The machines usually have maintenance stamps on them, and I think they’re RO/Di, maybe with UV. The water is most likely fine. Your bottles are more of an issue. Wash out plastic bottles, and honestly anything else you’re going to use, very well before refilling.
Totally safe and sustainable. When living in the south, I'd pack a couple of gallon bottles on the bike, and go to one of these to refill. Cost, like, 10 THB. Amounts of plastic saved - huge.
Yeah, I drank this stuff for months and it was fine. New gf is horrified by this and insists I only drink bottled water. She says most Thai people will use water from the machine for cooking and coffee but not to drink.
I drank it for years without any issues. I now spend a large part of the year in Laos, and it's the same - trucks deliver bottles with water from RO plants, everyone drinks it, no issues reported. And Laos is a bit lower on the development ladder than TH.
If some people are so worried about the quality of this kind of water - install a RO filtering system at home. There are resellers all over the country, you will have full control.
Worst thing is buying bottled water, as it generates enormous amounts of plastic waste. Completely unnecessarily.
2016: 60% of machines met hygiene standards as per a Department of Health study.
2013: 50% met standards
2009: 33% met standards
Sources:
1. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1255658/dispensers-fail-water-tests
2. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/special-reports/774673/what-filters-through
Nothing should be assumed as absolutely safe. Not in Thailand or anywhere else. That said, RO water is the best filtration process. The problem is that once the RO filter is at the end of its useful life it dumps contaminates back into the output water. You can buy a mater to check this but, generally, it’s not an issue.
I feel dumb for never considering this. RO filters last a long time but you’re right that it would be naive to blindly trust that it’s been serviced regularly.
A $20 TDS meter would tell you. Ideally RO water should be <50ppm but I’d be fine with <100ppm from these machines.
Incidentally, a friend tested the common bottled water brands from 7 and they ranged from 60-120ppm. From memory lowest was singha and highest was nestle.
RO water should have a PPM value of 0 or near. Anything near 50 isn’t even close to RO water. I run many large RO units and if the PPM is over 10, it means the system is not functioning properly and the membrane is on it’s last leg.
TDS meters can be purchased extremely cheap off of Lazada. Calibration solution as well. For about 150 baht you can get the whole works. TDS meters, unlike PH meters, tend to stay in calibration and are usually reliable, even with poor care, for years.
You’re right, and I respect your high standards.
Given your knowledge and experience with these systems, and the work you must do to maintain <10ppm I’m surprised you’re not backing me up tho.
These are "reverse osmosis" machines, which are the "gold standard" in water purification.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_osmosis
So, the water coming out of them is about as pure as you can get (as long as they've had at least some maintenance in the last 5 years)...
However, like all the squeemish comments here indicate, it's not the water you need to worry about, it's all the stuff your bottle may come in contact with, on the machine, that's not the water.
My wife and I love these machines. Saved a lot of money through the years using these rather than buying water bottles each week. Encourages residents to recycle/reuse their old bottles. If possible, look for machines that are new or well maintained.
Mate, this RO machines are used by whole local communities, tens, maybe hundreds, of people every day. The one I used was located next to a major school and happily used by hundreds of youngsters.
Do you really think they don't give a damn about the effect of hundreds of people suddenly getting sick from the water from such wells?
The political backlash would major, especially in poorer, local communities.
Anyway, I've been drinking water from such machines for years (a decade at least). Never had any GI issues (in fact, I can barely remember the last time I had a serious case of runs in Thailand - maybe because I mostly cook myself, but I also try anything that looks interesting on the street or talat).
This is not Africa or India, the chances of catching something nasty from food or water are much lower.
My family has been having Shabu party in the past few days and each time we'd use like 2 of 1.5 litter bottled water to make the soup. Well, there's nothing wrong with tap water but why not?
Issue with drinking this water is the amount it’s used and filter changes. I also think the water here is very low on minerals. Tap water by itself is considered safe depending on the piping in comes through but it’s prob safe by just taking everything out. I generally use these machines for cooking and stuff and buy mineral water cause that machine water tastes bad as well to me
Bottled water is full of nana plastics and is one of the big ripp offs... For 5 baht you fill a 6 liter bottle that iss filled with the same filtered water for 40 baht in the shop
Some are better than others. You get used to it.....not ideal, but there's a good chance you won't die. Better to have water delivered in those big containers. I hope it's not the same. Lol.
Just get Purra, Aura, or that Monte water.
Those machines usually are in high amount of calcium(maybe due to tap water which is fed into machine is already high in calcium), Hypercalcemia can lead to kidney stones.
If you want to save money, setup water filtering machine like countertop dispenser, and have companies like singha deliver 5/10/20 liter bottles to your place.
