A Study of Rainwater Drinking Behavior of Thai People in 2023

Abstract

This cross-sectional analysis aimed to examine water consumption, expenditure on purchasing water for consumption, living conditions, and attitudes toward rainwater consumption among people across all regions of Thailand (76 provinces). It was conducted through multi-stage sampling covering all regions of Thailand from January to June 2023, collecting data from a total of 2,013 individuals from 12 provinces across the six regions. The study found that the most commonly consumed types of water in households were bottled water (74.6%), coin-operated tap water (11.4%), filtered tap water (5.5%), rainwater (3.8%), tap water (unboiled) (2.2%), boiled rainwater (1.1%), boiled tap water (0.6%), un-boiled well water/spring water (0.4%), and boiled well water/spring water (0.3%.) The three interesting points were as follows: (1) there was no direct consumption of water from rivers, streams, canals, or outside tap water because there is uncertainty about its cleanliness. Instead, they believed that water produced in water treatment plants met standards and they were satisfied with the convenient home delivery service. As a result, the most preferred sources of drinking water were bottled water and coin-operated water dispensers. On average, monthly expenditure for drinking water across the country was approximately 426 baht/household. (2) People increasingly improved water quality at the household level by filtering tap water, and boiling rainwater, tap water or artesian well water totals, (7.5%). This behavior should be encouraged, developed and educated to ensure affordable access to clean drinking water at a lower price in the future. (3) Approximately 4.9% of the population still used rainwater directly or after boiling. However, the majority of survey respondents saw drinking rainwater as a way to save money, with good taste that brought a refreshing feeling, and rainwater harvesting was not overly difficult, which was consistent with data on living conditions and areas where rainwater collection containers could be installed. However, most were concerned that rainwater might not yet be safe enough even though it came from the nature, because rainwater might contain contaminants, and the main concern was the dirtiness of roofs from dust and bird droppings. There was also uncertainty regarding its value compared to bottled water. Thus, it is recommended to utilize this survey data earnestly for development planning, monitoring, and quality control of different types of drinking water to ensure effective consumer safety.