I've been drinking the tap water, and I feel great!

[bkkcanuck8]

It depends on the area and the quality of the pipes delivering the water. If the pipes are damaged, then bacteria may creep into the supply -- but for the most part the water supply is fine in Bangkok.

[ClutchClark]

It depends on the area and the quality of the pipes delivering the water. If the pipes are damaged, then bacteria may creep into the supply -- but for the most part the water supply is fine in Bangkok.

Do you happen to know the average age of the infrastructure for waterlines in BKK?

The OP shouldn't worry about a thing--after all, a quick glance around will insure even the most skeptical amongst us that the Thai authorities do everything "by-the-book" and according to Engineering Spec. The Thai are like the Germans that way--they over engineer everything with a mindset to make it last 100 years.

Certainly, they do the same with their water mains.

[craigt3365]

What about the clip your posted?

Are you sitting on the toilet because the water was so good, or is your playing music so bad?

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

He's actually a fantastic musician. Should have done some flat picking on your guitar while seated! 555555

[bgrassboy]

What about the clip your posted?

Are you sitting on the toilet because the water was so good, or is your playing music so bad?

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

He's actually a fantastic musician. Should have done some flat picking on your guitar while seated! 555555

I concur! He is a very fine musician. After watching this I am reminded of pickin' tunes in a bathroom once at an indoor bluegrass festival, the acoustics are great!

[Eliot Rosewater]

What about the clip your posted?

Are you sitting on the toilet because the water was so good, or is your playing music so bad?

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

He's actually a fantastic musician. Should have done some flat picking on your guitar while seated! 555555

I concur! He is a very fine musician. After watching this I am reminded of pickin' tunes in a bathroom once at an indoor bluegrass festival, the acoustics are great!

Nice, but remind me not to play your guitar.....I will certainly not be playing Tim's keyboard anytime soon.

[jayceenik]

I've been drinking the city water for years in both my studios - BKK and Pattaya.

But it goes through a ceramic filter.

No need to carry heavy water containers from the supermarket.

No need to pollute the planet with discarded plastic water bottles.

Granted, if I were a tourist I'd certainly have to buy water in bottles.

[ChristianPFC]

I have been drinking tap water in Bangkok for almost two years now (living in two places and drinking from water fountains all over the city), without negative effects; no short-time effects, I have to add; I am a chemist so I know what I am talking about: I identified three sources of problems:

heavy metals (in Bangladesh they have high level or arsenic in ground water, which makes people sick), inprobable in Bangkok

residues from pesticides, inprobable in Bangkok

bacteria, that might be the cause for some people getting sick, but your stomach can get used to them by increased exposure, which I did

(one might add plasticizers from PVC plastic tubing, which can screw up your hormone system - man grow tits and women grow hair and stuff like that)

I first believed the stuff they tell (that you will get sick), but as a scientist, I want to verify or falsify a statement, and unlike religion, in this case it is very easy, just by ingesting increasing amounts of tap water. Started with a spoon and after a month completely changed to tap water. At that time I lived on fifth floor, 1 Baht per liter is not much money, but I had to go down and up to get water!

The ultimate proof is soi dogs. They don't drink filtered water and don't get sick, I once saw a soi dog nibbling on a roadkill rat that was flat and already dry from days in the sun. But then, dogs live only 10 years, maybe because they don't drink filtered water?

For people of poor health or a sensitive stomach, I would advice drinking only filtered water.

This whole story is a fine example how easy it is can be to influence people, just tell the same (lies?) over and over again, and they will believe it. Nobody questions, nobody dares to do a simple experiment that can verify or falsify.

