Migrant communities at Thai-Myanmar border turn to water filters to quench thirst for safe water

MAE SOT, Thailand – For Mr Saw T, 21, and Htoo L, 14, part of their usual schedules as students at the Thoo Mweh Khee Migrant Learning Centre at the Thailand-Myanmar border involves a daily visit to a brown water tank almost double their height. 

There, they spend about 20 minutes cleaning the tank’s filters and flushing away the debris that has built up. Every month, the pair carry out a deeper clean, pouring a spoonful of chlorine powder into a small valve and letting the solution run through the entire filter system.

The tank stores water drawn from the city pipeline. Up to 10,000 litres of water is filtered a day, and is used to meet the drinking and cooking needs of more than 3,200 students and teachers.

The work by the two students, whose real names are withheld for privacy and safety concerns, is part of the community development arm of the learning centre they are studying at. Students are given hands-on experience to manage projects linked to clean water and sanitation. 

But these efforts are not merely for exposure – they are critical to ensure the students and teachers can get access to safe drinking water. 

The Thoo Mweh Khee centre is one of the largest along the border, serving around 3,200 students daily from nursery through high school.

Such centres are largely set up and run by refugees and migrants, but they operate under the Thai government. A 2024 media report estimated that there are about 60 learning centres in the area.

Ms Gawa (not her real name), a 21-year-old student at the centre, said: “Sometimes we would go to the teacher’s office or neighbours’ houses just to ask for water.”

Bottled water is too expensive, and when the thirst became unbearable, students would squat behind the dorm at the government-supplied pipeline, pressing their bottles to the thin stream. 

“Sometimes we would get sore throats, feel dizzy, or even have diarrhoea. Health workers warned us that there may be a virus in the water if we drink it without boiling,” Ms Gawa recalled. 

Their experience reflects the challenges faced by Mae Sot’s migrants. While official estimates put their numbers at around 73,000 in 2023, many are undocumented and the overall migrant population likely exceeds 100,000.

Compromised access to safe water

While Thai families generally stay in the city centre of Mae Sot, many Burmese migrants reside in villages and settlements on the outskirts.

There, they face issues such as poor piping infrastructure that is not properly maintained, and leakage of pesticide into damaged pipes from nearby farmlands. 

The water that reaches homes is often brown and dirty, and repairs are delayed, said Ms Pacharawan Nawaroongniran, 56, the country director of the Imagine Thailand Foundation that operates in Mae Sot to install water filtration systems. 

During the rainy season from May to October, pipes can be further damaged by trees falling on them, or when cars drive over them. 

But some problems start at installation, said Ms Nawaroongniran. For example, contractors often do not clean the inside of pipes thoroughly, leaving dirt and sediment inside.  

Mr Wichat, 43, chief executive officer of ASA Badal, a well-drilling company, said poor construction can cause pipe damage and a pressure drop, resulting in less water being delivered. He said that especially in rural communities, not much care is given to proper maintenance of these pipes due to budget limitations. 

At the centre, water samples taken by the non-governmental organisation Safe Water for Every Child Myanmar in 2019 before the water filters were installed showed that E. coli levels were far above safe limits. E.coli indicates faecal contamination and raises the risk of diarrhoea and other waterborne illnesses. 

One sample from the school’s pipeline showed 48.3 Most Probable Number (MPN) of E.coli per 100 ml before filter installation. While some countries allow up to 10-20 MPN per 100 ml as an intermediate risk, Safe Water holds that drinking water should contain none. 

Today, the filters installed at the school can remove E. coli. 

Mr Pla Taw, 30, a community development teacher at the centre, said broken pipes in migrant schools are rarely addressed by the authorities.

“For migrant schools, if we have a problem with the pipes, we have to go to the shop, buy the materials, and fix it ourselves,” he said, adding that they repair about one pipe a month.

Safe water out of reach

Many Thai residents can buy water from vending machines or bottled water, but these options are too costly for migrants.

Bottled water in Mae Sot costs 15 Thai baht (60 Singapore cents) for a 20-litre container.

Vending machines that dispense filtered water are also common around Thailand, allowing users to insert a one-baht coin in exchange for a litre of water. 

But installing a vending machine costs roughly 28,000 baht, and it requires electricity, adequate water pressure, and money for regular maintenance, said Ms Nawaroongniran.

Commercial household water filters are comparatively more cost-effective at 1,000 to 3,000 baht, but many migrant families often cannot afford this. 

Donations from non-governmental organisations provide a critical lifeline.

Before Safe Water for Every Child Myanmar donated the water filters to the Thoo Mweh Khee Migrant Learning Centre in 2019, the school bought 30 containers of bottled water per day for 100 dormitory students.

With the dormitory population quadrupled, providing bottled water would become too costly and unsustainable, said Mr Pla Taw. The money saved is used for electricity and food, he said. 

Other than the industrial filters used by the learning centre, smaller-scale filters that can be used by households are also critical for the migrant community. 

At St Stephen’s Church, Mr Saw Kyi Lay, 28, a volunteer, would conduct demonstrations to show villagers how hand-held water filters work.

The filter, when attached through a hole to a pail of unfiltered water contaminated with mud and other sediments, turned the slightly muddy water into a clear stream that trickled into the waiting cups below. He then drank from a glass to demonstrate its safety. This was part of the monthly training sessions the church holds for families receiving the filters. 

For many, 15 baht for bottled water represents a significant expense, said church pastor Jorda Richard, 49. “They will prioritise food and children’s needs instead,” he added.

Using large-scale filters, like those used at the migrant learning centre, comes with challenges. 

“It’s quite a new technology for them, so some people don’t want to touch it in case it breaks,” said Ms Nawaroongniran. But without regular care, filter elements can clog easily and require frequent replacement.

The smell of chlorine, a common disinfectant, can also alarm them. 

“Most people have little experience with chlorine or new water technology. When they smell it, they think it can be poison,” said Mr Pla Taw, who also works part-time with Safe Water for Every Child Myanmar, where he helps with community outreach programmes.

Safe Water for Every Child Myanmar also works with Singaporean company Wateroam, which designs portable water filters for rural and disaster-hit areas – including in Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Wateroam co-founder Lim Chong Tee said simple, portable filters can be easily distributed and are also easy for locals to use. 

Moreover, industrial water filters need regular maintenance, he added. “Caretaking is a big aspect of maintaining water filters, which is why sometimes we wouldn’t want to install systems that can’t be monitored or taken care of,” he said. 

Education and training help reassure them that the water is safe to drink, said Mr Pla Taw.

Demand for filters continues to outstrip supply. “Many villages also request the filter, but we don’t have enough funding so we have to limit the filters,” he added. 

If resources suddenly became available, there would be no shortage of communities to reach. 

“If we suddenly have lots of money now, there are plenty of villagers who need filters,”  said Mr Pla Taw. “My students can run these initiatives during the holiday – not only teaching them how to use and take care of the filters, but also providing sanitation and hygiene training.”