Neighbor noise pollution

[jji23]

Hi

I live in a modern moo baan. My neighbour directly opposite is usually blaring music when he's in. It's so loud for one guy just listening to music, it is like living next to a club or event. The bass almost vibrates my house. We try to watch a movie it's there, we eat dinner it's there. My wife supports me but also says that it's ok. I'm quite surprised that no one else in our Soi seems to be bothered by it.

I have tried my hardest to just let it go, it usually stops by 8pm. I have asked politely on many occasions for him to turn it down.

I would like to know how I could approach this situation now? I'm not going to blare my own music back at him or do anything else ridiculous. Surely, there must be some legal channel I can follow here re noise pollution? Amphur office? Pruksa?

Sometimes I'm worried it's just me and that I'm blowing it out of proportion. But I would never play music that loud in a residential area. It is getting quite depressing. I've just said to him "bao bao noi dai mai krap" to which he smiled and said "dai krap", we walk inside it has been turned down slightly but the bass is still there.

Has anyone had a similar experience and solved it? It's really tricky because I don't want to get angry cause a scene and make things awkward.

Cheers

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[daveAustin]

Very common problem and often awkward to deal with. Any official channel, if there is one, would likely say it is his property and he's not playing it all night. With that, just consider yourself lucky it isn't all night and you can sleep. Moving is usually the way. Is it your house?

[robblok]

Very common problem and often awkward to deal with. Any official channel, if there is one, would likely say it is his property and he's not playing it all night. With that, just consider yourself lucky it isn't all night and you can sleep. Moving is usually the way. Is it your house?

Your right about the night thing. Once had a Thai complain on my noise. Police told him because i stopped before 9pm it was ok.

I did drop the volume a bit after that and would have done so if told it was too loud but never was. Must have been the base because it was not real loud. But hate to trouble others.

[4MyEgo]

I thinks he's within his rights if its only until 8.00pm, albeit is so bloody annoying.

 

If you do complain through some other channel and he finds out, you are going to have a problem with a neighbour, tit for tat, suggest you try and get to know him, and tell him you suffer from some kind of mental problem and loud music can send you off in a craz, something like that.

 

I live in the bush, the only noise I hear here is the cicadas & frogs at night, but I have no control over that 555

[Keesters]

Some neighbors in Thailand tend to not be very neighborly. Loud noise, parking that blocks the street, dogs shitting in the street, are just some of the things I have to put up with since all the nice middle class neighbors moved out and the low class moved in. It doesn't depend on nationality (some neighbors are Farang) it all depends on class.

 

[stubuzz]

Speak to the other neighbors and if they are also annoyed draft a letter and hand it to the " pu yai baan".

[williamgeorgeallen]

4 minutes ago, stubuzz said:

Speak to the other neighbors and if they are also annoyed draft a letter and hand it to the " pu yai baan".

good advice. you are a visitor and he probably wont take to you trying to tell him what to do. best bet might be to just break your lease and move. that is if you did not break the golden rule of rent everything.

[impulse]

This is going to sound stupid to many, but I live with the satisfaction that I can move tomorrow if it gets too bad.  Just remembering that can bring me a little peace of mind.  Also works on those days (weeks, months?) when my job sucks.  Staying in it is my choice, and I can make a different choice tomorrow if I want.

 

It's that "One Day at a Time" thing.

[Jedsada3]

A neighbour also used to play loud music.

One day as it as particularly very loud, I went to his house. He was working in the garden behind house and I invite him to follow me to see something in my house.

He came in and we drank a glass water and talked a bit. I didn't say anything about the loud music...

When he went back to his home, he turned the sound down and since then I don't hear his music any more.

 

I guess he didn't know that it was so loud and disturbing.

I'm pretty sure that if I asked him to turn the sound down he wouldn't have understand why and I would still hear the beats of his speakers.

[TSF]

It's that damn bass that does it. I've had this problem for years when Thai neighbors play their music loud, worse of all is when they park their cars and open the doors and use their car like a Ghetto blaster. From a distance you can't hear the singing or the the instruments, just that damn....BOOM>>>BOOM>>>BOOM.  I've had windows rattling from it.

 

But virtually nothing you can do. I've had to move numerous times in Thailand due to noisy & inconsiderate neighbors.

[aussiandrew]

I did move once it can be a right pain in the butt. With the technology that has gone into the stereos both for cars and homes the bass sounds can literally travel through the single brick walls and the metal and glass of cars.

One could be right in thinking he may not even be aware of the problem as the bass sound can travel 100s of metres depending on the prevailing conditions not just across the way.

A few good ideas here for me to remember as it will come back to haunt me another day.

[mduras01]

Buy 10 chihuauas; set them loose in your yard. The high-frequency of their bark has a way of piercing through any wall. Add to that the fact they are prone to barking at the slightest movement of anything around will ensure they DO bark.

 

Your neighbor will probably raise the white flag. 

[Asiantravel]

" I'm quite surprised that no one else in our Soi seems to be bothered by it."

 

How do you know this? Maybe they are experiencing the same torment as you.

why don't you and your wife very discreetly try talking to some of your other neighbours and ask  them if they are bothered by it.

if you find others that feel the same way as you as a small group you might have a better chance of negotiating an amicable solution.

