Tipping in Thailand and other places- is it expected?

[lovelomsak]

Tipping in Canada and USA is ok but it  seems they want a lot more than is necessary for simple service.

  All the waitress's i knew were making $300 or more a shift and the shift would be 6 hours. How many of the customers were making that kind of tax free cash in 6 hours. Not many I am sure. People in north america tip way to much. For unskilled workers  and often mediocre service and food. Many waitress worked part time at 2 jobs and made real good money . working 36 hours a week. And crying to the customer oh we are only part time cannot get full time.

  My nephew in New York had the tipping rates on the back of his business card to assist people in the proper tip %.. When the bill gets bigger the % gets greater. Can get to 35% real quick. 

  There are restaurants in Quebec Canada where the servers pay the restaurant to work their shift the tips are so good. They buy their job.

Edited April 20, 2018 by lovelomsak

[Scouse123]

6 minutes ago, lovelomsak said:

Tipping in Canada and USA is ok but it  seems they want a lot more than is necessary for simple service.

  All the waitress's i knew were making $300 or more a shift and the shift would be 6 hours. How many of the customers were making that kind of tax free cash in 6 hours. Not many I am sure. People in north america tip way to much. For unskilled workers  and often mediocre service and food.

  My nephew in New York had the tipping rates on the back of his business card to assist people in the proper tip %.. When the bill gets bigger the % gets greater. Can get to 35% real quick. 

  There are restaurants in Quebec Canada where the servers pay the restaurant to work their shift the tips are so good. They buy their job.

Wow,

 

Now that's unreal! Also, my God, I never knew they could make $300 a shift, that kind of tips the tipping culture on its head really......

 

That would be a lot of money if you worked five shifts of six hours, only 30 hours in the week!.......... we are talking tax-free of $1800 by what you are saying?

[poanoi]

1 hour ago, duanebigsby said:

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.

obviously, you have to stop giving tip, that will force the employer to raise salary

if it really is too low, and then the owner can increase cost if he think customers will still come, or accept less profit, or go out of business

[lovelomsak]

43 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

Wow,

 

Now that's unreal! Also, my God, I never knew they could make $300 a shift, that kind of tips the tipping culture on its head really......

 

That would be a lot of money if you worked five shifts of six hours, only 30 hours in the week!.......... we are talking tax-free of $1800 by what you are saying?

Yes thats right why are you shocked to find this out?  $300 is low many shifts break $500.

  These are waitress's in lounge's, sushi restaurants,mid range restaurants nothing great working class customers going out on the town. Some shifts they only work 3 hours and take home $300. This is unskilled labour. 

  Think about it 4 guys go have a drink all tip $5 so tip at table $20.that is in less than a hour. couple go out eat and drink tip 15% on  $200  that's $30. So the waitress makes $50 off 2 tables in less than 2 hours.It adds up quickly. Many waitress's in these restaurants are serving 4 tables or more. all shift.

  Tips at tables of more than 4  people can easily reach over $60 if it is a meal. with drinks included

  

Edited April 20, 2018 by lovelomsak

[bkkgriz]

5 hours ago, possum1931 said:

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

What exactly do you not agree with? The fact that I don't understand much of the Japanese culture or that my friend didn't explain the no tip culture? I love the fact I am not expected to tip. But to be chased down the street to have a tip returned was quite surprising.

[duanebigsby]

1 hour ago, lovelomsak said:

Tipping in Canada and USA is ok but it  seems they want a lot more than is necessary for simple service.

  All the waitress's i knew were making $300 or more a shift and the shift would be 6 hours. How many of the customers were making that kind of tax free cash in 6 hours. Not many I am sure. People in north america tip way to much. For unskilled workers  and often mediocre service and food. Many waitress worked part time at 2 jobs and made real good money . working 36 hours a week. And crying to the customer oh we are only part time cannot get full time.

