Tipping in Thailand and other places- is it expected?

[Scouse123]

The recent storm in a teacup regards the Foreigner and the Chiang Mai taxi driver conjures up much debate regards tipping. It does appear that the emphasis from when I was younger has changed. In my days, I am 55 by the way and worked in the service industry for many many years it was for exceptional service over and beyond normal and attention to the customers' needs.

 

That is how it was in the U.K. and still is. I would not be embarrassed in the U.K. if I had shabby service to leave the place with paying just for the meals.

 

In Thailand, I remember the days very well when tips were just not expected at all but gratefully received and even then, they did not expect them as the norm or as a regular occurrence but more as a ' one-off. There were very few people that used to tip taxis in Thailand especially expats and locals, it just wasn't done.

 

I have found in Cambodia they do not hover as they do in Thailand for "a tip". The use of trays to return your change is in use but they then walk away leaving you under no pressure to tip for the mere fact you have bought a beer. In Vietnam, I found it to be the same as Cambodia.

 

I have also found with the dawn of the internet and social media, service has definitely taken a sharp downturn regards to service in Asia in hotels and restaurants and even bars. The younger generation is just not interested in being service minded and certainly, think it is a ' given ' or a ' right ' that a tip will be forthcoming even when these establishments add-on service charges and VAT to the bill, often not even stating this on the menu.

 

In Singapore and Japan, it is definitely not expected and can actually be viewed unfavorably. In Norway, my offer of a tip was politely refused.

 

I am well aware that in the USA tipping forms part of the wages of those on minimum wage and it is definitely expected. I have never been but I have been to Canada which certainly had a tipping culture in restaurants.

 

Where does it start and finish though? and who should we be tipping and who should we not, now that it seems the Thai taxi drivers have joined the queue?

[Lamkyong]

the only tipping i see in my local area is FLY tipping

[jerry921]

In the US, we even tip cows!

 

[bkkgriz]

True about Japan. I tried to leave a tip and was chased down and my money returned. It is just not done here. My friend tried to explain it to me, but it was difficult for him to explain clearly. Oh well, just more Japanese culture I'll never understand.

[geisha]

What I don’t like Is when  the waiting staff bring back your change and stand  there waiting. I think that’s very rude and they should be trained by their bosses not to do it. They even do it in MK restaurants which are really fast food outlets. ! I’m not against tipping when merited, and I always tip in the small restaurants I go to knowing their meagre salaries and very long hours. Not a lot of buisnesses obey the laws.Also, I’ll always give to a good taxi driver , I appreciate his careful driving. I won’t hesitate to ask nicely to go slow , especially when I’m on a long trip. And I’ve often asked the company I get a driver from ( airport/ private) for  nice safe driver. These always get a good tip. 

[1FinickyOne]

I am sure that many people come here from tipping cultures and do not realize that it is not the same and tip as they would at home. the question might be, at what point after receiving gratuities from foreigners, do Thai people begin to expect it as part of the job... - - - sure, that would be the tipping point... but seriously, if 95% of the foreign customers give a large tip by Thai standards, then the 5% will seem cheap charlies in comparison... human nature. 

[Jdiddy]

While ive given a tuk tuk 500baht for a 150baht trip and said maipenrai when he reached for change, i did that more for the fact i had no use for the change as i was flying back home and as a nice surprise for the driver

If someone looks like they are expecting a tip or it is expected in general or i am not in the mood then i dont tip

[Scouse123]

Well, these days, they actually hover over you in both restaurants and night entertainment centres, (Live music kind guys) with the tray. I never see this in Cambodia or elsewhere.

 

The younger ones especially want to do as little as possible and you can see from their reaction, they feel they are ' entitled ' to tips!

 

It gets ridiculous when you are paying 180 baht for a bottle of normal  (chemical ) beer watching pirated movies in a fan-cooled tabletop beer bar but they still want tipping!!

[PerkinsCuthbert]

Historically, there is no tipping culture in Thailand to providers of ordinary services such as taxi drivers, restaurant staff, busboys and other hotel staff, beyond a few coins rounding up the bill to the nearest whole number; that was and is all that is required. But with tourism now accounting for nearly a fifth of Thai GDP, and tourists in numbers from vastly different tipping cultures, it's not surprising that gratuities above the norm will be gratefully accepted. For myself, I stick to the old ways, and the devil take them if they are dissatisfied.

[mike324]

At most restaurants staff don't rely on tips for their wages, so they don't work extra hard to please customers. Not only that, they aren't a dedicated server to your table like the US. But you are correct, the younger generation thinks they are entitle to tips without working for it and that it should be the norm to tip for everyone.

