Neighborhoods in Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta region have been vexed by mindless locals who sing karaoke with loudspeakers operating at full-capacity irrespective of what time it is.

Instead of showing off their singing “competency” in sound-proof karaoke parlors or at least with their house doors shut tight, more people in the southern hub and such delta provinces as Dong Thap and Tien Giang have taken up singing karaoke with four or up to eight large loudspeakers operating at full volume.   

They tend to place the speakers in their yards or even face them toward next-door houses to boost “vivacity” and add fun to their weddings, death anniversary parties or just any gatherings.

Even funerals or worshipping ceremonies dedicated to the deceased, where solemnity is supposed to be pervasive, are sometimes “livened up” with such karaoke singing at full throttle.

The deafening music, along with the singers’ strident voices, drowns out all other noises and get on their neighbors’ nerves.

Le Ha Luan, deputy chair of Cao Lanh City in Dong Thap Province, said many do so just to keep up with the Joneses or even try to outdo their neighbors by hiring more speakers.

Many also hire large speakers and do karaoke singing only to satisfy their indulgence and for no particular reason at all, Luan observed.

Phuc, a resident in Binh Tan District of Ho Chi Minh City, lamented that many families in his neighborhood have taken great pleasure in the newly acquired hobby, singing several hours on end into the wee hours despite their neighbors’ complaints and grumbles.

Residents in the alley where Phuc lives said they are on edge whenever a household throws a party.

Those living in different alleys in Tan Phu District of the same city also moan about the headaches and chest pains they suffer due to the earsplitting music.

Whenever complaints are voiced, the mindless people either refuse to heed them or turn up their volume.

Several aggressive people even trigger scuffles with the complainants.

Some even pay semi-professional singers to sing well into the night, depriving neighbors of sleep.

“The relentless noise keeps us from having a good rest in the evening and on weekends. Our children can’t concentrate on their studies. We’ve repeatedly reported the nuisance to local authorities but most of our complaints have gone unnoticed,” Chi said.

T.T.K.P., of Tien Giang Province’s Cho Gao District, whined that her family and others are already at their wits’ end regarding how to cope with the perturbing noise.

“Most of us put up with the disturbance to avoid neighborly scuffles, but several also seek help from local authorities, to little avail,” she added.

Tran Huy Hoang, an official in Tan Phu District of Ho Chi Minh City, said his staff members have noted down locals’ complaints and carried out thorough inspections.

They have also requested karaoke-singing households to turn down their volume at certain times during the day.

The district will also work with environment agencies to gauge the noise produced by cafés, shops or perpetual violators and slap fines on them if the noise exceeds the allowed caps.

According to Nguyen Thi Phan, head of District 5’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment in Ho Chi Minh City, causing troubles by singing karaoke too loud may be tolerated on special occasions but repeat offenders will get warned by local authorities.

If their disruptive acts persist after several warnings, local officials and environmental agencies will gauge the noise volume at the offenders’ cost and decide whether to impose fines.

As stipulated in Government Decree 179 regarding administrative fines on environmental breaches which was issued in 2013, owners of businesses which produce excessive noise shall be fined VND1-160 million (US$47-7,456).

Government Decree 167, released the same year, prescribed that individuals making loud noise which affects neighbors from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am the following day are subject to stern warnings or fines of VND100,000 ($5) to VND300,000 ($14).

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