Is this Preechavude Keesin by any chance a member of the family of the present mayor?

Editor: It's no secret that he's the mayor's son. Nothing necessarily untoward in that. In every country in the world, related members of families hold various positions of power. As the Lee family proved recently in Singapore by winning a libel case against the New York Times, sons sometimes succeed on their own talents.

Posted by Guenter Bellach on June 4, 2010 18:51

Disturbing noises would also have to include the massage girls especially on Rat u tit!

Posted by LJM on June 4, 2010 19:55

If it is common knowledge that the mayors son is the head why doesn't Phuketwan mention that as this may be a reason why the noise pollution is a major issue??

If the fact that the son of the mayor is the owner of multiple clubs or pubs is not a cause for conflict of interest, I do not know what is?

And the editors comparison to Singapore is an absolute joke.

Do you, the editor, truly think Phuket is governed the same as Singapore?? If so you are delusional. And if you think a snide response will qualify you as being right leave this full message on the site and see how people respond.

Jimmy

Editor: The point being made was that as a matter of principle, the Lee case in Singapore shows how accusations of even vague nepotism can be unfounded and legally dangerous. People do jump to wrong conclusions.
Patong's mayor is on record as saying that he has no conflicts of interest in business in Patong. There is no indication that either the mayor or his son have any direct connection with the venues involved in this case, and it would be wrong to make that assumption.
If the New York Times can get sued in Singapore over repeating something that isn't true, Jimmy, you can get sued in Phuket.
And please stop daring us to publish your comments.
It's really juvenile.

Posted by Jimmy on June 4, 2010 23:33

As I am writing this (at 1.39 am) there is still a lot of noise from behind Jungceylon. I don't believe it will stop within the next 21 minutes...

Editor: Fritz, my understanding is that under Thai law, excessive noise is not permitted at any time, night or day. Your best course of action is to make sure the law is enforced. As the colonel has pointed out, the problem will be talked through at a meeting next week.
Why not write him a letter, signed by you and others within listening range? Send copies of the letter to the governor and your embassy or honorary consul.
Meanwhile, all I can suggest is cotton wool in your ears. Or perhaps try humming yourself to sleep with ''I can't stop the music, nobody can stop the music . . .''

Posted by Fritz Pinguin on June 5, 2010 01:40

"If the New York Times can get sued in Singapore over repeating something that isn't true, Jimmy, you can get sued in Phuket."

Quite right, and also for speaking the truth or pointing out the obvious as defamation lawsuits are all the rage in this country.

Editor: Treelover, I've lopped the rest of your comment to prevent this thread moving away from excessive noise in Patong, which is the issue.

Posted by Treelover on June 5, 2010 07:43

Editor...First of all I'd like to know if this meeting that is coming up in the middle of June is open to the public to attend...and if so can we be informed as to where and when this is....Last night was the loudest I've ever heard it (music behind Jungceylon), and it went on until 3 am....It is truly beyond belief that this can be allowed to go on the way it is...

Editor: Why not ask the colonel, he is organising the meeting. As far as we have been able to determine, efforts are now being made to address the issue. That's progress. Stay calm and avoid losing your cool.

Posted by My aching ears on June 5, 2010 08:30

Editor...well, would you happen to have the contact info of the Colonel, so that many of us can reach out to him?...otherwise I would hope that the Wan would stay on top of this issue and keep the public informed....Sometimes it is not easy for the average citizen to contact high ranking public officials, especially if we do not speak the native tongue.

Editor: The colonel is based at Kathu police station. A letter with copies to the governor and your embassy/honorary consul is probably the best way of ensuring that you make your point in a calm and considered fashion. As the colonel says, he has a large number of issues to deal with and hopes to solve the noise problem cooperatively.

Posted by my aching ears on June 5, 2010 09:03

Does it matter who's who, when the job gets done ? For me, I'm very happy, now I can eat my dinner at Rawai and we can now talk after 8pm, too!