 

[KarenBravo]

Thais are the most tolerant people in the world.....................they are also the most inconsiderate.

[jadee]

Noise pollution is the worst problem I've ever experienced in Thailand - there used to be some guys with pickups who would park nearby outside my condo and blast out music. It's the deep bass that travels through walls and is so annoying so I can completely sympathise. It used to go on until midnight or 1am. I can understand the OP's feelings: I just to think 'Surely it can't just be me who's annoyed by this? What about the other residents?'. Well, I spoke with the condo management and the owners of the carpark and they couldn't care less. Thais don't seem bothered by bass music. 

So at least the OP's neighbor stops at 8pm. That's not too bad. I could probably tolerate it, just crank up the TV or something. As long as it's not nightime I'm okay. 
I think the moo ban should have a management or a head, you could ask them. The most likely reason is the neighbor doesn't realize how loud it is. Jedsada3's solution is excellent if you can do it. 

[little mary sunshine]

Have security speak to him....Perhaps you and two others

that find this disturbing can speake with him.....last resort

move if really bad.....Help your neighbors, as you move, burn

his,house down,!!

[Gold Star]

I have the same problem with inconsiderate neighbors. They scream obscenities, bang on the walls, on my doors, the floor, and the ceiling in the middle of the night. Sometimes it gets so loud, I can barely hear my bagpipes...

[kannot]

16 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

I thinks he's within his rights if its only until 8.00pm, albeit is so bloody annoying.

 

If you do complain through some other channel and he finds out, you are going to have a problem with a neighbour, tit for tat, suggest you try and get to know him, and tell him you suffer from some kind of mental problem and loud music can send you off in a craz, something like that.

 

I live in the bush, the only noise I hear here is the cicadas & frogs at night, but I have no control over that 555

both can be eaten

[curtklay]

It's hopeless. Either wear earplugs or move.

[jesimps]

If I ever did decide to leave this country it would be because of the booming bass from Thai hi-fis. I think moving is the only option, but where to? You'd have to do a good long recce first at various times of day and night.

 

[elgordo38]

Your ears age right along with you. They get cranky to. 

[eeyang wah]

3 hours ago, KarenBravo said:

Thais are the most tolerant people in the world.....................they are also the most inconsiderate.

Exactly. And in a vicious circle, both qualities feed off each other. 

[swissbie]

4 hours ago, mduras01 said:

Buy 10 chihuauas; set them loose in your yard. The high-frequency of their bark has a way of piercing through any wall. Add to that the fact they are prone to barking at the slightest movement of anything around will ensure they DO bark.

 

Your neighbor will probably raise the white flag. 

Yeah, the neighbour then will possibly move and he will have 10 chihuahuas barking for the next 10 - 15 years, problems solved..

[cyberfarang]

Unless many of your neighbours agree to all call on this guy at once and insist he tones down his music or report the matter to the local authority, then sorry, but I think you are stuck with the problem and one main reason I would not want to live in a moo baan.

[connda]

TIT bro.  You're right.  The non-Westerner, locals aren't much bothered by the noise.  Nor will they label it 'noise pollution'  which is a leftist 'trigger word' that will trigger a response in the nanny-state bred types that must be respected, but won't do much here in the Land of Smiles.  As much as I dislike a**holes who are completely devoid of common courtesy, I even detest over-regulated nanny-states even worse.  So personally, I'd just go down and party with the head-banger.

So, imho, horns-up, get this the spirit, and enjoy the show.  Otherwise, move.  Up to you!

[kwak250]

It's all about da bass

[daveAustin]

TIT bro.  You're right.  The non-Westerner, locals aren't much bothered by the noise.  Nor will they label it 'noise pollution'  which is a leftist 'trigger word' that will trigger a response in the nanny-state bred types that must be respected, but won't do much here in the Land of Smiles.  As much as I dislike a**holes who are completely devoid of common courtesy, I even detest over-regulated nanny-states even worse.  So personally, I'd just go down and party with the head-banger.

So, imho, horns-up, get this the spirit, and enjoy the show.  Otherwise, move.  Up to you!

So, you're the neighbour, right? [emoji846]

[dbrenn]

Knock on his door and politely tell him to turn his stereo down before you smash it to smithereens with his thick head. Don't forget to wish him a Happy New Year on you way out.

[SaintLouisBlues]

11 minutes ago, dbrenn said:

Don't forget to wish him a Happy New Year on you way out.

And "Have a nice day"

[kannot]

22 hours ago, stubuzz said:

Speak to the other neighbors and if they are also annoyed draft a letter and hand it to the " pu yai baan".

even if  they dont like it many wont do anything  due to their unique  bully boy system of  non democracy.

I particularly liked  the old news  item of the neighbour  who some years back went round and shot up his noisy neighbours  family  killing the offender.

All involved were  Thais despite  him asking them politely  many times to turn it  down.

Whatever  happened to "decent"  people who would consider others  first.

  Not  just Thailand unfortunately although they do seem to "excel" in this  kind  of crap