Edited October 1, 2014 by ChristianPFC

[ClutchClark]

I have been drinking tap water in Bangkok for almost two years now (living in two places and drinking from water fountains all over the city), without negative effects; no short-time effects, I have to add; I am a chemist so I know what I am talking about: I identified three sources of problems:

heavy metals (in Bangladesh they have high level or arsenic in ground water, which makes people sick), inprobable in Bangkok

residues from pesticides, inprobable in Bangkok

bacteria, that might be the cause for some people getting sick, but your stomach can get used to them by increased exposure, which I did

(one might add plasticizers from PVC plastic tubing, which can screw up your hormone system - man grow tits and women grow hair and stuff like that)

I first believed the stuff they tell (that you will get sick), but as a scientist, I want to verify or falsify a statement, and unlike religion, in this case it is very easy, just by ingesting increasing amounts of tap water. Started with a spoon and after a month completely changed to tap water. At that time I lived on fifth floor, 1 Baht per liter is not much money, but I had to go down and up to get water!

The ultimate proof is soi dogs. They don't drink filtered water and don't get sick, I once saw a soi dog nibbling on a roadkill rat that was flat and already dry from days in the sun. But then, dogs live only 10 years, maybe because they don't drink filtered water?

For people of poor health or a sensitive stomach, I would advice drinking only filtered water.

This whole story is a fine example how easy it is can be to influence people, just tell the same (lies?) over and over again, and they will believe it. Nobody questions, nobody dares to do a simple experiment that can verify or falsify.

I was really with you until your conclusive evidence was the wonderful health of soi dogs.

Soi dogs?

Healthy?

Soi dogs eat the diarrhea droppings of other soi dogs as a standard practice.

Does that mean it should be encouraged for humans as well?

Cheers

[55Jay]

I have been drinking tap water in Bangkok for almost two years now (living in two places and drinking from water fountains all over the city), without negative effects; no short-time effects, I have to add; I am a chemist so I know what I am talking about: I identified three sources of problems:

heavy metals (in Bangladesh they have high level or arsenic in ground water, which makes people sick), inprobable in Bangkok

residues from pesticides, inprobable in Bangkok

bacteria, that might be the cause for some people getting sick, but your stomach can get used to them by increased exposure, which I did

(one might add plasticizers from PVC plastic tubing, which can screw up your hormone system - man grow tits and women grow hair and stuff like that)

I first believed the stuff they tell (that you will get sick), but as a scientist, I want to verify or falsify a statement, and unlike religion, in this case it is very easy, just by ingesting increasing amounts of tap water. Started with a spoon and after a month completely changed to tap water. At that time I lived on fifth floor, 1 Baht per liter is not much money, but I had to go down and up to get water!

The ultimate proof is soi dogs. They don't drink filtered water and don't get sick, I once saw a soi dog nibbling on a roadkill rat that was flat and already dry from days in the sun. But then, dogs live only 10 years, maybe because they don't drink filtered water?

For people of poor health or a sensitive stomach, I would advice drinking only filtered water.

This whole story is a fine example how easy it is can be to influence people, just tell the same (lies?) over and over again, and they will believe it. Nobody questions, nobody dares to do a simple experiment that can verify or falsify.

I was really with you until your conclusive evidence was the wonderful health of soi dogs.

Soi dogs?

Healthy?

Soi dogs eat the diarrhea droppings of other soi dogs as a standard practice.

Does that mean it should be encouraged for humans as well?

Cheers

The ThaiVisa scientific guinea pigs are coming out of the wood work now. We might have stumbled on to the next "thing" to replace the "Ice Bucket Challenge".

Wouldn't it be ironic if the "Drink BKK Tap Water Challenge" went Viral.

Edited October 1, 2014 by 55Jay

[bkkcanuck8]

I have been drinking tap water in Bangkok for almost two years now (living in two places and drinking from water fountains all over the city), without negative effects; no short-time effects, I have to add; I am a chemist so I know what I am talking about: I identified three sources of problems:

heavy metals (in Bangladesh they have high level or arsenic in ground water, which makes people sick), inprobable in Bangkok

residues from pesticides, inprobable in Bangkok

bacteria, that might be the cause for some people getting sick, but your stomach can get used to them by increased exposure, which I did

(one might add plasticizers from PVC plastic tubing, which can screw up your hormone system - man grow tits and women grow hair and stuff like that)

I first believed the stuff they tell (that you will get sick), but as a scientist, I want to verify or falsify a statement, and unlike religion, in this case it is very easy, just by ingesting increasing amounts of tap water. Started with a spoon and after a month completely changed to tap water. At that time I lived on fifth floor, 1 Baht per liter is not much money, but I had to go down and up to get water!

