Thai Village Noise, Finally Had Enough.

[JaseTheBass]

Okay ... call to prayer... whether it is lovely or not is personal perception ... I find it grating and intrusive. If only the Mosque was blaring out the noise it might be okay as the Mosque is 1/2 kilometer away. It is just that the Muslims have strung wire and hung loud speakers on power polls that 1/2 K. Distance.. All done without authorization ... just pushing their practices on the non Muslim community

Get a pair of wire cutters, you don't need authorization to cut the wires, just make sure they don't see you.

l have done this.

Gives great satisfaction until they find the break.

As you said though, don't be seen!

Put a pin through both wires and snip it off so it's flush with the sleeving. They'll never find it.

cant you get electrocuted that way ?

Not through the speaker cables, no.

[edkhalil]

Somebody thinks dogs and roosters have the same conception of civility as humans.

[Bill97]

Somebody thinks dogs and roosters have the same conception of civility as humans.

They are better than many.

[Roomuck]

Maybe just try explaining to them that they should all adjust their lifestyle/culture in their own village because so old Englishman has moved in (uninvited) and gets grumpy when he has to listen to those annoying locals having fun singing those annoying Thai songs

I mean, how dare they. If that doesn't work, perhaps try moving to somewhere a bit quitter and dull, like the English countryside.

[loong]

Maybe just try explaining to them that they should all adjust their lifestyle/culture in their own village because so old Englishman has moved in (uninvited) and gets grumpy when he has to listen to those annoying locals having fun singing those annoying Thai songs

I mean, how dare they. If that doesn't work, perhaps try moving to somewhere a bit quitter and dull, like the English countryside.

Do you think that most foreigners just show up at a village and move into a house? For sure 99% plus move in because they are invited.

Believe it or not, it is not only foreigners that get annoyed by the selfishness and total lack of consideration for others shown by the party organisers. Many Thais are unhappy to be blasted with sound at rock concert decibels. People just don't complain because repercussions can be deadly.

At one party, a couple of people started to play a video game, Believe it or not they actually broadcast the sound from the game at high volume to the village. What sort of morons do that?!

[soalbundy]

A Thai wedding took place opposite my house with loud speakers put up on scaffolding,that's how big they were, not only did the windows vibrate but my walls as well. I spoke to the house wife the next day why it had to be so noisy,she said she hated it as well but 'it was expected' apparently most people hate it but it is felt to be the thing to do.

[PostmanPat]

As the original poster, thanks to most of the replies for sharing the pain! It doesnt help the annoyance and the frustration but its kind of comforting to appreciate that the vast majority share the pain and annoyance.

To those, there are a few of you, who adopt the "if you dont like it go back to your country" attitude, thats just a silly and "put your head in the sand and ignore" response which just isnt from the real world that the rest of us live in. Using that logic, if a Thai person keeps whacking you around the head, you just have to smile and accept it because its a Thai person and we re in their country. we have to accept anything and everything that goes on without question??

Thats nonsense, and you know it !!

[hugh2121]

Ok, Thanks all for your "helpful and sympathetic" (Not!) responses. Its morning now and gone. I suppose my post last night was borne out of the frustration of just how loud this was. Honestly, it wasnt just the usual village event, I m used to those, I ve been here eleven years, this one last night was ramped up to a noise level where you could hardly hear the telly on full volume, and it was across an open field from me so perhaps I was the nearest "Falang" house to this "evening of entertainment".

If this had been in the UK, the "noise abatement" authority would have gone in and turned it down ( they forced a Bruce Springsteen concert in a stadium to reduce the volume last year!) but of course, no such authority exists here.

So, apologies for my grumpiness last night, but it really was a lot more awful than it normally is !!!!

I don't see any need for an apology. Thai people only care about themselves (ME, ME, ME). They do not care at all if their actions and behaviour inconvenience others in any way, shape or form. Witness their behaviour on the roads and in a queue in a busy shop.

