Neighbour has burning fires on a daily basis - what can we do?

ShannonT · March 3, 2016

First of all, I know that burning things is "normal" in Thailand. But my family and I bought a house for 3 million Baht in a closed housing community and about a month after moving in the guy with a small farm right next to it started burning fires on a daily basis. One day he's burning his trash, the next day he's burning wood to make coal, etc. We have a nice place to sit outside and we can't use it because we would be getting smoke poisoning, I'm not joking. It's that bad. Sometimes we can't see further than 100 meters because the smoke is so thick and we have to keep all the windows closed day and night to prevent the smoke from coming into the house. Even with that, the house smells of smoke all day. We can't even turn on the aircon at night because otherwise the smoke comes in that way. I've had to go to the hospital twice now because of asthma (never had it before in my life) and we have a 2 year old who's also coughing all day.

I remember hearing a few months ago that Gen. Prayut said that farmers wouldn't be allowed to burn fires anymore to lower the pollution. What happened to that?

More importantly ..is there anything we can do?

stoneyboy · March 3, 2016

First thing I would do would be to ask the housing community people if they can do anything although I understand it's not on their land but it if it's causing you and others on the site issues they may help.

naboo · March 3, 2016

Have you tried talking to him yet?

ShannonT · March 3, 2016

Have you tried talking to him yet?

We did. He says he's just burning garbage and making coal ..in other words no big deal.

naboo · March 3, 2016

Have you asked him to do it somewhere that means it doesn't blow into your house?

Kron · March 4, 2016

Similar problem and not a lot can be done about it.

In our case the cause of the problem is the local council does not provide rubbish collection.

jacko45k · March 4, 2016

Your AC need not bring in air from outside.. most split units don't.

An air filter unit in the bedroom may help.

You can only lodge a complaint with the police, they are obliged to act on it. But first try to persuade the guy to move his burning elsewhere.

Edited March 4, 2016 by jacko45k

uptheos · March 4, 2016

Better call Saul

Lots of people in same position.

You could call the cops, it is illegal

But you know Thailand.....I think?

zaZa9 · March 4, 2016

Sadly , yet another good reason never to buy a home in Thailand.

A tenant would have walked by now.

ggt · March 4, 2016

When he starts another fire...breakout the hotdogs and marshmallows...and rush over to take advantage of the free camp fire...

steven100 · March 4, 2016

obviously he wasn't burning the day you looked at the place before buying ?

Sydebolle · March 4, 2016

Read a story of a guy in Isan who left some empty mosquito and shaving cream cans with the garbage pile. The whole stuff blew to pieces which brought the daily incineration of whatever to a screeching end.

wonder6281 · March 4, 2016

Call the fire brigade everytime he lights up.

craigt3365 · March 4, 2016

First thing is to file a police report. Perhaps best done by your village manager.

playboy · March 4, 2016

Hi, I know how you feel because I have the same situation but worse, my neighbor burn wood to make the coals for sell every week and it smokes like hell. The process take 3-4 nights which he will open the coal ovens during the night and you will wake up if it became very strong smell. I talked to him, he doesn't care, I talked to head of the village! He went to talk to the guy but Can not stop the guy. Put complain to village's health department counsel, they came to tell him to put up 5 feet chimney but does not work. Still stink, they came back but the guy did not open the door for them so one year and half later, he still does it. I gave up and close the window the night he burns. We do not live here all the time so we kind of let it go.

We talked to many people in this situation, they can not do anything! The law enforcers do not want to involve (why we have them!) so only thing to do recommend by village health department was we must after him with lawsuite but since we are not here all the time we did not process.

little mary sunshine · March 4, 2016

Long stick....marshmallows, hot dogs!!

sometimewoodworker · March 4, 2016

The lady next door used to burn plastic in the evening on a fire just outside our window and 10metres from her house, we asked her to stop, she didn't. So every time she lit her fire we turned on this fan that blew the stinking smoke to her house

She doesn't burn plastic near our house anymore

You can not stop people doing things on their land. They can not stop you doing things on your land.

Work round the problem if you can.

Lee4Life · March 4, 2016

We have the same problem, we have a nice covered deck that we can't use much of the time, we also have to keep many of our windows closed much of the time. I'm not so sure that rubbish collection would solve the matter, I have seen people here burning rubbish next to empty rubbish bins near the streets.

