Should I Tip Taxi Drivers In Bkk?

[alexth]

Ditto, about rounding up. They usually claim that they have no change, which I find doubtful. So when in Bangkok, I try to have lots of spare, small change. 89 baht=100. 82 baht = 90

Same here, but if the service is good, I usually tip more

[cobra]

Anybody tip their 7-11 workers? They work longer shifts, on their feet all day, make less money... they don't hesitate to ring your stuff up and then act like they are doing you a personal favor... they never ring up your stuff, take your money and then say "no change" and shrug their shoulders, they generally don't try to kill you with a 2000 lb. weapon, for the most part they have better breath, and they even still offer you service when it's raining.

(7-11 workers in Malaysia, different story)

Apples and Oranges,

Technically, no service is rendered at a convenience store,

they simple facilitate the exchange of money for product,

You get your own stuff, you locate it, you carry it,

Don't know about Malaysia,

but have been in a few 7/11s where the attendants would flash momentary sighs of relief and a nervous smile because I didn't rob or shoot them, guess I should have tipped them a little something just for showing up,

Edited June 28, 2008 by cobra

[KohKarrang]

I took a journey with my gf last week and the fare was B50, she gave him B100 and got out of the taxi! I couldn't believe it! I'm always up for tipping well, if the fare is anything above B70 I'll give them B100 and jump out but a B50 tip on a B50 fare is taking the pi55! I think she just wanted to get out without a fus or maybe she was feeling flush

[GaiYaang]

I took a journey with my gf last week and the fare was B50, she gave him B100 and got out of the taxi! I couldn't believe it! I'm always up for tipping well, if the fare is anything above B70 I'll give them B100 and jump out but a B50 tip on a B50 fare is taking the pi55! I think she just wanted to get out without a fus or maybe she was feeling flush

Your gf is very generous 50% tip, the taxi guy must be happy.

For me 30-50 bahts for tip.

[KohKarrang]

Your gf is very generous 50% tip, the taxi guy must be happy.

For me 30-50 bahts for tip.

100% tip!

[GaiYaang]

Your gf is very generous 50% tip, the taxi guy must be happy.

For me 30-50 bahts for tip.

100% tip!

You are correct I was thinking of 100 bahts fare.

I'll drive for you next time.

[tw25rw]

Anybody tip their 7-11 workers? They work longer shifts, on their feet all day, make less money... they don't hesitate to ring your stuff up and then act like they are doing you a personal favor... they never ring up your stuff, take your money and then say "no change" and shrug their shoulders, they generally don't try to kill you with a 2000 lb. weapon, for the most part they have better breath, and they even still offer you service when it's raining.

(7-11 workers in Malaysia, different story)

Have had them help me with adding prepay phone credit too..

What would they earn? 5k a month?

[padfoot]

I have used the same taxi driver my last two trips in Bangkok. We have gone to many places outside of town and I pay him for those. All the trips in town he doesn't charge me for, though I do use the skytrain or subway for most trips. When I leave I give him a 500 baht tip and my skytrain card, with trips left, for his son to use. He is a good man and we have had many talks; I have learned much about Thailand from him.

[jackyseymour]

I have felt sorry for taxi drivers in BKK because of the increase in petrol prices, so I almost always tip them 10-20 baht.

But in the last couple of weeks I have been talking to them about fuel prices and it turns out most of them don't use petrol, but natural gas and propane (okay, I'm behind the curve on this). One driver complained that NG had gone up from 8.5 baht per litre to 8.9 baht! Also, I believe the meter rate has gone up, not the starting rate but the baht/km rate.

Just wondering if these guys are taking a beating in the new energy crisis or not.

Who cares? Last time I was in Bangkok the taxi driver pulled over and told me to get out of the car because I wouldn't go to 'look at some jewelry'. And I was on the way to the airport And by the by, do you think any Thais tip them more than the couple of baht left over from their change? Why do you feel the need? Because you're white? Go on fuel the Walking ATM myth for the rest of us why don't you

Edited June 29, 2008 by jackyseymour

[grahamhc]

Yes tip Bangkok Taxi Drivers and hope you never have to use these clowns http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=193700

Same situation in Pattaya. The Baht Bus Conferation has bought 25 Bangkok type taxis in yellow and blue, and although they have TaxiMeter signs and meters inside, will not move on the meter. Quoted fares only, which I gather is 150 Baht minimum. Whever I see they rolling with passengers, the "For Hire" lamp is still alight!

I asked to go up the Sukhumvit and was quoted 300 Baht. I refused and caught a Blue Baht Bus for 20 Baht and changed to a white one for 10 baht more and was at my destination in 30 minutes.

When questioned, one driver replied that high petrol costs meant he could not afford to go on meter. I did not check if petrol or NGV. Also he had to pay 1000 baht a day to use the cab.

Every day you see 3-5 of these parked outside Villa Supermarket on Second Road, but I rarely see one move.

Let's see what our new mayor does about it!

[guava]

Anybody tip their 7-11 workers?

