11 hours ago, blazes said:

Tipping: in Hua Hin, in the restaurant I frequent quite frequently, I note (it's easy to do) how much different  people leave for a tip.  (Btw, as far as I can see, it is only higher-end restaurants that include a 10% tip - or "service charge" - in their bills.)

I note that North Americans are likely to leave a 100 baht tip, no matter what the actual bill.

I note that North Europeans (especially Swedes, Norwegians, Dutch and Germans )are total cheapskates and tend to leave 20 baht or NOTHING!!!!!

 

Do these  people think that leaving 20 baht is a serious way of acknowledging service?  Have they ever stopped to think how much 20 baht buys?????

 

Makes my skin crawl to see Europeans with far superior salaries to anything available to your average nong in a restaurant here being so cheap.

I made a comment about American tipping culture a few weeks ago and had someone here lecture me about how it began in Europe. 

 

For what it's worth if there's not a 10% service charge I'll add 10% to whatever the bill is.  Or if it's a large group like a party and the wait staff worked really hard keeping up with our table then we'll leave 10%+.  We were out to a wedding afterparty last week and the young lady who worked our table (8 people) took really good care of us and there was 0 service charge on that bill.  There's actually quite a few places Ive been in Bangkok that don't include the service charge.  If it's superior service like a bartender at a speakeasy who pours me slightly over on bourbons then he gets extra.  

I didn't spend much in seven weeks last fall aside from beer and cigarettes.  But we did day trips and stayed at our own house in Loei or a relative's apartment in Nakhon Pathom near Phutthamonthon.  Bought a few bowls of noodles here and there and spent a good bit on gasoline.

14 hours ago, sandyf said:

So you are telling me that everyone in the USA gets paid the same, gets the same number of days annual holiday, the same social benefits and has exactly the same contract of employment.

Yes, that I didn't know.

States in the US are part of the same country with the same passport, same currency, same official language, etc.

Countries in Europe don't even share the same labour law. Some countries in Europe don't even use the Euro currency.

 

It's easy to understand. Come on. You want to continue into comparison. I leave it here. Just go in Wikipedia it's free ????

 

Edited February 6, 20233 yr by JayLeno

19 hours ago, khunjeff said:

That's certainly a fair and balanced description of the typical American tourist...in 1966 or so. You forgot to mention that they always fly on Pan Am and receive letters at the American Express office! 

Fascinating, but as I said I was speaking of people of my acquaintance, not saying anything about the typical American tourist.

14 hours ago, John Drake said:

Sounds like you have a vision of American travelers from the 1960s. You know what else was typical of the 1950s and 1960s? Places like  The British Club Bangkok. And The British Club Bangkok, a clear vestige of colonial mindset in Asia, still exists today, mainly limiting itself to British, Australian, New Zealand, and Canadian citizens. Whatever the faults of Americans, they don't need a private club based on nationality to take refuge in because they can't deal with the reality of Thailand.

Actually, no.

As clearly stated I am talking about people with whom I am acquainted.

Besides asking for ice in their water glass, know how Thais spot the difference between an American and European?

 

Americans tip generously, unlike their skinflint European cousins. ????

 

 

19 hours ago, bangon04 said:

Irrelevant?  So you believe that the average Bulgarian, Romanian and Hungarian tourist will match the spend of the average Swedish, German and UK tourist??  More likely that they will cancel out the "advantage"

Stay in context.

My point was regarding the comparison between USA and Europe, both continents have rich and poor.

Of course you are free to disagree.

I travel a lot around Thailand (bus and train) and never spend more than 1000 baht a day.

500 baht hotel rooms are fine by me.That and eating local food plus travel costs makes it easy.

Quadruple that if you take a lady friend.

I think all those stats are big BS why ? because there is no even clear stats on how many people visited from Germany Spain France Poland etc. so how can we know about spending? People spending cash and pay with cards etc. so there is no way to track it all... would you girls / guys agree ? what are your thoughts ? 

On 2/6/2023 at 7:57 AM, jeffriesbkk said:

There is no such country called Europe. These stats are meaningles.

 

True. How many of the surveyed travellers were from the U.S.? And where did the "Europeans" come from; Albania, Bulgaria, France, Switzerland, or Ukraine?? - Absolutely pointless survey!

Edited January 25, 20242 yr by StayinThailand2much

34 minutes ago, Gekko888 said:

I think all those stats are big BS why ? because there is no even clear stats on how many people visited from Germany Spain France Poland etc. so how can we know about spending? People spending cash and pay with cards etc. so there is no way to track it all... would you girls / guys agree ? what are your thoughts ? 

 

Yes, rather than reading such pointless (based on exchange rates?) "spending" figures (not to mention in different currencies: baht for Thailand, and dollars for Vietnam!), I'd be interested to learn what was the percentage of Americans, Brits, French, etc., among travellers to Vietnam and Thailand, and also the growth rates of such traveller segments. Also, which country attracted more couples and families? (I would imagine that this could influence per-person daily spending, as little kids, obviously, don't spend as much.*)

 

 

*Beware: sarcasm!

Edited January 25, 20242 yr by StayinThailand2much