troublesome neighbours

[lowprofile]

A legal question, if anyone is able to offer advice, I'd be grateful. (That is proper advice and not dumb stuff, please).

My next door neighbour is operating a soap factory from his house which is in a private soi. Lots of smell and a concern about waste, etc.

Do I have any legal recourse against him? Is there a government department I could request to visit and inspect for licences etc?

 

Cheers,

LP

[A1Str8]

Yes. Go to the local cop shop, tell them what's up. See where it goes. 

[whoareyou]

This is the downside of moving away from expat areas.
Many claim to be happier in thai neighborhoods, untill your thrust into the above scenario. Can't approach them directly because most have a screw loose

[Jdietz]

Be glad it's soap and not an illegal slaughterhouse.. different smells..

[colinneil]

Well at least you could get some cheap soap    

[rheinwiese]

Contact the Pollution Control Department

http://www.pcd.go.th/Info_serv/Hotline/default.cfm

[thailand49]

The guy is right, moving into a Thai area village like myself. Like my area, they pretty much do as they like as long as it isn't drugs in the open. There might be a ordinance in place but even then don't expect anything out of it, not much enforcement going on as you know.

You best bet is it fail like so many idea's they have?

As noted, approaching them is opening another can of worms.

 

Good luck,

[BEVUP]

34 minutes ago, thailand49 said:

The guy is right, moving into a Thai area village like myself. Like my area, they pretty much do as they like as long as it isn't drugs in the open. There might be a ordinance in place but even then don't expect anything out of it, not much enforcement going on as you know.

You best bet is it fail like so many idea's they have?

As noted, approaching them is opening another can of worms.

 

Good luck,

No difference in the moo baans in the city I only have one behind me that on the odd occassion will have a cut of metal wheel going all day but have seen house extensions all the way around to the fence to accomodate some of these so called lucrative buisineses 

If you find some athourity to sort this you could also mention to them about all the kitchens they biuld to the bounderies 

[tonray]

Don't go to the cops, only make trouble for yourself. They already know about it and get their monthly stipend to allow it to happen.

[Borzandy]

11 hours ago, lowprofile said:

Do I have any legal recourse against him?

NO

[steven100]

Go over and introduce yourself ....  have a 6 pack on hand to share ....

try to come home with a few free cakes of soap every week ... 

[robblok]

7 hours ago, whoareyou said:

This is the downside of moving away from expat areas.
Many claim to be happier in thai neighborhoods, untill your thrust into the above scenario. Can't approach them directly because most have a screw loose
 

You can have the expat from hell (alcoholic) next to you and you wont be happy either. Bad neighbors can be anywhere, i have had noisy neighbors.. told them about it and got it solved. The factory might be a harder problem to solve as its his / her income. Who was there first you or they.. makes a difference too. 

 

But when its about money its harder to solve.. but the cops or local government could do something if lucky and if you give them some money. 

[banlampang]

LP - I can understand your concern with the 'chemical' odor from soap manufacturing at your neighbor's place.  I would imagine that you are very close to his house.  I'm a soap maker for personal use and I use lye (NaOH) which is what I imagine you are smelling.  In my experience there are odors produced when dissolving the lye in water or goat's milk - whatever - for a period of 10 to fifteen minutes.  In my case this odor dissipates at 5 meters.  My neighbor would not detect the smell of my soap making.  The only waste I produce from the process is rinse water which would contain very low levels of lye or soap.  I can understand that some soap makers may not have control of the process - concerning.  Your neighbor must be making very large quantities of soap - a somewhat costly undertaking.  If you are encountering odors on a daily basis, I would personally wonder if the neighbor is actually making soap.  It might be something more clandestine.  Hope this is of value to you.

[mettech]

Just remember we are not in our Country so no tell and if not happy move elsewhere this will help.

[OmegaRacer]

8 hours ago, whoareyou said:

This is the downside of moving away from expat areas.
Many claim to be happier in thai neighborhoods, untill your thrust into the above scenario. Can't approach them directly because most have a screw loose
 

I live in a Thai Mu Ban. It's very quiet with normal people. The only problem comes from a house of 2 female farang teachers who shout their heads off at every occasion. Even worse when they get drunk and have parties until well after midnight. Hopefully, their backpacking time is soon finished.

[ujayujay]

No! Except you want get trouble

[daveAustin]

3 hours ago, colinneil said:

Well at least you could get some cheap soap    

I think that might qualify as 'dumb stuff' and the op doesn't want that. 

 

I would be careful, op. If you did succeed in covertly hampering this guy's activities, odds-on he will figure it out and it would likely come back on you. Sorry to say, but the only real way is to move. Hope you're renting.

 

Those harping on about bad Thai neighbours and the merits of staying in farang areas, with no exceptions (at least the middle class moobaan I previously stayed in), the only problems came from farangs and Koreans. Without exception! Every single tenant of the house next door to us had a wacko or noisy arse staying in it... four in a row. Most of the Thais around us were great.

[colinneil]

16 minutes ago, daveAustin said:

I think that might qualify as 'dumb stuff' and the op doesn't want that. 

 

I would be careful, op. If you did succeed in covertly hampering this guy's activities, odds-on he will figure it out and it would likely come back on you. Sorry to say, but the only real way is to move. Hope you're renting.

 

Those harping on about bad Thai neighbours and the merits of staying in farang areas, with no exceptions (at least the middle class moobaan I previously stayed in), the only problems came from farangs and Koreans. Without exception! Every single tenant of the house next door to us had a wacko or noisy arse staying in it... four in a row. Most of the Thais around us were great.

 

 Lighten up mate, get a life if everybody was serious like you, life would be bloody boring.