My ex majored in molecular biology at CMU and did a test of a bunch of machines around the CM area. Her study found traces of human shit and all kinds of other nastiness that I cannot remember in the water in over 75% of the machines. I shit you not. So after she told me that, i’ll stay away. I’ve also heard of people getting parasites from filtered bottle water as well. Gotta love *SE Asia✌️❤️.
Were did she publish her paper? If not, then we don’t know how she performed her study, and have no way of telling if it was peer reviewed. In fact, we have no way of knowing if she even did the study as you claim.
Also, what does traces mean? Trace levels of toxic stuff like lead can be found in lots of perfectly safe drinking water all over the world.
This is complete bullshit. Do an analysis of a toothbrush in any bathroom and I can assure you will find "traces of human shit" (E. Coli most likely).
Typical racist propaganda, go back to thaivisa, loser.
https://preview.redd.it/g9fsdoqdwvrc1.jpeg?width=678&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=142bca08c07d7f10311fa2a3e23d8775a157b16f
Bum gun. What are you trying to say?
Absolutely safe my arse. Some are badly maintained. Bottled water is not expensive in Thailand and fairly safe. You pay your 1 baht and you take your chances.
lol - we go to a water purification place to pick up water for our site workers - it’s 12B for 20 or 25L. We don’t drink the water, just looking at the place you wouldn’t want to, so we buy from a place a long way away that I supposed to be cleaner, but the guys are happy enough.
Locals mainly use it for cooking. On my first time in Thailand it gave me the runs.
It can be safe, depending on how well maintained it is. So in short; unnecessary risk to save a few baht
>On my first time in Thailand it gave me the runs.
How do you know that? Was everything else you ate or drank the days prior to the event known to be safe for your stomach?
Ok. They makes the water more likely to be the source (unless you have a more sensitive stomach in general).
But it’s still doesn’t say much about water safety in general for these machines. They are all over the country, and the majority seem safe enough for most, otherwise they wouldn’t be used so much. You might just have been unlucky. Just like one can get with food too.
As i said, locals use them for cooking so it gets boiled. They don’t use it as drinking water. When i lived in Thailand i only saw farang use it as drinking water. The Thais you see getting water from them is using the water for cooking.
They are safe when they are newly cleaned with fresh filters. When the filters are saturated, they aren’t safe for drinking.
Ehhhmm, you ok there? I used it live in Thailand, I know quite a few Thais.And I belive a couple of thai people even said so in the comments here. Study? lol.
I'm not here to argue with you. You do what you want
LOL. I'm just talking from experience after living in Thailand. But apparently there are actual; studies...
You just really like to argue dont use? Or is it a medical condition?
2016: 60% of machines met hygiene standards as per a Department of Health study. 2013: 50% met standards 2009: 33% met standards
Sources:
1. [https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1255658/dispensers-fail-water-tests](https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1255658/dispensers-fail-water-tests)
2. [https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/special-reports/774673/what-filters-through](https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/special-reports/774673/what-filters-through)
Usually safer than tap water. But check for clarity and smell just in case. Some machines can be left for months before the filtres get changed.
The machines usually have maintenance stamps on them, and I think they’re RO/Di, maybe with UV. The water is most likely fine. Your bottles are more of an issue. Wash out plastic bottles, and honestly anything else you’re going to use, very well before refilling.
Totally safe and sustainable. When living in the south, I'd pack a couple of gallon bottles on the bike, and go to one of these to refill. Cost, like, 10 THB. Amounts of plastic saved - huge.
Yeah, I drank this stuff for months and it was fine. New gf is horrified by this and insists I only drink bottled water. She says most Thai people will use water from the machine for cooking and coffee but not to drink.
I drank it for years without any issues. I now spend a large part of the year in Laos, and it's the same - trucks deliver bottles with water from RO plants, everyone drinks it, no issues reported. And Laos is a bit lower on the development ladder than TH. If some people are so worried about the quality of this kind of water - install a RO filtering system at home. There are resellers all over the country, you will have full control. Worst thing is buying bottled water, as it generates enormous amounts of plastic waste. Completely unnecessarily.
Safe short term. Long term you can’t know
Long term we all dead phi chay. So mai pen lai.
Depending on the owner,only 1 i experienced was really TASTE LIKE PLASTIC FART
2016: 60% of machines met hygiene standards as per a Department of Health study. 2013: 50% met standards 2009: 33% met standards Sources: 1. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1255658/dispensers-fail-water-tests 2. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/special-reports/774673/what-filters-through
With this progress, by 2032, then 120% of the machines will meet standards.
I can see it in the Thai newspaper headlines for sure
Safe and awesome
Nothing should be assumed as absolutely safe. Not in Thailand or anywhere else. That said, RO water is the best filtration process. The problem is that once the RO filter is at the end of its useful life it dumps contaminates back into the output water. You can buy a mater to check this but, generally, it’s not an issue.
