What is the tipping practice in Thailand ?

[JensenZ]

On 8/19/2023 at 5:04 PM, Captain Monday said:

The tipping Farang remains in his comfort zone

 

Please leave Americanisms where they come from

I agree... we don't need the American way corrupting the rest of the world. It's absurd to pay tips based on the size of the bill. If you must tip, it's better to consider how much effort your server made. Why should a waiter who delivers (for example) a wagyu steak worth over 1000 baht get a tip 5 times greater than a waiter who delivers some chicken, considering the effort is the same?

 

Of course, in the US they pay wait staff a low wage and they rely on tips. It's not like that in Thailand and most other countries.

 

I don't tip in any restaurants that charge the 10% service charge. You're a mug if you do. Also, if you frequent the same restaurant, be aware that if you leave a good tip once, you're going to have to keep doing it, so think carefully if you feel inclined (as our American friends usually do) to leave a big tip.

[FruitPudding]

13 minutes ago, FruitPudding said:

A waitress, who is trying to survive on $15-20 a day is expected to tip?

Tourist area waitresses get 20k a month easily, including tips. In fact, 25k is pretty typical, according to my EX in the industry.

 

Their non-tourist area counterparts are really on minimum wage.

 

[JensenZ]

On 8/19/2023 at 7:27 PM, spidermike007 said:

Use your own judgment. For Panda, the drivers get 9 baht. Could you live on that? They use and maintain their own bikes. Is it fair to the drivers? Would your 20 baht tip make a difference to the driver? Would it adversely affect your life?

 

One can always find what they think might be a valid excuse for being unkind and cheap. I can't. Same applies to restaurants. Just because the locals don't. 

I tip Panda or Grab deliverers 20 - 30 baht on the app before they have delivered.  

[FruitPudding]

48 minutes ago, flexomike said:

Thailand isn't like western countries where the service people make better money, feel sorry for some of these people working for very low wages, doesn't bother me one bit to leave a little tip to make their day better.

I feel sorry for the Thai teachers on 10k a month.

[Captain Monday]

On 8/19/2023 at 4:15 AM, KhunLA said:

Actually, them Yanks picked tipping up from them Euro folks.

 

 

Yank origin of ...

Fascinating article. A truly vile history.  I had no idea, as the history of the Pullman car porters has normally been presented in a somewhat revisionist version. 
 

 

[bignok]

Only tip muay thai fighters. Top 3 for night. Nobody else.

[FruitPudding]

1 hour ago, BangkokReady said:

What if I'm being even more kind and friendly to her?  Do we share the tip?

 

This isn't America.  In most countries, basic human decency, or "being polite", isn't something people fake solely to get more money out of someone.

Exactly.

 

You see that a lot here. Lots of smiles when they want something. Lots of acting.

 

Then, they very quickly drink the drink you bought them and disappear with a frown instantly, as soon as you don't agree to buy the next.

 

Even a person selling things in a shop here. If they know you are just looking, see the contempt on their face. They won't even talk to you after that if you have a question.

 

It's "gimme your money or get lost".....in the tourist areas, at least.

 

 

[FruitPudding]

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

How does one reply to a statement like that? Did you really consider it, before posting it? 

 

A waitress, who is trying to survive on $15-20 a day is expected to tip? And a foreigner who might have an income in the hundreds of thousands of baht a month, with many millions of baht invested is not? And somehow there is some equivalence? Huh? 

Did you consider, before posting, that most foreigners living here are probably not on hundreds of thousands of baht per month, but rather just tens of thousands? ????lol

[1FinickyOne]

2 hours ago, Scouse123 said:

Ladies have value? Does that mean that males don't? 

Why would anyone surmise that from the simple statement that ladies have value... you have done very well for someone who tends to twist and distort things... now go away, you are annoying. 

[StayinThailand2much]

2 hours ago, Fairynuff said:

Yeah you’d have to be filthy rich to leave more than 12 baht tip.

I leave the big tips (and money transfers to the bargirls) to the tourists... 

[KhunLA]

4 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

And a foreigner who might have an income in the hundreds of thousands of baht a month, with many millions of baht invested is not? And somehow there is some equivalence? Huh? 

You definitely socialize in different circles than AN members, crying about 65k a month & 800k a year.

 

Wish I could break just 1 of those hundreds of thousand a month threshold.

 

And some people call me a rich expat ... that's some funny sh!t right there.  Relative to .... 

[FruitPudding]

This topic always fascinates me.

 

Western people feel so strongly about tipping.

 

People are so easily manipulated.

[FruitPudding]

14 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

You definitely socialize in different circles than AN members, crying about 65k a month & 800k a year.

 

Wish I could break just 1 of those hundreds of thousand a month threshold.

 

Yeah

 

I mean, I can make not too far off that...........but I work 2 jobs!

 

 ????

[Foexie]

Accualy , i think, there isn't a tipping practice in Thailand. Ok in the big cities they used now foreigners give tips and maybe expect we give.

 

But this year we made a round trip Nan-CM-Nan and visited all the cities on the road.

 

I like to eat in small restaurants where only Thai come to eat. And this year, again, i did have 4-5 very confused waitresses when i gave them a tip. My wife did need to explain them it was a tip.

 

In hotels me usual leave 100bht/a night with a max of 700. And also in the hotels sometimes they come run after me for bring back the money because they think me forget or call the front desk ask them for them to hold me for give back the money.

[spidermike007]

I have always handled the money. I just don't understand turning that  task over to the woman. I see alot of men who barely have 100 baht in their pockets. Frankly, I don't find that manly, not interesting on any level. 

