Govt Says Tap Water Is Now Safe To Drink

[Abrak]

Do not believe the water is safe to drink.

You may have noticed that when farangs come to Thailand they often start acting in a weird, juvenile and stupid fashion totally out of character with how you imagine they behave in their home country. This is totally due to them drinking the tap water. A lot of people believe their strange actions are tied to the beer they are drinking - when in reality it is the water.

[heykki]

Buying bottled water for every day use should not be an option. You have to be crazy to buy that day after day

[craigt3365]

Or crazy to drink tap water here....head over to your local reservoir. Watch them change the oil in their vehicles on the side...or wash trucks, trailers, scooters...or dump "stuff" there. No way would I drink tap water here...boiling does not take out the heavy metals. And that is what will get ya long term.

Do a google search. Some crazy stuff comes up...none of which is good. Here is one quote:

"However, whenever organic micropollutants could be detected in surface water, such as, e.g. the herbicide atrazine, they were also present in the tap water produced thereof proving that the present treatment steps are not sufficient for removal of such pollutants. The concentration of disinfection by-products was higher in tap water produced from Chao Praya river than from Mae Klong river. Disinfection by-products were also found in bottled drinking water. Commercial ice cubes contained anionic surfactants and their metabolites at elevated concentrations."

Not a good report. Even bottled water here is suspect. Doing your own RO seems to be the best way to go. Drinking tap water is taking a huge risk...maybe bottled water also!

[balo]

Yesterday I drank a glass of tapwater by accident , so I was fearing the worst but I'm happy to report that I feel fine

I live in a new condo building in Sathorn so maybe water is safe here.

[powderpuff]

If you seriously want to live in this country this is all you need. Sheesh.

[Pib]

I've been living in western Bangkok for about two years and drinking the tap water. Haven't got sick or died yet from the water. In fact, the whole family drinks the tap water and fortunately none of them have got sick or died from the tap water.

I have two water outlets used only for drinking water....one on the frig and a special/separate one on a kitchen sink....I run both of these taps through a simple charcoal filter that's good for 8000 liters or 1 year, which ever comes first. I really only use the charcoal filter as a little extra warm fuzzy for the wife and it seems to give the water a little bit of sweetness taste since it's coconut based charcoal..the wife's Mom likes the taste. The wife who "use to only drink bottled water...scared to drink anything else...but she got over that... she been drinking the Bangkok water for over a year now." In fact, several extended family members just outside of Bangkok periodically come over and fill up some drinking jugs vs buying bottled water....they haven't got sick or died yet either from the Bangkok tap water.

Here's the Bangkok Metropolitan Water web site which has a lot of good info. http://www.mwa.co.th/ The site is in English also. Be sure to check out the menu selecting called Water Supply Information. They also do real time monitoring of Bangkok water around the city.

I do realize some people are concerned/scared of the water delivery during the final few hundred feet...concerned over the residence/condo pipes, storage tank, etc. But IMHO the Bangkok water is safe to drink excluding those locations where a person "knows" there are questionable pipes/storage tanks/etc.

Howard Hughes can have his bottled water; I'll just drink my Bangkok tap water. Now, if I can just get the magic mirror on the wall to say the Bangkok water has made me more handsome.

[craigt3365]

I hear ya, but do you really believe what the Thai government says? They tested the river water for years....saying it was OK. Then an outside agency did the test recently and it is horrible...lots of chemicals, etc. I don't believe a word they say...

Plus, chemicals won't make you sick or kill you quickly...it's a long process. But one that will get you in the end. In South/Central America, the water makes you sick quickly, but not usually here....

[chantorn]

I hear ya, but do you really believe what the Thai government says? They tested the river water for years....saying it was OK. Then an outside agency did the test recently and it is horrible...lots of chemicals, etc. I don't believe a word they say...

Plus, chemicals won't make you sick or kill you quickly...it's a long process. But one that will get you in the end. In South/Central America, the water makes you sick quickly, but not usually here....

No people drop dead dinking tap water in Thailand. But I have to agree craigt3365 about the long term effect. By the time you realize it, it will be too late.

[powderpuff]

I live in Bangkok - on the East side.

I use tap water for cooking & to make coffee. Perfectly fine.

I filter my drinking water & the water used to make ice.

I am quite sure it's safe - it just doesn't taste good.

I would love it if the 2 week millionaires would shut up.

Buy your water at 7-11 if it makes you feel good. For you - Chicken Little was right.

[craigt3365]

I live in Bangkok - on the East side.

I use tap water for cooking & to make coffee. Perfectly fine.

I filter my drinking water & the water used to make ice.

I am quite sure it's safe - it just doesn't taste good.

I would love it if the 2 week millionaires would shut up.

Buy your water at 7-11 if it makes you feel good. For you - Chicken Little was right.

What's a 2 week millionaire?

[Lumumba]

I live in Bangkok - on the East side.

I use tap water for cooking & to make coffee. Perfectly fine.

I filter my drinking water & the water used to make ice.

I am quite sure it's safe - it just doesn't taste good.

I would love it if the 2 week millionaires would shut up.

Buy your water at 7-11 if it makes you feel good. For you - Chicken Little was right.

What's a 2 week millionaire?

People on package tour?

Or touristic individuals here for just two weeks?

[Boksida]

I will continue to drink only bottled water in Thailand and advise others to do the same. Probably okay if you are out in the sticks drinking well water but in large towns and cities I'm not taking the chance.

I do not know of any bottled water companies, or breweries, in Thailand who do not use wells as their water source.