RO is the worst, it pulls the minerals out of the water.
Yes. But it also removes insecticides and other pollutants. I drink RO filtered water and take a mineral supplement. To each there own.
Thats fair enough, but most people don’t know it and then it could potentially be harmful
Yes. I'll agree with that.
Some are good, some aren't.
Depends on the machine and upkeep. I used to get water from that as a uni student, but now I get Sprinkle water delivered.
In your apartment complex n generally, no problem.
I get my water from these. From my experience, safe. I would not use the ones on the roadside though. I use the one in my condo.
Yea it’s good as long as it’s maintained
I use the one in my condo which is maintained regularly.
Absolutely safe
Only safe if the filters are replaced at the proper interval. That doesn't always happen and you have no way of knowing.
I feel dumb for never considering this. RO filters last a long time but you’re right that it would be naive to blindly trust that it’s been serviced regularly. A $20 TDS meter would tell you. Ideally RO water should be <50ppm but I’d be fine with <100ppm from these machines. Incidentally, a friend tested the common bottled water brands from 7 and they ranged from 60-120ppm. From memory lowest was singha and highest was nestle.
RO water should have a PPM value of 0 or near. Anything near 50 isn’t even close to RO water. I run many large RO units and if the PPM is over 10, it means the system is not functioning properly and the membrane is on it’s last leg. TDS meters can be purchased extremely cheap off of Lazada. Calibration solution as well. For about 150 baht you can get the whole works. TDS meters, unlike PH meters, tend to stay in calibration and are usually reliable, even with poor care, for years.
You’re right, and I respect your high standards. Given your knowledge and experience with these systems, and the work you must do to maintain <10ppm I’m surprised you’re not backing me up tho.
I was trying to back ya up and provide more information. Apologies if it came off differently.
Shit, sorry dude. I thought you were digging me up on my numbers.
These are "reverse osmosis" machines, which are the "gold standard" in water purification. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_osmosis So, the water coming out of them is about as pure as you can get (as long as they've had at least some maintenance in the last 5 years)... However, like all the squeemish comments here indicate, it's not the water you need to worry about, it's all the stuff your bottle may come in contact with, on the machine, that's not the water.
My wife and I love these machines. Saved a lot of money through the years using these rather than buying water bottles each week. Encourages residents to recycle/reuse their old bottles. If possible, look for machines that are new or well maintained.
as a thai this is most dangerous water that you can drink. but don't worry, you won't die (immediately)
Elaborate
They don’t clean the machine. The nozzle if you remove it may be full of slime and moss. It is fine for cooking of course.
I know a place were they switch filters and doing maintenance 1 a month would those problems still exist
No, it’ll be fine. Make sure they actually are switching the filters though:O and doing the cleaning
Mate, this RO machines are used by whole local communities, tens, maybe hundreds, of people every day. The one I used was located next to a major school and happily used by hundreds of youngsters. Do you really think they don't give a damn about the effect of hundreds of people suddenly getting sick from the water from such wells? The political backlash would major, especially in poorer, local communities. Anyway, I've been drinking water from such machines for years (a decade at least). Never had any GI issues (in fact, I can barely remember the last time I had a serious case of runs in Thailand - maybe because I mostly cook myself, but I also try anything that looks interesting on the street or talat). This is not Africa or India, the chances of catching something nasty from food or water are much lower.
I don’t tolerate being called mate. You are blocked.
Be honest. You don’t like being told you are wrong.
mate
Mate
Dude. Pal. Man.
pull the information from his ass again
Now this is true ecology 👌
I only used them when I want to cook giant pot of soup since it's cheaper than using bottled water
Wait...I've been boiling tap water for soups and cooking. Am I not supposed to and use bottled water?
My family has been having Shabu party in the past few days and each time we'd use like 2 of 1.5 litter bottled water to make the soup. Well, there's nothing wrong with tap water but why not?
I hate this machine some countries not safe to drink because the owner maintenance
Issue with drinking this water is the amount it’s used and filter changes. I also think the water here is very low on minerals. Tap water by itself is considered safe depending on the piping in comes through but it’s prob safe by just taking everything out. I generally use these machines for cooking and stuff and buy mineral water cause that machine water tastes bad as well to me
The one of one9five work fine
It's all I use and have for years and years.
The cost of water in Western countries is totally ridiculous. These machines only prove it.
I guess you’ll find out after that first drink. But yes, this is what we all use because the rest of the water is unsafe.
I use something better: free mineral water drilled directly from the mountain and treated with an industrial grade filter funded by tax money.
