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Published on January 4, 2008

Despite the many high-rise buildings, the small soi remains peaceful as this is the domain of families. Noise pollution is kept to a minimum and the residents are content.

Until one day.

It happened the week before the New Year. The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), which has an office in the soi, was hosting a sports day and a New Year's party.

Needless to say, with hundreds of staff, the sports day that kicked off early in the morning raised a ruckus.

That was during the day, when not many people were at home.

But after the sun set, as giant loudspeakers blasted to life and a crowd of telecom executives and reporters flocked join the New Year's party, the noise grew unbearable for the local residents.

It's no wonder that NTC headquarters soon welcomed some uninvited guests. The police were not on the guest list but they held every right to be there in response to complaints from residents who made phone calls to the police station.

Indeed, we should give a big hand to the police.

Though the NTC is a state agency, the police took it as their responsibility to uphold peace for all. And the NTC realised that it was not alone on the planet. It agreed to adjust the position of the stage and the speakers, which originally faced the outside fence.

Unfortunately, once they faced the building, the speakers were louder than before as the noise level simply escalated.

The noise turned deafening, given that the party featured so many entertainment venues like a cabaret show and a Ferris wheel with a look thung concept. It was said that the event cost the NTC about Bt2 million.

And the party might not even be the loudest ever, as the NTC this year will need to shoulder a lot more work. Aside from being the regulator of the telecom industry, it is now tasked to oversee the broadcasting industry ahead of the enforcement of the amended Frequency Allocation Act.

A week has passed and the residents may have forgotten the annoyance caused by the NTC.

Having shouldered hard work throughout the year, the staff did need some entertainment.

I just wonder whether the NTC will host another New Year's party at the end of 2008.

With a lot more work, the noise may well be amplified. I guess the NTC will need a new venue , though that may jack up the event's budget from a mere Bt2 million.

busdsk@nationgroup.com

The Nation