The real problem is not those who moves in, it's the owner of the house.

A short example is that my friend have their bedroom window 3m from a new building and they were promised that it would be normal shops there, but a month later, there was a bar.

It's better to stop such ventures before they move it, moving them
out can be a pain for everyone, even those who invested money for the club/loud music venture.

So the problem needs to be tackled already when the house is built, that they NEED a permit that they are allowed to have high noise places then I guess everyone who rents a condo or a business place can see if this is a noisy building or a nice place for residents.

Again, put pressure on the house owners and fine them, maybe then they understand the word 'responsibility'.

Posted by Anders on June 5, 2010 09:04

Editor: Happy to listen to anything you have to say about excessive noise, Mustava. That's the topic.

Posted by MustavaMond on June 5, 2010 09:57

I am happy to see that, at least for now but for how long, Rawai seems to have become a normal living area as it is supposed to be. I was surprised to read about the entertainment zones Bangla Rd and Taina Rd (Kata) and still having all of Rawai filled with loud music and shouting bar / massages ladies + loud karaoke. Rawai seemed to be a party zone all over.
I am grateful - it feels like heaven to drive around and live here without the noise pollution from bars and ladies who think they can do anything. Buying an expensive property here to have a nice relaxing life just to be disturbed by prostitutes and bars is not what I had in mind moving here.
Thank you for your efforts!

Posted by Noize hater on June 5, 2010 10:54

It is a joke, the police can do anything they want to enforce the law. They don't need to have meetings and discuss things before they get on the case.

They issue a warning to the bars and venues if after 2am you are playing music, you will be fined and/or arrested for breaking the law.

I don't see how and why it is so complicated.

Posted by Tbs on June 6, 2010 06:12

Agree with TBS...

Editor: My Aching Ears, your guesswork adds nothing. Yet you complain . . . loudly.
Why not do something constructive instead?

Posted by my aching ears on June 6, 2010 13:31

Jimmy you are spot on. The editor for some reason evades this issue . . . etc etc etc

Editor: Please read my response to My Aching Ears.

Posted by barka on June 6, 2010 16:08

so we can only say things that you agree to??....whats the point of all this?...........there's nothing to hide out there...everyone knows the politics behind the scenes here...so what else is new?..............so much for allowing people who take the time to look at your publication, the ability to express their views freely...Tell me Mr Editor...define exactly what your idea of a complaint is?

Editor: Phuketwan has raised the issue of noise in Patong directly with the Governor and with the Chief of Kathu Police on your behalf, and on the behalf of others who are concerned about the issue. We've told you how to do something to help yourself. We believe Phuket can and will change for the better.

But we're very, very bored with the same old tiresome stuff about what's wrong with the place. If you haven't got a constructive suggestion, we're not interested. There are plenty of other sites where the same old rants are heard, from the same old people. That stuff doesn't get anyone anywhere. We want people with new ideas, not old prejudices. Any comment on Phuketwan earns its place if it is logical and informative. You ask: ''So what else is new?'' That's exactly it! Give us something new. Tell us something we didn't know and haven't heard a thousand times before. The same old stuff is . . . the same old stuff. Boring and useless to everyone.

Posted by my aching ears on June 6, 2010 16:31

I agree there's no point in repeating the obvious so how about this then:

Set up a web board here where you write up a letter to be delivered to the police Colonel and allow everyone who is affected by the noise to enter their name in the list. Require an approximate address to be entered so the authorities can assess how far the noise reaches disturbing levels.

It's great that you take up this issue and if you give us this opportunity to sign up for that letter online, it removes a significant hurdle for us all to make our voices heard as a group.

This would be a great step forward in giving us expats a channel to express our concerns. Something that is desperately needed.

Editor: Phuketwan is a news and information site. Anyone with a problem can do precisely what we've suggested: send the Colonel a letter, with copies to the governor, and perhaps to several appropriate honorary consuls or embassies. This is the structure of the new, new, new system that's already in place.