[sharktooth]

Maybe just try explaining to them that they should all adjust their lifestyle/culture in their own village because so old Englishman has moved in (uninvited) and gets grumpy when he has to listen to those annoying locals having fun singing those annoying Thai songs

I mean, how dare they. If that doesn't work, perhaps try moving to somewhere a bit quitter and dull, like the English countryside.

I didn't realise a million Syrians were reading TV

[FolkGuitar]

As the original poster, thanks to most of the replies for sharing the pain! It doesnt help the annoyance and the frustration but its kind of comforting to appreciate that the vast majority share the pain and annoyance.

To those, there are a few of you, who adopt the "if you dont like it go back to your country" attitude, thats just a silly and "put your head in the sand and ignore" response which just isnt from the real world that the rest of us live in. Using that logic, if a Thai person keeps whacking you around the head, you just have to smile and accept it because its a Thai person and we re in their country. we have to accept anything and everything that goes on without question??

Thats nonsense, and you know it !!

I don't think there is any need to go back to one's own country, nor is there any value to burying one's head in the sand.

Both extremes solve nothing. If a Thai person kept 'trying' to wack me in the head, and complaining to the police wouldn't solve the problem, I'd simply move out of his reach. No need to cross oceans. Often just a step or two will work just fine. In the case of noise, perhaps a kilometer or two. No need for extremes and the problem is solved.

[PostmanPat]

I don't think there is any need to go back to one's own country, nor is there any value to burying one's head in the sand.

Both extremes solve nothing. If a Thai person kept 'trying' to wack me in the head, and complaining to the police wouldn't solve the problem, I'd simply move out of his reach. No need to cross oceans. Often just a step or two will work just fine. In the case of noise, perhaps a kilometer or two. No need for extremes and the problem is solved.

Believe me, I live about a kilometre from where this sound system was operating and it was still rattling my windows and causing vibration inside my house, dont want to give the impression I live in a village, I dont.....so moving a kilo away doesnt work because I already am!!

Judging from a couple of other rsponses to this thread and something I heard from a friend, it appears that there might be a "new kid in town" sound system wise, even bigger, even louder than anything we ve all experienced before. If you know the geography, this village event was very near to the Canal Road/ Samoeng Turn traffic lights, and a friend of mine who lives a stones throw from the Night Safari, which must be a good 4 kilomertes away said he was heavily disturbed too !!

I kid you not.....it really was astonishingly ridiculousy loud !!!

[Robbieseal]

A lifetime of high noise levels, from birth, damages the hairs in the ears which are excessively vibrated, and

Lose their effectiveness, ( this is a mechanical fatigue effect, well understood by engineers.)

As a lecturer in an Asian university, some of the lab work was on noise. Without exception all the students had impaired hearing, measured by the response level to sounds via headphones.

Notice conversation levels, they are carried on as though the participants were in a boiler shop of the Tyneside.

[helpisgood]

I don't think there is any need to go back to one's own country, nor is there any value to burying one's head in the sand.

Both extremes solve nothing. If a Thai person kept 'trying' to wack me in the head, and complaining to the police wouldn't solve the problem, I'd simply move out of his reach. No need to cross oceans. Often just a step or two will work just fine. In the case of noise, perhaps a kilometer or two. No need for extremes and the problem is solved.

Believe me, I live about a kilometre from where this sound system was operating and it was still rattling my windows and causing vibration inside my house, dont want to give the impression I live in a village, I dont.....so moving a kilo away doesnt work because I already am!!

Judging from a couple of other rsponses to this thread and something I heard from a friend, it appears that there might be a "new kid in town" sound system wise, even bigger, even louder than anything we ve all experienced before. If you know the geography, this village event was very near to the Canal Road/ Samoeng Turn traffic lights, and a friend of mine who lives a stones throw from the Night Safari, which must be a good 4 kilomertes away said he was heavily disturbed too !!

I kid you not.....it really was astonishingly ridiculousy loud !!!

