12 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

Yes, because plastic over-contamination is well known cause of death.... 

Not for humans but for other species, most definitely.  Not saying plastics don't cause some human health issues but death is far from common.  Online shopping is environmentally a mess here in Thailand. If you don't wrap everything in copious amounts of bubble wrap you get bad reviews for items that need no wrapping ( cans of tune...).

I couldn’t state for certain that these places popping up all over are abiding by any hygiene standards despite what it says on their labels.

The competition and price reduction which is undercutting the 7-Elevens and Lotus’s’s etc by 500 or 600% is surely due to some entrepreneurial genius mindset at work ??

22 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

I refuse to buy bottled water because I don't want to be responsible for the consumption of all that plastic, so I buy the 20 liter bottles, have them delivered to my home and then I carry around a bottle of hard plastic or metal and bring it into restaurants, thereby saving perhaps 600 plastic bottles a year from being wasted.

 

I think in general people grossly underestimate the problem of plastic accumulation on this planet, much of it ends up in the sea, and only 12% of the plastic that gets recycled is actually reused. 

I have been doing some test of my own, on bottles water, 12 liters, small bottles, and even the small bottles of water given at Bangkok Hospital.

As I was concerned about the micro-plastic contained plastic bottles. Not that much perhaps, but then I do not trust all that is prepared in Thailand.

So my makeshift test consisted of pouring some water into a blender, and activating the blender for some 10 seconds or so.

 

Here are some pictures of the blending container, after some tests, starting with water from the White large 12 liter bottles, to the clear or light blue large 12 liter bottles.

 

Then I tested small plastic bottles, of which the ones from Bangkok Hospital was worrisome. I even brought a picture of the results to a doctor at the hospital, asking if perhaps they would be interested in testing these waters, using their facilities. I do not know if they did...

 

Some bottled water did a lot better than others. A real bad one would be from the white 12 liter bottles...

One supplier using the clear or light blue large 12 liter bottles did very well, even if I try to get bottles that look new or nearly new, less damages by multiple uses, and sunlight... No picture is attached of that supplier, as the blender container was next to pristine...

 

34 minutes ago, Andre0720 said:

I have been doing some test of my own, on bottles water, 12 liters, small bottles, and even the small bottles of water given at Bangkok Hospital.

As I was concerned about the micro-plastic contained plastic bottles. Not that much perhaps, but then I do not trust all that is prepared in Thailand.

So my makeshift test consisted of pouring some water into a blender, and activating the blender for some 10 seconds or so.

 

Here are some pictures of the blending container, after some tests, starting with water from the White large 12 liter bottles, to the clear or light blue large 12 liter bottles.

 

Then I tested small plastic bottles, of which the ones from Bangkok Hospital was worrisome. I even brought a picture of the results to a doctor at the hospital, asking if perhaps they would be interested in testing these waters, using their facilities. I do not know if they did...

 

Some bottled water did a lot better than others. A real bad one would be from the white 12 liter bottles...

One supplier using the clear or light blue large 12 liter bottles did very well, even if I try to get bottles that look new or nearly new, less damages by multiple uses, and sunlight... No picture is attached of that supplier, as the blender container was next to pristine...

 

I think using hard plastic and making sure the bottles are BPA free is at least one step in the right direction. Something has to be done about the use of single-use plastic bottles, it's an abomination, and most people are completely unconscious about the entire issue. 

1 minute ago, spidermike007 said:

I think using hard plastic and making sure the bottles are BPA free is at least one step in the right direction. Something has to be done about the use of single-use plastic bottles, it's an abomination, and most people are completely unconscious about the entire issue. 

Do you recycle your condoms?

I prefer single use products of this nature.

52 minutes ago, Andre0720 said:

I have been doing some test of my own, on bottles water, 12 liters, small bottles, and even the small bottles of water given at Bangkok Hospital.

As I was concerned about the micro-plastic contained plastic bottles. Not that much perhaps, but then I do not trust all that is prepared in Thailand.

So my makeshift test consisted of pouring some water into a blender, and activating the blender for some 10 seconds or so.

 

Here are some pictures of the blending container, after some tests, starting with water from the White large 12 liter bottles, to the clear or light blue large 12 liter bottles.

 

Then I tested small plastic bottles, of which the ones from Bangkok Hospital was worrisome. I even brought a picture of the results to a doctor at the hospital, asking if perhaps they would be interested in testing these waters, using their facilities. I do not know if they did...

 

Some bottled water did a lot better than others. A real bad one would be from the white 12 liter bottles...

One supplier using the clear or light blue large 12 liter bottles did very well, even if I try to get bottles that look new or nearly new, less damages by multiple uses, and sunlight... No picture is attached of that supplier, as the blender container was next to pristine...

 

What do the pics show? How was the blender cleaned between tests? How would you determine what has more microplastics?  Do microplastics become visible after blending and how did you come up with this test regimen.  I think it is funny and we all probably have too much time to be goofy.

