The Department of Health, BMA, visited the GIZ booth at Bangkok Expo 2025 on 15 May 2025

The Collaborative Actions for the Prevention of Single-Use Plastics in South-East Asia (CAP SEA) project by GIZ, in partnership with the Department of Health, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has developed a digital map that helps locate coin-operated water refill stations and public water refill stations across Bangkok. The official launch took place at Bangkok Expo 2025, from 15-18 May 2025.

(Left) Drinking Water Refill Station Map displayed at Bangkok Expo 2025; (Right) CAP SEA project staff explain how to use the refill station map

GIZ, through the CAP SEA project, has partnered with the Department of Health, BMA, to implement upstream waste prevention strategies. One key action is the development of a refill station map, aimed at increasing access to safe drinking water while significantly reducing the consumption of bottled water ¬– and consequently, plastic waste, to support Bangkok’s efforts to reduce plastic waste sustainably and the burden of waste management.

The online map currently covers 2,693 registered coin-operated water refill stations and 200 public water refill points across all 50 districts of Bangkok. The map includes user-friendly features such as photos of each refill point, usage guidelines, a navigation guide, a function to suggest new refill locations, a system to report issues, and a public quick guide for checking water quality.

Image of QR code with the drinking water refill station map page

To further build public confidence in water quality, the Department of Health, the BMA District Offices, and the CAP SEA project have developed a public quick guide on how to assess drinking water quality from coin-operated water refill stations. In addition, a centralized monitoring database has been created to support the Department’s work in tracking and monitoring water quality.

Since July 2024, the CAP SEA project has worked closely with the BMA to pilot the map system and database. A workshop was held from 25-26 February 2025, with participation from BMA District Offices across all 50 districts, and the Department of Health, to test the platform and garner feedback for improvements.

Click to download the public quick guide

CAP SEA project consultants discuss with Department of Health officials the development of a database system for monitoring the water quality of coin-operated drinking water dispensers

Looking towards long-term sustainability, the CAP SEA project is also exploring further collaboration with Refill Bangkok, with the goal of expanding the map’s coverage and increasing public outreach – helping more people stay hydrated without harming the planet.

The CAP SEA project is a key component of the global initiative ‘Export Initiative Environmental Protection’ being implemented in both Thailand and Malaysia. This consequential project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety, and Consumer Protection (BMUV).

For more information about the Collaborative Action for Single-Use Plastic Prevention in Southeast Asia (CAP SEA) project, please visit https://www.thai-german-cooperation.info/en_US/the-collaborative-actions-for-single-use-plastic-prevention-in-southeast-asia-cap-sea-thailand-component/.