Tipping in Thailand

[Guest MonkeySee]

There was a discussion on another forum about tipping, not boys, but in restaurants and hotels. It has been said that most Thais do not tip much. For example, if the bill in a restaurant is 298 baht, then they may leave the 2 baht change. Same way with taxi drivers, if the fare is 57 baht, they will give 60 baht. I know a guy that always tips, like 15-20%, just like he would in his home country. I know another that does not tip at all because he lives in Thailand and the Thais do not tip. What is your view on tipping while in Thailand?

[Guest Steve1903]

I never really thought about it in my two forays to Thailand but when I got home I did start to wonder if I maybe should have.

For instance, I spent most afternoons at Rit's on the beach but never thought to tip the boys there even on my final day. I do regret that now. Neither did I leave anything in the hotel room for the maid which I also regret. In the bars and restaurants I left the loose change and sometimes a 20b note. My one discrepancy is (as always for me) the taxi drivers. Being a ten year fully paid up member of the taxi drivers union it's always my soft spot. 120b would always be given as 200b and such like and the guy who is lucky enough to take me to the airport at the end of my holiday gets all the loose smash left over from my holiday. By home time that can be up to 500b tip for the driver.

But next time for sure the guys serving on the beach and the maid will get a little bit for themselves.

[Guest laurence]

Many resident farang seem to leave a standard 20 Baht tip at restaurants regardless of cost of meal. I normally leave 10%. 20 Baht at the bars is standard for the server.

At Rit's there is a tip box where a daily 20 Baht tip is reasonable. And yes, Steve, a tip for the maid is always in order.

 

 

[Gaybutton]

First, tipping in Thailand is not based on the percentage of the bill. That is done only in the higher end restaurants.

 

Typically, in the very small mom-and-pop restaurants, the kind that are about one step above the pushcart vendors, no tip is expected at all, although you won't get a complaint if you leave 10 to 20 baht anyway.

 

In most restaurants the expected tip is 20 baht per person, no matter what the bill is. Again, if you want to leave more, the waiter is not very likely to object.

 

When you start getting to the higher end restaurants, check your bill to see if a service charge is included. If there is one, that's the tip. Nothing beyond the service charge is required or expected. If there is no service charge, that's when a tip based on the percentage of the bill is expected, normally 10%.

 

In most restaurants the daily tips are pooled and distributed among the waiters at closing time. There is a Thai urban myth. Most of the time your bill will be presented in a folder. You are supposed to leave the tip in the folder. The myth is whether you put a tip in the folder or not, if you put money outside the folder and then hand the folder directly to the waiter, then he knows the tip is meant exclusively for him. That's not necessarily true. Sometimes the waiter will get to keep it himself, but I've been told by several waiters that the money still goes into the pool.

[Guest MonkeySee]

Good information GB. Is it true, as my friend states, that Thais, in general, do not tip? The Thai urban myth that I heard is, if you leave the tip in the folder, then it goes to the owner/establishment. If you give it to the server, he gets to keep it.

[Guest lvdkeyes]

Good information GB. Is it true, as my friend states, that Thais, in general, do not tip? The Thai urban myth that I heard is, if you leave the tip in the folder, then it goes to the owner/establishment. If you give it to the server, he gets to keep it.

 

 

If you want the tip to go directly to the server you should hand it directly to him/her apart from the folder. It is understood then that the tip is meant for the server alone. If he/she decides to add it to the tip pool that is their business.

[Gaybutton]

Is it true, as my friend states, that Thais, in general, do not tip?

 

It's true in a way. That's because most Thais seem to eat at those little mom-and-pop places where tipping is not expected in the first place. Although well-to-do Thais can afford to eat in more expensive restaurants, to tell the truth I've never paid attention to whether they tip or not. I've never watched any of them at tip time.

 

 

[2lz2p]

If you want the tip to go directly to the server you should hand it directly to him/her apart from the folder. It is understood then that the tip is meant for the server alone. If he/she decides to add it to the tip pool that is their business.

 

This is also my understanding (explained to me by my bf many years ago).

[Guest topjohn5]

First, tipping in Thailand is not based on the percentage of the bill. That is done only in the higher end restaurants.

 

Typically, in the very small mom-and-pop restaurants, the kind that are about one step above the pushcart vendors, no tip is expected at all, although you won't get a complaint if you leave 10 to 20 baht anyway.

 

In most restaurants the expected tip is 20 baht per person, no matter what the bill is. Again, if you want to leave more, the waiter is not very likely to object.

 

When you start getting to the higher end restaurants, check your bill to see if a service charge is included. If there is one, that's the tip. Nothing beyond the service charge is required or expected. If there is no service charge, that's when a tip based on the percentage of the bill is expected, normally 10%.

 

In most restaurants the daily tips are pooled and distributed among the waiters at closing time. There is a Thai urban myth. Most of the time your bill will be presented in a folder. You are supposed to leave the tip in the folder. The myth is whether you put a tip in the folder or not, if you put money outside the folder and then hand the folder directly to the waiter, then he knows the tip is meant exclusively for him. That's not necessarily true. Sometimes the waiter will get to keep it himself, but I've been told by several waiters that the money still goes into the pool.

 

The 20 baht was what I intended to do based on a wide variety of sources....

So, this confirms what I thought. It will be hard but I do not want to be over tipping except to a boy maybe if he is good......

I was even told that over tipping is somehow rude and causes loss of face!!! It kind of makes some sense if that is true.

 

[Guest laurence]

...

I was even told that over tipping is somehow rude and causes loss of face!!! It kind of makes some sense if that is true.