1 hour ago, Andre0720 said:

, to the clear or light blue large 12 liter bottles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

These ?

 

they are not 12lt.

 

I have done my own testing as well. If I do not clean the toilet bowl, a ring develops around the water line. Also, the grout around the base of the toilet turns yellow. It proves the water is not safe to drink. 

11 minutes ago, atpeace said:

What do the pics show? How was the blender cleaned between tests? How would you determine what has more microplastics?  Do microplastics become visible after blending and how did you come up with this test regimen.  I think it is funny and we all probably have too much time to be goofy.

Ok, so I see that you need more to understand than the average individual here....

So, just for you, what it shows, using the same method of analysis, the same hygienic protocol, that some bottled water will show different quantities of residual content from the water, after blending. Some bottled water will show just about no residual content.

Which means that some bottled water would be much better than others. 

Of course I could not identify what that residual content was, but it certainly did not look healthy, and I certainly do not want to ingest it.

So I do buy water that at the least, have a chance of being hygienic.

 

A was replying to Mike, who is concerned, rightly so, about the impact of all this plastic in the environment.

I wish more people like him would be concerned about this issue. I just added an issue of quality of content.

 

Not sure if you can understand that.

9 minutes ago, Andre0720 said:

Ok, so I see that you need more to understand than the average individual here....

So, just for you, what it shows, using the same method of analysis, the same hygienic protocol, that some bottled water will show different quantities of residual content from the water, after blending. Some bottled water will show just about no residual content.

Which means that some bottled water would be much better than others. 

Of course I could not identify what that residual content was, but it certainly did not look healthy, and I certainly do not want to ingest it.

So I do buy water that at the least, have a chance of being hygienic.

 

A was replying to Mike, who is concerned, rightly so, about the impact of all this plastic in the environment.

I wish more people like him would be concerned about this issue. I just added an issue of quality of content.

 

Not sure if you can understand that.

So is distilled water heather than mineral water?

7 minutes ago, Andre0720 said:

Ok, so I see that you need more to understand than the average individual here....

So, just for you, what it shows, using the same method of analysis, the same hygienic protocol, that some bottled water will show different quantities of residual content from the water, after blending. Some bottled water will show just about no residual content.

Which means that some bottled water would be much better than others. 

Of course I could not identify what that residual content was, but it certainly did not look healthy, and I certainly do not want to ingest it.

So I do buy water that at the least, have a chance of being hygienic.

 

A was replying to Mike, who is concerned, rightly so, about the impact of all this plastic in the environment.

I wish more people like him would be concerned about this issue. I just added an issue of quality of content.

 

Not sure if you can understand that.

Thanks and I get your perspective even if I think it is flawed 🙂 Maybe I simply don't grasp the the significance of the pictures as you have stated and thanks for the explanation.

4 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

I have done my own testing as well. If I do not clean the toilet bowl, a ring develops around the water line. Also, the grout around the base of the toilet turns yellow. It proves the water is not safe to drink. 

 

I stopped drinking toilet water years ago.

6 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

I have done my own testing as well. If I do not clean the toilet bowl, a ring develops around the water line. Also, the grout around the base of the toilet turns yellow. It proves the water is not safe to drink. 

What you should get tested is for the presence of synaptic activity in your brain.

Ask for a very sensitive device, capable to detect even minute activity.

Please report, after you finished cleaning your toilet...

6 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

These ?

 

they are not 12lt.

 

Oh yes, 18.9 liters. 

But the water that shows no debris in the blender, is Nestle, from stores, clear water, and S.P.A., same bottles as the ones you show in your post.. I think that they do not service Karon. From near Naka market, to Phuket town, and Chalong. 

No debris in my blender, while even the water at the hospital shows quite a bit of debris.

Try the test yourself.

Not very complicated, even if some members do not understand how it can be done...

Do any of the water filter systems with RO work well compared to branded  bottled water?

23 hours ago, scorecard said:

 

My Thai son regularly takes sports teams to competitions away from our city. He buys packs of quite small plastic bottles of water from Makro or Big C take on each trip. Usually 12 bottles per pack.

 

At home he tests one bottle from each pack using a test kit approved by the Thai Health ministry.  Once in about 5 or 6 years the water has failed the test. He then tested more bottles from the same pack, all failed the test, against a ministry quality formula. 

 

He took the pack had been bought back to Big C. After initially being ignored a supervisor asked what the problem was. Son showed a copy of a health ministry document re water quality and showed the test he was using. The Big C supervisor called a more senior person who took it all very seriously 

 

Son pointed out the stack the pack of water bottles had come from. Instantly all packs removed and some documents signed. 

 

After that, who knows? 

After that they waited 20 minutes and put them all back .

On 10/3/2025 at 8:39 AM, bkk6060 said:

Whatever people choose up to them. 

I find the majority of the waters salty and have bad after taste and can cause odd stomach issues.

The only water I drink is Mont Fluer.

