Coming soon: cleaner toilets
The Public Health Ministry has vowed to clean up public toilets across the country after a survey revealed most are filthy.
The promise came as hundreds of participants from 19 countries attended the 2nd World Toilet Expo & Forum, which started yesterday in Bangkok.
Authorities launched a cleanup campaign after more than 6,000 public toilets were checked in 12 provinces in March - and 90 per cent were found to be unclean, Health Minister Dr Mongkol na Songkhla said yesterday.
Public lavatories were found to lack toilet paper or a spray hose often used in rural areas. Few facilities had soap for cleaning hands.
A second round of checks this month found that about 70 per cent of public toilets were dirty, but the authorities hoped that 60 per cent would meet world standards of cleanliness by next year, Mongkol said. Inspections also found the majority of restrooms weren't accessible to handicapped people, and didn't pass safety standards that require separate male and female bathrooms, he said.
Efforts would focus on cleaning up washrooms at Buddhist temples.
Dr Narongsakdi Aungkasu-vapala, director of the Department of Health, said the ministry had begun to certify toilets at certain restaurants that were clean and safe to use.
People wanting to use a public bathroom were now advised to look for a "happy toilet" sign, which indicates restrooms certified by the ministry, he said.
Unclean public toilets were a huge source for spreading disease, Narongsakdi said. Hepatitis B and even bird flu could spread through poor hygiene and sanitation.
