Tipping In Restaurants In Thailand

[Edonista]

I am not a communist. Skilled chefs deserve more pay than food schleppers. I believe that in the USA and I believe it in Thailand. If a waiter isn't happy with that, learn to be a skilled chef. In the USA, I tip the customary 15 to 20 percent because it is culturally required there, not because I really want to. If you don't tip like that there, you simply cannot return to your favorite restaurant. They will literally put snot in your food, or worse.

I think the waiters should be paid by the owner decently. Its not my problem they aren't paid enough. In Thailand, I am sure waiters aren't paid well either. Am I heartless? Perhaps. I am not rich and I can't give away what wealth I have to every under-motivated, low skill worker I encounter in life. I believe here in Thailand we should tip like the Thais do. I do think sometimes that is hard to understand, but the info is available if you look for it. I also think that if we tip like Americans in Thailand, we are corrupting the culture here. The culture in Thailand should be dictated by Thais. I am not saying Thai culture is superior or inferior as a culture. It is what it is.

Finally some sign of intelligent life in this forum....

[Edonista]

I was wondering how much people tip the taxis between BKK and Pattaya.

For example, I got a taxi from Suvarnabhumi Airport last week for 1,400 including tolls and tipped the driver 100 baht. Is this too high?

Next time take the bus and please avoid tipping the driver and the counter girl

[Edonista]

I was wondering how much people tip the taxis between BKK and Pattaya.

For example, I got a taxi from Suvarnabhumi Airport last week for 1,400 including tolls and tipped the driver 100 baht. Is this too high?

For me, it depended on a couple of things. How well the car was kept (i.e. clean exterior/interior, no bad odours), how the driver drove, how helpful he was (i.e. stopping on the way so I could get to a toilet, loading/unloading luggage).

I think the most I tipped was about 500 once, most of the rest were 2-300 baht.

No wonder now they dare ask even 1,600 up front. Thanks heaven there's the bus to save my wallet.

[Kerryd]

No wonder now they dare ask even 1,600 up front. Thanks heaven there's the bus to save my wallet.

Well, in all fairness they were asking prices like that before I came along. I try to take certain factors into account when tipping (as mentioned above), but also including the fact that the driver is probably getting paid very little of the 1,600 baht fare.

The taxi company has to pay a concession fee to the airport (probably parking/permit fees as well). Plus they have to pay the staff/touts, tolls and fuel (?). By the time they get around to the driver, he's probably lucky to get 10% of the total fare, and he's probably got car payments to make and a family to feed.

The one guy I tipped 500 baht was great. Nice smooth ride, wasn't driving like a yabba-crazed maniac. We stopped on the way so I could "take care of business", and buy some stuff in the 7/11, and haggle with the lottery vendors before buying some tickets. After arriving in Pattaya, he helped carry my large suitcase up the 3 flights of stairs to my apartment (I took the duffel bag and carry-on). All in all, I think the 500 baht was a good investment. He probably gets diddly-squat from a lot of his other fares, and maybe the generosity on my part will encourage him to continue providing the same level of service he gave me.

Oh yeah, I've taken the Bell Travel Service bus on my last two trips. 150 baht and a 50 baht tip for the driver. I didn't do it to save money though. The timings just happened to work out great (on Thursday, I cleared Immigration, got my small bag of the carousel, hiked over to Gate 7 and caught the bus with 2 minutes to spare. If I had of missed that bus, I would have taken a taxi rather than sit around the airport for two hours waiting for the next one).

[Tinkelbell]

Each year passes, I found that more and more Thai restaurants start practicing automatic adding service charge on the tab. I'm talking about a medium size quite nice place where most patrons are Thais. I remembered before, only restaurants in a western standarded hotels would automatic add service charge of 17%. That was understanable since they usually post the tarrif at the bottom of the menu.

My friends and I ( all Thais) when dining in these Thai established always add tip (15%-25% if the service is outstanding) above the total on the tab. Because quite many people ordered varieties dishes, we always assume it was the right figures. Then one day only three of us dined there, we knew more or less how much our tab would be. To my surprised, they added 17% charged on ours. Seems we'd been giving double tip the whole time. Worst, they don't posted the tarrif at the bottom of the menu.