The ultimate proof is soi dogs. They don't drink filtered water and don't get sick, I once saw a soi dog nibbling on a roadkill rat that was flat and already dry from days in the sun. But then, dogs live only 10 years, maybe because they don't drink filtered water?

For people of poor health or a sensitive stomach, I would advice drinking only filtered water.

This whole story is a fine example how easy it is can be to influence people, just tell the same (lies?) over and over again, and they will believe it. Nobody questions, nobody dares to do a simple experiment that can verify or falsify.

I was really with you until your conclusive evidence was the wonderful health of soi dogs.

Soi dogs?

Healthy?

Soi dogs eat the diarrhea droppings of other soi dogs as a standard practice.

Does that mean it should be encouraged for humans as well?

Cheers

The ThaiVisa scientific guinea pigs are coming out of the wood work now. We might have stumbled on to the next "thing" to replace the "Ice Bucket Challenge".

Wouldn't it be ironic if the "Drink BKK Tap Water Challenge" went Viral.

It would be great! We could bottle and sell Bangkok tap water for MILLIONS!!!!

[timmyp]

bacteria, that might be the cause for some people getting sick, but your stomach can get used to them by increased exposure, which I did

The ultimate proof is soi dogs. They don't drink filtered water and don't get sick, I once saw a soi dog nibbling on a roadkill rat that was flat and already dry from days in the sun. But then, dogs live only 10 years, maybe because they don't drink filtered water?

If you're not used to the bacteria, then it doesn't matter if you get a little exposure to that bacteria or a lot of exposure to the bacteria. A spoon full or a glass full, it's going to do it's thing on your system.

Bacteria doesn't work like a chemical poison to which you can build up a strong tolerance or a weak tolerance to depending on your degree of exposure.

I remember when I lived in India a Brit telling a bizarre story about building up a tolerance to the bacteria in the water by drinking just a sip a day, then two sips. It doesn't work that way. It's like a virus: You're body has antibodies for it, or it doesn't. You can't get used to a virus bit by bit by slight exposure. You catch it, then you become immune (or you die).

So if the water is dirty, drinking just a little bit each day to build a tolerance to the bacteria isn't going to matter. If your body can get used to the bacteria, then you might as well just start off with drinking a big jug of it.

But this isn't the case with the Bangkok tap water anyway. As far as bacteria go, it seems to be safe. I can't speak for other chemicals in the water that may have long-term effects.

Your soi dog analogy was weird. The systems in a dog are completely different. Just cuz something is healthy for a dog doesn't mean it's healthy for a human.

[chinostar]

"Wait until the worms invade your brain hahahahahaha"

Unless you're an exhibitionist pur sang, your brain has already deteriorated.

Have nothing better to do?

[71Cuda]

Did General Prayut put you up to this?

[realenglish1]

According the Global standards Bangkok water exceeds quality standards set down buy the United Nations.

I use it all the time and no problems for more than 9 years

[Estrada]

I am a water treatment engineer and have been drinking the tap water in the UK for 46 years and Bangkok Tap Water for 32 years no problem.