I sympathize with you.

Maybe this is a dumb idea because you've tried this already and maybe I missed a post about this. Also, I guess you are somewhat out in the countryside, so that may also be a problem. But, would the police do something about it when it gets very late at night, like say at midnight? Do you have any sympathetic neighbors, especially if they are Thai, that can also complain at the same time?

Again, I am sorry if that was a dumb idea and a waste of time. It's just that I also get very annoyed at the same situation you are in.

Good luck!

[bangmai]

It's highly likely that the Thai bar owner knows someone at the police station, and could be closely related to one, or even one himself. What I've see in my condo, is that eventually enough other Thais will notice a problem and take action....almost never soon enough for me, but eventually, so you are just pissing in the wind to complain about it.

[Dante99]

Ok, Thanks all for your "helpful and sympathetic" (Not!) responses.....

I don't see any need for an apology. Thai people only care about themselves (ME, ME, ME). They do not care at all if their actions and behaviour inconvenience others in any way, shape or form. Witness their behaviour on the roads and in a queue in a busy shop.

Bigoted blindness.

[uptheos]

Ok, Thanks all for your "helpful and sympathetic" (Not!) responses. Its morning now and gone. I suppose my post last night was borne out of the frustration of just how loud this was. Honestly, it wasnt just the usual village event, I m used to those, I ve been here eleven years, this one last night was ramped up to a noise level where you could hardly hear the telly on full volume, and it was across an open field from me so perhaps I was the nearest "Falang" house to this "evening of entertainment".

If this had been in the UK, the "noise abatement" authority would have gone in and turned it down ( they forced a Bruce Springsteen concert in a stadium to reduce the volume last year!) but of course, no such authority exists here.

So, apologies for my grumpiness last night, but it really was a lot more awful than it normally is !!!!

You have answered your own problem. Move to the UK

that wasn't so hard now was it?

Ah... He's "attacking"/criticizing Thailand, so he should Go Home To His Own Country. Classic ThaiVisa comment from an angry old man with nothing better to do than rack up his post count with nonsense posts.

Your extension is about up isn't it, but you can still comment from UK, US or wherever you are......have a safe trip.

[northernjohn]

A lifetime of high noise levels, from birth, damages the hairs in the ears which are excessively vibrated, and

Lose their effectiveness, ( this is a mechanical fatigue effect, well understood by engineers.)

As a lecturer in an Asian university, some of the lab work was on noise. Without exception all the students had impaired hearing, measured by the response level to sounds via headphones.

Notice conversation levels, they are carried on as though the participants were in a boiler shop of the Tyneside.

Does the noise some of us automatically turn off after a while still damage the hair in the ears?

[northernjohn]

I don't think there is any need to go back to one's own country, nor is there any value to burying one's head in the sand.

Both extremes solve nothing. If a Thai person kept 'trying' to wack me in the head, and complaining to the police wouldn't solve the problem, I'd simply move out of his reach. No need to cross oceans. Often just a step or two will work just fine. In the case of noise, perhaps a kilometer or two. No need for extremes and the problem is solved.

Believe me, I live about a kilometre from where this sound system was operating and it was still rattling my windows and causing vibration inside my house, dont want to give the impression I live in a village, I dont.....so moving a kilo away doesnt work because I already am!!

Judging from a couple of other rsponses to this thread and something I heard from a friend, it appears that there might be a "new kid in town" sound system wise, even bigger, even louder than anything we ve all experienced before. If you know the geography, this village event was very near to the Canal Road/ Samoeng Turn traffic lights, and a friend of mine who lives a stones throw from the Night Safari, which must be a good 4 kilomertes away said he was heavily disturbed too !!

I kid you not.....it really was astonishingly ridiculousy loud !!!

Perhaps it was suggested to you not by me but some others that you go back to the UK because you were saying you had enough and cited the UK as a comparison. I also note it is now only 1 kilometer from your house. the OP had it at 2 kilometers.