  My nephew in New York had the tipping rates on the back of his business card to assist people in the proper tip %.. When the bill gets bigger the % gets greater. Can get to 35% real quick. 

  There are restaurants in Quebec Canada where the servers pay the restaurant to work their shift the tips are so good. They buy their job.

I've worked several years in the service industry and it's rare for anywhere but in super high end restaurants where the wait staff make that kind of money.  You don't get 5 lucrative Friday, Saturday Evening shifts every week, you get a couple of good shifts and a few Monday-Thursday day shifts where you might make $30. You also tip out 20-30% to the kitchen. It's not tax free. Revenue Canada and the IRS get highly suspicious of restaurant workers not declaring tips. Super high end, places which celebs and the rich go in Quebec and New York are simply not typical earnings for the vast majority of relatively low paid wait staff.  You're basically quoting Michelin star chef salaries and comparing to Sizzler line cooks wages.

[duanebigsby]

1 hour ago, lovelomsak said:

 

  Think about it 4 guys go have a drink all tip $5 so tip at table $20.that is in less than a hour.

Less than an hour is one beer or drink. At between $6 and $8 no one tips more than a buck. Waiter makes about $4 beyond minimum wage and gives a buck of it to the kitchen.

[phetphet]

Many years ago (mid- 80's) on my first trip to the US, we stopped in a restaurant in Desert Springs, California for a quick meal. Not knowing American tipping customs, but being aware they expected a tip, I left all the change I had, about 10% of the bill.

The waitress said in a loud voice to everyone sitting in the restaurant, "Can you believe this guy?  Look what he left me!!"

I didn't have a clue what was going on. Only found out later they expect 15% minimum.

 

Now I notice lots of hotels and many restaurants include 10% service charge here in Thailand.

The thing is, the staff still seem to expect a tip on top.

Seems like the service charge is the hotel or restaurant expecting you to pay the staff's wages on top of what they bill you for the meal.

 

It's never ending. Greedy b*****ds.

[jerry921]

5 hours 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.

(edit: note, this, and the quoted comment, are about tipping in US restaurants, not Thailand)

It's not a living wage even with tips.

They take the jobs because they have no qualifications and no better alternatives.

It is a crap job, and they leave all the time, constantly churning from one restaurant to another...

I don't waste energy hating or loving a system like tipping that I can't change.

In US I generally tip 15% of the total (including the tax). If I'm pissed off about something I might tip as low as 10% of the pre-tax total.

 

One place I usually don't tip is the buffet-style places in the US where you get your own food from the food bar and carry it to the table yourself and the waiter only clears plates. I am sort of annoyed when those servers come around at the beginning of your meal and write their names on your receipt as a way of asking for a tip. All they're doing is busing the tables, and often they don't do a timely job of that. If I'm feeling very generous sometimes I'll tip a buck a person in such places, max. Those places are mostly going out of business because of declining demographics, sadly (not because the patrons don't tip)

Edited April 20, 2018 by jerry921
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[Ulic]

5 hours 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.

The problem is it is out of hand in the US. From-10% to 15% to 18% now 20%. And this is

now considered the minimum, even if the food is bad, and the service poor. After all it was

not the servers fault. The cook/chef prepared a poor meal or the restaurant was busy so

service is slow. If the food is good and service good 25% and up is expected. Also that is on

the full bill including taxes. And before anyone says well, of course the percentage of the gratuity

has increased, thing are more expensive I would remind them the inflation price in meals gives

serving staff an increase. Originally in France when the service charge went up from 10%-15%

it was to include other staff in the tip pool. Also the tip was on food only, not on wine and alcohol. 

[tingtongtourist]

these days a restaurant is about the only place i ever tip in Thailand.

because many are just disinterested and glued to their phone, is nice when you get a girl smile, even talk, joke and fill your beer up many times.

 

usually 40 baht or a 50 baht note if they really impress.

 

I dont leave the tip in the folder but make sure i bump into the girl on the way out and put it into her hand.