Edited October 1, 2014 by Estrada

[larsjohnsson]

Great then I can save ten baht every month

[Estrada]

I have been drinking tap water in Bangkok for almost two years now (living in two places and drinking from water fountains all over the city), without negative effects; no short-time effects, I have to add; I am a chemist so I know what I am talking about: I identified three sources of problems:

heavy metals (in Bangladesh they have high level or arsenic in ground water, which makes people sick), inprobable in Bangkok

residues from pesticides, inprobable in Bangkok

bacteria, that might be the cause for some people getting sick, but your stomach can get used to them by increased exposure, which I did

(one might add plasticizers from PVC plastic tubing, which can screw up your hormone system - man grow tits and women grow hair and stuff like that)

I first believed the stuff they tell (that you will get sick), but as a scientist, I want to verify or falsify a statement, and unlike religion, in this case it is very easy, just by ingesting increasing amounts of tap water. Started with a spoon and after a month completely changed to tap water. At that time I lived on fifth floor, 1 Baht per liter is not much money, but I had to go down and up to get water!

The ultimate proof is soi dogs. They don't drink filtered water and don't get sick, I once saw a soi dog nibbling on a roadkill rat that was flat and already dry from days in the sun. But then, dogs live only 10 years, maybe because they don't drink filtered water?

For people of poor health or a sensitive stomach, I would advice drinking only filtered water.

This whole story is a fine example how easy it is can be to influence people, just tell the same (lies?) over and over again, and they will believe it. Nobody questions, nobody dares to do a simple experiment that can verify or falsify.

I was really with you until your conclusive evidence was the wonderful health of soi dogs.

Soi dogs?

Healthy?

Soi dogs eat the diarrhea droppings of other soi dogs as a standard practice.

Does that mean it should be encouraged for humans as well?

Cheers

The ThaiVisa scientific guinea pigs are coming out of the wood work now. We might have stumbled on to the next "thing" to replace the "Ice Bucket Challenge".

Wouldn't it be ironic if the "Drink BKK Tap Water Challenge" went Viral.

It would be great! We could bottle and sell Bangkok tap water for MILLIONS!!!!

You probably are on occasions drinking bangkok tap water if you live in Bangkok since the bottlers cheat, and R.O. drinking water machines are not always maintained correctly. The problem with water filters is that bacteria is trapped on the filter surfaces and eventually grow into large colonies. Poorly maintained, faulty or overloaded filters can allow a sudden breakthrough of large slugs of bacteria into your glass. I prefer to boil the water for coffee or tea, I keep a 4.5 litre electric hot pot for that. 72C will kill all pathogens and the hot pot temperature is 98C. It also has a boil sequence which evaporates the chlorine to remove any chlorine odour or taste.

[side]

It's not a hard water vs. soft water problem, nor a chlorine taste issue, the water just has a bit of a dirt taste.

I was only curious to explore people's fears of microbes. At least from my tap, it seems safe in that respect.

It's awesome that you are performing an experiment for the benefit of humankind on the presence, or lack, of microbes in the water and I for one can barely contain my excitement to learn what the long term health benefits of heavy metals and other less obvious contaminants are to human organs. Do post updates over the next few years.

As for the quote above, I almost fell off my chair. A bit of dirt taste. So not "clean taste" then. That's the taste of prime Bangkok sewage inadequately treated.

Here's a clue, has the Director of the Bangkok Water Authority (or whoever is in charge, if anyone is in charge actually) ever come out in public declaring that he and his family, including his beloved children, are drinking water straight from the tap?

If you think a country that believes safety standards are for pussies might actually send potable water through to its population, well, you've been drinking that water too long.

[jonesthebaker]

freak and nut case somehow spring to mind

[timmyp]

It's not a hard water vs. soft water problem, nor a chlorine taste issue, the water just has a bit of a dirt taste.

I was only curious to explore people's fears of microbes. At least from my tap, it seems safe in that respect.

It's awesome that you are performing an experiment for the benefit of humankind on the presence, or lack, of microbes in the water and I for one can barely contain my excitement to learn what the long term health benefits of heavy metals and other less obvious contaminants are to human organs. Do post updates over the next few years.

As for the quote above, I almost fell off my chair. A bit of dirt taste. So not "clean taste" then. That's the taste of prime Bangkok sewage inadequately treated.

Here's a clue, has the Director of the Bangkok Water Authority (or whoever is in charge, if anyone is in charge actually) ever come out in public declaring that he and his family, including his beloved children, are drinking water straight from the tap?

