To tip or not to tip?

[soistalker]

When are you expected to tip in Thailand? And is this because Thais tip in these situations as well or are you expected  to tip because you are a farang?

 

I recently used a taxi service to get from the airport to my condo. The taxi driver kept talking about himself and smiling. I got the feeling he was trying to angle for a tip. When we got to the condo, he puts the two big bags on the concrete. I am in a walking boot cast as my leg is hurt. I paid him, but no tip. He looks at the money, then gets an angry look on his face, get into the car and drives off without looking at me or saying anything, leaving me to drag the bags up the stairs. If he had carried or helped to carry the bags to the elevator, I would have given him a tip. I didn't get how he expected a tip for not helping with the bags.

[ezzra]

Thailand doesn't have a tipping culture which is very good, however,

if i get a good service or i get to like the service provider, i tip a modest

sum that reflect my satisfaction and  is not connected to the

customary 10-15% of the bill, usually less than a 100 baht....

[FritsSikkink]

He did help with the bags, he pulled them out of the car onto the concrete.

[observer90210]

If she uses more soap then usual,  at the neighbourhood happy-end soapy...well then a tip can be considered !!!

[petermik]

7 hours ago, observer90210 said:

If she uses more soap then usual,  at the neighbourhood happy-end soapy...well then a tip can be considered !!!

...........?

[Scouse123]

23 minutes ago, observer90210 said:

If she uses more soap then usual,  at the neighbourhood happy-end soapy...well then a tip can be considered !!!

 

[yimlitnoy]

Tipping in Thailand is a waste, now most of the time , even after they levy a service charge they are expecting a minimum 100 THB.  Yesterday I had one small beer in a bar and the waitress make an unhappy face when I asked for some change on all the 100 THB bills change she first handed to me in order to give 50 THB on the 180 THB beer.

 

If they are going to play unhappy all the time then let's give a justification for them to be unhappy.  Now I only give a tip when a smile is apparent on paying the bill.

[Sam Lin]

You are being expected to tip because you are a farang, and other farang tourists have gotten them used to it. Thais generally do not tip, it is not a tipping culture. Thais will tip 20-100thb for service at restaurants if the service is excellent, that's about it. If a taxi fare is 131, neither a Thai or a farang should expect 9thb back.

 

13 minutes ago, yimlitnoy said:

in order to give 50 THB on the 180 THB beer.

Should have just given her the 20thb, that's all she was expecting.

[toolpush]

39 minutes ago, yimlitnoy said:

Tipping in Thailand is a waste, now most of the time , even after they levy a service charge they are expecting a minimum 100 THB.  Yesterday I had one small beer in a bar and the waitress make an unhappy face when I asked for some change on all the 100 THB bills change she first handed to me in order to give 50 THB on the 180 THB beer.

 

If they are going to play unhappy all the time then let's give a justification for them to be unhappy.  Now I only give a tip when a smile is apparent on paying the bill.

More and more places are charging a service charge. I usually don't return if charged a service charge. It should be up to me the customer on whether to tip or not. I usually tip taxi drivers well if they provide good service because in my opinion they are underpaid.

[Hummin]

I just leave that to my gf, problem solved 

[Suradit69]

Of course you should tip. 

 

It's interesting how many people think they have an in-depth understanding of all things Thai when they can use it as an excuse to save money. 

 

If you want to be kee niaow then don't blame it on your deep appreciation for Thai culture.

[geisha]

Nowhere do the taxi drivers take your bags into the hall or elevator. If i needed  this, I would offer a tip and ask him nicely. Not his job. 

[watcharacters]

16 minutes ago, Hummin said:

I just leave that to my gf, problem solved 

 

Does your GF leave any tip?

 

[1FinickyOne]

At a restaurant, most Thai will leave the change, the coins... Good service is provided with pride usually - and I always am proud too when I return a nice gratuity for the services offered when offered with a smile and are helpful... 

[Hummin]

16 minutes ago, watcharacters said:

 

Does your GF leave any tip?

 

Sometime, but no if the already is charged service. 

 

I have actually seen thai leave tip quite often. 

[jimmysjo]

1 hour ago, Suradit69 said:

Of course you should tip. 

 

It's interesting how many people think they have an in-depth understanding of all things Thai when they can use it as an excuse to save money. 

 

If you want to be kee niaow then don't blame it on your deep appreciation for Thai culture.

Tipping was, as far as I know, introduced in Thailand by American GI's who was here on R&R during the Vietnam war.

It was/is _not_ part of Thai culture.

[Hummin]

8 minutes ago, jimmysjo said:

Tipping was, as far as I know, introduced in Thailand by American GI's who was here on R&R during the Vietnam war.

It was/is _not_ part of Thai culture.

And no barladies before that either! BL came with Americans!