 

At most chain resturants in Thailand, I don't think waiters expect any tips anyways. But at more local thai or chinese style restaurants, they do expect a tip as they do more service to your table such as filling up the water. Which I don't mind tipping more as they do work your table more compare to chain type restaurants.

[theguyfromanotherforum]

My wife thinks tipping is a ridiculous custom that a bunch of foreigners brought to her country and she is well pissed off about it. If you tip, she thinks you're stupid. Not only that, the guy reviving a tip thinks you are stupid too.

 

Thai people definitely never tip a taxi drivers. They never tip in a restaurant that has a service charge. They will tip 20b into one of them boxes.

 

That being said, I do tip and I have to apologize to her every time for ruining her country. 

 

[phkauf]

For a local place I frequent, I leave a tip (especially since the owner highlights "No F@ckin Service Charge" right in the menu) the guys are cool and I'm there often enough. Otherwise just leave loose change if that and round up for a taxi ride.

Just back from NYC where I had lunch with a friend at a nice restaurant. The service was horrible - our waitress just plain disappeared and thankfully another waiter took pity on us and helped out. If it was up to me I wouldn't have left a tip at all. The tipping culture in America is so awful how it's forced on you. I wish the restaurant owners would simply pay their staff a decent wage and just set the prices accordingly. They do it in Australia and New Zealand and it works just fine.

[NoshowJones]

I was going to America with my girlfriend, and was reading a book about it, the book said that you should allow 20% of your spending money for tips.

Well me being be, I never tipped once in the three weeks I was there, and no! I did not use the same restaurant twice, we were traveling.

[NoshowJones]

2 hours ago, bkkgriz said:

True about Japan. I tried to leave a tip and was chased down and my money returned. It is just not done here. My friend tried to explain it to me, but it was difficult for him to explain clearly. Oh well, just more Japanese culture I'll never understand.

I don't agree, the Japs have got it right.

[Golden Triangle]

I did fairly extensive research prior to my first visit here many years ago, one thing I never checked on was tipping, c'mon, you can't check everything 

 

Consequently when paying a bill in a restaurant I would do as I do at home in the UK, 10% of the final tally, it's not ignorance, it's doing what you have always done, and back when the good old Pound was at about 70 THB not an awful lot of money.

 

Now, a bit older and a bit wiser I am not so extravagant, but I will leave a decent tip if the staff deserve it, me & the Mrs usually eat in a limited number of restaurants where we know we will get good quality food & good friendly service we know most of the owners and staff on first name terms. So if we get treated well I will tip accordingly, it also depends how many staff and customers are in, a busy place is sometimes difficult to get good personal service but if the staff make an effort then a reward is due.  Just my opinion, you have your own.

[Spaniel]

If a service charge is added then we will not tip.    If no service charge then 30 or 40 bhat is usually enough.     Strictly Thai places like small eateries in the market  don't expect a tip.

[lovelomsak]

There was a time in Thailand if you tipped  in a small mom and pop restaurant it was  possible to be given it back they considered it an insult. 

  Now the young people stand at the table waiting if all they brought was a pepsi.

  I go to one coffee shop where they let me tip the workers. I get really good VIP service there too. Another small coffee shop I have to fight with the owner just to pay she always wants to let me have every thing free.

 I only tip when the server was real good,polite etc. Or I was exeptionally happy with the meal.

[jkcjag]

...lived hear 20 years. I often leave any small change as a tip in a taxi since I don't want small change, as long as the driver has provided a good service, otherwise no.  Only once do I recall a taxi driver being disappointed by me not giving a big tip, and that was during a heavy storm and floods, and after me waiting about 1 hour. I think his point of view was that he was doing me a favour since it was so difficult for anyone to find a taxi at that time, and that it was raining, and therefore he should be rewarded more. My view was the opposite, in that he was fully booked because of the rain rather than having to wait for the next fare. I've never experience any pressure in restaurants, certainly not in restaurant chains. If a waiter brings any change on a tray or in a folder (and how else would he bring it?) and waits, then if I deem a tip is not appropriate, then I simply take all the change. I've never felt any pressure or attitude from anyone. They simply take the tray or folder and leave. If I take a motor cycle taxi and the fare is B15, and I don't have coins, I give a B20 note and can't be bothered with coins back, but I have noticed that locals, when paying for a motor cycle taxi will painstakingly pay for the exact fair with coins and expect the exact change back if there is any due...and we are talking about just a very few Baht only.

Isn't tipping actually illegal in some countries?