[Morch]

12 hours ago, lowprofile said:

A legal question, if anyone is able to offer advice, I'd be grateful. (That is proper advice and not dumb stuff, please).

My next door neighbour is operating a soap factory from his house which is in a private soi. Lots of smell and a concern about waste, etc.

Do I have any legal recourse against him? Is there a government department I could request to visit and inspect for licences etc?

 

Cheers,

LP

 

Technically, yes (there was link posted above). Same goes for municipal authorities and police. Whether or not your neighbor is breaking the law and whether authorities would do anything about it is another matter. And then there's the thing about possible consequences (on the off chance that someone will look into it).

 

Question you need to ask yourself is how far you're willing to take this, and accept things could get ugly. Maybe easier to pull off if there are cooperative neighbors not happy about it. Or if you're clearly further up the food chain relative to the offending neighbor. As others said, if he was there before you moved in, or if you're renting - it would play against you.

 

About Thai vs. Others as neighbors here.... Annoying neighbors are annoying neighbors. We missed our annoying Thai neighbors after the annoying Filipino neighbors moved in. Difference is that with other foreigners, there's maybe more space for expression or even confrontation. With Thais, it's a dodgier proposition.

 

Best of luck. 

[DekDaeng]

Could they make soap from dogs?

 

Got their phone number?

[kannot]

I removed the problem by getting the Wife to buy 15 rai wirth the nearest neighbour 3-400 metres away..even then he complained about my drone being"noisy" possibly used it once a month and his house right next to the  village speaker cheeky sod.

He rented the ramshackle shitehole with tin iron roof and  I noticed a  few  days back it has been left derelict, roof  gone and so has he............GREAT!!

They will always suspect the foreigner of complaining and anything that goes wrong you will also be prime suspect, in fact theyll even invent stuff, got  accused of  killing a dog said it was me then when I told  him I have cctv and I havent been out all day it  became a white car ( mines gun metal).

I take anything they say now as total ballcocks as they have nothing better to do.

Neighbours anywhere = problems

[bazza73]

I doubt there is much you can do about it. If you complain to him or the authorities you could risk things getting ugly.Move if you are able to.

Yet another argument in favour of renting in Thailand.

[GarryP]

Depending where you are, you could file a complaint with the local District Office under the Public Health Act. This does not only apply to situations such as yours, but also in the case with neighbors who have many live animals which make a lot of noise or create foul odors which cause an annoyance to residents in the area.  

 

In the case of my pain in the bum neighbour,  she does not need to suspect me of anything. I tell her what I am going to do and then do it. Seems to bring about more positive results and perhaps more respect. Things have definitely improved, although not as much as I would like. Her previous neighbours (Thais) were too worried about rocking the boat or being blamed for this and that to do anything.      

[Carlosm]

OK, i have had the same thing happen to me. Its a long winded process but...

 

1st. Go to your local head of the area known as the 'poo yai barn'. Make your complaint, he/she will ask for this complaint to be in writing and in Thai. You will need 2 copies, 1 for the Tessa-barn office and 1 for the amphur office. He will submit these to them at the monthly meeting they have.

2nd. Go to the Tessa-barn office and make the same compaint and explain that you've seen the poo yai barn, they will log it into a big book.

3rd. Do the same as above at the Amphur office.

4th. Now go back to the poo yai barn and tell him what you've just done, saying that it will save him time ;). This will prevent him from going to the soap factory and 'brushing under the carpet' so as to speak.

 

What will happen now is, meetings will be held regarding the smell given off. You MUST say it is affecting your health (headaches and nausea). This will bring in a health inspector. He will visit, make sure you attend to assure no back hand tactics. This will then follow with further meetings where both parties submit their views etc etc. Never back down ! Eventually he was given notice, he failed to leave on the given time and was fined... then he left to another area with no home near by. I got 500baht compensation (lol) which i gave to the wat, the guy in question calmed down overnight and now talks to me as it nothing happened... go figure.

It helps to get local support for the meetings, others close by who dont like the smell, they dont have to say anything but it will go a long way to the authorities. All in all.. about 6 months ... unbelievable !

 

Just a note to all those who have posted that there is no 'legal' means to solve it... shut up, you haven't got a clue what you are talking about. It was the police who kicked him out having got a court order which basically said it was illegal to produce a chemical substance in a built up area.

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, mettech said:

Just remember we are not in our Country so no tell and if not happy move elsewhere this will help.

 

Where is our country please?

[steven100]

try stomping on a thai's income ....   and see what happens.  

[TSF]

I've been through all this sort of stuff several times. Basically you have 2 options. 1) just put up with it. 2) move.

[Kwasaki]

Falangies vs Thai = 1 - 0 to Thais.

Why not go next door introduced yourself and see if you can help yourself in someway, maybe buy them a hood and chimney for extraction.

If you rent move.

 

[wildewillie89]

Go to your Tessaban office and ask to speak to the environmental health officer...if there is a smell and waste then they should be able to do something about it. I cant remember the law, but regarding smells and noises that come from business they have to be a certain number of metres from the next house. The reason, legally, people can not have rice machines and pig farms near houses for example. It isnt the actual business that is the issue, it is the 'nuisance' of the noise and smell.  

 

If they say they cant do anything about it then it is basically because they are too lazy to help you. It isn't a matter of suing anyone or any complex law, it is just like living back home...you have a problem, you report it to your municipality. 

[CharlieH]

Thete is a "pinned" topic at the top of the forum with information.

 

NCPO Thai government. 24 hour Call Center 1111 http://www.1111.go.th/

 

They deal with any and all complaints related to anything and everything.

 

Noise, schools, retailers, builders, police or anything else.