Thailand lifts lid for World Toilet Day as one-third of loos fail hygiene test

Deputy Public Health Minister Satit Pitutecha lifted the lid on this year’s lavatorial awareness push by announcing its theme as "Making the invisible visible".

"The campaign will encourage businesses to offer high-standard toilets, especially in tourist attractions, public transport stations and filling stations to welcome Thai and foreign tourists," he elaborated.

One-third of public toilets checked at 99,814 venues across Thailand between 2019 and 2022 failed to meet international standards, according to a survey by his ministry.

Satit Pitutecha

Toilets at fresh-food markets are the worst culprits, judging from a separate survey by the Department of Health between October 14 and 21.

More than two-thirds of respondents (68.68%) wanted to see improvements at market toilets, followed by those at public parks (39.85%) and roadsides (38.48%).

Toilets in malls got the biggest thumbs-up for cleanliness (68.46%), followed by filling stations (55.30%).

Worryingly, only 35.82% of respondents were happy with toilets in hospitals.

"Cleanliness, safety and convenience are the main reasons that encourage people to use public toilets," the department said, urging providers of the facilities to up their game.

"Apart from ensuring hygiene for toilet users, this also helps promote tourism and improve Thailand's image," it added.

Department of Health director-general Suwannachai Wattanayingcharoenchai was on hand to explain that 40,000 households or 0.2% of people in Thailand still don’t have toilets.

He added that the department was working with relevant agencies and networks to ensure that every household in Thailand has a toilet.

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