We don't have financial support to cover the news, let alone the time to spare on web boards . . . Phuketwan is not an advocacy go-between for any group with a grievance or a grudge. The new system! Try it!

Posted by Amazing Thailand on June 6, 2010 17:31

Funny how this also applies to the politicians and or officials, silly ideas to clean up and make right the wrongs of this island. Why don't they just have the b@((s to just do it ?

" But we're very, very bored with the same old tiresome stuff about what's wrong with the place. If you haven't got a constructive suggestion, we're not interested. There are plenty of other sites where the same old rants are heard."

Editor: Dun, who are ''they''? You constantly talk about ''they'' . . . which is typical of the totally meaningless stuff the rest of us have to put up with. Phuketwan has called on the national government to end corruption on Phuket. We've said it several times. What's your great idea?

And when are you going to tell it to someone who can actually do something about it? The same goes for barka, my aching ears, and all the other cynics with no answers. If you've been here for years and done nothing except complain, now's a good time to channel your energies constructively.

Posted by Dun on June 6, 2010 17:53

You could just simply have said no, without the usual condescending tone you take with your readers.

I just thought that with all the time you already spend here insulting and patronizing your readers it would not have been much of a stretch to set that letter up.

However I stand corrected - I foolishly thought PhuketWan actually wanted to improve things instead of just complaining about them for years.

My apologies to the Editor.

Editor: Almost in the same breath as you ask for help, you criticise us for daring to suggest ways that you can help yourself. Logic and an explanation? Clarity and new ideas? No thanks, not wanted. Condescending, patronising and insulting? As that's your view, this thread is closed.

Posted by Amazing Thailand on June 6, 2010 20:17

The good colonel should go along and see the people at Patong Tessaban's land zoning office. They were recently featured on prime-time national Thai TV showing off their new 30 million (yes 30 million) baht computerised mapping system.

The system is supposed to give accurate information on all the land in Patong municipality for taxation purposes. Among that information are listed such details as whether or not the land is within an entertainment zone and therefore whether or not it's allowed to make any noise.

Yes, believe it or not there are zoning laws in effect here in Thailand. Yes, it is against those laws to build noisy establishments too close to already established residential areas. Yes, there are legal limits to the noise an establishment is allowed to make even within an entertainment zone, and what times it is allowed to do so. And most of all yes, these laws are universally ignored so long as the person doing the building is rich and/or powerful enough.

All of the establishments behind Jungceylon are well outside any of Patong's long established entertainment zones. My own house and the 70 or so in my project were built some ten years ago, but that hasn't stopped someone building a boxing stadium and bar complex less than 100m away.

The boxing stadium makes noise all night EVERY night and often through the day as well. It plays that damn loud-hailer message on an endless loop most afternoons and evenings. TONIGHT, TONIGHT! I'm subjected to it right now.

The fact is that these establishments were all built against the law with the consent of the relevant government agencies. So long as the rich and powerful remain so then this problem will not disappear.

Love it or hate it, this is Thailand. They can't see that what they do damages them. They've never cared. It's not in their nature. Perhaps they'll learn. They certainly won't let us teach them.

Posted by CaptainJack on June 15, 2010 18:37

Have three tourists from Australia, arrived two days ago. Due to the noise/music from the fairground behind Jungceylon stopping at 2.51 am, our tour to Phi Phi today was cancelled due to lack of sleep. They just could not go due to only three hours sleep.

The prior night it ceased at 2.12 am. It's a shame, they have been saving for 6 months to come to Phuket, and their trip is fast becoming ruined. We are all using ear plugs as well. I have been living in Nanai road, behind fair grounds for 5 years now peacefully. Been down to the area several times and not one tourist has been seen. The outdoor theatre/cinema (which by the way has no seating) only noticed Thai's seating on concert (mainly motor bike/tuk tuk drivers) are there. The band on the stage setup, and all the seating, again shows no tourists. And with the gambling, it appears three different groups are seeing who can be the loudest. The record so far is that the music didn't stop to 3.49 am last week.