I also prefer to drink Mont Fleur Mineral Water, which I think has the best taste. All brands of drinking water and even the cheapest bottled mineral water leaves me with at bitter taste in my mouth after drinking, unless I drink it at very cold temperature.

I always make sure that all plastic bottles are being recycled. I would really love to have my own system to filter tab water at home, but the water from even the most expensive machines I have tested, leaves me with a bitter taste in the mouth after drinking.

On 10/3/2025 at 1:25 AM, Harry Tuchas said:

Sometimes I wonder if the whole thing is just a bunch of petty snobbery over something as common as H2O.

 

I wonder if that's why Evian spelled backwards is naive. The company is aware of its customers.

On 10/3/2025 at 1:12 AM, Bday Prang said:

thats exactly what it is , and its nothing new, nor is it unique to water. Its a mixture of snobbery spurred on by marketing techniques based on the snobbery

yep!,you got it in one,total snbbery. I find Harry Crappers is the smoothest 

On 10/3/2025 at 12:53 AM, FlorC said:

As long as it’s cold

 

When it is cold , you taste less.

 

I can tell the difference between some of them.

 

https://www.travelandleisureasia.com/in/people/interview-with-martin-riese-water-sommelier/

 

This guy would agree ..

 

On 10/3/2025 at 2:23 AM, SAFETY FIRST said:

When I first arrived, 7eleven were selling very cheap bottled water, it came in a similar bottle, to the distilled water below. 

 

The girlfriend would tell me not to buy. 

 

 

 

Genuinely distilled water is toxic ....

 

Whoops! Edit: Just saw on rereading that you bought 'similar'.

 

On 10/3/2025 at 7:05 AM, scubascuba3 said:

Problem with the 1 baht water machines you don't know if the filter is working and clean, i switched to Makro Aro 1.5L

My mate was the manager of a large water plant in Australia  for 30 years and on a visit to Bangkok I showed him one of those fill your own bottle filtered water machines and he said exactly that .You don't know how long since the filters have been cleaned or replaced  ans there was no way tht he would risk it

30 minutes ago, wavodavo said:

My mate was the manager of a large water plant in Australia  for 30 years and on a visit to Bangkok I showed him one of those fill your own bottle filtered water machines and he said exactly that .You don't know how long since the filters have been cleaned or replaced  ans there was no way tht he would risk it

I also wouldn't trust a no name water bottling plant, too tempting to save money on filters etc

I understand but it's healthier to not drink the water cold. There is a huge difference between some brands, as only the more expensive ones have all the minerals including magnesium which we should really watch. The cheaper waters as well as those from the machines are usually filtered. My doc wouldn't drink from the machines, he has issues with the bacterial safety, so I would only use the refill stations for the water I cook or make tea with.

On 10/2/2025 at 8:01 PM, shdmn said:

I just buy those 5L jugs at 7-ll.  I do not care about the brand. Just whatever is cheapest, which is usually the 7-11 brand.  After it's finished I just fill them up at those water refill stations all over the place for 4 baht. 

 

I think buying a bunch of smaller individual plastic bottles is a waste of money. Also bad for the environment if they are not being recycled.  

In Thailand you can’t really drink tap water, so like everyone else I buy bottled water.
I’m considering getting those big 5- to 8-liter jugs to refill smaller bottles, but since they wouldn’t fit in my fridge, I’m wondering if it’s okay to keep them outside.

On 10/2/2025 at 7:56 PM, Dan747 said:

I kind of like Evian, but each to his own.

In France we’ve got both natural spring water, like Évian, and treated water — some even come from rivers that are filtered afterwards.
The taste really depends on the mineral content, which of course depends on the source.
Natural mineral water isn’t treated at all; it’s bottled right at the source.
Personally, I never buy bottled water in France — I just drink tap water.

On 10/2/2025 at 8:12 PM, Bday Prang said:

thats exactly what it is , and its nothing new, nor is it unique to water. Its a mixture of snobbery spurred on by marketing techniques based on the snobbery

Partl'y true, natural spring waters may have a different taste depending on their mineral composition.

Even though I drink tap water when I am in a country like mine where it is possible

1 hour ago, BusyB said:

 

Genuinely distilled water is toxic ....

 

Whoops! Edit: Just saw on rereading that you bought 'similar'.

 

What is toxic in distilled water?

I find this really funny. I almost never even drink bottled water. I don't care at all as long as its clean and wet. On fact, I try not to buy the minerale in some food courts.

 

To my palette long burned out on Mexican food first half of my life and Thai the rest as long as it doesn't taste like chlorine I'm fine with it. Even then if it would be like 3 baht for 500ml I'd still just drink it

 

I think these people must be health nuts, gymbros and AN expats that need something to complain about 

 

I remember when, I won't say difficult, but getting potable water in Thailand everywhere and anywhere could be a minor challenge. Now, people want flavored, vitamin glacier water in Nakon Nowhere or some hole in BKK . They've lost the plot of how to live here.

17 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

What is toxic in distilled water?

 

Not toxic, but bc it strips out minerals you cannot live on the stuff...I had read