Thailand Tips for first time travellers

[gerefan]

Give Baht bus drivers in Pattaya 10 baht coins ONLY (the correct fare). They will just drive away with anything else....

Count your change EVERYWHERE.

[gerefan]

...and expect to be ripped off if you must have a ride in a Tuktuk!

[fedssocr]

 

Advice for first time visitors

http://christianpfc.blogspot.com/2014/08/advice-for-first-time-visitors.html

 

 

I especially like the last tip. Unless of course you want to buy a tailored whatever, jewellery, etc.

[vinapu]

Generally tips are not expected in Thailand   but in tourist areas and people working in tourist industry may actually expect a small tip and always appreciate it.

 

My tipping habits are:

 street food, none

restaurants : under 100, rounded to the following  10, ie. check  is 77 I  give 90

100-300, flat 20bht ; 300-600, flat 40, 600-1000, flat 60, over 1000 , happened only once and gave 100

 

hotels, 40 baht under the pillow in the morning if I'm also staying following night, nothing on the day of departure

bus boy escorting me to the room on arrival 40, at BBB Inn sometimes 100 if I like boy and ask him for  a hug.

 

taxi drivers - the same like restaurants

 

bars, drinks -20 baht per serving, if I'm with company and order drinks for both at the same time , still 20 only, 

 

if repeat, 20 again

 

big cock show - 100 for at least one of participants, fuck show couple - 100, boy sitting with me 100, if invites me to inspect his goods - 200, if off him subsequently, nothing

 

on departure 100 for best looking boy in line or second best in towing best looking with me

 

J/o show at Tawan , I contribute 100 to second round, not the first  

 

mamasans,  rarely but if helpful or entertaining 50-100

 

massage places mamasans, the same as above with  2 exceptions , Art at Arena always get 100, at Bangkok Massage soi Twilight if Yut or Lek are on duty, both muscular,  I extract hug from them and tip 100 just for fun.

 

Always place tip in servers hand with exception of restaurant at Foodland Patpong where always few people are bringing goods and Oasis on Suriwong where they share tips anyways.

[williewillie]

I stopped at Rainbow Boys bar beer, in Sunee Plaza, last night to chat with a fellow farang. He was sitting with two host boys who said they each

made a total of 20b. in tips for the night. This low season, a good time to loosen ones wallet and help out the boys.

In high season, the tips

are plentiful but now it's a depression, especially in the bar beers in Sunee. Some farangs cannot let go of a 20b. note for any reason.

[firecat69]

I . This low season, a good time to loosen ones wallet and help out the boys.

In high season, the tips

are plentiful but now it's a depression, especially in the bar beers in Sunee. Some farangs cannot let go of a 20b. note for any reason.

Truer words were never spoken!  Sad!

[forky123]

When does high season start for them?

[vinapu]

When does high season start for them?

when wallets open

[forky123]

when wallets open

Helpful

[kokopelli]

When does high season start for them?

As I recall it was beginning of Nov in 2014.

[steveboy]

I find the above suggestions for tips quite reasonable.

I would never try to save money on tips.  If I want to save, I rather don't eat in restaurant or take the taxi.

Also, I try to not let the mood of the server or my liking for him influence my tipping, unless it is an uncommon service.

I am not a good material for being a God, who demands adoration and worship from all humans.

[Guest anonone]

I stopped at Rainbow Boys bar beer, in Sunee Plaza, last night to chat with a fellow farang. He was sitting with two host boys who said they each

made a total of 20b. in tips for the night. This low season, a good time to loosen ones wallet and help out the boys.

In high season, the tips

are plentiful but now it's a depression, especially in the bar beers in Sunee. Some farangs cannot let go of a 20b. note for any reason.

 

Hang tight boys.  I am on my way soon!

 

Seriously, I have been told the same by several of my Thai friends lately.  Very quiet at Sunee.  Looking forward to energizing things a bit for them next week. 

[paulsf]

I arrive in Bangkok next week. Word got out, because I have got so many messages on Line this week. Same story from all boys, no customers around, and they will make sure I have a good time. Sounds like I need to bring a lot of ATM cards.

[forky123]

1) Never assume it's going to be a fart.

2) There are so many places to eat in Bangkok.

3) Some are safe for travellers, some are not.

4) if you fall foul of 3) remember 1)

5) Carry tissues or TP in case you fall foul of 1)

[a447a]

Re: tips, apart from the guys I sleep with, I always make sure I tip the two guys at Tarntawan who check the id cards, as well as the doorman, who is really friendly and helpful. Cleaning staff also get a tip every day. Boy, I'd hate to do their job! And hotel staff don't get paid much. If they knew what we tip the guys we take back to our room every night they'd be horrified. It's probably the equivalent of a month's wages for them!