Since then we've learned our lesson. I ask you to check your bill carefully, pay extra attention to this restaurant "Chai-ta-lay-jaan-pen" in BK, it's been very popular among Thais for over 65 yr.

[wineman]

Thai friends do not tip in restaurants and will not allow me to tip. What do you think? Do Thai waiters think farangs are crazy to leave 10% tips?

I don't give a fig what other people do. This is my policy -

1. If the food is at the standard I expect it to be, and the waitress/waiter is helpful and cheerful - I tip.

2. If the food is at the standard I expect it to be, but the waitress/waiter is unhelpful and miserable/surly - No tip.

3. If the food is below the standard I expect it to be, and the waitress/waiter is unhelpfuland miserable/surly - No

tip.

4. If the food is below the standard I expect it to be, but the waitress/waiter is helpful and cheerful - I tip.

5. If a gratuity is included in the bill - No tip.

6. A tip is always 20 Baht irrespective of the cost of the bill.

[Tammi]

Thai friends do not tip in restaurants and will not allow me to tip. What do you think? Do Thai waiters think farangs are crazy to leave 10% tips?

I don't give a fig what other people do. This is my policy -

1. If the food is at the standard I expect it to be, and the waitress/waiter is helpful and cheerful - I tip.

2. If the food is at the standard I expect it to be, but the waitress/waiter is unhelpful and miserable/surly - No tip.

3. If the food is below the standard I expect it to be, and the waitress/waiter is unhelpfuland miserable/surly - No

tip.

4. If the food is below the standard I expect it to be, but the waitress/waiter is helpful and cheerful - I tip.

5. If a gratuity is included in the bill - No tip.

6. A tip is always 20 Baht irrespective of the cost of the bill.

Thank you all for your replies and I think Chelseatops summarises nicely and I will follow his/her lead.

[mark henry]

Well, I still think it is silly to tip at a noodle stall. They would probably think you are an idiot. Why not tip the clerk at 7-11 then?

personally i'm more inclined to tip the noodle stall staff rather than a big over-priced restaurant. After all the noodle stall folks are more likely to be in need of the tip!

To be honest i don't give a monkey what the culture dictates i tip if a want to based on the quality of the service, if i think they need/appreciate a tip and especialy if she's pretty

[kratindaeng]

Thai friends do not tip in restaurants and will not allow me to tip. What do you think? Do Thai waiters think farangs are crazy to leave 10% tips?

I used to Tip if I deemed it good service, nowadays I just leave a Jatukam ramathep amulet or two on the table....

[tropo]

I was wondering how much people tip the taxis between BKK and Pattaya.

For example, I got a taxi from Suvarnabhumi Airport last week for 1,400 including tolls and tipped the driver 100 baht. Is this too high?

Next time take the bus and please avoid tipping the driver and the counter girl

Thanks for that advice...but how much do you tip taxis to and from the airport?

I do take the bus when I'm travelling at a time they are available...which is not too often. For early morning departures and evening arrivals...no can do.

[tropo]

6. A tip is always 20 Baht irrespective of the cost of the bill.

Your tipping policy is identical to mine. I'm waiting for someone to explain the logic of percentage tipping. I fail to understand why a more expensive meal requires a larger tip....which makes it unfair to have percentage service charge added.

For example: I'm in Zen and order exotic/expensive sushi. 1500 baht total bill for my girl and I (easy to do in Zen if you're not buying specials). Service charge = 150 baht. Next time I'm buying their set meals for a total bill of say 350. Service charge = 35 baht.

There was no difference in the amount of work needed to prepare and serve our meal and the cheaper set meals were probably more labor intensive. I increase their profit margins by purchasing expensive meals and I'm penalized with a higher service charge.

The only reason why restaurants charge service charge is because they can. People pay it without complaint, so why not. The more restaurants get away with it, the more restaurants will start charging it...it's already too late.

[tampasailor]

In the west I will tip ten times more than I will tip in Thailand.

