Thai Tap Water....

[cjnst2]

Ok. I live in Chiang Mai and was told not to drink the water from the pipes in my apartment. Bottled water is quite cheap here and I don't mind buying it but I was wondering of another option.

In my country we have this device known as a "Brita"...may be spelled wrong...that basically filters water. You fill the Brita up with water at the top and the filtered water comes to a rest at the bottom. Store it in your fridge and when you want a cold class of water you just pour yourself a glass.

Would this be enough to make the tap water in Thailand clean enough to drink? Just wondering because with all this heat I find myself running out to get more water all the time and and alternative might work better for me.

[H2oDunc]

Ok. I live in Chiang Mai and was told not to drink the water from the pipes in my apartment. Bottled water is quite cheap here and I don't mind buying it but I was wondering of another option.

In my country we have this device known as a "Brita"...may be spelled wrong...that basically filters water. You fill the Brita up with water at the top and the filtered water comes to a rest at the bottom. Store it in your fridge and when you want a cold class of water you just pour yourself a glass.

Would this be enough to make the tap water in Thailand clean enough to drink? Just wondering because with all this heat I find myself running out to get more water all the time and and alternative might work better for me.

I know the thing you mean as I had one in London. It made the tap water there taste a little better. I dont know if I would risk it for tap water here. I was in the same situation in as I was always running out of either water or just cold water.Water or Chang? the chang always won! I eventually bought a water chiller. It takes the big plastic bottles of water costing 10 baht and chills it so you always have chilled cold water. I paid about 2300 baht and has been one of our better buys here. We now wouldnt be without it.

[chevykanteve]

I've had Thai tap water several times over the years --in Bangkok and in Roi-et. I never intentionally drank the stuff; it was invariably by accident. But I never got sick. Maybe I was just lucky.

[pampal]

In BKK I use tap water for cooking, brushing teeth and sometimes drink the stuff

Never got sick

[SamuiJens]

In BKK I use tap water for cooking, brushing teeth and sometimes drink the stuff

Never got sick

I wouldn't drink it on a regular basis, since hepititic A can occur, even if you don't get sick.

[mumbojumbo]

If you can get 20 liters of filtered water delivered to your front door for 10 baht, why would you

even consider drinking tap water.

[lopburi3]

In Bangkok tap water is safe to drink in most locations, at most times - but most Thai (and I) will still filter it. You will often see a three section SS filter on the wall of shophouse restaurants with the center smaller filter being key to removal of bacteria and many virus. This normal filter is ceramic but is being replaced by plastic models. RO and UV can also be used for those more paranoid. I believe the mentioned filter (Brita) is marked for potable water only and should not be used for unsafe or questionable water. If you visit Tesco there will be a long line of filters available.

[samran]

we've plonked a two stage fliter (ceramic and carbon) on our tap here and drink what comes out, never a problem. We change the filters every 6 months or so. You get one of these for about 1400 baht at tesco lotus.

Water which leaves the water works is OK (PWA and MWA), it is the older pipes under some streets and in some buildings where things are probematic.

For us, it is less about the cost (as bottled water is cheap), more about the fact that before we got the filter, we were always running out of water. Pain in the arse to go up the street when you are in your PJ's.

[macb]

Ok. I live in Chiang Mai and was told not to drink the water from the pipes in my apartment. Bottled water is quite cheap here and I don't mind buying it but I was wondering of another option.

In my country we have this device known as a "Brita"...may be spelled wrong...that basically filters water. You fill the Brita up with water at the top and the filtered water comes to a rest at the bottom. Store it in your fridge and when you want a cold class of water you just pour yourself a glass.

Would this be enough to make the tap water in Thailand clean enough to drink? Just wondering because with all this heat I find myself running out to get more water all the time and and alternative might work better for me.

