The following is an extract from the web site listed.

http://w3.whosea.org/EN/Section1243/Sectio...on1357_5350.htm

…..Traditionally, some 5% of the national budget is allocated to water supply and sanitation. This has resulted in sufficient quantities of water being available, although not always of a satisfactory quality. Many agencies are responsible for water supply and sanitation, but they often have overlapping responsibilities, resulting in a duplication of effort and a lack of collaboration. Over time, while the quality of urban water supplies have developed rapidly, those in rural areas have lagged behind.

Nationally, access to an improved water supply rose from a low 10% in 1973 to the current level of 98%. Surveys5  show that access has reached 98% of households in urban areas and 98.5% in rural areas.

Despite these levels of access, many water quality problems remain, particularly microbiological, and increasingly due to chemical contamination, affecting both ground and surface water sources.

Samples of drinking water taken by the Department of Health between 1991-2000 from shallow wells, rainwater, and artesian wells showed that most samples were contaminated with bacteria.6

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The water is crap, absolute tishing crap and the thais won't complain it's not in their nature. Would complain myself but nobody will listen to me, i said i would complain myself but nobody..............

Sorry............did somebody say something?

Sorry............did somebody say something?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

no they typed it.

I have been here for 2 weeks now (from Aus.) and have been drinking tap water exclusively the last two weeks.

I am fine, couple of minor cases of the runs first few days but felt fine.

Having said that I have gone on bottled water for the next 4 days then back to tap to see if I notice any differences.

Bottled water is so cheap (2.5 baht/liter), its crazy not to buy it. I shower and brush my teeth with the tap water. Sometimes I will even cook with it it I am boiling at high temps. I never intentionally drink it. I have drank the rain water over at a few of my Thai friends house. I never had a problem.

If you buy the cheap water you may be buying bottled crap. There is a big bogus water bottling industry in Pattaya and most likely the same thing is going on in Bangkok.

From Pattaya Mail:

http://www.pattayamail.com/630/news.shtml

Here is the full article:

"A random survey by city hall sanitary inspectors working in cooperation with Banglamung Hospital has revealed drinking water suppliers selling substandard water, working in uncontrolled surroundings, and lacking in official documentation.

Inspectors first visited the TPI drinking water factory at Soi Sukhumvit 43 in Naklua, and the SodSai factory, which is two blocks away. The packing rooms and filling processes were found to be substandard, with toxic substances present.

The Rose factory on Thappraya Road revealed similar deficiencies, and also proved to be unlicensed. The inspectors halted production because of the low standards of the water and the fake labels that were being used. For the water already bottled, police attached a toxic substance notice.

The inspections were carried out under the direction of Deputy Mayor Wuttisak Rermkijakarn and Dusit Chantaracha, pharmacist at Banglamung Hospital. The companies in breach of the regulations have been given 15 days to arrange their licenses and upgrade their processes. If they do not take action they will be prosecuted.

Wuttisak said that Pattaya City lacks water and he voiced concern about people buying drinking water unfit for consumption. The random tests will continue, he said."

I am in Bangkok...the tap water looks clear and I use it to wash dishes, brush teeth, but avoid drinking it. Occasionally, out of the tap it smells really bad, like sulfur-dioxide. I get drinking water (cooking, tea and especially for making ice) at a nearby water filtering and dispensing machine. It is b7 for 5l, and it is odorless and tasteless.