I think it would be interesting to find out our philosophy on tipping in Thailand.

 

What's your philosophy on tipping? Do people tip in your home country?

 

Has your tipping ethos changed over the years?

 

Have you ever expected a tip?

 

Enjoy!

Rarely, and usually just a rounding up.  Most times <20 baht.  

 

Usually leave bill paying to the wife, who I'm pretty sure, tips less often than I do.

 

TH, not really a tip based salary workplace, and not expected, except maybe tourist oriented destinations/vendors, which I mostly avoid.

In the US waiters  work mostly for tips with a small minimal wage. I always give the tip in cash at the table rather than add it in the credit card  bill,

A) not  always sure the boss will give it to them, and B) it could be taxable income. 

Here in Thailand if I am happy with the service, and  in places where I eat often , sometimes they remember me and I think I get better service.

Also they don't spit in my food . I think ????

Load of different attitudes to this... 

IMO - tipping depends when, where, whom...

 

i.e.

Decent restaurant that has 10% service charge and electronic payment - we don't tip. 

Local restaurant, no service charge - we'll leave the change or if e-payment, leave something. 

 

Taxi - If GRAB, its e-payment so no tip (and GRAB have become more expensive). 

Taxi - if Flag Fall or BOLT - I round up... i.e. if 77 Baht they get 100 Baht. if 64 baht they'll get 80 baht etc... 

 

Mostly, everything is e-payment and there isn't much tipping any more. 

 

-------

 

I don't tip our maid - she gets a salary. 

We give her a yearly bonus. 

When we go away on holiday, she doesn't come, but still gets paid. 

 

 

 

 

14 minutes ago, sirineou said:

In the US waiters  work mostly for tips with a small minimal wage. I always give the tip in cash at the table rather than add it in the credit card  bill,

A) not  always sure the boss will give it to them, and B) it could be taxable income. 

Here in Thailand if I am happy with the service, and  in places where I eat often , sometimes they remember me and I think I get better service.

Also they don't spit in my food . I think ????

A commonly used argument, but this isn't the US... neither is anywhere outside of the US. 

The US tipping culture seems like madness IMO. 

 

I think we (in these forum discussions) over think tipping - if paying cash leave the small change. 

If there is a 10% service charge, no need to tip. 

In bars etc, leave the change and round up to nearest convenient note. 

 

 

We tip according location and quality of service and food, with an eye on whether the prices are including 'service fee', usually that makes the tip 10 times smaller unless the food is exceptional... 'Lucky' for me that does not happen too much.....

 

Slightly off topic but when we went to Japan, we would leave a tip on our bed for the maid. When we came back to our room, she had made the bed but left the tip there. Tipping in Japan isn't the done thing apparently.

 

In Thailand I generally tip for most services.

 

In restaurants, with or without service charge, I often tip when I like the service. In places like BBQ-Plaza, where I have to pay on the counter, I normally don't tip. If I tip then cash to i.e. one waitress who did a good job.

No tips for delivery drivers or gasoline station employees. They just do their job. If someone checks and adjust my tire pressure then I tip.

Massage, when it's good I tip. I know that is what they expect as part of their income.

 

In general, if I pay maybe 100B or 200B tip per day, then I won't see any difference in my wallet, I can easily afford it. For many waitresses and others, it makes a considerable difference to them if they receive tips. I like to support the people who don't earn so much with their normal salary.

 

I always tip voluntarily. Bad service, no tip. 

6 minutes ago, Chelseafan said:

Slightly off topic but when we went to Japan, we would leave a tip on our bed for the maid. When we came back to our room, she had made the bed but left the tip there. Tipping in Japan isn't the done thing apparently.

 

In Thailand I generally tip for most services.

 

It's actually an insult in Japan, I read.

 

It isn't the done thing in Thailand, either, but they are aware of the concept and that farang countries do it, so they play on that in tourist areas.

14 minutes ago, Chelseafan said:

Slightly off topic but when we went to Japan, we would leave a tip on our bed for the maid. When we came back to our room, she had made the bed but left the tip there. Tipping in Japan isn't the done thing apparently.

 

In Thailand I generally tip for most services.

 

I stay seldom in hotels. Now I did, and I though how to tip.

I left cash clearly visible in the middle of the unmade bed. And the tip was accepted.

 

I guess maids have to be careful about what they think is tip and what is just money which the guest left i.e. on a table. I guess maids will be careful to avoid being called a thief. 

If I would have seen the maid in person, then I would have given her/him the tip personally.

16 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

A commonly used argument, but this isn't the US... neither is anywhere outside of the US. 

