A visit by reporters in early May to the Bay Mau coconut forest cultural and historical site in Hoi An Dong Ward found the area significantly quieter than in previous years, with many tourism operators no longer using portable loudspeakers to attract visitors.
Small roads winding through the village were peaceful, while domestic and foreign tourists walked, took photographs and toured the coconut forest without the intrusive noise that had previously drawn complaints from residents.
According to Nguyen Van Hung, a tourist from Hanoi, loud music from portable speakers during a visit last year had left him and his companions uncomfortable.
“During this trip, I hardly heard any loudspeakers and the village feels much quieter,” Hung said, adding that authorities and tourism businesses should preserve the peaceful atmosphere of the coconut forest or risk losing returning visitors.
Tran Ba, the owner of a local tourism business, said noise from portable karaoke speakers in residential areas of the Bay Mau coconut forest had fallen by nearly 100 per cent compared with the 2024-2025 period.
“Residents and tourists are very pleased because the area has become peaceful again,” Ba said, praising local authorities for reducing noise pollution in the village.
Ba said the decline followed the introduction of Government Decree 282, which took effect on December 15, 2025 and tightened regulations on noise pollution, particularly portable karaoke systems, alongside stronger intervention from local authorities.
Residents said that in previous years, loud music in Korean, English and Vietnamese blasted daily from around 2 pm to 4.30 pm, forcing many households to keep doors shut to reduce the noise.
They said the music would stop when inspectors arrived, only to resume once officials left.
Le Cong Sy, director of the Hoi An Dong Ward Public Service Centre, which manages the Bay Mau coconut forest, said awareness campaigns and inspections launched after the decree came into effect had helped curb the problem.
“Noise from portable speakers inside the village has fallen sharply and residents are no longer complaining about the disorder,” Sy said.
He added that loudspeakers are now mainly used on boats along the river to serve tourists and no longer affect daily life in the residential area.