You probably would be have been better putting your Topic in the Farming section as there areseveral posts there relating to drinking water etc:

[Jockstar]

Lived in Bangkok for 5 years and brushed my reeth with it, washed dishes with it. Never had problem. I used to now this chick who was tight as ######(English farang) and would rarely buy bottled water. But made her Thai husband drink tap water. Just filled up empty water bottles and stuck it in the fridge. Both of them were never sick.

[AlexLah]

I have drinked tap water for about a year here in BKK, never got sick.

But but but, I changed to bottled water after I noticed what was developing in a drinking bowl for my cat.

Had the drinkingbowl filled with tapwater on my balcony and it stayed there untouched for about a week (I had the doors closed thats why).

All kind of green dark slimey stuff started to grow in the bowl.

[SamuiJens]

Drink tap water and you'll likelly come down with Hepitites A, so if you have get a blood test. If you don't give a shit about your health & liver, DON'T!

[Gary A]

One place where I lived in Bangkok furnished and delivered my water as part of the rent. It was in those big translucent plastic bottles. I would have never guessed that they were filling those bottles directly from the tap. It's now been a number of years and it appears that it didn't hurt me. They could have saved themselves a lot of work by filling them from my tap instead of having to carry them upstairs. The landlady insisted that the water was filtered. It was, it did go through a big single stage filter that never had the filter media changed since it was new.

[torito]

Drink tap water and you'll likelly come down with Hepitites A, so if you have get a blood test. If you don't give a shit about your health & liver, DON'T!

This is a littke bit harsh isn't. Never heard of a farang with Hepatitis A because of drinking tap water....I think it would have made headlines..............or am I ill-informed?.

I have been in here for about 7 years and I have used tap water for everything except cooking. I use filter since about a year as it is a fashion.....even for thais.

Edited April 21, 2007 by torito

[lopburi3]

Drink tap water and you'll likelly come down with Hepitites A, so if you have get a blood test. If you don't give a shit about your health & liver, DON'T!

I have not seen anyone suggest drinking the tap water in Samui and I don't know the status there. But Bangkok tap water tested better than bottled when I was living here more than 25 years ago (US Embassy Medical Unit) and almost all areas of the city are now considered safe to drink.

[sriracha john]

we've plonked a two stage fliter (ceramic and carbon) on our tap here and drink what comes out, never a problem. We change the filters every 6 months or so. You get one of these for about 1400 baht at tesco lotus.

Water which leaves the water works is OK (PWA and MWA), it is the older pipes under some streets and in some buildings where things are probematic.

For us, it is less about the cost (as bottled water is cheap), more about the fact that before we got the filter, we were always running out of water. Pain in the arse to go up the street when you are in your PJ's.

Hurry! Hurry!! Hurry!!!

Sale ends April 26 at Carrefour

Marked down from 1290 to 699 baht:

btw, very much in agreement with the last reason given for having one...

Edited April 21, 2007 by sriracha john

[SamuiJens]

Drink tap water and you'll likelly come down with Hepitites A, so if you have get a blood test. If you don't give a shit about your health & liver, DON'T!

I have not seen anyone suggest drinking the tap water in Samui and I don't know the status there. But Bangkok tap water tested better than bottled when I was living here more than 25 years ago (US Embassy Medical Unit) and almost all areas of the city are now considered safe to drink.

Sorry,ppl I was talking about out of Bangkok, like the islands here.

[scousemouse]

dont do the tap water !!!! , i've had a few experiences from drinking that stuff that some people would pay good money for !!!!. I do know how it is though needing a good glass of water (the fruit of life). Dont trust the water purifiers they have over here , why does one cost 2,000 and another costs 10,000 when they're supposed to do the same job ?!.