"I know its a question thats been posed many times before, but I ll pose it again.....why the hell does the noise have to be ramped up to a point where its unbearable for us 2 kilometres away, heaven knows what its like at the venue, its unbelievable, just totally outrageously ridiculous."

Edited February 14, 2016 by northernjohn

[FolkGuitar]

Sometimes, it's necessary to move to a different town. If one is in Hang Dong, perhaps a move to Mae Rim or San Sai. If one enjoys living outside the downtown area, there really is a 360° circle to choose from unless one absolutely needs to be in a certain district for business or personal reasons. We can't 'like' an area and dislike it at the same time. And we sure as hell aren't going to change it ourselves.

I like the area that I live in, but very soon a new school will open here, and that will change the dynamics of the entire neighborhood for several blocks around it. If the change turns out to be something I don't care for, I'll find somewhere else to live. As much as I like this apartment and its conveniences, I won't put up with living here if the rest of the ambiance gets destroyed.

[callaway]

Had the local lao khao village idiot always starting his karaoke at 4.30 in the morning. Every morning. Up until I went to his house at 4.45 in just shorts with a shovel over my shoulder and in sign language conveyed to him if he didnt turn it down or off I was going to slam him around the head with the shovel, dig a hole and bury him in it. Even drunk he could see my fury so down it went. I work month and month and the village love it when I come home because they have quiet mornings. While I am away I am told they still get it.

[callaway]

Sometimes, it's necessary to move to a different town. If one is in Hang Dong, perhaps a move to Mae Rim or San Sai. If one enjoys living outside the downtown area, there really is a 360° circle to choose from unless one absolutely needs to be in a certain district for business or personal reasons. We can't 'like' an area and dislike it at the same time. And we sure as hell aren't going to change it ourselves.

I like the area that I live in, but very soon a new school will open here, and that will change the dynamics of the entire neighborhood for several blocks around it. If the change turns out to be something I don't care for, I'll find somewhere else to live. As much as I like this apartment and its conveniences, I won't put up with living here if the rest of the ambiance gets destroyed.

Not all of us live in rented apartments. Some of us are actually settled with family, have homes we have built or redeveloped and are not nomadic. Sometimes the locals just need to be told strongly, not with political correctness or pussy words. My wife and I respected in our village and get along with all. But if there is an issue then rest assured they will know. Why run away? Edited February 14, 2016 by callaway

[Stevemercer]

The music seems to get louder every year, or maybe one's tolerance decreases as one gets older. I'm always amazed how a local festival, 2 km away, on the other side of town, and separated by a major highway, sounds like it is just next door.

I once measured a party that was 250 metres away at 120 decibels (using a phone app). For comparison, that is the same as being one metre from a jack hammer. 150 decibels is the same as being next to a jet at full throttle and can burst the ear drum.

Having said all this, normally the excessively loud music is turned down after 10:00 pm. I can sleep through all but the loudest music and then have to wear ear plugs, perhaps 6 - 12 times per year. It will start to get quieter when the hotter months kick in. It is mostly quiet from June to December as the farmers are busy.

[Roomuck]

As the original poster, thanks to most of the replies for sharing the pain! It doesnt help the annoyance and the frustration but its kind of comforting to appreciate that the vast majority share the pain and annoyance.

To those, there are a few of you, who adopt the "if you dont like it go back to your country" attitude, thats just a silly and "put your head in the sand and ignore" response which just isnt from the real world that the rest of us live in. Using that logic, if a Thai person keeps whacking you around the head, you just have to smile and accept it because its a Thai person and we re in their country. we have to accept anything and everything that goes on without question??

Thats nonsense, and you know it !!

dd

Nah, if a Thai person kept whacking me around the head, I reckon I would leave.

And everyone knows music sounds better loud. That is why rock concerts are loud, and not just in Thailand. I live near a karaoke bar and I enjoy the Thai songs. Turn it up!