[poanoi]

24 minutes ago, tingtongtourist said:

these days a restaurant is about the only place i ever tip in Thailand.

because many are just disinterested and glued to their phone, is nice when you get a girl smile, even talk, joke and fill your beer up many times.

 

usually 40 baht or a 50 baht note if they really impress.

 

I dont leave the tip in the folder but make sure i bump into the girl on the way out and put it into her hand.

i rather pay a massage girl, if she has been that good that i dont think i can get better, and want her next time too.

for waitresses, they are expendable, all of them can carry the bottle of beer to my table, and if they cant

carry the beer to my table, i wont be paying for the beer, obviously

Edited April 20, 2018 by poanoi

[tingtongtourist]

4 minutes ago, poanoi said:

i rather pay a massage girl, if she has been that good that i dont think i can get better, and want her next time too.

for waitresses, they are expendable, all of them can carry the bottle of beer to my table, and if they cant

carry the beer to my table, i wont be paying for the beer, obviously

The way i think, 40 baht is nothing for me and this waitress is probably on 300 baht a day,

so that tip is actually a 15% bonus on the very poor pay she get.

 

I agree with you on the massage issue also. I hear the massage worker is lucky to get between 100 or 200 baht for every 2 hours massage, and thats lucky if they not on 300 a day like the waitress.

 

with massage i am happy to tip them 100baht if its good.

thats not to stingy or over the top i think.

 

but one time a girl at the same place cut me short 15 minutes on a 2 hour massage. when i ask about her finished already she say

'kee-kiat' and 'hab no power'

which was the excuse i give her for my ZERO baht tip.

 

 

 

[Damrongsak]

When I lived in Thailand 40 years ago, there was no tipping, at least where I was. Order one bottle of beer at a time for multiple people and run the waitresses ragged fetching more. It was expected.  If 4 guys sat down and ordered 4 beers (or 8 - 555), they would look at us funny. 

[theguyfromanotherforum]

 

 

 

9 hours ago, duanebigsby said:

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.

 

Unlike US, Canada does pay a living wage. Waiters get a minimum wage which is $15 an hour and expect 20% tip nowadays. The same wage Wal-Mart and McDonald's employees get. I understand waiters in US restaurants get paid much less, hence the tipping culture.

[Damrongsak]

24 minutes ago, theguyfromanotherforum said:

Unlike US, Canada does pay a living wage. Waiters get a minimum wage which is $15 an hour and expect 20% tip nowadays. The same wage Wal-Mart and McDonald's employees get. I understand waiters in US restaurants get paid much less, hence the tipping culture.

The American federal government requires a wage of at least $2.13 per hour be paid to employees that receive at least $30 per month in tips. If wages and tips do not equal the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour during any week, the employer is required to increase cash wages to compensate.

 

Someone has to compete with the Chinese on wages...

[duanebigsby]

1 hour ago, theguyfromanotherforum said:

 

 

 

 

Unlike US, Canada does pay a living wage. Waiters get a minimum wage which is $15 an hour and expect 20% tip nowadays. The same wage Wal-Mart and McDonald's employees get. I understand waiters in US restaurants get paid much less, hence the tipping culture.

The minimum wage in Canada varies by Province and is rising to $15 over the next several years. Right now it's a bit more than $11 in BC. I would hope to see the tipping culture erode over the years to reflect that.

https://www.retailcouncil.org/quickfacts/minimum-wage-by-province

[malt25]

12 hours ago, hyku1147 said:

I always tip massage girls.

Where ???

[1FinickyOne]

15 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

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!!

And you won't see it in most of Thailand... and by most of Thailand I am referring to non-touristed areas... 

[torrzent]

Do not tip anywhere.  Some claim that it is part of the salary for low end workers, but these service workers should take this up with management if they want a bigger salary, or form a union.  If they don't like the job, go back to school and get some additional qualifications, to move up the food chain!  None of the higher paid professions expect a tip!  Good service is demanded as part of the package.