 

very rude! After a taxi ride from Pattaya to BKK I gave the driver 100 Baht, I thought, but it was 1000 Baht. He angrily gave it back and said, "Keep It"! Can you believe that?

 

I hope not! I got a wai even HRM would envy.

 

 

[Guest xiandarkthorne]

I think tipping isn't something that comes naturally to many Asians - I would even venture my neck out so far as to say most. It just isn't a part of our natural culture. As a former hotel employee, I would tip wherever I go because I know how much tip money contributes to the non-management staff's monthly income but even in hotels in Penang, for example, the management doesn't encourage it. When some hotels I worked at had a 'No Tipping' campaign, the staff came up with some very resourceful ways to let the guests know that they were wearing the 'no tipping' badges under duress, I can tell you.

[Guest fountainhall]

When you start getting to the higher end restaurants, check your bill to see if a service charge is included. If there is one, that's the tip.

 

This used to be the case, but is sadly long since gone in many restaurants. I know one upper-end Italian restaurant in BKK which levies the standard 10%. Only 1.5% goes to the staff - the owner keeps the remaining 8.5%. More and more restaurants regard the service charge as a fee for providing the linen, cutlery, glasses, breads etc. In other words, a rip-off. So if I know this to be the case, I will normally up my tip to at least 5%.

[Guest lvdkeyes]

I recall being in Narita International Airport in a restaurant. There was an American guy sitting at the next table. When he left he left come change on the table. The waitress came to clear the table and saw the change, scooped it up and went running out of the restaurant to catch the guy to return it. Tipping in Japan is rare. This is why many Thais who work in service industry have told me they don't like to serve the Japanese. (I don't know how they treat the boys they off.)

[Gaybutton]

I know one upper-end Italian restaurant in BKK which levies the standard 10%. Only 1.5% goes to the staff - the owner keeps the remaining 8.5%.

 

I know for a fact that in Pattaya, the entire service charge goes to the staff at the Amor restaurant. All of it. That's one restaurant, at least, that does right by the staff. I really don't have any idea how other restaurants in Pattaya, ones that put service charges on the bill, distribute tips.

 

It's an individual choice, obviously. I think I would tend to at least try to tip the waiter separately if I knew the restaurant cheats its staff and the waiter also provided good service. That might take care of the waiter, but I guess there's little you can do for the other restaurant staff, such as the cook, the dish washer, etc. You just have to do what you can do.

 

I also know that some restaurants don't include a service charge, but one of the waiters or waitresses is essentially the mama-san when it comes to distributing tips. I know several boys who wanted to get out of the bars and tried working in different restaurants. One complaint I heard frequently enough was that all tips were required to be placed in the pool. Then, at the end of the working day, that mama-san type waiter was responsible for distributing the tips. But the tips weren't distributed evenly. Whoever had the mama-san's favor would get much more in tips than those who were not in favor.

 

You can't win . . .

[Guest GaySacGuy]

I don't have to worry much about tipping here in Thailand, as my boyfriend takes care of tipping for me. He always leave 20b or more on a dinner tip, and takes care of porters, cab, etc as needed. Away from the tourist areas, people are not used to receiving tips, so they are really appreciated.

 

We had three guys do work on our home installing screens and security bars on all of our windows and doors. They were being paid by the same company that built the home. It took about two days, and at the end of the job we tipped them 100 baht each...a whole $3.00 US... and they were very happy after trying to return the tip and being told that it was their's to keep.

 

So, I guess you could say that it varies widely through out the country.

[Guest]

When I glanced at this topic, I thought it said: Topping in Thailand. I was excited.

 

But, for tipping in places, I normally give 10 percent and if great service a bit more. If the place had only one staff that did everything for me, I leave outside the bin. If many came to my table, I will place inside.

 

In a bar, I normally tip 40-100 baht for a waiter depending on how many drinks we ordered and how long we were in the bar. If I was there over an hour and opened some whiskey, I think 100 baht to the ladyboy who poured all the drinks is OK.

 

[Guest MonkeySee]

"This used to be the case, but is sadly long since gone in many restaurants. I know one upper-end Italian restaurant in BKK which levies the standard 10%. Only 1.5% goes to the staff - the owner keeps the remaining 8.5%. More and more restaurants regard the service charge as a fee for providing the linen, cutlery, glasses, breads etc. In other words, a rip-off. So if I know this to be the case, I will normally up my tip to at least 5%."

 

Perhaps, stories like this contribute to the urban myth that the management takes the patrons tips?

 

 

I also know that some restaurants don't include a service charge, but one of the waiters or waitresses is essentially the mama-san when it comes to distributing tips. I know several boys who wanted to get out of the bars and tried working in different restaurants. One complaint I heard frequently enough was that all tips were required to be placed in the pool. Then, at the end of the working day, that mama-san type waiter was responsible for distributing the tips. But the tips weren't distributed evenly. Whoever had the mama-san's favor would get much more in tips than those who were not in favor.

 

You can't win . . .

 

I was in an un-named Sunee bar in years past. The bar had a most popular "big cock show" that brought in many customers. Every night, the mama-san would work the crowd and ask for tips for the boys. I had seen this on a few occasions and noticed that when going off-stage, the boys would receive 100 baht each. I am not sure what happened to the rest of the money. On one particular night, I had friends from home and took them to the show. My friend gave the mama-san a thousand baht note (not sure if he did that on purpose), but still the boys only received a 100 baht each. I know for a fact the split should have been much more than a 100 baht per boy.

 

[Gaybutton]

I am not sure what happened to the rest of the money.

 

Three guesses . . .

[Guest MonkeySee]

Three guesses . . .

 

Three guesses....and the first two don't count!