[Roomuck]

Maybe just try explaining to them that they should all adjust their lifestyle/culture in their own village because so old Englishman has moved in (uninvited) and gets grumpy when he has to listen to those annoying locals having fun singing those annoying Thai songs

I mean, how dare they. If that doesn't work, perhaps try moving to somewhere a bit quitter and dull, like the English countryside.

Do you think that most foreigners just show up at a village and move into a house? For sure 99% plus move in because they are invited.

Believe it or not, it is not only foreigners that get annoyed by the selfishness and total lack of consideration for others shown by the party organisers. Many Thais are unhappy to be blasted with sound at rock concert decibels. People just don't complain because repercussions can be deadly.

At one party, a couple of people started to play a video game, Believe it or not they actually broadcast the sound from the game at high volume to the village. What sort of morons do that?!

99% were invited? By who? I didn't receive an invitation, I just showed up. Initially on a tourist visa. Who invited you ? The government? The mayor? Pu yai baan? All the people in the village? To think that these sneaky Thais invite us over here and then don't respect us enough to stop having fun. This is outrageous.

[jacky54]

Ok, Thanks all for your "helpful and sympathetic" (Not!) responses.....

I don't see any need for an apology. Thai people only care about themselves (ME, ME, ME). They do not care at all if their actions and behaviour inconvenience others in any way, shape or form. Witness their behaviour on the roads and in a queue in a busy shop.

Bigoted blindness.

Well that's most Thais for you, loud music, barking dogs left in the yards all day, totally unaware of the distress their actions might be having on anyone else.It's almost slightly retarded and then they have the nerve to bang on about being 'grengjai' all the time, this only applies when there is a bit of face to be made of course by claiming you have not some something due to being grengjai. PostmanPat is spot on -unfortunately

Edited February 14, 2016 by jacky54

[ttthailand]

Had a local bigwig open a bar 20 meters from the house I once lived in upcountry. Blasted music until 2 or 3 in the morning. Everyone hated it, I mean everyone! But the Thais would not complain because they were afraid. After trying to stop it I gave up and left the village. My gf and I were starting to have problems anyhow but that was what put me over the edge. So I say if you don't like it move.... Another reason to never buy a house in Thailand. I have moved three times due to this same crap and will move again if it starts where I live now.

[trainman34014]

Some folks need to cool it. When you come to live in Thailand you know little of the 'culture' and the way they live, enjoy and 'express' themselves. I used to whinge about all the noise in the first year or two i lived here but after nearly nine years i have realised that they will do 'what they do' for a variety of reasons...not least the lack of 'freedom' to say what they want to say and really 'do what they want to do'....as we Westerners can do in our everyday lives in our own countries. Sure; they drive on the wrong side of the road, they sing Karaoke and sound like the cats choir, they burn their rubbish outside their homes instead of paying 50 Baht a month to have rubbish collected, ride without helmets and they play the loudest music on the Planet.....and they do it all because they can.

In a society where education is minimal and critical thinking is not encouraged so that the 'Elite' are barely challenged, and the 'ordinary' folks are never allowed to challenge those 'above them' is it small wonder that simple things please simple minds and noise in itself is a simple 'expression' of the pent up frustrations ?

[FolkGuitar]

Had the local lao khao village idiot always starting his karaoke at 4.30 in the morning. Every morning. Up until I went to his house at 4.45 in just shorts with a shovel over my shoulder and in sign language conveyed to him if he didnt turn it down or off I was going to slam him around the head with the shovel, dig a hole and bury him in it. Even drunk he could see my fury so down it went. I work month and month and the village love it when I come home because they have quiet mornings. While I am away I am told they still get it.

Sometimes, it's necessary to move to a different town. If one is in Hang Dong, perhaps a move to Mae Rim or San Sai. If one enjoys living outside the downtown area, there really is a 360° circle to choose from unless one absolutely needs to be in a certain district for business or personal reasons. We can't 'like' an area and dislike it at the same time. And we sure as hell aren't going to change it ourselves.