Edited April 21, 2018 by torrzent

[5633572526]

15 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.

USA is a tipping culture. The minimum wage for tipped employees is barely 10% of the minimum wage for others. The original logic was to give waiters the incentive to provide good service and for restaurants to keep prices lower.

we could raise prices 20% to eliminate the need for tipping but that removes a great incentive to provide good service. You did not cheat a restaurant by not tipping you cheated those who served you. Also good you did not eat at the same place twice as service people remember and share information on bad customers. No culture has it right they just have their own culture and people with no respect for others culture should stay home as you give the rest of us a bad name.

[torrzent]

17 minutes ago, 5633572526 said:

USA is a tipping culture. The minimum wage for tipped employees is barely 10% of the minimum wage for others. The original logic was to give waiters the incentive to provide good service and for restaurants to keep prices lower.

we could raise prices 20% to eliminate the need for tipping but that removes a great incentive to provide good service. You did not cheat a restaurant by not tipping you cheated those who served you. Also good you did not eat at the same place twice as service people remember and share information on bad customers. No culture has it right they just have their own culture and people with no respect for others culture should stay home as you give the rest of us a bad name.

Do not tip anywhere or propagate this "culture" as you call it.  see my previous post as to why it makes more economic sense not to tip.  Incentivize people to better themselves and live the American dream!

Edited April 21, 2018 by torrzent

[duanebigsby]

1 hour ago, torrzent said:

Do not tip anywhere or propagate this "culture" as you call it.  see my previous post as to why it makes more economic sense not to tip.  Incentivize people to better themselves and live the American dream!

 

1 hour ago, torrzent said:

 

If that's your policy while travelling in US, I trust you and Possum1931 are announcing such to wait staff prior to ordering?

When defying cultural norms and stiffing the waiters it would only be the fair thing to do.

[runamok27]

You guys do realize that the wait staff in America has to pay taxes on their tips whether they get them or not, right? It’s based on their total sales during their shift and comes to about 15%. In other words, if they don’t make 15% in tips they pay taxes on money they didn’t get. This doesn’t account for the fact that they also have to tip out the bus boys, the bartender and the runners. Although, if you work in a decent restaurant you should fairly easily make 15%.

[jerry921]

2 hours ago, 5633572526 said:

The minimum wage for tipped employees is barely 10% of the minimum wage for others.

Not true. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimum_wage_in_the_United_States

 

 

[ChiangMaiLightning2143]

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

You did more than stiff them. You stole from them just as if you picked their pocket. The servers are charged income tax on the “imputed income of a certain level of tip based on sales(because cash tips are easy to hide). If you want to make a protest, please get takeout.


I’m American yes. Recently in the United Business class lounge at Narita Airport I saw one of these fat glad handing garrulous ugly Americans hand a large handful of the YEN coins to one of the older service ladies Sir why why? “American Custom” She says “good custom” and pocketed it!! I gave him a dirty look and changed seats. A vile custom spread wherever Americans go.

There is also a tip jar at the expensive sushi restaurant near the Los Angeles gate. The tipping becomes expected like now in Chiang Mai where now “no tip= bad Farang”. I have been explained many times.

[canuckamuck]

1 hour ago, ChiangMaiLightning2143 said:

You did more than stiff them. You stole from them just as if you picked their pocket. The servers are charged income tax on the “imputed income of a certain level of tip based on sales(because cash tips are easy to hide). If you want to make a protest, please get takeout.

 

No sir, Like I said, in the west I tip 10% That was a fair deal before, and the evil restaurateurs have manipulated up to 15 and 20%. The ones who are stealing are the bosses in the restaurants by not paying their staff. If it means an increase on the regular bill, so be it. I have no problem letting the free market level the field. If everybody did as I did there would be some action on this thing which everybody knows has gotten off track. 

