man. Indeed, a valuable lesson to be learned here by all......me thinks.

[RiderOz]

I had a after market slip on exhaust on my big bike which was very quiet and legal in all other countries around they world but always got fined by pattaya police for modified. So I figured if I am going to get fined I might as well make it loud and run a decat mid pipe and remove the exhaust silencer. It sounds like a real superbike now and the police leave me alone never been fined since. Not sure if loud pipes save lives but riding in the right hand fast lane saves mine which is also illegal.

[northernphil]

Open pipes on a Honda Wave brings 'appiness to the people . I'm a ferlung so I don't count , noise , noise ,noise the locals love it.

[sawadee1947]

ear plugs will help you

[petermach]

the main reason is the sexual impotence , they want to show they have big power but in fact to summarize , big noise = small "cock" . This problem is becoming one of the main pollution in Phuket and authorities should tackle it strongly.

[bazza40]

Loud exhausts are otherwise known as penis extensions. Why do you think Harleys are so popular? Another triumph of marketing over substance - just about any Kawasaki, Ducati, BMW or Yamaha will blow a Harley into the weeds.

[Transporter]

It is restricted by law here. It carries a 2000Bt fine.

Can I make a citizens arrest?. I will buy one of those strips that you throw out on the road when you hear them approaching. Forget about only a problem in the hinterland I live in Chiang Mai and it is terrrrrible and frankly getting worse. Could this be a sign that the economy is really improving or just an increase in juvenile jerkyness. For the sake of disclosure I am one of those guys that pops out of the bushes each time this subject comes up one of my favorite pet peeves. As one young pup states on here adjust my hearing?? What a stupid answer.

The best cure is to follow them and wait till they park up. Insert a long pipe connected to a can of filler foam and inject for a few seconds. Leave promptly knowing they will be a very long time trying to figure out why their precious little noise machine fails to start.

[Transporter]

Open pipes on a Honda Wave brings 'appiness to the people . I'm a ferlung so I don't count , noise , noise ,noise the locals love it.

I bought a minimoto and the locals complained to my wife that it was too loud so clearly its normal and okay for Thai people to make a lot of very annoying noise but its NOT ALLOWED FOR FALANG to do it.

[Transporter]

You can bring your money Falang but you have to do as we say and not as we do so SHUT UP FALANG!

[keithathome]

I don't know what you're complaning about. Back in the YUK in the mid to late 60s we did exactly the same thing with our Honda 50s and 90s. Boys will be boys. Boys and their toys.

[Shiver]

I must admit that when I was a teen, I too wanted loud (I thought for some strange reason it indicated performance). Nowadays when I hear it I think that any noise (or heat for that matter) from the engine is a sign of lost energy not put into forward motion. Exhausts are tuned to employ the back pressure waves returning up the pipe, and unless you know what you're doing it could make it worse rather than better.

I also think it's high time 2 strokes were retired from the roads, and saved for off road activities. The tuk tuks even in standard form mean you cannot talk if one is passing by.

[Transporter]

Yaah, the first thing that happens to a newly purchased vehicle in Thailand, the exhaust pipe goes away and the original is sold, the belief is that it will go faster and save "nam-man". Next the wheels are replaced with something cheap and local and the originals are sold, because owner can't afford to replace the original once anyways. Next to go are the rear view mirrors if its a "motocy". If its a car a shitload of decals goes on the rear window, along with pillows and teddy bears and other "tukata", then its't time to hang all those amulets and garlands in the front wind screen and place a bunch of statues and shit in front. Then smudge the ceiling with blessed talcum powder mixed with blessed water and some gold leafs.

If its a bus the exhausts are replaced with five 20 foot long and 2 foot diameter stainless steel ones up each side. The drivers(Nut behind the wheel) and passengers forward view from the windscreen is replaced with 200 spotlights. The stereo is replaced with one that runs on a 10KW generator producing a sound so loud it makes the shock absorbers leak. The tyres with tread are sold and replaced with some slick low grade lorry tyres which are safest at 5km per hour. The bus is then filled with staff to attend your every need which is likely to be a trip to the nearest hospital. Sabai Sabai, Well Done Thailand!

[hlj]

It is restricted by law here. It carries a 2000Bt fine.

the maxium is 95 desibles by thai law.

[NoshowJones]

These annoying people should have their bikes confiscated, there is no excuse for that dreadful noise.

[NoshowJones]

My experience in the remote area of Thailand:

a noisy motorbike gives them some attraction. A substitutefor for what they cannot deliver by their brain.

But ... if causing such noise and pollution wouldn't be restricted by law you would experience the same in Western countries.

"A substitutefor for what they cannot deliver by their brain". What brain would that be?

[NoshowJones]

It is restricted by law here. It carries a 2000Bt fine.

Can I make a citizens arrest?. I will buy one of those strips that you throw out on the road when you hear them approaching. Forget about only a problem in the hinterland I live in Chiang Mai and it is terrrrrible and frankly getting worse. Could this be a sign that the economy is really improving or just an increase in juvenile jerkyness. For the sake of disclosure I am one of those guys that pops out of the bushes each time this subject comes up one of my favorite pet peeves. As one young pup states on here adjust my hearing?? What a stupid answer.

"As one young pup states on here adjust my hearing?? What a stupid answer". Yes, you sure get some weirdos posting on here.

[NoshowJones]

You can bring your money Falang but you have to do as we say and not as we do so SHUT UP FALANG!

How dare they say that to us "guests".