Restaurant & bar folks: Where do the 10% service charge proceeds go?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

In all my years in Thailand, I've always had a general policy -- if a sit-down restaurant has no 10% service charge, and the service is decent or better, I'll add a 10% or better tip depending on the level of service.  But if there IS a 10% service charge automatically added to everything, then I generally won't tip more for routine service, but might if the service is still beyond the normal. And that based on the assumption that the service staff were in fact getting their share of the 10% service charge as a type of tip.

 

But now the other night, I was watching a YT video where some Thai nationals who work in the restaurant business were talking about the 10% service charge issue, and they were claiming that at least in their experience, the full 10% does NOT necessarily go to the service staff. And instead, they claimed, some business owners here take some or all of the service charge proceeds to support / cover their own business operating expenses such as facility improvements, equipment, who knows what, etc etc...

 

So that made me start wondering, and want to ask the question here of those in or familiar with the restaurant-bar business here in Thailand -- in your experience, who actually gets the proceeds of the 10% service charge if one is levied? And to what extent, in your experience, are bar and restaurant owners here in fact skimming the service charge proceeds that I'd assume most customers believe, rightly or wrongly, are going to the service staff to support / augment their wages?

 

Any insights, much appreciated!

 

Edited July 27 by TallGuyJohninBKK