Activists have criticised the government for singling out farmers to consume less water and not targeting other heavy water users.
The campaigners said urban residents and the business sector should work to shoulder the burden of water shortages with farmers.
"It is true the agriculture sector consumes a large amount of water. But the government cannot only throw responsibility for saving water at them. Every sector must work together to tackle this problem," said Sasin Chalermlarp, secretary-general of the Seub Nakhasathien Foundation.
"Water management is not just about the amount of water. It's about the psychology of how to make every sector participate in management," he said.
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Mr Sasin said other sectors with heavy water consumption, including industry, tourism and the services sector, must reduce their water use as well as the farmers. He urged the government to declare the drought as a national agenda item and come up with more measures on how to reduce consumption.
On Tuesday the government said soldiers and police officers would be deployed to prevent farmers in the Chao Phraya River basin from draining water in public waterways to feed their plantations. This was to ensure there would be sufficient water for consumption until rains come in mid or late August.
Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paripatra on Tuesday checked out the dried-up khlong at Suwinthawong 110, to see just how bad the Bangkok water supply situation is. (Photo by Apichart Jinakul)
Saranarat Kanjanavanit, secretary-general of the Green World Foundation, said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was right to urge cooperation from urban residents to save water, but this was not enough.
"As an urban consumer, I have yet to see any serious measures for saving water consumption," she said.
"The government should have already issued measures because the situation is about to turn into a crisis."
She said every sector must take measures to save water, for example by suspending cleaning of buildings and reducing the use of sprinklers. Water use on golf course and in factories must also be reduced, she said.
Meanwhile, Seree Supharatid, director of the Rangsit University Centre on Climate Change and Disaster, said farming consumed 70% of water reserves, so it was no surprise the government would force farmers first to cut down their water use.
He called on every sector to reduce water consumption, and also urged the government to take decisive steps to save water. "It seems the government is afraid to hear people's complaints," he said.
Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Pitipong Phuengboon Na Ayudhaya said the government was considering taking formal steps to seek public cooperation to reduce water consumption.
"Would the situation develop to a ban on activities using large amounts of water, such as golf courses, car washes or massage businesses? I think it may be necessary to seek cabinet approval to ask for cooperation on helping to conserve water. But outright prohibition would be unlikely," he said.
Farmers in Pathum Thani insisted they would not bow to the government's water ban policy.
"As long as there is water in the canal, I will use it. We will not let all our plants die because we are forced to provide water for people living in the city. All of us must face the water shortage together," said Umnoi Rodpracha, 55, an orange farmer in Thanyaburi district.
Kriangkrai Kitjao, 49, a farmer who owns 50 rai of paddy fields, said he would not allow his rice to die if there was still water in the canal. He said all people, whether living in rural or urban areas, need water for living. There should not just be one side banned from using water, he added.
Sectors in question
Somchai Hengbanpaew, a manager of Rangsit Thani Sport Club in Nong Sua district, said the 65-rai, nine-hole golf course was also struggling with the water shortage.
Workers tend to a green on a golf course in Khlong 13 of Pathum Thani's Nong Sua district as the lake around the green continues to drop due to a lack of water from public waterways in the drought-stricken province. (Pattanapong Hirunard)
He conceded the golf course had previously consumed water from a public canal to feed its grass. However, during the current drought, the club had decided to stop draining the water from the canal because golf course executives did not want to get into a fight with villagers and farmers.
Mr Somchai said the golf club had only used limited amounts of water stored in its pond, which covers just 30% of the course.
"We have no reason to make our golf course turn totally green while surrounding rice farms become brown. Golf players fully understand the current situation and make no complaints."
A massage parlour operator in Bangkok conceded their business used a huge amount of water.
Each bath tub uses 200-500 litres of water and each customer uses more water than one tub on average. As 300-500 customers use the service per day, the water use is massive.
"We are trying to save water but this business cannot drastically cut water use as it is a service business," he said.
He disagreed with efforts by authorities to apply extra charge for water use in massage venues, noting that other businesses use more water, such as industrial estates and state agencies.
"We may have to buy water for our business in the worst case," he said.
In Bangkok, there are 30-50 licensed massage parlours and more than 100 parlours nationwide.
Rattanaporn Tubthonglang, 46, owner of the Ray Wash car wash, said her shop has an average monthly water bill of 2,000 baht.
She said she trains new staff to cut water use to save costs, and the shop stores water in two tanks to deal with the problem of slowly-running tap water.
Commerce Minister Chatchai Sarikulya said the government would negotiate with Myanmar to divert water from Salween River to Bhumibol dam, and negotiate with countries neighbouring the Mekong River about diverting their water to Sirikit dam.
He also warned vendors not to inflate drinking water prices.
The ministry controls the price of drinking water, imposing a charge not exceeding 7 baht for a 600-millilitre bottle, and no more than 14 baht for a 1.5-litre bottle.
Those who violate the regulation face up to seven years in jail and/or a 140,000 baht fine.
