I got a bit miffed with my local to go place here in Bangkok, when they suddenly started to add VAT on their meals. Fine i let it go and continued to go there. 

 

Then tourism started to increase a bit more, and they added in a 10% service charge. 

 

Now the cheeky sausages, and my final straw, is they have added a 200 Baht per person charge !!! 

 

Absolutely ridiculously taking the biscuit with the per person charge, which i have only ever seen a few times in very high end restaurants in America. 

 

This americanisation of 'hidden charges' needs to be addressed. Or is Thailand now just purely on the lowdown for tourists and locals can go shove it. 

Vote by feet, just go to another Restaurant.

Just don't go there, if people accept this practice it will just grow

200 pp, our meals usually don't cost that much 

I stropped going to a prominent restaurant in the Avenue Pattaya when they started to add VAT to their advertised meal prices.

Entirely up to the restaurant to charge whatever they want. If you don't approve, or it's more than you can afford, go somewhere else.

Donny, how long have you been here? Just over a year I think. In that time  you have had double the problems I have had in 30+ here. How do you manage to do it?  

The added 'service charge' annoys me the most. I will decide if the service was good enough to get a tip. 

5 hours ago, DonniePeverley said:

my final straw, is they have added a 200 Baht per person charge !!! 

 

So a 100 baht meal is now + 10% service + 7% VAT, and an additional 200 baht, so coming to around 320 baht total?

with promptpay and delivery apps the revenue department knows when the yearly sales exceeds 1.8m baht then you are forced to register and charge the vat. The 10% service charge is probably added to cover inflation and addtional staff to take care of the accounting that needs to be very accurate once you register for vat.
if you want to keep your local eateries that are not yet overtaxed pay cash and use only in house delivery if available.

karen, did you ask to speak to the manager?

21 hours ago, Thingamabob said:

Entirely up to the restaurant to charge whatever they want. If you don't approve, or it's more than you can afford, go somewhere else.

Make sure you have the exact money to pay the price advertised before the small print or any other charges are added. It worked for me.

Certain hiso restaurants in Puerto Rico automatically add a gratuity. As a result, the servers couldn't care less and the service is abysmal.

On 10/25/2024 at 8:13 AM, Henryford said:

I stropped going to a prominent restaurant in the Avenue Pattaya when they started to add VAT to their advertised meal prices.

VAT is usually a legal requirement.

The other charges are not.

I went to a restaurant and the waiter recommended a dish. It sounded good, so I went with that. There was a 50 baht 'consultation fee' when the check arrived. 

14 hours ago, HappyExpat57 said:

Certain hiso restaurants in Puerto Rico automatically add a gratuity. As a result, the servers couldn't care less and the service is abysmal.

 

 

THIS. 

 

Adding a a service charge (tip) automatically disensitivises any quality in the service. 

Most probably the Restaurant owner has had a vacation to Italy and found out about coperto. Then he thought, hey when they do it in Italy, I can do it in Thailand as well. 

ask for full VAT reciept, if they can't produce it they're not actually submitting their VAT to the taxman, and can be reported

 

telltale sign that they don't actually submit their tax is that even their small reciept do not have their tax ID number printed on

On 10/26/2024 at 10:08 AM, Tropicalevo said:

VAT is usually a legal requirement.

The other charges are not.

but if charging vat. they must give a printed receipt with their store name and contact information so the Vat can be re-claimed at the airport. otherwise they are only using VAT to get more money and they are not paying the government their due tax. You could report them for this and they could get closed down. 

On 10/25/2024 at 12:12 PM, biggles45 said:

The added 'service charge' annoys me the most. I will decide if the service was good enough to get a tip. 

If there is a service charge I don’t leave a tip, unless the waitress is especially good then I give it to her personally.

One problem is the 10% service charge doesn't always go to the workers.

 

 

On 10/25/2024 at 6:42 AM, DonniePeverley said:

a 200 Baht per person charge

What do you get for that? A seat on a table and free toilet use?

Or maybe a welcome drink and a few hors d'oeuvre? 

I never patronise a restaurant that  enforces a fixed service  charge +++

I tip  staff for good food and service not a fixed payment to the owner. 

On 10/25/2024 at 11:51 AM, Thingamabob said:

Entirely up to the restaurant to charge whatever they want. If you don't approve, or it's more than you can afford, go somewhere else.

 

Of course restaurants can charge what they want but i object to them showing misleading prices in their menus trying to fool their customers.

To me, there’s not much legitimacy to the whole VAT issue as that’s compulsory under the law.. so that is what it is.. yes, one can argue HOW it’s administered- be that “baked” into the menu/sticker price or added in addition too.. but the tax itself is legit 

 

the service charge.. that to me is different.. I agree that there’s a legit argument made for the case that by adding is a fixed cost and unavoidable - you have undercut what what a tip” is supposed to be - a post-sale, discretionary payment in recognition of service provided at some level or above.. by assessing it at 10% across the board and not voluntary, there’s no external motivation to go above and beyond .. nor is there any real risk to sub-par service either.

 

So.. I do think there’s a legit case to be made for how “service charges” are done here (by many but not all) but the VAT is a different case. 

On 10/25/2024 at 12:12 PM, biggles45 said:

The added 'service charge' annoys me the most. I will decide if the service was good enough to get a tip. 

My question when they do this is who gets the money and how is it divided.  I don't mind the charge if the place has good service and the money is divided as extra income to the cooks, bus boys and others.  I domind when they use it as a means to gain the money to pay normal wage.  Had a bargirl tell me that when you tip the waitress by leaving it in the folder that goes t the bar staff and not the waitresses.  I am not sure if it is true, but I started tipping the waitress individually if they were cute and the beer was cold.

2 hours ago, jippytum said:

I never patronise a restaurant that  enforces a fixed service  charge +++

I tip  staff for good food and service not a fixed payment to the owner. 

I only patronise those that do have a ++ as the riff raff typically to do not !

1 hour ago, Henryford said:

 

Of course restaurants can charge what they want but i object to them showing misleading prices in their menus trying to fool their customers.

So. as I said, go somewhere else.

 

3 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

I only patronise those that do have a ++ as the riff raff typically to do not !

You still pay wether you get good service or not. Greedy management love suckers like you. 

I’d be truly shocked if my evening noodles were suddenly ฿235