The US tipping culture seems like madness IMO

The question was asked in the OP "What's your philosophy on tipping? Do people tip in your home country? " I think my post address both these points 

 

( The US tipping culture seems like madness IMO)

It really isn't. In economics there is a simple rule , There is no such thing as a free lunch" Someone , somehow, somewhere pays for it. 

So, in the US waiters  get very little or nothing in wages, they earn their income from tips, this incentivizes the waiter to be friendly, and provide top service. And allows the restaurant owner to have lower prices because he does not have the overhead of higher wages. 

In countries where  you don't tip,I am sure waters don't work for free, They are paid wages, such wages are overhead and as such are reflected in your bill.  With the additional negative that the water does not have to be nice to you, only do the minimum to not get fired. 

Here's my tip............................Buy low, Sell high!

 

 

12 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I stay seldom in hotels. Now I did, and I though how to tip.

I left cash clearly visible in the middle of the unmade bed. And the tip was accepted.

 

I guess maids have to be careful about what they think is tip and what is just money which the guest left i.e. on a table. I guess maids will be careful to avoid being called a thief. 

If I would have seen the maid in person, then I would have given her/him the tip personally.

I always thought the standard place to leave a tip for maid, was on the pillow, as can't be mistaken for misplaced money.

jesus! apparently some tip teachers, I am astonished. but each to their own. I will generally round up the bill in a restaurant and very occaisionally in a taxi, other than that its only really tradesmen, and then only when I'm satisfied that they tried their best

according to mood and situation. 

 

example, i have a regular taxi driver who takes me once a week to my destination. He s never late, drives safely and is always cheery. i know for a fact he has huge problems - wife is paralyzed from neck down , sick mother ----- the list goes on. Fare is around 340 mark - i give 400 and tell him to keep change. 

 

54 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

jesus! apparently some tip teachers, I am astonished. but each to their own. I will generally round up the bill in a restaurant and very occaisionally in a taxi, other than that its only really tradesmen, and then only when I'm satisfied that they tried their best

This certainly highlights something.

 

Why not? Many teachers in Thailand are paid less than waitresses.

 

29 minutes ago, FruitPudding said:

This certainly highlights something.

 

Why not? Many teachers in Thailand are paid less than waitresses.

 

I can't think of a good reason why teachers should be paid anymore than waitresses, especially if there pay was performance related,  and don't forget the generous paid holidays. and pension I would never tip anybody who wears a uniform

After all I did not ask them to take a badly paid job, it was their choice,

1 hour ago, Bday Prang said:

I can't think of a good reason why teachers should be paid anymore than waitresses, especially if there pay was performance related, 

Maybe because they:

 

- have a better education.

- are doing a difficult job.

- are doing a very important job.

- are helping with a serious problem in society.

- constantly have to continue professional development to keep their teacher's license 

 

I mean, where would you be in life if you were educated by a waitress??

 

You are comparing serving food/drink to educating the future generations of the world, ????

 

I think education would be better if teachers were paid better.

 

1 hour ago, Bday Prang said:

 

and don't forget the generous paid holidays.

 

And about the holidays: what are teachers supposed to do during the summer break when there are no kids to teach? Mop the floors and clean the toilets??

 

 

1 hour ago, Bday Prang said:

 

After all I did not ask them to take a badly paid job, it was their choice,

No logic.

 

You didn't ask a waitress or a taxi driver to take their job, either did you?

 

 

If you pay with a card in the west, you're given a few options to tip. Usually 15%, 20% and 25%. So you get a delivery and need to pay for the food, the driver wants his 15% minimum tip. It's not easy(by design I'm sure) to tip 10%, 5% or 0. Covid and all the deliveries made it worse.

 

I never tip if I'm picking up and maybe $5 for the delivery driver. Here it's like everyone else and round up to the nearest convenient number. 

16 hours ago, FruitPudding said:

Maybe because they:

 

- have a better education.

- are doing a difficult job.

- are doing a very important job.

- are helping with a serious problem in society.

- constantly have to continue professional development to keep their teacher's license 

 

I mean, where would you be in life if you were educated by a waitress??

 

You are comparing serving food/drink to educating the future generations of the world, ????

 

I think education would be better if teachers were paid better.

 

 

And about the holidays: what are teachers supposed to do during the summer break when there are no kids to teach? Mop the floors and clean the toilets??

 

 

No logic.

 

You didn't ask a waitress or a taxi driver to take their job, either did you?

 

 

Are you a retired teacher by any chance?

Simple, don’t tip in Thailand. It’s considered an insult.

On 7/1/2023 at 8:21 AM, Bday Prang said:

Are you a retired teacher by any chance?

Nope.