Drinking Water

[PeteC]

I don't think we've touched on this issue and we should, given it's importance.

The sources of water and how it's treated here seems to be covered in a shrowd of secrecy from the top on down. For a few decades I've never been able to get a straight answer concerning bacteria removal and heavy metal removal, the latter will kill you faster than the former. All I hear is "osmosis" and "utra violet" concerning bacteria.

It would be good to hear from Expats, not only for our own survival but as info for future settlers as well. Let's take a look at what we have?

1) Tap water, which the crusty old expat may say is ok if it doesn't make him crap too often.

2) White colored plastic jugs holding about 20 liters that sell for about 20 Baht each. I've been told many of these companies simply fill them with tap water, put in a few drops of chlorine, and put a plastic band around the top lid making it look "legit"?

3) The clear or blue/clear jungs of the same size that cost 40 Baht each. We use these but boil it first when making formula or food for our little daughter.

4) The 3 liter jugs sold by Nestle, Singha or Minerale(sp) that seem very good but expensive. The Minerale will also build up deposits on the interior of your hot water pot due to all the minerals in it.

5) The small 1 liter bottles made by a variety of suppliers and very expensive.

My belief is that #4 and #5 above are the safest but I could be dead wrong?

Please, let's hear opinions and experiences. Pete

[HansMartin]

OK, I'll give it a shot. I'm a civil/environmental engineer with significant experience in water treatment. Ultraviolet disinfection is an effective means of killing bacteria providing the source water does not have particulate matter in it, and the water is exposed to the right type of UV light for a long enough period. Reverse osmosis removes most particulate matter and dissolved minerals, but not all bacteria and viruses. A disinfection step must be provided after RO.

When we are in Thailand, we drink bottled water (or beer ) exclusively. There are serious cross connection problems between the water distribution systems and sewage collection systems throughout Thailand, so I will not drink tap water under any condition. My favorite label on a bottle said "Ozonated, filtered, and ultraviolated".

On our last trip over the family bought 5-gallon containers at the local "water store". I would be careful about doing this unless you knew what was happening in the backroom.

There are plenty of home treatment units available at HomePro, etc. If I owned a house over there I might go that way I don't know. Of course you could use tap water, boil it for 30 minutes, and add a little chlorine. That would take care of your drinking water needs.

[STEVE G]

I always buy the one litre bottles which for some bizarre reason are often cheaper per litre than the larger ones.The fact that every home improvement shop in Thailand sells water filtering set-ups that look more complex than an Iranian nuclear power plant leads me to conclude that the tap water is not too clever.

(P.S. If anyone in the NSA has filtered out this message, I apologise for wasting your time by referring to Iranian nuclear power.)

[DawnHRD]

Used to buy number 2. I had never heard it might just be tap water! Now, I buy 4 and refill my number 2 bottle from them (fits the water cooler). The reason for this is not safety. Basically I don't like the owner of the shop nearest to me who sells the number 2 bottles. I have no transport, so I don't wish to go & buy these big bottles elsewhere. So, I buy the others at Tesco or Shopping Mall & fill up. Glad to hear I'm probably safer as well.

[lomuamart]

It's made me think. We always use number 2, but neither of us have suffered any consequences - that we know of.

[Norseman]

We also use number 2 but I hardly ever drink that water directly from the bottle. I use it daily to brew my cups of coffee and don't know if that water is harmful or noxious. Will a simple pH test reveal anything?

But why does it cost 20 Baht on the other side of the pond?
I paid 10 Baht for the 20 liters bottle for the last 4 years.

[PeteC]

We also use number 2 but I hardly ever drink that water directly from the bottle. I use it daily to brew my cups of coffee and don't know if that water is harmful or noxious. Will a simple pH test reveal anything?

But why does it cost 20 Baht on the other side of the pond?
I paid 10 Baht for the 20 liters bottle for the last 4 years.