[chingching]

Been here a year and drink only tap water. No problem. Maybe I had Hep A already ? Seems most people have, and then u have immunity to getting it again. hepA

Hepatitis A, a liver disease caused by hepatitis A virus (HAV), is highly contagious. Historically, it was called infectious hepatitis. HAV attacks the liver, but unlike hepatitis B and C, it does not cause chronic infection, liver cancer or chronic liver failure. Each year, approximately 1.5 million people worldwide become infected with hepatitis A and there were an estimated 180,000 cases in the U.S. in 1999. It is most prevalent in areas of poor sanitation and hygiene, and was common in the United States until 1950s. Children in developing countries are infected at a very early age, usually without symptoms. In the developed world, more and more people do not contract the disease during childhood due to the good sanitation. They therefore are at risk when adults from the more severe form of the disease which they might catch when they travel to areas of the world where hepatitis A is common. Most individuals recover from acute infection with Hepatitis A. However, a few adults will require hospitalization and treatment and some may progress to need liver transplantation.Children tend to do well with this virus generally complaining of flu-like symptoms. While most adults do well, some may not and will require medical assistance.

[AmeriThai]

But Bangkok tap water tested better than bottled when I was living here more than 25 years ago (US Embassy Medical Unit) and almost all areas of the city are now considered safe to drink.

Sure, it depends on where it's been tested though. Water exiting the water treatment plants is pure and clean. Main pipes that have been replaced along some of the major roads might also be free of contaminants. But what about the pipes in between those newly replaced ones? Not all pipes have been replaced. And pipes leading off the main ones to the sois can still be old allowing all kinds of contaminants to seep in, ultimately coming right out the tap.

[scousemouse]

But Bangkok tap water tested better than bottled when I was living here more than 25 years ago (US Embassy Medical Unit) and almost all areas of the city are now considered safe to drink.

Sure, it depends on where it's been tested though. Water exiting the water treatment plants is pure and clean. Main pipes that have been replaced along some of the major roads might also be free of contaminants. But what about the pipes in between those newly replaced ones? Not all pipes have been replaced. And pipes leading off the main ones to the sois can still be old allowing all kinds of contaminants to seep in, ultimately coming right out the tap.

Sawadee cap AmeriThai' , and could you please tell me what water pipes have been "replaced" in thailand without the sniff of corruption which in turn leads to unsafe drinking water. NB. thai citizens dont drink tap water.

[bsided69]

Dont drink the water. It will make your bum go bang!!! Britta water felcher. Wat Ever!

[scousemouse]

Dont drink the water. It will make your bum go bang!!! Britta water felcher. Wat Ever!

tuk dong bsided69' !!!!!!!!

[sutnyod]

Bangkok tap water:

Bangkok is situated in a swamp. In swamp areas you usually get a huge accumulation of heavy metals. Even though you can drink the water without getting sick, heavy metals do not get flushed out of your system and will lead to problems, sooner or later.

I remember some WHO survey on this, but cannot find it.

[ronw]

All water passed by me is safe to drink!

Sorry, just could not resist the impulse!!!!

[bmanly]

The following is off the Brita website in Australia: Link Here

I wonder too, if this product does what it says it does will it be enough for tap water anywhere in Thailand?

Step 1

Pre-Filtration: The water flows through a fine mesh filter.

Step 2

Ion Exchange Filtration: The ion exchange resin reduces the heavy metals, including lead and copper, as well as the carbonate hardness that causes limescale build-up in kettles and affects the taste and aroma of tea or coffee.

Step 3

Activated Carbon Filtration: The granulated activated carbon significantly reduces substances that affect the taste and odour of your tap water, such as chlorine, certain pesticides and organic impurities.

Step 4

Final Filtration: Fine mesh particle filter.

MAXTRA FlowControl

The MAXTRA FlowControl ensures a consistent flow rate through the cartridge and optimises the contact times between water and filtration media for superior performance.

[lopburi3]

But Bangkok tap water tested better than bottled when I was living here more than 25 years ago (US Embassy Medical Unit) and almost all areas of the city are now considered safe to drink.

Sure, it depends on where it's been tested though. Water exiting the water treatment plants is pure and clean. Main pipes that have been replaced along some of the major roads might also be free of contaminants. But what about the pipes in between those newly replaced ones? Not all pipes have been replaced. And pipes leading off the main ones to the sois can still be old allowing all kinds of contaminants to seep in, ultimately coming right out the tap.