I base this decision on the fact that it costs ten times as much

to live in NY than in Pattaya.

Naka.

In the US most states have a law that allows servers to be paid half of min wage and this is in fact what they are paid so they rely mostly on tips for their income which incourages good service. If you don't get good service, you dont tip, and the server finds other means of employment! Good servers can get jobs in better places and make more money. In Canada they are paid competative wages and the same incentive does not exist. I understand both systems and agree with the US system as the customer actually pays almost all the servers wages based on quality of service rendered. If this system existed in LOS the service would naturally improve as the incentive to make money would be there. I find I am pampered for service most in the US to anywhere in the world. I appreciate and I pay one way or the other. I prefer to control the incentive. Canadians visiting the US are not aware of the system and tip loose pocket change and are seen as cheap Canadians by US servers who dont understand the difference. Mis-understanding and culturial differences!!

[Basil B]

Though this thread is over a year old, I think it is a worthy subject and would like to add my views.

And they are:

1. You should expect to pay the prices on the menu, this should include good service so why should you have to pay more?
   
2. If you have extremely good service and wish to tip, OK, but why should the amount depend upon the cost of a meal?
   
3. If you have a very nice meal but only "so-so" service and tip the server does she/he share with the cooks?
   
4. If a service charge is added to the bill will it be passed onto the staff?
   
5. I eat well and spend probably around 500 baht on a evening meal, so if I have company that can be double that so if I leave 10% tips so dose everybody else then say the restaurant manges to average 20 customers per server per night and only half the customers tipped, then every sever assume the work 25 nights a month would get 12,500 (tax free) on top of their take home pay, that is a lot more than most people in Thailand who work a lot harder.
   

Agreed 20B is a good tip regardless of what the bill came to.

BB

[jdinasia]

an amazing number of cheap charlies in this thread!

[Jingthing]

an amazing number of cheap charlies in this thread!

So we are to take that to mean you throw your money around like a brainwashed American? Congratulations and I am sure the recipients who likely think you are a fool thank you very much.

Edited December 26, 2008 by Jingthing

[jdinasia]

You keep getting funnier Jing --- you want Thailand to be like the west in one thread -- backtrack on the next -- then jump on the anti-west rant in the third!

I guarantee nobody laughs at my tipping practices and that they are lauded where I go Then again I speak the language well enough and understand the culture well enough to know how to behave

[Jingthing]

You keep getting funnier Jing --- you want Thailand to be like the west in one thread -- backtrack on the next -- then jump on the anti-west rant in the third!

I guarantee nobody laughs at my tipping practices and that they are lauded where I go Then again I speak the language well enough and understand the culture well enough to know how to behave

I don't want Thailand to be like the west. If you got that impression ever, that is your problem, not mine. I just reserve the right to have opinions about Thailand and I respect that Thais have the right to have the culture that they do, and change it (or not) at their own discretion and timetable.

I don't have a tipping problem either here. I tip like the Thais do. This disappoints some Thais because in Pattaya they often expect farangs to tip like Americans. Oh well ...

BTW, are you actively campaigning for the Thai-ier than thou annual awards? You are definitely in the running.

Edited December 26, 2008 by Jingthing

[pepsi666]

I got back from the US in October, If I had gone by their so called rules, I would have ended up giving ovewr 20 quid as a tip, I dont do that in the UK,

Now with the £ at an awful rate both in Tbt and US $ I doubt I will be tipping any one, 51 Tbt to £ and $1.40 to the £ and I aint no cheap charlie, its just my money isnt going so far these days

So you can slate me if you wish, but if I cant afford the meals I used to have I wont leave a tip

[Soutpeel]

I got back from the US in October, If I had gone by their so called rules, I would have ended up giving ovewr 20 quid as a tip, I dont do that in the UK,

Now with the £ at an awful rate both in Tbt and US $ I doubt I will be tipping any one, 51 Tbt to £ and $1.40 to the £ and I aint no cheap charlie, its just my money isnt going so far these days

So you can slate me if you wish, but if I cant afford the meals I used to have I wont leave a tip

[jdinasia]

BTW, are you actively campaigning for the Thai-ier than thou annual awards? You are definitely in the running.

