Authorities in Kanchanaburi for a long time turned a deaf ear to the shattering music that pounded out from discos on the Kwai Yai and Kwai Noi rivers. Until last Tuesday, when one person complained about it.
Prayut Chan-o-cha's order on that day woke them up, and told them to get serious about tackling the atrocious noise problem which has plagued the popular tourism province for years in the absence of any serious attempt to put an end to it.
People living nearby, and tourists who wish to stay close to nature on and along the rivers, have vented their spleens about the debilitating noise from the floating discos for a very long time. But the problem would not go away because the province's officials have simply been too inconsistent about taking action to curb the discos, which have attained infamy for what is a famous tourist attraction.
It's not surprising to see police and provincials officials in Kanchanaburi scramble to end the problem now. One day after the prime minister talked about the noisy rafts, the police and the province vowed the problem would be solved. Any operators churning out loud music, as well as those dumping garbage into the rivers, will face the consequences. Most, if not all, of the floating barges designed for commercial purposes come under the umbrella of the Rafting Operators Association of Kanchanaburi.
They are mostly along the banks in districts where the Kwai Yai and Kwai Noi rivers pass. Muang district has 450 rafts, 200 of them floating music houses and the others built as hotels or restaurants. The association insists that almost all of its members are well-behaved, and "only 2%" are bad. They simply ignore provincial regulations set as a compromise between the operators and the public. This includes keeping the noise level to 91 decibels at the most, staying away from certain areas deemed off-limits to disco rafts and a midnight deadline for loud music.
Panuwat Sindanchan, one of the operators, blames some tourists for being part of the undesirable noise problem as they force staff to turn a blind eye to the rules.
There should be no excuses from the association. The annoyances emanating from these Kanchanaburi rivers clearly show it is failing to control its members or make them fully respect the regulations. Tourists can demand operators do this and do that, but their diktats can be rejected by operators if they care to strictly follow the guidelines.
More attention to the issue will come today when agencies in Kanchanaburi meet to work out measures to solve the problems. The prime minister does not want to impose harsh measures on violators, as they should be given a chance to fix the problems rather than be shut down. But it appears the police favour a strong dose of punishment. Pol Gen Dejnarong Suthichanbancha on Wednesday considered legal action against violators and even asked the Marine Department to revoke their licences.
At least we should see the raft operators turning the volume down. But it would be better if the authorities decided to ban them all, giving them time to adjust to other floating services that won't disturb residents and tourists.
Still, nobody can guarantee this problem will end for good. The problem could come back at any time once the issue is no longer in the news.
The saddest part of this story is why the provincial authorities needed a direction from Gen Prayut in the first place. The fight against loud noise from those rafts should be carried by local authorities as they are close to the issue, not the national administration, which has bigger fish to fry.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand has an office in Kanchanaburi and in neighbouring provinces. It, along with headquarters in Bangkok, should be leading the charge against the noise pollution from the rivers. But they seem to be used to needing top-down decisions before making a move.
The TAT boasts about making tourism sustainable to keep Thailand a top destination for foreigners, and for all of the major tourism provinces like Kanchanaburi as favourite places to visit for locals and foreigners alike. The loud noise floating across the placid waters of the Kwai Yai and Kwai Noi does not fit the concept that the agency is promoting.
Saritdet Marukatat is digital media news editor, Bangkok Post.