It is tested in all areas of the city and the most current reports were that almost all were considered safe to drink - water mains under pressure leak - they do not allow entry. The problem is in areas of very low pressure and at end of the line with low chlorine levels in the water - and the workers who dig it up and allow entry for foreign matter and then turn the water back on. In the past there was a serious problem in villages of pumping directly from mains and that has always been my concern - but most people now pump from a holding tank in the low pressure mobans. As I said I use a filter, as do most people, for those reasons.

[AmeriThai]

But Bangkok tap water tested better than bottled when I was living here more than 25 years ago (US Embassy Medical Unit) and almost all areas of the city are now considered safe to drink.

Sure, it depends on where it's been tested though. Water exiting the water treatment plants is pure and clean. Main pipes that have been replaced along some of the major roads might also be free of contaminants. But what about the pipes in between those newly replaced ones? Not all pipes have been replaced. And pipes leading off the main ones to the sois can still be old allowing all kinds of contaminants to seep in, ultimately coming right out the tap.

Sawadee cap AmeriThai' , and could you please tell me what water pipes have been "replaced" in thailand without the sniff of corruption which in turn leads to unsafe drinking water. NB. thai citizens dont drink tap water.

I couldn't begin to tell you what water pipes have been replaced or where, even without adding corruption to the picture. I’d like to know that as well. Parts of BKK have made some enormous changes over the last few decades, to the point that some places are barely recognizable in comparison to the past. But those seem to be mostly surface changes.

Over the decades, I think there has been some replacement, but very little and probably only to repair sections of lines that have been close to failure. I’d guess the water lines for the most part are still as antiquated as ever. The only areas of any new lines would be to areas of newer construction. But many of those areas would still be fed from the main system of older lines. BKK is a very large city. And virtually no major replacement to lines on roads and sois off main roads.

To say Thai citizens don’t drink tap water implies most or all Thai people. I disagree.

Sure, some Thai citizens don’t drink tap water, but I’d have to say most of the citizens in Thailand, including those in BKK, do indeed drink tap water or from worse sources. For many it may be a matter of personal affordability even though bottled water is available almost everywhere throughout the country.

I know of people who drink water from sources that would make your hair stand on end. I’d guess they’ve either been extremely lucky to avoid becoming seriously ill, or they’ve become a bit more immune than most farangs. More than likely, it’s a combination of both.

Water in BKK may have been tested and declared safe for drinking 25 years ago as Lopburi3 said, but that was 25 years ago. How reliable and accurate is it now? It's up to each individual to decide whether to drink tap water or not.

The only exception I've seen using tap water that's reasonably safe for drinking are from in-house units with an impressive filtration system and also boils the water. It's strictly for purifying water for drinking. The water has to be put in the fridge to cool down. Our daughter and son-in-law have a setup like that at their place in Don Muang.

[AmeriThai]

It is tested in all areas of the city and the most current reports were that almost all were considered safe to drink - water mains under pressure leak - they do not allow entry. The problem is in areas of very low pressure and at end of the line with low chlorine levels in the water - and the workers who dig it up and allow entry for foreign matter and then turn the water back on. In the past there was a serious problem in villages of pumping directly from mains and that has always been my concern - but most people now pump from a holding tank in the low pressure mobans. As I said I use a filter, as do most people, for those reasons.

And that's the problem. Tap water doesn't feed directly off the main lines. It comes from smaller branch lines. And there are zillions of such aging lines that have remained untouched for ages. As I indicated, water at the source where it's been purified is perfectly clean. But by the time it reaches the tap, it can be a different story.

"As I said I use a filter, as do most people, for those reasons."

Sounds sensible to me.

[spell correction]

Edited April 22, 2007 by AmeriThai

[pampal]

How about all the ppl in Thonburi who swim, and wash in the Mae Nam Chao Phraya.

They seem to be OK

I drink the tap water sometimes, not always, but sometimes.

It's OK for occassional usage.