[poanoi]

rather than being subject to insults all day long, (kee neaow)

i just buy take away and stay home

[theguyfromanotherforum]

1 hour ago, theguyfromanotherforum said:

 

[AUSSIE BOB]

What has really gotten way out of hand is the "In your face" at the end of a boat tour the guide openly talks up what a great job they did and how good the boat driver handled the boat and implies in a compulsory type way lets tips these guys for their service and then walks around the boat just before it docks as we are all trapped and cannot go anywhere and are made to feel bad by the peer pressure of first time tourists who don't know they have been over charged for the day trip in the first place but are unaware and just accept a tip on top of the overpriced tour is expected. I do not tip except for a good massage and a good feed at the restaurant. I have stopped going to restaurants that charge 15% service fee and 7%Vat in protest as good food can be found everywhere. 

[canuckamuck]

I don't tip here beyond 20 baht, even at that amount the wife might go back and snatch it up.

In the west I tip 10% for sit down meals, and haircuts. I know it is supposed to be more.

The reason the percentage has gone up in the west is because restaurants are paying their staff less. That isn't my problem. Oh but we depend on the tips to make a living they say. Get another job where you get paid what your worth I say.

Edited April 20, 2018 by canuckamuck

[duanebigsby]

2 hours ago, possum1931 said:

I was going to America with my girlfriend, and was reading a book about it, the book said that you should allow 20% of your spending money for tips.

Well me being be, I never tipped once in the three weeks I was there, and no! I did not use the same restaurant twice, we were traveling.

That's kind of an A---hole thing to do. If in a country with a culture of tipping respect it.

In the US restaurants are allowed to pay far less than minimum wage and staff rely on tipping.

I don't like that system but I respect the workers.

[duanebigsby]

45 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

I don't tip here beyond 20 baht, even at that amount the wife might go back and snatch it up.

In the west I tip 10% for sit down meals, and haircuts. I know it is supposed to be more.

The reason the percentage has gone up in the west is because restaurants are paying their staff less. That isn't my problem. Oh but we depend on the tips to make a living they say. Get another job where you get paid what your worth I say.

They DO need the tips to earn a living wage.

Restaurant workers take those jobs because with the low pay plus tips it is a decent paying job.

If there were more customers like you it would be a crap job and they'd leave.

I hate the tipping system, but's that's what there is.

I'd much rather the Aussie system of paying workers a living wage and then having no tipping.

You're just stiffing hard working people.

[balo]

I never tip in my home country Norway and I see no reason to tip in Thailand , except in massage places where the staff lives on tips from the customers. . 

 

But sometimes I leave a few coins on the table after a 100 baht lunch 

 

Edited April 20, 2018 by balo

[canuckamuck]

9 minutes ago, duanebigsby said:

They DO need the tips to earn a living wage.

Restaurant workers take those jobs because with the low pay plus tips it is a decent paying job.

If there were more customers like you it would be a crap job and they'd leave.

I hate the tipping system, but's that's what there is.

I'd much rather the Aussie system of paying workers a living wage and then having no tipping.

You're just stiffing hard working people.

Well it's extortion and I am using my right to protest.

[duanebigsby]

2 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

Well it's extortion and I am using my right to protest.

It's not extortion. If Canada adopts the livable, fair pay but no tipping system, your restaurant bill will go up instantly by about the same percentage.

[NoshowJones]

39 minutes ago, duanebigsby said:

That's kind of an A---hole thing to do. If in a country with a culture of tipping respect it.

In the US restaurants are allowed to pay far less than minimum wage and staff rely on tipping.

I don't like that system but I respect the workers.

Sorry, but if I don't agree with a certain thing I will not respect it, and there is no law in America that says you must tip.

I do not hold any disrespect towards the workers, but I am not paying more for a meal just to suit these capitalist restaurant owners who will not pay their workers at least the minimum wage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[duanebigsby]

12 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

Sorry, but if I don't agree with a certain thing I will not respect it, and there is no law in America that says you must tip.

I do not hold any disrespect towards the workers, but I am not paying more for a meal just to suit these capitalist restaurant owners who will not pay their workers at least the minimum wage.

 

Bottom line is you were stiffing the workers not the restaurants.

If you're travelling in another country you respect the customs whether or not agreeing with it.

I don't tip in Australia, Japan, or France where decent wages are paid to wait staff. US and Canada, I tip.

Edited April 20, 2018 by duanebigsby

[NoshowJones]

14 minutes ago, duanebigsby said:

Bottom line is you were stiffing the workers not the restaurants.

If you're travelling in another country you respect the customs whether or not agreeing with it.

I don't tip in Australia, Japan, or France where decent wages are paid to wait staff. US and Canada, I tip.

Sorry, we will just have to agree to disagree.