Thai plastic bottled water quite safe say Thai authorities after US study

[RichardColeman]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

The study was conducted on plastic bottles in nine countries including the US, China and Thailand.

Any takers Thailand finished above 9th ? 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Unfortunately in this region, you not only have to worry about the plastic bottle the water is put in, but also the water itself. They get you coming and going.

 

I filter my own with a filtration system and filters from outside Thailand, and I don't buy or drink from Thai plastic bottled water at home.

 

Also, I don't believe jot one of any public pronouncement made by the Thai FDA on safety issues. In my world, they're better known as the Failing to Do Anything agency....

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, mok199 said:

any data  or bad experiences with the water from the coin operated machines around town?? we use it only to boil pasta...

You mean you don't boil the water first before cooking your pasta??

You do like to live life on the edge !!!

Boil the water first to kill the bugs... then cook your food.. not let your pasta soak up the bugs during the cooking process!!

Just a thought 

[SupermarineS6B]

I've personally tested most bottled waters in Thailand after i was very i'll for some time and i suspected it was coming from the water...... I can tell you something for sure and not very surprising is that the best water with the best Ph level is Nestle and Minere, both the same Swiss company and as pure as you'll get.  The Thai waters all came out as approaching acidic.......  Nestle and Minere are ph 7...... How the hell would you trust a water company from a country where the national airline is flying on a wing and prayer ?   Third world......... don't forget it......

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 hour ago, Kinnock said:

The quality of water from the machines depends on how often they change the filters - which from anecdotal reports is 'not very often'.  Better to get your own water filter.

Surveys by the Thai Pub Health authorities have repeatedly found large portions of the vending machines are poorly maintained and dispense substandard water.

 

That's one of the last places I'd ever get my water in Thailand -- although perhaps better than the klongs and sewers...

[Kinnock]

Just looked at the lab report - their conclusion was that there's less plastic in water sold in glass bottles than water sold in plastic bottles.  No S#1+ Sherlock - we'd have never guessed that would be the case.

 

Out of interest I wonder what the micro-plastic levels are like in Bangkok air?

 

Also - has anyone ever managed to buy something from 7-11 without getting a plastic bag and at least one plastic straw?

 

[quadperfect]

Its probobly no better no worse than the rest of the worlds bottled water.

only difference is price. In thailand 10 bht or about 30 cents gets you 1.5 litres. In us it costs you about 60 bht or 2 bucks.

If its killing us its better to pay less for it.

[Nice Boyd]

5 hours ago, mok199 said:

any data  or bad experiences with the water from the coin operated machines around town?? we use it only to boil pasta...

I would never touch a machine , you don’t if filters are changed

[Nice Boyd]

all the se water bottles are left in high temps in warehouses, I thought BHA leached from the plastic is a concern 

[SOTIRIOS]

...is that why they omit any actual figures...???

 

..preposterous....

[thaichiro]

10 hours ago, mok199 said:

i only drink Budwieser...please don't tell me its not safe !!!

Quite safe... except that it’ll destroy your taste “buds”. Horrible “beer”!

[PAIBKK]

Don't thai to me...

[brucegoniners]

This is such a Thai thing to do.

 

A scientific study was done and the Thai FDA says "ours is safe".

That's bulls%*t!

 

I'm sure the extreme heat makes those plastic water bottles even more safe. I've seen the trucks with the water on the top. Pure poison.

[Happyman58]

15 hours ago, janclaes47 said:

 

I have a hard time to believe that international standards are followed for ANYTHING in Thailand.

certainly not driving lol

[Happyman58]

3 hours ago, thaichiro said:

Quite safe... except that it’ll destroy your taste “buds”. Horrible “beer”!

agree horrible beer but chang worse

[Henrik Andersen]

That's why I not drinking water 

When government say no worries it means be worried 

[spidermike007]

There really is not need to be consuming water in plastic bottles. At least not often. There are alternatives. Those damn bottles are a real culprit, when it comes to fouling the environment. What can we do, if we say we care?

 

A change in consciousness must start at the most basic level. Most Thais think plastic is the best thing ever invented, and the percentage of Thais that even consider the negative ramifications of plastic is incredibly small. This requires some education. I always do two things to avoid the consumption of plastic.

 

1. I bring re-usable bags with me every time I go shopping. I use the larger shopping bags I buy in the US, which are made of recycled materials. Most of the clerks have to be dealt with. Even when they see my bag, they still start putting the stuff in plastic. I always "mai sai toom". No plastic! Then they start loading up my bag. Most look at me like I am from Mars. Do I care? Not one iota. About 1% thank me, and get it. Not many do. 

