Only 160 water vending machines in Bangkok meet standard

BANGKOK, May 5 (TNA) -- The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has announced that only 160 out of almost 4,000 coin-operated water vending machines are safe for people to drink. Patarut Tardaranon, BMA Permanent Secretary, said he has assigned the BMA’s Health Office to survey water vending machines operating in Bangkok and it was found that only 160 out of 3,964 of them have carried a proper licence. Mr Patarut said he also ordered the Health Office to monitor and carry out water quality tests from these machines every three months and also ordered the operators that they must apply for business licence in accordance with the law. Illegal operators will face a maximum of six-month imprisonment or a fine 50,000 baht or both. The operators will have to apply for licence within 15 days. Meanwhile, Dr Soontorn Soontornchat, deputy director of Health Office, said that his office has distributed stickers to all 50 district offices in Bangkok and placed on legal and safe water vending machines to enable people to know that the water is afe for consumption. Concerned officials will carry water tests every three months to ensure that drinking water from these machines meet the standard required. (TNA)