One of our neighbors burns leaves and rubbish in order to chase the insects away from their beautiful flowers and trees, another neighbor burns rubbish in his cow shed at night to keep the mosquitos away. If these people see their actions as normal and this is the way of life as they know it then it's going to be pretty tough to change.

rodknock · March 4, 2016

what do you expect from a country where every one is self centered and only cares about themselves.

you expect the bib to do something, HA,HA, not enough money involved.

i would suggest getting some industrial fans and run them when your neighbors are burning rubbish. get some smoke bombs or stink bombs and blow it to your neighbor.

start your own fires and blow the smoke to your neighbor 24hours a day!! fight fire with fire.

unfortunately you are in a no win situation.

MartinL · March 4, 2016

Had this problem twice in the past.

One bloke burnt tyres and our place filled with the stink & black smoke from those.

Another occasion, people piled their rubbish alongside the road and up against our perimeter wall then set light to it. I didn't want the wall damaged by the heat from the fire.

On both occasions, the fires were within reach of my hosepipe so I used it. Both occasions, not a word was said by those concerned.

The fact that my wife's parents lived on this plot since before she was born 60 years ago and she's now the sole owner might have some effect on the neighbours' reaction (or lack of) but it had nothing to do with my decision to extinguish their fires.

I like and get on well with my neighbours and we'd previously explained our objections and asked them not to burn their rubbish - the Tessaban bins are less than 100m away. This reduced the frequency of fires a lot but didn't eliminate them entirely - the hose did that.

No more burning near us although there's some further away that doesn't affect us - neighbours pass our house every day now, taking their rubbish to the bins.

Not all Thais are as unreasonable & immune to polite requests (and a bit of direct action in this case) as we're sometimes led to believe.

Edited March 4, 2016 by MartinL

lungnorm · March 4, 2016

Same problem in the Philippines. Many local councils do not collect garbage so its burnt along with garden rubbish practically daily. I noticed this when living in Thailand in a small village. Our house was the last one on the edge of the village and when the owner of the rice paddy next to our place did his rice stubble burning the smoke surrounded our place. I created hell but you never shout at Thai's big insult. Problem was solved by buying the land next door and opposite so we were away from any burning. I imagine this problem exists all over Asia. Best solution is to live in a city in a Condo. Good Luck

jippytum · March 4, 2016

Make a complaint to city hall via the residents community they will act on your behalf.However beware as official action that may involve the police may in turn make life even more difficult from you if you anger your Thai neighbors. Diplomacy and polite actions may be the best actions certainly in the first instance.

curtklay · March 4, 2016

Whether it be burning, noise, littering, or sanitation, you will never be able to stop Thais from polluting. They have no consideration for you, and no concept of the future results of their actions.

It's all about themselves and the present moment. Anything you try to do, will only make them hate you more. You will lose and be an exile.

Building or buying a home here is a huge mistake, unless you are prepared and willing to live among the animals. I learned the hard way, much like you.

Edited March 4, 2016 by curtklay

maximillian · March 4, 2016

Same problem in the Philippines. Many local councils do not collect garbage so its burnt along with garden rubbish practically daily. I noticed this when living in Thailand in a small village. Our house was the last one on the edge of the village and when the owner of the rice paddy next to our place did his rice stubble burning the smoke surrounded our place. I created hell but you never shout at Thai's big insult. Problem was solved by buying the land next door and opposite so we were away from any burning. I imagine this problem exists all over Asia. Best solution is to live in a city in a Condo. Good Luck

In a condo ?

There you have the TVs next doors left and right and up and down plaring all day, doors banging, shoutings, partying...

No thanks.

MyFriend You · March 4, 2016

The lady next door used to burn plastic in the evening on a fire just outside our window and 10metres from her house, we asked her to stop, she didn't. So every time she lit her fire we turned on this fan that blew the stinking smoke to her houseimage.jpg

She doesn't burn plastic near our house anymore

You can not stop people doing things on their land. They can not stop you doing things on your land.

Work round the problem if you can.

The best answer yet - I'd buy one of them HUGE fans with large blades and blow the smoke right back at him, every once in awhile you could spark some ammonia thru the blades to get a good whif.............that won;t stop him from burning, but may even the score.

sawadee1947 · March 4, 2016

go to the police.....Here in CM you will get 5000 Baht if you will do that...

jacksam · March 4, 2016

Sadly , yet another good reason never to buy a home in Thailand.

A tenant would have walked by now.

I did not want to be first one to say the above quote. Right now I'm back in OZ for short break from los. I have a notice from council to cut grass, clip trees back from walk way etc. Big fine if not done. Also council send out private contractors. Point is los is not farang world. I would NEVER buy. Someone gives me the irrates I would move. All the OP will have is world of pain. One solution. PAY him to do it elsewhere