I suppose some people get a kick out of flashing their money and being the the Great Gatsby. There should be nothing wrong with that, but it should not have an impact on my bill.

Another thing which is wrong with the current tip system is that the quality of service required and the amount of work required is similar at restaurants across the board, except for fast food joints. But the waitress at a Denny's is going to be lucky to get 10 bucks a table of 4, when  at the higher end joints, they will serve you a spitter if you fail to drop a couple of 20's for their accumulated 5 minutes of attention. I would say that the massively overpriced menu should actually entitle you some immunity from supporting the welfare of their wait staff.

 

Tips are now a tax and they should be a reward. Time to snuff it out

[Scouse123]

The thread really is aimed at Thailand and other places regard tipping and the reasons for.

 

Many are saying it is the only work the uneducated can get as they never gained the qualifications to get decent work. I think you will find that is the world over. People who neglected their schoolwork make it up in the West with night classes and open university courses etc at their own expense. They don't quit and expect society to look after them, well some in fact do and get a rude awakening

 

With the USA, I think it's about time it updated it's 19th-century sweatshop labour laws and brought it into the 21st as the US Government is always talking about human rights, dignity, and equality. It can start by paying service workers a living wage and so they are not reliant on handouts or catching the ' right shift in a restaurant ' to get a decent wage. The USA is a first world country, the worlds superpower, their own space programme, the largest Navy in the World, billions in nuclear weapons, yet cannot pay its service industry citizens a living wage? 

 

Something wrong there!

 

The restaurant shouldn't have to be relying on Joe Public to pay or make up this shortfall. It needs to be on as a service charge and enshrine it in the US law that it must be declared through the IRS and passed on to the workers to make up the salaries fairly and evenly including front of house and back kitchen staff. It would then form part of their salary without the guesswork of how much tips they will make.

 

In the passing of time, like with every new law or modernisation programme, people will get used to it and probably be happier with the system.

Edited April 21, 2018 by Scouse123

[torrzent]

3 hours ago, duanebigsby said:

 

If that's your policy while travelling in US, I trust you and Possum1931 are announcing such to wait staff prior to ordering?

When defying cultural norms and stiffing the waiters it would only be the fair thing to do.

what a load of self-righteous nonsense. 

[ChiangMaiLightning2143]

No sir, Like I said, in the west I tip 10% That was a fair deal before, and the evil restaurateurs have manipulated up to 15 and 20%. The ones who are stealing are the bosses in the restaurants by not paying their staff. If it means an increase on the regular bill, so be it. I have no problem letting the free market level the field. If everybody did as I did there would be some action on this thing which everybody knows has gotten off track.  I suppose some people get a kick out of flashing their money and being the the Great Gatsby. There should be nothing wrong with that, but it should not have an impact on my bill.

Another thing which is wrong with the current tip system is that the quality of service required and the amount of work required is similar at restaurants across the board, except for fast food joints. But the waitress at a Denny's is going to be lucky to get 10 bucks a table of 4, when  at the higher end joints, they will serve you a spitter if you fail to drop a couple of 20's for their accumulated 5 minutes of attention. I would say that the massively overpriced menu should actually entitle you some immunity from supporting the welfare of their wait staff.

 

Tips are now a tax and they should be a reward. Time to snuff it out

 

I can’t disagree with you just sayin’, how it be bro. I tip fifteen percent of tab(a minimum) not including tax. If I have a problem with the service I would speak to the manager. Most times your meal will be free or some dishes discounted, very rare but I have done it I will also send back any food not to my satisfication it is always replaced free of charge. Do you get this in Thailand?

I don’t think there should be any tipping at all I like the Japan system. Your Impromptu civil rights protests accomplish nothing. I am very angry about the stories I have read about TGI Friday’s and other big chains where management steals tips from the servers as well even when they were not entitled to it!

 

If you don’t tip in the US you are stealing. Better to get takeout.