Can You Drink The Water In Thailand?

Thailand is a beautiful country with temples, beaches, and much more to see and do. There is one thing that many visitors to Thailand don’t want to experience which is food poisoning. The question of whether can you drink water in Thailand is a commonly asked question.

It is NOT advised to drink tap water in Thailand due to their aging treatment plants and water pipes and the pipes are often in need of repair. There is a lack of infrastructure outside of the major cities. You can drink the water if it is boiled first. You should only drink bottled water.

In this post, we will go through can you drink water in Thailand. So let’s get started!

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Is It Safe To Drink Tap Water In Thailand?

It is NOT advised to drink tap water in Thailand due to their aging treatment plants and water pipes. The water infrastructure is aging which affects the consistency of the supply and quality of the water. And there is a strong chlorine smell from the tap water.

As a result, the water might get cloudy looking, so you would need the filter to be sure. There is a risk of contamination. In most parts of Thailand, you can boil and drink the water. Also, in the least developed places, there are no water treatment plants or infrastructure.

In Thailand, you should only drink bottled water and if no water is available then you can boil the water before drinking.

What Are The Alternatives To Tap Water In Thailand?

Again, it is NOT advised to drink tap water in Thailand. This generally applies to locals and foreigners who visit and live in Thailand. The locals would have built up a tolerance for drinking tap water.

Simply it is not worth the risk of getting sick while on holiday and drinking tap water could easily ruin your visit to Thailand.

Here is a list of the tap water alternatives in Thailand.

Bottled water.
Filtered water.
Boiled water.

Can You Drink Tap Water In Bangkok?

Tap water is NOT safe to drink in Bangkok, the water quality is good but the problem is the aging pipes. It is safer to drink bottled water or filtered water.

Typically, the locals don’t drink straight out of a tap cause they claim that don’t trust the water. Simply if the locals don’t do it, then you shouldn’t.

Is It OK To Drink Boiled Water In Thailand?

You can drink tap water in Thailand if you boil it. By boiling the water you will kill the bacteria and organisms that may be in the water.

Again, you should avoid tap water completely as you run the risk of getting sick. It is safer to drink bottled water.

Can You Brush Your Teeth With Tap Water In Thailand?

Yes, tap water is safe to brush your teeth in Thailand but you should boil it first. If you are using tap water for brushing your teeth, don’t swallow the water.

Is Bottled Water Safe In Thailand?

Yes. Bottled water is the best choice for visitors to Thailand. It is clean and safe to drink.

Here is a list of the popular bottled water in Thailand.

Nescafe.
Dasani.
Evian.
Fiji.
Aquafina.

1 liter of bottled water can cost around 7,000 baht. The price depends on the brand with the local water brands being the cheapest.

How Safe Is It To Drink Filtered Water In Thailand?

Yes, assuming that the filter for the filtered water is replaced and maintained regularly. This sometimes can be healthier than bottled water.

Although tap water is considered safe to drink in Thailand, it is advised that people don’t drink from their taps.

What Is Wrong With The Tap Water In Thailand?

The tap water in Thailand would be ok to drink with the treatment plant meeting WHO standards. The main problem is the transport of the water between the treatment plants to houses, businesses, and so on.

In supplying people’s houses and businesses, the water goes through the water pipe system. The problem is with the aging pipes as there are old dirty, rusty, and regularly need repair as a result the water gets contaminated.

To summarise, the water quality at the treatment plant is at a good standard or even to the entry point to the hotel, restaurant, or home. There are a lot of factors that can contaminate the water through its transportation from the plant to the tap.

I suggest playing safe and drinking bottled water.

USEFUL TRAVEL RESOURCES

Book Accommodation

Booking.com has a large range of properties from hotels, hostels, guesthouses, and resorts where you will find the best deals. Airbnb and Hostelworld also have a good range of places to stay at good prices.

Booking Flight

Skyscanner is a flight search comparison website that searches millions of flights all at once. Ultimately it is the best flight comparison website online at the moment.

Booking Transportation & Things To Do

Rome2rio and 12Go are useful to plan how to get anywhere by searching train, bus, car, and ferry routes. Especially useful in countries like Vietnam or Thailand. While Klook is great for exploring things to do in each place.

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance is cheap and more than likely you will never need to use it but you will have peace of mind if something does happen, you are covered in case of an emergency. World Nomads have great customer service and competitive prices.

Check out our resource page for the best companies to use when you travel.

Wrapping Up

Finally, I would advise you NOT to drink tap water in Thailand. If you need to use tap water, you should boil it first as this will kill the bacteria and organisms. You should stick to using bottled water as it is safe.

Remember getting food poisoning is a sure way of ruining your trip to Thailand.

And that’s it for now! I’d love to know if this guide on the can you drink the water in Thailand has helped you. Let me know if you have any questions and let me know if there is more to add.