[nickmondo]

1 hour ago, geisha said:

Nowhere do the taxi drivers take your bags into the hall or elevator. If i needed  this, I would offer a tip and ask him nicely. Not his job. 

of course they do, especially if you have a bad leg.

I have never had to ask, the driver always does it, or at least offers.

And I am built like a brick door Geisha.

[Scouse123]

I checked into a hotel in Silom a couple of months ago and it was red hot. I wasn't in a great mood to start with.

 

The taxi driver had already made countless errors to get to the hotel which he said he knew, he didn't.

 

Anyway, he unceremoniously dumped the bags on the pavement at the bottom of two flights of stairs and drove off. That's fine, no problem, not his job! I get that. However, I noticed two bellboys pretending not to see us and moving behind the wall adjacent to the entrance doors.

 

Once we had filled out the hotel guest cards, then miraculously from nowhere, the two bellboys appeared pushing a luggage cart on wheels and offered to take the bags to the room. I declined.

 

If I can hump them up two flights of stairs, I can carry them four yards to the lift, and I don't need anybody to turn on the air and show me the TV remote for a tip.!

[Acemaker]

9 hours ago, soistalker said:

I am in a walking boot cast as my leg is hurt.

ER, HELLO. 

[mike324]

Well most restaurants already add the tip in, I will only tip if the staff was extremely helpful and polite, kept on refilling water and making sure the orders are all served and nothing is missing. Depending on the restaurant, I would tip the servers from 40 baht to 100 baht more. 

 

Taxis I usually just tell them to keep the change or give an additional 20 if they are polite and have good driving manners.

[Acemaker]

2 hours ago, yimlitnoy said:

Tipping in Thailand is a waste, now most of the time , even after they levy a service charge they are expecting a minimum 100 THB.  Yesterday I had one small beer in a bar and the waitress make an unhappy face when I asked for some change on all the 100 THB bills change she first handed to me in order to give 50 THB on the 180 THB beer.

 

If they are going to play unhappy all the time then let's give a justification for them to be unhappy.  Now I only give a tip when a smile is apparent on paying the bill.

Thais dont Tip Thais, and i rarely do these days, they already think we are all walking ATMs as it is, these people have been spoilt from years gone by when the Exchange rates were very favourable, the only time i Tip is if i feel they deserve it thru genuine kindness, exceptional Service, or a very Horny Looking Waitress has served me and keeps giving me the Eye.    

[VBF]

I usually give tips WHEN I get good service. Example being a taxi from SUV to Patts - fare 1000, and I give 100 tip. Last time though, the car stank of cigarettes, and the driver wanted to divert to get gas - I told him, to do it in his own time and no tip - simples! 

 

But my fundamental rule is that "tips are for me to give, NOT for them to take or expect"

[NoshowJones]

4 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

He did help with the bags, he pulled them out of the car onto the concrete.

That's because he was in a hurry to see if he would get his tip.

[Monkeyrobot]

If it’s 10% service charge then no tip, if you took 4 people to dinner and the bill was 3000B then you would have 300B on top for service. But if no service charge then up to you.

[khunPer]

11 hours ago, soistalker said:

If he had carried or helped to carry the bags to the elevator, I would have given him a tip. I didn't get how he expected a tip for not helping with the bags

Normally a little tip will often be given, also by Thais; and you could politely have asked for help with the bags, if they were a problem for you, I presume he would gladly have helped, and expecting a tip...

 

It's amazing how much even a small tip of just 20 baht helps – and of course little more, if it's a higher value service – bit of balance, to tip, but not overtip.

[thaikahuna]

Generally, I will NOT tip more than 20 baht if there is a service charge. If there is no service charge I will have my wife tell me what to leave. Usually 10% is left.

[IvanLaw]

5 hours ago, watcharacters said:

 

Does your GF leave any tip?

 

For waiter or Hummin :-) 

[duanebigsby]

7 hours ago, yimlitnoy said:

Tipping in Thailand is a waste, now most of the time , even after they levy a service charge they are expecting a minimum 100 THB.  Yesterday I had one small beer in a bar and the waitress make an unhappy face when I asked for some change on all the 100 THB bills change she first handed to me in order to give 50 THB on the 180 THB beer.

 

If they are going to play unhappy all the time then let's give a justification for them to be unhappy.  Now I only give a tip when a smile is apparent on paying the bill.

Where are you paying ฿180 for one small beer?

[murraynz]

it will be very sad day if tipping is enforced like in  the us----it should always be optional -for good service or friendliness..mainly limited to restaurants....

most bars and go go bars expect tips--they give 20 bahts change in coins--many customers leave this behind..

i dont tip the bars -they already make good money on the drinks..i dont mind tipping the girls if they are good fun.sometimes a mcycle taxi driver will get a 20baht tip..its not good to over endulge with tipping...

many people in thailand cant even say thank you or khap kun khrap...=very rude