So well done, Patong. You are easily the loudest place in the world for having loud music in a residential area. All the Thai's here have complained, but its certainly appears that some one is paying the police off. By the way, the Thai police did come to our Soi at 4.11 am. After many phone calls, however, the music had ceased by then.

The tourists leave in 8 days...well maybe sooner or seek accommodation outside Patong. So thank you Governor, Wichai Praisa-ngob, you have had a month now to sort this out. Your lack of action speaks volumes. .

Posted by Trev on June 18, 2010 10:01

Well - first timer to visit Thailand and Phuket region and instead of being swept away with the lovely sights and people I have not had a decent restful evening yet due to the EXTREMELY LOUD noise competition at the fairground behind Jungceylon.

Extremely disappointed that there is no respect or regard to residents or visitors by these organisers. When visited to see what the noise was all about - no other tourists could be seen - for what purpose this event is for is all rather bizarre as it just giving me reason to get out of the area asap and go elsewhere. I certainly will not be coming back or recommending this place as a destination to visit if no immediate action is taken.

Couldn't even get a tuk-tuk to get around onWednesday - i was under the impression they were everywhere. Then when we sought out the noisy area, found all the tuk-tuks near the outdoor cinema and music/gambling area. Hopefully some action really needs to be taken in the few days remaining PLEASE!!!!

Posted by thai deb on June 18, 2010 12:58

i have been coming to phuket for seven years now to see my family.

last night i was utterly disgusted by the amount of noise generated by your band and picture movies that even have no chairs anywhere for tourists to sit on .

i know the world cup is on but i come here to enjoy a nice quiet family get together off which did not happen.

you have got no respect for us tourists of reasonable time curfews and have i cancelled my family reunion and will now go else where

Posted by greg brown on June 18, 2010 18:23

It genuinely amazes me that someone would go to Patong for a quiet holiday. Plenty of other places in and around Phuket for that, Patong is a party town.

Posted by Benjie on June 18, 2010 20:48

Feel the fair grounds behind Jungceyon should be given back to the Thai children who have played football there for the past six years. Thais, Expats and tourists could then all enjoy it, instead of the senseless LOUD music currently being played. The area is surrounded by many Thais, with babies and young children. Also, don't the current owners realise that tourists mainly go to sleep around 10 pm for tours commencing around 7 am? Currently, the music goes to 2/3am. The last two months have been a nightmare to all residents/tourists. Either enclose the noise, or move it. PLEASE advise if this noise will continue? And is there any legal action/compensation available to surrounding hotels/guest houses/shops/restaurants/families/tourists/ex-pats who reside/holiday in the area?

Posted by Phil on June 28, 2010 23:26

The bar "Zoo" in san sabai road just gets more and more noisy after 01 and 2 am and raising the noise more and more, with sirens, etc, going off that make you think there is a tsunami at 4.30 am until 6 am or later, this can't be right?
Every night we wake up from screaming and yelling and sirens going off , thinking a disaster is coming.
Thank you very much Thailand's police enforcement for the rule enforcements.
My vacation is ruined!

Posted by JB on March 30, 2011 00:22

Communicate in phuket is so tiring and trully with cheated people.During my stay for 5 days..im so tired and feel like im staying in jungle. The people cannot speak in english..when i rent motorbike and i ask the women(render) why u give me broken motorbike..n she speaking in thailand..which is i cannot understand even single words.i rent for 24 hour and i only using it for 5 hours. Surprising me the women take the key from motorbike and say finish..finish...im tourist and i came to thailand for holiday not for collecting bad memory in patong phuket..im so disappointed and i promise u this is my last visit to phuket..is not bout the money i concern its because the service from the people..luckly when i call police tourist..the police came and very good in handling problem..so sad that i forget the name..he's so fair in this case even though he's thailand.salute for thailand police.

Posted by suryanah on October 16, 2014 21:09