I like the area that I live in, but very soon a new school will open here, and that will change the dynamics of the entire neighborhood for several blocks around it. If the change turns out to be something I don't care for, I'll find somewhere else to live. As much as I like this apartment and its conveniences, I won't put up with living here if the rest of the ambiance gets destroyed.

Not all of us live in rented apartments. Some of us are actually settled with family, have homes we have built or redeveloped and are not nomadic. Sometimes the locals just need to be told strongly, not with political correctness or pussy words. My wife and I respected in our village and get along with all. But if there is an issue then rest assured they will know. Why run away?

Why run away? Well, for one, so we don't come here pretending that we would have killed someone with a shovel and bury him.

It may be fun to imagine that you'd actually do it, but it's well out of the realm of reality. Not with, as you put it, having a settled family. So let's stop pretending, eh?

We know you wouldn't, and you know you wouldn't. It's even doubtful that you threatened him with something in your hands. A foreigner threatening a Thai? With something that could be construed as a weapon? Please... The Thai makes one phone call that the foreigner is out on his ear. Thai's problem solved. Foreigner's family is now looking for another farang to fill the rice bowl.

If you're in a small village, and all the other villagers are upset about the same person, a simple phone call to the police WILL get a response. The response may have to be repeated 2-3 times, but eventually it gets resolved. But if the other villagers simple don't care enough to talk about it, and only you demand to see something done... Well... you don't get to demand anything around here. Only they do.

Next, let's redefine the words. It's not 'running away.' It's relocating to a more comfortable location.

It's doing so because life is just too short to have to be uncomfortable. If you've bought a home, or rebuilt one, you don't want to have to move. I get that.

But you aren't going to quiet down the karaoke joints. You aren't going to quiet down the festivals. They aren't going to shut down the airport after 11pm for you because you don't like the noise... or what ever the particular problem may be. Neither you nor I matter very much to the average Thai, and not at all to those in control. That still leaves you with two choices...

[FolkGuitar]

Had a local bigwig open a bar 20 meters from the house I once lived in upcountry. Blasted music until 2 or 3 in the morning. Everyone hated it, I mean everyone! But the Thais would not complain because they were afraid. After trying to stop it I gave up and left the village. My gf and I were starting to have problems anyhow but that was what put me over the edge. So I say if you don't like it move.... Another reason to never buy a house in Thailand. I have moved three times due to this same crap and will move again if it starts where I live now.

Under the flight path

Next to the new Karaoke

Hillside 4 west side facing Maya

Moving is a pain in the butt. No question about that. It takes 2-3 days to pack, a couple of hours to move it all, and several days to unpack. Then another several days to get settled in. Let's give the whole process two to three weeks, start to comfortable.

A year has 52 weeks. 365 days...

Three weeks have 21 days....

In my mind (and it's only my opinion) I'd rather be uncomfortable for 21 days rather than uncomfortable for 365 days. Call me silly.

People associate the idea of owning a home with 'permanence.' I get that. They think, "This is mine forever. I've put down roots!" Well this 'forever doesn't even get you you own land. Just a house on you wife's land. How many "homes" did you live back in the World before you found yourself in Thailand? Most of us lived in several, and we thought some of those might just be "it!"

[BuriramDevelopers]

agree with poster....WHY?

The music has to be so insanely loud that indeed it can almost certainly not be bearable anymore at the place where it's coming from.

It must sound really bd, so what is the thought, It is surely not trying o annoy as many people in your surroundings right?

And for some here.....my Thai wife, neigbours and familyare disgusted too , that there are only 2 or 3 nights a week with reasonable sleep.

That are mostly the days i still have to wake up at 06.00 to work etc.

But weekend nope. never. Or it is the neighbourhood speaker boring the hell out of the people in his microphone for an hour at 06.30 every Saturday morning.

Or is this one of those things you have to agree on (soundpolution that is), or you're not worthy of being in Thailand, according to some opinions....LOL