 

2. I bring a bottle of water with me, every time I go to a restaurant. I refill my plastic bottles from the 20 liter bottles at home. It is easy. I never buy bottled water at a restaurant. This saves 300-600 bottles a year. I use a plastic bottle dozens of times. I never get any flack from the restaurants. Only once did someone say something to me. She said you cannot bring you own water. My response was if you serve the water in a glass bottle, and I do not have to consume a plastic bottle, I am happy to pay for that. She was lost. I told her to leave and get me my food. She went away. 

 

What they are referring to is BPA, and other toxic chemicals that leach from the plastic, if the bottle sits in the sun, or has been sitting for too long, or is re-used a few times. This can easily be avoided by purchasing these bottles shown here. They are on ebay, and shipping to Thailand is either free or less than $1. The bottles are one liter, and a half liter. Only $2-3 each. Worth it. I use them daily. 

 

My Thai wife does not like bringing the bags to the store. I really encourage her to. By now, she expects it, and sometimes even asks if I have any bags in the car, or on the motorbike. Same with the water bottles. It used to embarrass her. Now, it is second nature, as I have been doing this for so long, she expects it. So, if a Thai can be conditioned to follow these simple principals, then anyone can. 

 

We simply cannot say we are concerned about the environment, and then do nothing about it. Action demonstrates commitment. Lack of action demonstrates nothing. Lastly, restaurants can demonstrate their commitment, by serving drinking water from the 20 liter bottles. It saves alot of plastic. They lose a small amount of revenue, by not selling thousands of bottles of water. But, their operation is still profitable, and they are making a real difference. 

 

 

[Lingba]

I poured water from a plastic bottle of nestles water fro  Thailand into a a cup and let it sit for 2 days...at the bottom of the cup were tiny sedements of plastic.....any of you can try this and see

[KKr]

On 3/19/2018 at 10:53 AM, mok199 said:

i only drink Budwieser...please don't tell me its not safe !!!

for good reasons, being contaminated water, in European Middle Ages some people only drank beer,
and as a by-product created a great income for the Monastery. ;-)

[Sonhia]

Interesting report.

 

I've witnessed the way in which massive blocks of ice are transported and that alone puts me off putting ice into my drinks.

 

 

 

 

[KKr]

23 minutes ago, Sonhia said:

Interesting report.

 

I've witnessed the way in which massive blocks of ice are transported and that alone puts me off putting ice into my drinks.

To be fair, the ice cubes , USUALLY, are from a tube like freezing device, and treated with due respect.
But I agree, as far as the cooling blocks go, ice cubes only from the centre of the block please, or better even: straight.

[KKr]

On 3/20/2018 at 11:57 AM, spidermike007 said:

So, if a Thai can be conditioned to follow these simple principals, then anyone can. 

Wanted to send your post, which is very good and constructive (with that you go in the 5 % outlier statistical category  :-) ), to the missus, but thought again ... haha 

[spidermike007]

21 hours ago, KKr said:

Wanted to send your post, which is very good and constructive (with that you go in the 5 % outlier statistical category  :-) ), to the missus, but thought again ... haha 

Worth a try. So many Thais think that plastic is this magical thing. They just have no idea how destructive it is.

[jackdd]

On 20.3.2018 at 11:57 AM, spidermike007 said:

Even when they see my bag, they still start putting the stuff in plastic. I always "mai sai toom". No plastic! Then they start loading up my bag. Most look at me like I am from Mars.

Maybe they just look like this because they don't understand you at first, because you say it wrong and what you say and what you expect as reaction doesn't match.

Bag is "toong" and not "toom". And you are telling them "not in a bag". But you expect them to put it in your bag.

So if you said what you actually wanted, for example "mai sai toong plastic, kae sai toong nee" while you hand them your bag, they might understand you.

[wgdanson]

5 minutes ago, jackdd said:

Maybe they just look like this because they don't understand you at first, because you say it wrong and what you say and what you expect as reaction doesn't match.

Bag is "toong" and not "toom". And you are telling them "not in a bag". But you expect them to put it in your bag.

So if you said what you actually wanted, for example "mai sai toong plastic, kae sai toong nee" while you hand them your bag, they might understand you.

I tell the cashiers in Tesco that in UK we must pay Bht 5 for every plastic bag. They usually laugh.

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, jackdd said:

Maybe they just look like this because they don't understand you at first, because you say it wrong and what you say and what you expect as reaction doesn't match.

Bag is "toong" and not "toom". And you are telling them "not in a bag". But you expect them to put it in your bag.

So if you said what you actually wanted, for example "mai sai toong plastic, kae sai toong nee" while you hand them your bag, they might understand you.

Very kind of you to offer me a free lesson in Thai! Will try it out.

[KKr]

49 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Very kind of you to offer me a free lesson in Thai! Will try it out.

"mai sai toong plastic, kae sai toong nee"   
I would recommend the instructor to use a different online translator.