Independent customer review. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Minairal Co., Ltd.

Minairal review: my Tap Water Pure Countertop, and what happened after I paid ฿36,000

It arrived damaged. It was connected to the water as Minairal's rep instructed. No water came in, and it burned out. Here is the whole story, the promises Minairal made, and Minairal's own side.

By Niels Zee, the customer. Updated 26 October 2026.

Read what happenedDownload the chat and photos
Back of the Minairal Tap Water Pure Countertop with blue hoses connected to the water inlet and waste-water ports
Connected to the waterWater inlet and waste-water lines attached. Sent to Minairal on 13 August.
Side of the unit with the top cover out of line and a cracked panel next to the taps
Damage on arrivalTop cover out of line, cracked panel next to the taps. Sent to Minairal on 13 August.
Shop, 4 October: 45-day satisfaction or 100% refundedRefund refused
Rep, 13 August: i will change it for youNo replacement
Rep, 11 September: postage we will refund฿0 of ฿521 repaid
Shop: 1-year warrantyRepair offered at my cost

What is Minairal?

Minairal (Minairal Co., Ltd., company registration 0845567012457) is a Thai company that sells, rents and leases drinking-water machines for homes and businesses. It has two product lines.

Air: water from the air

Machines that make drinking water from humidity in the air, with no plumbing.

Air Top, Air Stand, Air Stand Pro

The line I bought from

Pure: filtered tap water

Purifiers that connect to your water line, filter by reverse osmosis and add minerals.

Tap Water Pure Countertop, Tap Water Pure Floor

The product I bought: Tap Water Pure Countertop

฿36,000

What it doesFiltered, mineral-enriched hot (90 °C) and cold (4 °C) water from your tap
Filtration5-stage reverse osmosis, remineralisation, UV-C
Tanks7 L, stainless steel
Size and weight35 × 30 × 57 cm, 18 kg
Rent or leaseRent ฿1,790 a month, lease from ฿1,390 a month
InstallationBy Minairal's team in Samui, Phangan, Hua Hin and Phuket; elsewhere self-installation with support
Warranty1 year on purchase

My rating: 1 out of 5

I can't recommend buying from Minairal. My unit never gave a glass of water. What decided my rating is what came after: no manual, a replacement and a postage refund promised in writing and never delivered, and a refused refund.

Minairal says the damage was my fault. Its full position is further down this page.

What happened

Minairal and I agree on what broke. We disagree on why.

Minairal's own inspection found the heating element and hot tank “damaged by dry operation”: the heater ran without water.

My account

The machine was fully connected to the water, following the rep's instructions. No water came into the machine, so the heater ran dry and burned.

Minairal's account

The heating switch was turned on before the hot tank had filled. Minairal says that is user error, not a defect.

  1. Ordered

    — order #1005, Tap Water Pure Countertop, ฿36,000.

  2. Arrived with visible damage

    Top cover out of line and a cracked panel next to the taps (photo above). I told Minairal it came like this, and sent photos on 13 August.

  3. No manual, steps by WhatsApp

    — I asked twice for installation instructions. — the rep sent photos and steps, ending: You can now turn on water and plug the machine to electricity.

  4. Connected to the water, switched on: smoke

    — a local plumber connected the water inlet and waste line following those steps (photo above). When I switched on the switch at the back, it smoked and smelled of burnt plastic. At 14:30 the rep replied: Dont turn on the button … Let the 2 buttons off.

  5. The rep guided me live: still no water

    — water on, buttons off, plugged in, step by step on WhatsApp, with a call offered. No water came out. I also noticed the plumber had used the hot pipe instead of the cold one.

  6. The rep: “The machine is completely smashed”

    I think the machine is broken. Then: Let me check with my boss but for sure. The machine is completely smashed. Asked if it was a used unit: No no it's was brand new !

  7. Minairal asks for it back

    — can you please send back the unit i will change it for you. I sent the photos they asked for the same day.

  8. How to return it?

    — I asked who pays shipping and whether they could collect it: Let me check with my boss how to proceed. I was abroad from 18 August. When I wrote on 10 September, the rep apologised and said he had waited for me to come back. — post it by Thai Post, We will refund you the amount that you will pay.