[FruitPudding]

37 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

I have always handled the money. I just don't understand turning that  task over to the woman. I see alot of men who barely have 100 baht in their pockets. Frankly, I don't find that manly, not interesting on any level. 

Not sure how this relates to Thailand's tipping practice, but if it makes you feel more manly, I'll let you buy me a couple of pints, Big Boy!

[bignok]

On 8/22/2023 at 1:21 PM, spidermike007 said:

I have always handled the money. I just don't understand turning that  task over to the woman. I see alot of men who barely have 100 baht in their pockets. Frankly, I don't find that manly, not interesting on any level. 

How can you see inside their pockets?

 

[LikeItHot]

I used to go to the same beach restaurant for years. I knew all the staff and always tipped them better than I did at other locations. The last time I went I ordered a Coke and it showed up with a warm glass and no ice.  I looked around and noticed everyone else sipping properly chilled beverages.  I gave the waiter my final tip.

"Always take care of your regulars"

Turns out the place next door has ice.

[Felt 35]

Is this Asean Now, tripAdvisor`s section for tourist?

Felt

[JimTripper]

On 8/22/2023 at 1:21 PM, spidermike007 said:

I have always handled the money. I just don't understand turning that  task over to the woman. I see alot of men who barely have 100 baht in their pockets. Frankly, I don't find that manly, not interesting on any level. 

Many guys need a caretaker. The women turns into a kind of mother figure who negotiates everything, speaks Thai to vendors,, leads the guy around, etc while the guy does nothing. It’s pretty repulsive.

[FruitPudding]

5 hours ago, JimTripper said:

Many guys need a caretaker. The women turns into a kind of mother figure who negotiates everything, speaks Thai to vendors,, leads the guy around, etc while the guy does nothing. It’s pretty repulsive.

Typically though, women here are looking for a male caretaker, sugar daddy figure, ATM machine.

 

So she might as well do something to earn her keep. 

[FruitPudding]

8 hours ago, LikeItHot said:

I used to go to the same beach restaurant for years. I knew all the staff and always tipped them better than I did at other locations. The last time I went I ordered a Coke and it showed up with a warm glass and no ice.  I looked around and noticed everyone else sipping properly chilled beverages.  I gave the waiter my final tip.

"Always take care of your regulars"

Turns out the place next door has ice.

I've noticed mostly Thai staff don't enough about the customers or even their own job or tips to exert any significant effort.

 

Their attitude seems to be "tip or not, I do what I wanna do"

 

Up to them.

[spidermike007]

12 hours ago, JimTripper said:

Many guys need a caretaker. The women turns into a kind of mother figure who negotiates everything, speaks Thai to vendors,, leads the guy around, etc while the guy does nothing. It’s pretty repulsive.

Some of them are not even permitted to carry a few hundred baht around. They have to use a bank card or ask the wife for cash. Yikes. 

[BritManToo]

14 hours ago, JimTripper said:

Many guys need a caretaker. The women turns into a kind of mother figure who negotiates everything, speaks Thai to vendors,, leads the guy around, etc while the guy does nothing. It’s pretty repulsive.

If that's what they want, why would you care?

[Jingthing]

I've got an unusual situation. 
Living in a high rise condo I've haven't tipped the office staff, security staff, maintenance staff, gardeners, etc. etc.

I realize if I lived in New York extortionate tips would be required for door people at least. But this isn't New York.

I kind of wish the condo management organized a formal tipping jar for New Years that would be shared with all staff in which case I would throw something in, but they haven't.

I have tipped maintenance staff when they do a service for me in my condo at the time of service, but that's different.

Well now I have one specific door/security staff person that has consistently given me ridiculously good service over a long period of time. From little touches to somewhat bigger things. I don't really need anything that he's done, but it's really been charming and I certainly wouldn't be so rude as to tell him to stop it.

One example of how unusual this is. If I'm loaded holding shopping he enters the elevator and pushes my floor. It goes on and on. It's a little bit of entertainment to see what uncalled for service he will do next.

So obviously he well deserves tipping. But it gets tricky. Do I tip a little bit for every little thing or do I give him a very big tip for the New Year? If I only tip him and no other service staff isn't that kind of rude? I'm also a tiny bit concerned that it would "corrupt" the situation as I really don't know if he's some kind of freak that just loves doing that sort of thing and it would be insulting to tip suggesting he was doing it for that. He keeps doing it, never hints in any way that I should tip, and I don't expect he would stop if I never tipped.

Not sure at this point.

[bignok]

14 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

From little touches to somewhat bigger things.

1500 i believe is the going rate

[Ralf001]

23 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Do I tip a little bit for every little thing or do I give him a very big tip for the New Year?

Hold off till year end and sling a wedge, I give the security guys in my Mooban 5k each (1 day shift 2 night shift)

Pittance to me but the help they provide throughout the year is immeasurable.

[still kicking]

On 8/21/2023 at 6:45 AM, rwill said:

In general most Thai's don't tip.

 

My Wife does

[Regyai]

What do these 'by rote' 20% of bill tippers do in the car showroom slip the salesgirl a few hundred thousand (because its appreciated after all)

 

 

Do their littles eyes light up?

[richard_smith237]

On 8/22/2023 at 1:21 PM, spidermike007 said:

I have always handled the money. I just don't understand turning that  task over to the woman. I see alot of men who barely have 100 baht in their pockets. Frankly, I don't find that manly, not interesting on any level. 

The 'manly comment' is a bit odd... is there something manly about paying a bill ?