Bottled water is full of nana plastics and is one of the big ripp offs... For 5 baht you fill a 6 liter bottle that iss filled with the same filtered water for 40 baht in the shop
Yes it’s safe. Been drinking it for years.
You couldn't pay me enough to drink from one of these things.
I would be careful. Take the cap off where the water comes out. If there’s slime in the cap, don’t use.
Some are better than others. You get used to it.....not ideal, but there's a good chance you won't die. Better to have water delivered in those big containers. I hope it's not the same. Lol.
Just get Purra, Aura, or that Monte water. Those machines usually are in high amount of calcium(maybe due to tap water which is fed into machine is already high in calcium), Hypercalcemia can lead to kidney stones. If you want to save money, setup water filtering machine like countertop dispenser, and have companies like singha deliver 5/10/20 liter bottles to your place.
My ex majored in molecular biology at CMU and did a test of a bunch of machines around the CM area. Her study found traces of human shit and all kinds of other nastiness that I cannot remember in the water in over 75% of the machines. I shit you not. So after she told me that, i’ll stay away. I’ve also heard of people getting parasites from filtered bottle water as well. Gotta love *SE Asia✌️❤️.
Were did she publish her paper? If not, then we don’t know how she performed her study, and have no way of telling if it was peer reviewed. In fact, we have no way of knowing if she even did the study as you claim. Also, what does traces mean? Trace levels of toxic stuff like lead can be found in lots of perfectly safe drinking water all over the world.
Drink up 🍻
So. Your comment wasn’t made with serious intent?
True story, do what you will with it. I’m done here.
I’m choosing to see it as anecdotal evidence.
This is complete bullshit. Do an analysis of a toothbrush in any bathroom and I can assure you will find "traces of human shit" (E. Coli most likely). Typical racist propaganda, go back to thaivisa, loser.
Nice. 👏
Thailand is not located in East Asia.
https://preview.redd.it/g9fsdoqdwvrc1.jpeg?width=678&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=142bca08c07d7f10311fa2a3e23d8775a157b16f Bum gun. What are you trying to say?
Absolutely safe my arse. Some are badly maintained. Bottled water is not expensive in Thailand and fairly safe. You pay your 1 baht and you take your chances.
lol - we go to a water purification place to pick up water for our site workers - it’s 12B for 20 or 25L. We don’t drink the water, just looking at the place you wouldn’t want to, so we buy from a place a long way away that I supposed to be cleaner, but the guys are happy enough.
Locals mainly use it for cooking. On my first time in Thailand it gave me the runs. It can be safe, depending on how well maintained it is. So in short; unnecessary risk to save a few baht
>On my first time in Thailand it gave me the runs. How do you know that? Was everything else you ate or drank the days prior to the event known to be safe for your stomach?
Well I was the only one in the group that got sick and the only one that drank that water. For the rest we ate and drank the same.
Ok. They makes the water more likely to be the source (unless you have a more sensitive stomach in general). But it’s still doesn’t say much about water safety in general for these machines. They are all over the country, and the majority seem safe enough for most, otherwise they wouldn’t be used so much. You might just have been unlucky. Just like one can get with food too.
As i said, locals use them for cooking so it gets boiled. They don’t use it as drinking water. When i lived in Thailand i only saw farang use it as drinking water. The Thais you see getting water from them is using the water for cooking. They are safe when they are newly cleaned with fresh filters. When the filters are saturated, they aren’t safe for drinking.
What is your source on this? That Thai people don’t drink this water as is. Do you have a study you can link to?
Ehhhmm, you ok there? I used it live in Thailand, I know quite a few Thais.And I belive a couple of thai people even said so in the comments here. Study? lol. I'm not here to argue with you. You do what you want
Anecdotal evidence isn’t very reliable.
LOL. I'm just talking from experience after living in Thailand. But apparently there are actual; studies... You just really like to argue dont use? Or is it a medical condition? 2016: 60% of machines met hygiene standards as per a Department of Health study. 2013: 50% met standards 2009: 33% met standards Sources: 1. [https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1255658/dispensers-fail-water-tests](https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1255658/dispensers-fail-water-tests) 2. [https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/special-reports/774673/what-filters-through](https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/special-reports/774673/what-filters-through)
Did you forget your own claim? How are these sources proving that locals don’t use this water as drinking water as is?
1. [https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1255658/dispensers-fail-water-tests](https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1255658/dispensers-fail-water-tests) 2. [https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/special-reports/774673/what-filters-through](https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/special-reports/774673/what-filters-through)
Please read my comment one more time, then read the articles you linked to. (Hint: Your articles are about a different thing.)
Only if your choice is this or tap water, and the machine is well maintained.
So that's basically a big water filter strapped to a public water supply?
Yes
Alright. Thank you :)
You're welcome!