Pattaya Travel Safety: Is Tap Water Safe to Drink?

Last Updated on September 24, 2025 by admin

The short answer: no. Tap water in Pattaya and Thailand in general isn’t safe to drink. It’s clean enough to bathe in, but you should only consume bottled water. The same goes with brushing your teeth: use bottled water. Follow these recommendations to stay safe.

Your Hotel

Even most 5 Star Hotels in Bangkok, Thailand’s capital, won’t have safe-to-drink tap water. That’s due to a combination of incomplete water treatment and old pipes. In rare cases, you may see a second water spout in your bathroom that serves purified water but don’t count on it. Fortunately, most hotels will provide you with two free bottled waters a day. Take advantage of this and bring 1-2 bottles with you before you head out each day. Most hotels will replace them. If not, you can pick up large containers of purified water cheaply in convenience stores. Additionally, some hotels may have water bottle refill stations. You can always ask at your Reception Desk if you don’t see one.

Recommendations for Travelers

1. Bottled Water is Cheap and Plentiful at 7 Eleven Stores in Thailand

7 Eleven is Life in Pattaya! Costs range from 5 to 10 baht (USD 0.15 to USD 0.30) for a small to medium sized bottled water.

2. Avoid “homemade” looking bottled fruit juices from street vendors

Those arrays of colorful plastic bottles? These can be mixed with local tap water and make you sick. Not worth the risk. Prefer factory sealed drinks from convenience stores.

3. If you drink lots of beer, drink even more water!

Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it makes you pee. The same is true with coffee. So if you’re a beer drinker, you need even more water. One quirk of Pattaya specifically and Thailand in general is that beer is often served with ice cubes. Just go with it.

4. What about ice cubes?

Nearly all restaurants  use purified water to make ice or have bags of ice delivered to them made with purified water. So ice in drinks is generally safe in Pattaya.

5. Stay Hydrated and Stock Up

Pattaya is hot year round. Don’t risk becoming dehydrated. Drink water regularly, even when you’re not thirsty: between 2 and 3 liters a day. If  you carry a day pack, it’s good to stock up with 3 bottles of water for convenience, especially if you’re heading out on a long day trip or going to an island like Koh Larn.

6. Drink electrolyte drinks – and make your own

Water may not be enough to stay sufficiently hydrated in Pattaya. You lose more than water when  you sweat. So drink electrolyte drinks. Gatorade is available in many 7 Eleven stores, but it’s expensive relatively speaking. Consider Pocari Sweat – a clear sort of Gatorade – and Thailand’s answer to Gatorade: Sponsor. The cheapest option is to purchase a cheap bottled water and add an electrolyte drink packet to it. Various brands are available at 7 Eleven, but a common one is “Royal D.”