Are the water dispensers in Thailand safe to drink?

[Rachel2023]

I've noticed many water dispensers around Thailand where you can get drinking water for just one baht. Does anyone know if this water is safe to drink? I'm a bit concerned about the quality and safety. What have your experiences been?

[ravip]

I have drunk water from these a couple of times - to date, nothing!

Also, I have seen many people using those.

I guess all depends on each persons immunity?

[Rachel2023]

6 minutes ago, ravip said:

I have drunk water from these a couple of times - to date, nothing!

Also, I have seen many people using those.

I guess all depends on each persons immunity?

Yes, I think it depends on each person. But I saw some machines with some mosses around them. I also found an old discussion around it as well: 

 

[garygooner]

My apartment has a water dispenser. I've started using it a couple of times a week for about 6 months. I do continue to buy water from 7-11 too. Actually can't notice the difference and feel okay. The dispenser looks like it gets 'cleaned' once every 6 or 12 months. 

Have to check the paper on the dispenser again.

[ravip]

40 minutes ago, Rachel2023 said:

Yes, I think it depends on each person. But I saw some machines with some mosses around them. I also found an old discussion around it as well: 

 

Drinking water is a difficult subject indeed!

In some places, water that's bottled is not a guarantee of its quality/purity.

Is there no laboratory where a person could take a sample and get it checked? Surely, there must be???

[CharlieH]

Only thing to be aware of, is filters cost money and there is no incentive for the owner to spend money change those filters. Personally I wouldnt risk it given how cheap water is to buy in bottles or even the large delivered to your door bottle versions.

[OneMoreFarang]

Just now, CharlieH said:

Only thing to be aware of, is filters cost money and there is no incentive for the owner to spend money change those filters. Personally I wouldnt risk it given how cheap water is to buy in bottles or even the large delivered to your door bottle versions.

I agree.

Is there any maintenance and/or quality control?

Do you expect that everybody who uses these machines will have clean hands and bottles?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Freddy42OZ]

2 hours ago, Rachel2023 said:

I've noticed many water dispensers around Thailand where you can get drinking water for just one baht. Does anyone know if this water is safe to drink? I'm a bit concerned about the quality and safety. What have your experiences been?

 

 

I've been drinking from them for 16 years with no ill effects

But it would depend on *which* machine, as they are not all maintained the same.  

I know the ones in my condo are regularly cleaned and serviced.

[gintis0604]

3 hours ago, Rachel2023 said:

I've noticed many water dispensers around Thailand where you can get drinking water for just one baht. Does anyone know if this water is safe to drink? I'm a bit concerned about the quality and safety. What have your experiences been?

 

[klauskunkel]

I bring it to a boil before drinking.

[drgoon]

better to stay safe and don't use them.

[gargamon]

These machines shut down after some number of gallons are distributed so they can be serviced. It happens in my building all the time. The water is totally safe to drink. The people who say it's not have no idea. They'd probably tell you to not eat street food too.

Edited June 24 by gargamon

[john donson]

it is the same reverse osmosis as you get in your plastic bottles everywhere

 

microplastics and all... but if you ever have seen how bottled water is made

 

a hot glowing plastic tube, blown into a bottle shape and not a minute later, seconds, filled it water...  off course you will be drinking plastic particles 

 

 

[D2Pipes]

It all depends on the filters especially the RO filter giving you two choices:-

i) Buy a TDS meter to test the cleanliness of the water from the B1 macheines
https://www.lazada.co.th/products/lcd-i4836644374-s20193809225.html?

 

ii) Buy your own RO water machine

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/ro-colandas-50gpd-i2712848960-s9803632973.html?

 

The links are for type and NOT a recommendation.....

[Andyfez]

It depends on how often the filter is cleaned I guess. I wouldn't do it.

[Surasak]

6 hours ago, Rachel2023 said:

I've noticed many water dispensers around Thailand where you can get drinking water for just one baht. Does anyone know if this water is safe to drink? I'm a bit concerned about the quality and safety. What have your experiences been?

The water is safe to drink, as to the dispensers, I wouldn't mess with those if I were you.

[thesetat2013]

7 hours ago, Rachel2023 said:

I've noticed many water dispensers around Thailand where you can get drinking water for just one baht. Does anyone know if this water is safe to drink? I'm a bit concerned about the quality and safety. What have your experiences been?

In 2016, a comprehensive study of water refill dispensers in Thailand found that 40% of them failed to meet potable water quality standards. That's right! Almost half of water dispensers across the entirety of Thailand were dispensing water that failed to meet the standards for potable water

https://www.expatinsurance.com/articles/is-it-safe-to-drink-from-water-refill-dispensers-in-thailand

I doubt if it got any better

[rwill]

You can get some and take it to be tested.

[geisha]

I’d never drink it. The big bottles delivered I use only for cooking ( boiled) . I prefer the 1.5 litre ones unfortunately as it doesn’t help the trash problem. 

[Toby1947]

No, Definitely not, a friend of mine returned to the UK. NHS with flukes in his liver what ever they are. Just look at the plumbing behind these never cleaned disgusting things, straight out the filthy mains. 3rd world country with 6th world plumbing 

[bkk6060]

It is tap water with probably a cheap or broken filter.  I would never drink that water got to be really cheap to buy it.

[London Lowf]

12 hours ago, john donson said:

a hot glowing plastic tube, blown into a bottle shape and not a minute later, seconds, filled it water...  off course you will be drinking plastic particles 

 

Wow - never seen that, and I used to work for a company that supplied plastic blown film/cast film/extrusion machinery.

 

I guess you are also drinking glass particles every time you have a beer? Or ceramic particles every time you eat your dinner?

 

 

 

[Andycoops]

A report done years ago on the water bottle filling dispensers in Pattaya found most hadn't been cleaned or maintained and the quality being dispensed was below safety limits.

Buyer beware..

 

[Marcous]

Been using them for years without any issues. 

 

I have a TDS meter and it measures at 100 PPM and according to the WHO, anything below 300 is OK.

 

A TDS meter will only measure the ions in the water though and not any other nasties like bacteria or petrol for example. 

 

Once I asked the owner of a machine how often they change the filter and they didn't know what I was talking about. 

 

The amount of chlorine in the tap water though should kill off any bacteria before it gets in there but I guess it depends on the cleanliness of the individual machine.

[Angus55]

22 hours ago, CharlieH said:

Only thing to be aware of, is filters cost money and there is no incentive for the owner to spend money change those filters. Personally I wouldnt risk it given how cheap water is to buy in bottles or even the large delivered to your door bottle versions.

Personally I would never buy bottled water unless in emergency. 

[rickudon]

Water in plastic bottles..... ever seen the stacks outside of 7-11 and Lotus express, sitting in the sun, maybe for weeks. Just because it is bottled doesn't mean it was absolutely sterile. The large re-fillable 20 litre bottles have a high turnover and probably safer to use. Some years ago a study in UK found that tap water often less bacteria than bottled water.

 

Anyway, have never seen any reports in Thailand of deaths attributed to drinking any type of bottled water. Not saying never happened, but would be extremely rare. Most tap water safe as well; i use it for brushing my teeth, never any evidence it caused any illness. 

 

Like anywhere in the world, water from a proper treatment plant is nearly always safe when it leaves it (always some exceptions, e.g. Flint Michigan). But contamination post treatment is a theoretical risk.