If you think a country that believes safety standards are for pussies might actually send potable water through to its population, well, you've been drinking that water too long.

Freshwater fish like catfish often have a "dirt taste," and they are fine. Having a dirt taste doesn't mean it's dirty (although I wouldn't rule it out either).

Has the Director of the Bangkok Water Authority had the tap water? Not in Bangkok, but elsewhere in Thailand officials have had some tap water as a PR thing.

"Officials from Provincial Waterworks Authority in Songkhla province drink tap water to assure the public of its safety."

http://news.asiainterlaw.com/expert-downplays-health-concerns-salty-tap-water-bangkok/

Edited October 1, 2014 by timmyp

[Thomas Hannah]

IDIOT,,Who in there right mind,,would carry out an experiment,,that can possible kill you,,Does MR nobody,,want all of us ,to drink tap water,,on his say so,,

[smotherb]

Wait until the worms invade your brain hahahahahaha

Well, that would take 6-8 weeks of drinking the tap water.

[borrfors]

Well, I have been crossing the roads in Thailand and did not get runover.....yet. If you get sick from infections or other scary things here in Thailand I promise you will be more than sick. A friend of mine got sick from tap water. He almost died of the complications.

[Miami Bob]

As long as they don't put fluoride in the water here in Thailand I will be happy. I have a 6 stage water filter at my house in Krabi, the last stage being a UV light that kills anything the first 5 didn't remove.

[Strangebrew]

Question would you drink from a stream that you pissed? If answer is "NO" then why drink tap water that some Thai may have pissed in? So when your pecker plops into the bowl please no update just to weird.

[timmyp]

As long as they don't put fluoride in the water here in Thailand I will be happy. I have a 6 stage water filter at my house in Krabi, the last stage being a UV light that kills anything the first 5 didn't remove.

It's not added to the water, but sometimes it's added to the milk:

"Milk fluoridation is practiced by the Borrow Foundation in some parts of Bulgaria, Chile, Peru, Russia, Macedonia, Thailand and the UK."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_fluoridation

Again, I don't believe there is a problem with microbes in the water in Bangkok, but your place in Krabi might need that filter.

If there is a concern in the municipal tap water, it's chemicals, not bacteria.

[Kabula]

Most water supply lines here are plastic and mold over time clings to plastic.

If mold builds up in your system and begins to grow like a weed, it will penetrate a vein and get into your blood and that can kill you!

Some heart attacks are from mold like weeds constricting the heart.

The term is candida and I contracted it and lost 60 lbs, it crashed my immune system and I was in bed for three months. After $4000, three doctors and meds, the only think that cured it was oregano oil P73. that cost $45!

To experiment with your health is foolish and can be costly.

Also supply lines break frequently and commercial toxins and heavy metal run off can enter the supply line.

I filter all my water, even bottle water and it tastes great.

Also I heard that because Bangkok sits at the end of the river and was built on a marsh, swamp, the water is very hard. Not sure how true that is, but I do not believe hard water is good for you over time.

Worldwide public water supplies get contaminated all the time for various reasons.

Be safe.

[Doc46]

This cake is a bit fruity,,,,

[timmyp]

Question would you drink from a stream that you pissed? If answer is "NO" then why drink tap water that some Thai may have pissed in? So when your pecker plops into the bowl please no update just to weird.

It's a matter of what's filtered. Unless you're drinking from a mountain spring, the water you are drinking surely had filth and undesirable bacteria that needed to be taken out. If the water is filtered properly, then it's fine to drink.

[BradWilkins]

I dont get it why would you risk your health ?.Bangkok is basically mostly built on a floodplain / swamp and is slowly subsiding with the regular flooding. Most of the water pipes would be very old, dilapidated and probably leaking. There is so much cheap filtered and treated bottled water it has to be the only way to go. I would imagine even tank water in bangkok would probably be polluted and need to be filtered from the heavy traffic smog in a city of 15 million people.