Toilet facilities at 77 train stations in tourist destinations nationwide are being improved to meet international standards.
Public Health Minister Rajata Rajatanavin said the Department of Health had continuously improved the quality of public toilets since 2005 to ensure they meet international standards in three aspects -- health, accessibility and safety, or the HAS standard.
Currently, about 70% of public toilets meet the standard, he said.
He said 251 of the toilets at 443 train stations, or about 57%, meet the HAS standard.
The health ministry was working with the Transport and Sports and Tourism ministries to improve public toilets at another 77 stations at tourist destinations including Chumphon, Trang, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Buri Ram, Ratchaburi, Lampang and Samut Sakhon. The goal is to complete the improvements within five months. Hua Lamphong will be the first.
Health officials will also inspect the toilets and health environment on train carriages and propose improvements to the State Railway of Thailand.
A departmental survey in 2012 found that 48% of respondents would prefer to use the restrooms at department stores, 46% opted for petrol stations and 39% tourist destinations. A massive 81% said their biggest concern was the cleanliness of public toilets.
Respondents were evenly split on the kind of toilet they preferred, with about 51% choosing the traditional Thai squat toilets with 49% preferring modern-style toilets.
However, there were still many people who did not know how to use modern toilets properly, so the department would try to educate the public on the right method of using them.
