Being broke/cheap/thrifty/- economizing on water

[Craig krup]

Given that there's so much talk about saving money I was wondering what the truly thrifty do about water. 15 baht for 1.5l adds up. You could easily buy enough calories for a day for the price of 3L from 7-11.

Options seems to be -

i) Drink the tap water and don't worry about it.

ii) Use the one baht water machines, and maybe stick the result in the fridge.

iii) Get one 5L jug, fill it with tap water, throw in one chlorine tablet and wait a few hours. Maybe chill the result. Leaving a little bit of chlorine for a long time kills everything without you feeling as if you're drinking a swimming pool.

iv) Buy a water filter.

I'm inclined to think "iii" has a lot going for it. I'm not convinced that the one baht machines would look great inside - although I've drank gallons without squits. A filter on the tap has to get blocked quickly, and you'd need activated carbon and a very low flow rate to make it really work. A little bit of extra chlorine and wait would look like the option.

Anyone really being Frugal Dougal has to think about throwing away 1,000B a month, which I think is the minimum you'd spend on bottled. Singha looks the cheapest, and it's about 50B for 5L, if you can be ars*d carrying it. So those on the riceline [bread's off the menu) must be doing something.

Edited October 28, 2015 by Craig krup

[kannot]

Option 5 c............Spend 150k on 2 deep water 85 metre wells , get the water tested and approved as excellent and then have unlimited water for life..........need electricity to pump it out though.............I dont drink water

[taotoo]

vi) get it delivered

[SoiBiker]

Get it delivered. It's cheaper, and you don't end up stretching your arms carrying it home from the shop.

[MaeJoMTB]

Water machines near me are 0.5bht/l.

I never pay more.

[anotheruser]

Option 5 c............Spend 150k on 2 deep water 85 metre wells , get the water tested and approved as excellent and then have unlimited water for life..........need electricity to pump it out though.............I dont drink water

Divide 150,000 by the number of years you would be expected to live and you see in the long run it is no bargain. I did it by 35 years and you still end up at more than 11 Baht per day. No idea how much electric that takes.

[Craig krup]

Watch out, your reference to Scottish, makes this post borderline racist.

<deleted>

I'm writing from first hand experience.

I did think about that but we Scots take enormous pride in the fact that copper wire was invented when two Aberdonians fought over a penny, ho, ho, ho.

Seriously. Germans use the expression "Scottish prices" routinely. We just to take great pride in our Calvinist dourness. There's actually a "Little book of Calvin", full of joys such as, "Aye, we'll be deid soon".

[Craig krup]

Water machines near me are 0.5bht/l.

I never pay more.

If you open one is it just a big powerful UV light and tap water going in, or do they risk a filter as well? I'm a bit suspicious of a filter, especially if it comes after the light.

[Sutty]

Just drink tap water I've never had a problem

[seedy]

Topic title edited

I do not know what your nationality is, but post such slurs again and receive a posting holiday

[Lammbock]

Drink Beer....

[phuketruski]

i drink tap water , cook and clean with tap water and im still here .

Many people with low immune systems who cannot do tap/reverse osmosis water.

[Craig krup]

i drink tap water , cook and clean with tap water and im still here .

Many people with low immune systems who cannot do tap/reverse osmosis water.

Personally I think there's so much chlorine in it it's probably fine, especially if you stick it in a bottle in the fridge, and so the chlorine's had longer to act. Probably does vary, though, depending on where you are. I'd really hate to get something like E-coli and end up with kidney damage.

[01322521959]

Put 8 stage filter on tap, just clean the ceramic part when flow deceases, always boil it as well. Always amazes me how much faith the Thais put in those 1 baht filter machines. Before I got the filter I just used to boil the tap water. What really worries me are the long term effects of what I do with the toilet jetwash when I'm constipated .....

[KittenKong]

I think that the water vending machines are OK if (and it's a big if) they are serviced regularly and correctly. Most people in Thailand would agree that maintenance is not a strong point here, and I am one of them.

So I have now switched to having the big 20l blue water bottles delivered for 40B (50B with tip). All round this seems like the most reliable, simple and cheap option to me.

[Craig krup]

I think that the water vending machines are OK if (and it's a big if) they are serviced regularly and correctly. Most people in Thailand would agree that maintenance is not a strong point here, and I am one of them.

So I have now switched to having the big 20l blue water bottles delivered for 40B (50B with tip). All round this seems like the most reliable, simple and cheap option to me.