 

In restaurants I always tip the waiters if I find them attractive - the more handsome, the more I tend to tip. If he smiles and is very friendly, the tip increases accordingly.

 

In bars I tend to give the mama-sans short shrift. To get a tip from me, first I'd have to call them over and then they'd have to be really helpful. But usually I don't believe a word of what they say when they tell me things like :" He do everything." I'll get that info from the boy. Much more reliable.

 

If a guy is great on bed I'll give far more than the minimum tip in order to show my appreciation for a job well done. That way, we are both happy. If he doesn't perform, he gets the minimum.

[firecat69]

+1  to all your tipping customs!

[Guest]

Re: tips, apart from the guys I sleep with, I always make sure I tip the two guys at Tarntawan who check the id cards, as well as the doorman, who is really friendly and helpful. Cleaning staff also get a tip every day. Boy, I'd hate to do their job! And hotel staff don't get paid much. If they knew what we tip the guys we take back to our room every night they'd be horrified. It's probably the equivalent of a month's wages for them!.

 

In bars I tend to give the mama-sans short shrift. To get a tip from me, first I'd have to call them over and then they'd have to be really helpful. But usually I don't believe a word of what they say when they tell me things like :" He do everything." I'll get that info from the boy. Much more reliable.

 

If a guy is great on bed I'll give far more than the minimum tip in order to show my appreciation for a job well done. That way, we are both happy. If he doesn't perform, he gets the minimum.

 

Tipping cleaning staff:

If the reason you tip is because you would hate to do their job, then surely street sweepers, builders and umpteen other manual jobs deserve a tip more ?  If you're tipping because you think they may do a better cleaning job, this particular American custom doesn't seem to work reliably in Thailand.  I've seen people start off tipping the cleaner, then give up as the cleaning job was so poor.

I presume the cleaners should be on the 300 baht a day minimum wage ?   In which case they should not need a month to make what the boys make in a night.   Unless you are very generous.

 

Mamasans:   Spot on.   If you invite them over and they are helpful, why not tip them?     Tipping them because they arrived uninvited and harassed you is just perverse.  I suppose some weaker people do tip them as a result of the harassment, otherwise they would have given up on that strategy.

 

Tipping the boys more than the minimum for good service makes sense, although +2~300 should be sufficient premium.  

[a447a]

I guess tip the cleaning staff because I see them so often during my stay, whereas I don't have anything to do with the other people you mentioned. But you're right - a tip doesn't necessarily mean they do a better job.

 

And I forgot about the 300 baht minimum wage, so no, it wouldn't take them a month. My mistake.

 

Tipping has always been a difficult issue for me, as I grew up in a country where tipping is unheard of. I remember when I first went to Hong Kong. The first morning I went down to the restaurant for breakfast and got great servuce. The second morning the waiters completely ignored me. WTF?? So I asked a fellow guest what was going on. It was because I hadn't tipped them the day before. He told me what the appropriate tip was, so I promptly doubled it. From then on, I was treated like royalty.

 

Because of that experience, I now tip generously if I am in a situation where I want to be well treated. And it works every time.

 

I look at it this way : I do not consider myself to be a rich person rolling in money. What I do know is that, like many (most?) others here, I am doing ok and I have more money than these guys could ever dream of. So why not spread a bit of it about? 100 baht is nothing but it is a meaningful sum for many of the locals. If someone goes beyond the call of duty to make me really happy, then that 300 baht tip is, I'm sure, much appreciated. It's doubled his daily pay. Next time I go back, I know I'll be well treated and he'll get another, albeit smaller, tip from me. We are both winners and to me, that's what is all about. I don't want to be in a situation where I'm the only one who walks away with a smile on his face. That's hardly fair.

 

But I'm not a charity. If someone is going to get a tip from me, they have to do something to earn it. That's why the mama-sans get nothing.

 

I'm also not one of those farangs who goes into a bar and just throws his money around. The boys see such farangs as basically stupid, although, of course, they are more than willing to benefit from such stupidity. On a number of occasions I've seen customers throw handfuls of money onto the stage and then watch as the boys all pounce on it. How degrading. Where do they think they are? In a zoo feeding starving animals?

 

And while I'm on my soapbox, I also hate those farang who flaunt their wealth in front of the boys, taking out their phones to show them photos of their house, car, etc. Look at me! I've got all this money and you don't! How pathetic. Don't they ever take into account how the boys must feel?

[firecat69]

Happy to see you posting here more regularly. Always enjoy your trip reports and am in general agreement with your tipping policy.

[Vessey]

My advice would be 'don't sweat the small stuff', and 'keep smiling at all times',

 

I have seen guys arguing over 50-100 baht 'short change' or non receipt of change. I have seen guys get all worked up if a Thai pushes to the front in the queue at the 7/11. Etc. etc. etc.

 

IMHO why spoil your day over the small stuff - just smile and move-on.