Two mistakes I've made here I think. 1) what I am saying is 20 liter I now think is 10 liter? Anyway, you all know what size jug I'm refering to. 2) My mate here said that some trucks do indeed sell the white jugs for 10 Baht, some 15 and some 20? It indeed may be what neighborhood they're in, Thai or farang. Pete

PS: I think a PH test will simply show you the acidity/alkalinity balance in the water and not the cleanliness? Also, remember my phrase "I've heard" concerning how #2 is bottled, but I've heard it often. We've got a lot of crooks in Pattaya!

[Wanderlust]

We buy 20 litre bottles which are of the white plastic referred to, and have been 10 baht for a long time (when returning the empty) from our local shop. These always have a seal made of plastic around the top which is not tape and obviously needs some sort of machine to put on; I assume that these have come from good suppliers and we certainly have never had a problem.

[Nereus]

We buy 20 litre bottles which are of the white plastic referred to, and have been 10 baht for a long time (when returning the empty) from our local shop. These always have a seal made of plastic around the top which is not tape and obviously needs some sort of machine to put on; I assume that these have come from good suppliers and we certainly have never had a problem.

We have been buying ours direct from the processor in Soi 6. I have had a look at the equipment and it is built up from various filters and a large capcity UV steriliser. The plastic seal that goes on the top is a shrink wrap sleeve that they fix on with a small hot air gun. (hairdryer type).

There was a recent article in the Bangkok Post about the water supply, and how the plants in Bangkok treat it. The biggest risk is contamination after the treatment, through the piping systems. There is also a lot of controversy about the effects of reverse osmosis removing good minerals from the water.
A lot of good info in the post from Hans Martin, it is a vast subject that we tend to take for granted.

[STEVE G]

Dawn wrote:

The reason for this is not safety. Basically I don't like the owner of the shop nearest to me who sells the number 2 bottles.

Dawn, I really can't find fault with that kind of logic.

[Glyn]

We buy I crate of 24 half litre glass bottles (Singha) for 60 baht. Originaly you pay 180 baht for the crate with 24 bottles, after that you give the empty bottles and crate back and they give you 24 full bottles of singha bottled drinking water for 60 baht, and they deliver to your door, these places are all around town, the one we use is in Cha-am, there must be a dozen other shops at least.

[PeteC]

We buy I crate of 24 half litre glass bottles (Singha) for 60 baht. Originaly you pay 180 baht for the crate with 24 bottles, after that you give the empty bottles and crate back and they give you 24 full bottles of singha bottled drinking water for 60 baht, and they deliver to your door, these places are all around town, the one we use is in Cha-am, there must be a dozen other shops at least.

You very well may be using the top of the line, primo stuff. I've been out to lunch/dinner with many Thai's over the years and they all seem to insist the restaurant serve Singha water in the glass bottles. Not soda water mind you for mixing with their Mekong, but for the normal table water. Maybe they know something? Pete

[DawnHRD]

Dawn wrote:

The reason for this is not safety. Basically I don't like the owner of the shop nearest to me who sells the number 2 bottles.

Dawn, I really can't find fault with that kind of logic.

I don't, she's a real cow. Hard as bloomin' nails. I refuse to go to that shop!

[lomuamart]

Ok. Reverse logic.
When we went back to England last year, I paid something like 150B for a small bottle of water at Heathrow. Maybe more. I don't care. Totally overpriced and Perrier, Evian etc etc are being made to justify themselves.
GlaxoSmithKline were pulled up by some 14 year old researchers at their school in New Zealand. The reason? There's no vitamin C in Ribena. "Bla Bla Bla".
"We meant the concentrated form" was the response "and in the western world we assure you it has some vitamin C".
Why should I pay pay extortionate amounts of money to "drink water?"
I've said before, that big container that gets drops off every now and then is good enough for us.
I tell you, it's better than paying ridiculous prices from the big multinationals. I used to deal with them through work - for health?
If you don't drink the stuff, especially over here, you're likely to get ill or die. Simple as that.
Water? Wow, some say it could be more pure than others.

[sargeant]

I am with you Lomu its typical ex pat BS the water in the big bottles comes straight out of a borehole and is every bit as good as the water in any small bottles and as i keep saying if its good enough for all the Thais its good enough for me
Paying extra for Singha is sheer snobbery IMHO