Have You EVER Drunk BKK Tap Water?

**DJ Pat** · 5th November 2007 15:19

Originally Posted by Well

bangkok water is meant to be fine.

Bangkok tap water IS up to the international standard of tap water, UNTIL it comes from the pipe out of the ground. Then it enters plastic pipes, goes into condos, peoples homes where it can't be garunteed to be 100% pure by the water board.

Brushing teeth, boiling and cooking are all ok.

My mate works for the water board.

All the stories of impurity are outdated urban myths.

**scribble** · 6th November 2007 15:00

Originally Posted by Rugmuncher

Its good stuff when u are hung over and forgot to buy water last night! I would die without it

I nearly died with it, mate. Had hang over mostus horribilis, no bottled stuff, so in my still completly fuck mental state, took a gulp from the tap. OOOOOWEEEEEEE, not a pretty sight. Simaltaneously(sp) puking and shatting, The bog was my home for 48 hours.

**aging one** · 6th November 2007 15:07

Bummer

Once a week at least and nothing has ever happened to me.

**Jellybean** · 6th November 2007 15:10

Originally Posted by scribble

nearly died with it, mate. Had hang over mostus horribilis, no bottled stuff, so in my still completly fuck mental state, took a gulp from the tap. OOOOOWEEEEEEE, not a pretty sight. Simaltaneously(sp) puking and shatting, The bog was my home for 48 hours.

It was probably something you ate on the way to getting pissed the night before>

**DJAd** · 6th November 2007 15:31

Yep I have, more than once to. I woke up in the middle of the night dying for a drink, and it did hit the spot. My hair didn't fall out or anything.

**Umbuku** · 6th November 2007 15:59

As mentioned previously the water is safe when it leaves the treatment facility or cachement but the quality of the pipes in your area may be suspect.

I know that the pipes out my way on the outskirts of Bangkok are old and I wouldn't trust the water to drink straight from the tap. I cook and wash with it.

A simple test is to pour off a glass and cover it so no air can get in it and leave it for a day. Any sediment will collect on the bottom of the glass and any living organisms will propigate and become visible. My area doesn't pass this simple test.

**aging one** · 6th November 2007 18:02

Okay I get to play science guy tonight.

Big thanks guys.

**kiwiling** · 6th November 2007 18:36

Originally Posted by kidneystone

Got to laugh really, 90% of the replies are from those that refuse to drink the water, and I have no doubt that the majority of those regularly dump ice into their beer. Thawed out bacteria tends to be far more virulent than it was before freezing.

I knew an international cricketer (those dudes used to spend months touring India and Pakistan). This guy was a real hangman. I am sure he wouldn't hesitate to get intimate with a hookers front door...but he used to go apeshit (even when past midnight) if the barman put ice in his rum and coke...

**Umbuku** · 6th November 2007 18:36

It's only a simple test.

To be sure there are purity testing kits around.
Try a camping store.

**jimbo** · 6th November 2007 18:45

Poor sanitary conditions prevail in many parts of

Bangkok. Records of some water related diseases generally

associated with sanitary conditions in the Annual

Epidemiological Surveillance Report of the Epidemiological

Subdivision, Disease Control Division, Department of

Health, BMA are illustrated in Figure 3.4 and Appendix V.

In cases of acute diarrhea, about 45,000 and 40,000 cases

were found in 1994 and 1995 respectively. The figures

were even higher in 1997. These, however, might not

represent the true extent of waterborne diseases, as most

cases were not recorded.

~ Bangkok State of the Environment 2001

Bit dated, but I wonder how much progress has been made.

**kiwiling** · 6th November 2007 18:54

Originally Posted by jimbo

Bit dated, but I wonder how much progress has been made.

In Thailand?

I don't drink tap water anywhere, even in the UK. Although on the farm back home we used to drink tank water off the roof. Every now and then when it rained heavily a dead bird or two would end up in the tank, I used to fish them out and just carry on drinking it. My kids grew up really healthy and never had any problems with their teeth either...compared with the city kids who drank fluoridated water...but that is getting off the track.

**jimbo** · 6th November 2007 19:33

mmmm, but kidneystone did get me with the "ice" comment.

**kidneystone** · 6th November 2007 20:37

Originally Posted by jimbo

mmmm, but kidneystone did get me with the "ice" comment.

Sorry dude! but in all truth I tend to worry more about the quaity of the ice in BKK that the quality of the tapwater.

**Cream** · 6th November 2007 20:40

Originally Posted by kidneystone

Sorry dude! but in all truth I tend to worry more about the quaity of the ice in BKK that the quality of the tapwater.

Unless they're making ice out of river water what would be the difference?

**kidneystone** · 6th November 2007 20:40

Water testing kits are all well and good but they only test at one point in time! they may well tell you that the water is as safe as an angels piss! but ten minutes later the devil may shit in your standpipe!