  9. Returned

    — by Thailand Post, two parcels, ฿521 postage, in the original box (Minairal says it was not).

  10. Refund refused

    — Minairal's CEO apologises for the slow follow-up by his former employee, and refuses a refund.

See the evidence yourself

Download the full WhatsApp chat and every photo. The only edit: the rep's name is replaced.

WhatsApp chat29 July to 28 September 2026, text file, 11 KB All photos8 photos in original size, ZIP, 2.6 MB

Photos I sent Minairal on 13 August

Back of my unit, connected: water inlet and waste-water lines
Back of my unit, connected: water inlet and waste-water lines
Side view: gap between the top cover and the side panel
Side view: gap between the top cover and the side panel
Front of the unit: control panel and two taps
Front of the unit: control panel and two taps
Side of the unit: rating label and chipped black panel
Side of the unit: rating label and chipped black panel
Back of the unit: Cold and Hot switches, gap under the top cover
Back of the unit: Cold and Hot switches, gap under the top cover

Installation photos Minairal's rep sent me on 10 August

Back of the unit: water inlet and waste-water ports with blue tubing
Back of the unit: water inlet and waste-water ports with blue tubing
Wall plumbing with a brass tee, valve and hoses marked 1 and 2
Wall plumbing with a brass tee, valve and hoses marked 1 and 2
Brass tee and valve on the water pipe, circled in green
Brass tee and valve on the water pipe, circled in green

Every promise, and whether it was kept

Minairal's own words, from WhatsApp and its shop.

DateWhat Minairal saidKept?
30 JulySwitch to air-to-water after the trial: Of course we can do that, maybe the best is to have a call together on MondayNot followed up
6 AugustInstructions: I will send you everything when I come back to the officeSteps only, no manual
13 Augustcan you please send back the unit i will change it for youNo replacement
10 SeptemberI will transfer you to my after sale serviceNever heard from them
11 SeptemberWe will refund you the amount that you will pay (postage)Not repaid as of 17 Oct
11 SeptemberThen we will proceed to the replacement of the unitNo, refund refused
Shop, 4 OctoberTap-water systems: 45-day satisfaction or 100% refunded (I have no capture from my order date)Refused; line gone by 26 Oct

Minairal's side, and mine

Minairal's CEO, 17 October

“The heating switch was turned on while the hot tank was empty. Running the heater dry is what produces smoke and a burnt-plastic smell.”
“Our inspection found heating element and hot tank damaged by dry operation; no manufacturing defect.”

Points to the label on the unit: “Warning! Connect the water supply. Before turning on the heating and cooling switches, make sure the water outlet from the faucet is normal.” Notes that I wrote the installer used the hot pipe.

Says no damage was reported within 48 hours of delivery, and that the unit came back after more than two months, used, dirty, damaged and not in its original box, so its 7-day refund policy does not apply. Offers to send it back as it is or repair it at my cost, and to support a Thailand Post damage claim.

My answer

The machine was connected to the water as the rep instructed. The 10 August steps said to turn on the water and plug it in; the switches were first mentioned at 14:30, after the smoke.

With the switches off and the rep guiding me live, still no water came in. That is why the heater ran dry.

The rep wrote that the machine was broken and asked for it back to replace it. The replacement and the postage were promised in writing.

Before you buy from Minairal

Questions about Minairal

Is Minairal a scam?

No. It is a registered Thai company with stores and real products, and many customers rate it well. My complaint is about how it handled a broken unit and a refund.

Does Minairal give refunds?

Its refund policy allows return requests within 7 days of delivery, and a refund or replacement for a confirmed manufacturing defect within 12 months. On 4 October its shop advertised “45-day satisfaction or 100% refunded” for tap-water systems. My refund was refused.

What is the Minairal Tap Water Pure Countertop?

A countertop reverse-osmosis purifier that connects to your water line and gives hot and cold mineral water. It costs ฿36,000, or ฿1,790 a month to rent.

Where is Minairal based?

It has stores in Koh Samui (Bo Phut), Koh Phangan (Thong Sala), Phuket (Chalong) and Hua Hin, and delivers across Thailand.

Written by Niels Zee, the customer. Updated 26 October 2026. No ads, no affiliate links, nobody paid for this page. Minairal can send a reply or correction via the About page, and I will publish it.