Drinking Water

Short answer: do not drink the tap water, and do not worry about the ice.

The tap

Thai mains water is treated and is fine for brushing teeth, showering and rinsing food. It is not intended for drinking, and the concern is as much the pipes and storage tanks between the treatment plant and your glass as the water itself. Nobody here drinks it, Thais included. A mouthful while brushing will do you no harm.

What to drink

• Bottled water — cheap and everywhere. A large bottle from 7-Eleven costs very little.
• Refill stations — the coin-operated machines on street corners dispense filtered water into your own bottle for a few baht. Used constantly by locals, and by far the cheapest way to drink.
• Your hotel or villa will usually provide drinking water. If you run out, ask rather than using the tap.

Ice

Ice in Thailand is commercially produced from treated water under food-safety rules, and it is fine. This surprises people who have read a guidebook written thirty years ago.

The tell everyone uses: cylindrical ice with a hole through the middle, and neat uniform cubes, are factory made. That is what restaurants, bars and street stalls use. Irregular hand-chipped ice from an unmarked bag is worth a second thought, but you will rarely meet it.

Far more important than the water source is simply drinking enough of it — see Heat & Hydration.