That is cheap. A certain amount of fannying about with a funnel and bottles to get in the fridge, and (then) an issue with the cleanliness of the bottles, but a definite solution.

[Seann]

Sprinkle.

[zurgos]

OK here is a big money saving tip.

Use the water machines....you will find that a 5l bottle can actually be filled for 4.5 baht.

Fill up 2 bottles for 9 baht, thereby saving 1 baht or almost 10%

Now do not waste this 1 baht coin! Be sure to accumulate these and spend them wisely!

[fey]

the pipes leading to your house are much worse then any water machine filter

bottled water company filters are probably not much better then neighborhood machine filters

think about it

[Mencken]

In BKK tap is fine. Add chlorine if you wish or let it sit in the sun all day. Be more careful during rainy season, add bleach.

I'd use a clean machine but they have none near us. We lost our delivery service to the bldg, no idea why.

[KittenKong]

I think that the water vending machines are OK if (and it's a big if) they are serviced regularly and correctly. Most people in Thailand would agree that maintenance is not a strong point here, and I am one of them.

So I have now switched to having the big 20l blue water bottles delivered for 40B (50B with tip). All round this seems like the most reliable, simple and cheap option to me.

That is cheap. A certain amount of fannying about with a funnel and bottles to get in the fridge, and (then) an issue with the cleanliness of the bottles, but a definite solution.

You dont need to empty the bottles. You can buy a thing like this:

I do decant mine into two 1.5lit bottles, one of which stays in the fridge and the other stays by the kettle.

[KittenKong]

the pipes leading to your house are much worse then any water machine filter

bottled water company filters are probably not much better then neighborhood machine filters

The water from the machines in my condo building has a pronounced non-water flavour that my delivered water does not have.

YMMV

[kannot]

Option 5 c............Spend 150k on 2 deep water 85 metre wells , get the water tested and approved as excellent and then have unlimited water for life..........need electricity to pump it out though.............I dont drink water

Divide 150,000 by the number of years you would be expected to live and you see in the long run it is no bargain. I did it by 35 years and you still end up at more than 11 Baht per day. No idea how much electric that takes.

Divide that by abput 500 trees and 100000 pineapples and youll see its the cheapest there is..................I did say I DONT DRINK WATER then throw in the fact I know its 100% safe for everything and have the test results to prove it, no chemicals in or faeces or harmful bacteriums

Edited October 28, 2015 by kannot

[kannot]

Just drink tap water I've never had a problem

and dead folk dont complain much

[AlexRRR]

Get a water filter filtered to your tap or a second kitchen tap with a water filter, can buy water jugs with filter system, Thai water is fine, there is no need to buy bottle water for home use.

[mpa]

Water machines near me are 0.5bht/l.

I never pay more.

Same here, 1 tbh for 2 liters.

It is more than tripled in some well known apartments downtown.

[fey]

I think that the water vending machines are OK if (and it's a big if) they are serviced regularly and correctly. Most people in Thailand would agree that maintenance is not a strong point here, and I am one of them.

So I have now switched to having the big 20l blue water bottles delivered for 40B (50B with tip). All round this seems like the most reliable, simple and cheap option to me.

That is cheap. A certain amount of fannying about with a funnel and bottles to get in the fridge, and (then) an issue with the cleanliness of the bottles, but a definite solution.

You dont need to empty the bottles. You can buy a thing like this:

I do decant mine into two 1.5lit bottles, one of which stays in the fridge and the other stays by the kettle.

do those come with filters?

[fey]

the pipes leading to your house are much worse then any water machine filter

bottled water company filters are probably not much better then neighborhood machine filters

The water from the machines in my condo building has a pronounced non-water flavour that my delivered water does not have.

YMMV

any taste or smell st all and it's pretty contaminated

[autanic]

Watch out, your reference to Scottish, makes this post borderline racist.

<deleted>

I'm writing from first hand experience.

I did think about that but we Scots take enormous pride in the fact that copper wire was invented when two Aberdonians fought over a penny, ho, ho, ho.

Seriously. Germans use the expression "Scottish prices" routinely. We just to take great pride in our Calvinist dourness. There's actually a "Little book of Calvin", full of joys such as, "Aye, we'll be deid soon".

how we English are looking forward to that day.

[KittenKong]

do those come with filters?

I dont know. The delivered water is already filtered/cleaned to my satisfaction.