So we are to take that to mean you throw your money around like a brainwashed American?

So .... which one is it Jing? am I Thai-er than thou or a brainwashed American ?

LOL .... oh .... Pattaya .. that explains it

Edited December 26, 2008 by jdinasia

[Jingthing]

LOL .... oh .... Pattaya .. that explains it

Maybe to you or other non-thinking people who think where you live defines you.

So .... which one is it Jing? am I Thai-er than thou or a brainwashed American ?

up2u

Edited December 26, 2008 by Jingthing

[Jonathanpattaya]

I only tip when I feel the service warrants it wherever I happen to be.

The Thais I eat with normally tip but only a small amount (usually the loose change) and never a percentage of the total.

The expectation of a tip annoys me generally and especially If someone comlplains either because I have not tipped or because the tip is insuffient.

[patklang]

rule of thimb for me is dont tip a small place were the owner(s) are serving and cooking.tip larger restaraunts but dependant on the quality of food and service,andi never tip if the service is poor.

[Mobi]

I also wouldn't tip if the service is poor.

However I usually eat in places that I have been to before, and one of the things I look for is good service as well as good food.

As I said last year, I never tip at street stalls, but always do in any eating or drinking place where I sit down.

It is never a percentage of the bill - it is what I consider a reasonable sum - depending on the number of diners and quality of service.

I used tip 20 Baht in any bar when I paid the bill, but about a year ago I increased this to 40 Baht, as times are hard and they undoubtedly welcome a bit more.

Similarly, I used to tip 10 Baht to the car parking guys, abut now I give them 20 Baht.

I don't particularly care what other people tip, it's really up to them, but I do know that I am not out of line with the culture, and to be honest, what is expected of me as a farang with more disposable income than these workers can ever aspire to.

JD, I'm with you on this one

[Lost in LOS]

It's not worth to get angry at the nice quiet People of the USA. They probably trie to give there Mother a Tip when they get breastfeeded. But that's only a guess

nope, only other peoples mothers

[Lost in LOS]

I tip according to service and place. upscale restaurant 10% max if service is good, usually 20 baht in a smaller Thai restaurant

I have owned upscale restaurants in the US. US people usually tip 15-20%, European foreigners 10%, Japanese, russians etc 0%. the waiters and waitresses, many times college students, get paid minimum wage in all restaurants, since tipping is expected. they can make 100 dollars or much more per day in tips the IRS, knowing most of the tips are cash, makes the restaurant owner reports tip profit equal to a supposed 8% tip on their total sales, added to their pay, so it you don't tip it is costing the waiter money as he will pay taxes on that 8%

[NanLaew]

^ Yes, but that the USA. Irrelevant here.

But I will note that if the IRS is blagging 8% off the top, then the next time I eat in the USA, I will tip only the equivalent of 8% of the average minimum-wage workers personal income tax rate, which is....?

Easier over here ennit?

[JSixpack]

the US system . . . If this system existed in LOS the service would naturally improve as the incentive to make money would be there.

Perhaps. But I found the best service in the world to be in Japan, where there is NO tipping. BTW, one of the major complaints by Japanese visitors to the USA is the practice of tipping.

Would that the Japanese system be adopted everywhere. I'd much rather pay more for the food and drink than to be bothered figuring out--or even thinking about--the tip and, in some group cases, figuring every group member's share of the tip.

[Basil B]

I noted once that there was a service charge of 5% added to my bill, I thought this was reasonable.

The thing with adding a service charge to the bill is if you do not get service you can ask to have it removed and the manager will soon know when customers are dissatisfied.

[Jingthing]

I noted once that there was a service charge of 5% added to my bill, I thought this was reasonable.

The thing with adding a service charge to the bill is if you do not get service you can ask to have it removed and the manager will soon know when customers are dissatisfied.

I don't really think you can usually do that.

Best remedy, don't go back.

Edited December 27, 2008 by Jingthing