Well yes actually I sometimes do. Many places have tip containers, maybe for the staff, maybe for a charity. Again it's not really tipping, just rounding up/not taking the coins in change.

[wineman]

For Goosness sake, why do so many people ask whether they should tip or not tip? Is it so difficult a decision to make that they need help in deciding? Make your own mind up, it's easy and doesn't take much effort - sevice good? Then tip if you want to. Service not good? Then don't tip if you don't want to.

[nohave]

I never tip. I round up the fare. Just like the locals do.

Most drivers here drive dangerously fast and often play loud music too, so I am never overly happy anyway arriving home after my journey in a Thai cab.

[nohave]

Why do you feel the need? Because you're white? Go on fuel the Walking ATM myth for the rest of us why don't you

Totally agree with your post.

[KohKarrang]

Why do you feel the need? Because you're white? Go on fuel the Walking ATM myth for the rest of us why don't you

Bit harsh, tipping is in our nature I think, if we feel that the guy hasn't gone the long way round and is genial in his behaviour then why not, they know a falang might tip them well...

If I'm with my partner and our son I obviously take a taxi but I'm usually alone and flying around BKK buying this and sending that and I tip my regular motorbike taxi man handsomely, he frequently takes me from my home in Bangkok Noi firstly to the post office where he waits for 15 mins patiently, then to Khao San where he waits patiently again for half an hour whilst the shop sorts out my order(and I go to eat my bi-daily McDonald's) then we're off to MBK where he waits patiently again for another 45 mins then we're back off home... So in total I've used 2 1/2 hours of his time, he asks for B200 - I give him B250 - he's chuffed and he still rides me around like a gentleman, not quite a taxi but still a taxi in a way...

Taxi drivers should be tipped by those able to tip them because they work all the hours given to them and still earn nearly nothing, anybody who doesn't tip taxi drivers are either tight-arsed or mean...

What is an extra 30P or 70 cents to some of us when we spend B1000 a night on booze, ladies & clothes (in that order!)

Anybody who doesn't tip taxi drivers at least B15 on his forum needs to look at themselves quite closely, could you live on B300 a day?? Taxi drivers used to earn between B350 and B500 a day before the fuel prices rocketed and that could be seen as a decent wage but now all they see is their salary going down and down and down, poor sods!

[nohave]

Why do you feel the need? Because you're white? Go on fuel the Walking ATM myth for the rest of us why don't you

Bit harsh, tipping is in our nature I think, if we feel that the guy hasn't gone the long way round and is genial in his behaviour then why not, they know a falang might tip them well...

If I'm with my partner and our son I obviously take a taxi but I'm usually alone and flying around BKK buying this and sending that and I tip my regular motorbike taxi man handsomely, he frequently takes me from my home in Bangkok Noi firstly to the post office where he waits for 15 mins patiently, then to Khao San where he waits patiently again for half an hour whilst the shop sorts out my order(and I go to eat my bi-daily McDonald's) then we're off to MBK where he waits patiently again for another 45 mins then we're back off home... So in total I've used 2 1/2 hours of his time, he asks for B200 - I give him B250 - he's chuffed and he still rides me around like a gentleman, not quite a taxi but still a taxi in a way...

Taxi drivers should be tipped by those able to tip them because they work all the hours given to them and still earn nearly nothing, anybody who doesn't tip taxi drivers are either tight-arsed or mean...

What is an extra 30P or 70 cents to some of us when we spend B1000 a night on booze, ladies & clothes (in that order!)

Anybody who doesn't tip taxi drivers at least B15 on his forum needs to look at themselves quite closely, could you live on B300 a day?? Taxi drivers used to earn between B350 and B500 a day before the fuel prices rocketed and that could be seen as a decent wage but now all they see is their salary going down and down and down, poor sods!

I beg to disagree. I think tipping hansomely is not a good idea as it will give Thais the idea that we, the farangs, living in Thailand are all loaded. Rounding up the fare as locals do is the way to go. Do as the locals do and you survive Thailand. Do things the "farang way" in Thailand and you won't last long. I have lived here 27 years. I round up the fare. I don't tip and PROUD of it

[KohKarrang]

Why do you feel the need? Because you're white? Go on fuel the Walking ATM myth for the rest of us why don't you

Bit harsh, tipping is in our nature I think, if we feel that the guy hasn't gone the long way round and is genial in his behaviour then why not, they know a falang might tip them well...

If I'm with my partner and our son I obviously take a taxi but I'm usually alone and flying around BKK buying this and sending that and I tip my regular motorbike taxi man handsomely, he frequently takes me from my home in Bangkok Noi firstly to the post office where he waits for 15 mins patiently, then to Khao San where he waits patiently again for half an hour whilst the shop sorts out my order(and I go to eat my bi-daily McDonald's) then we're off to MBK where he waits patiently again for another 45 mins then we're back off home... So in total I've used 2 1/2 hours of his time, he asks for B200 - I give him B250 - he's chuffed and he still rides me around like a gentleman, not quite a taxi but still a taxi in a way...

Taxi drivers should be tipped by those able to tip them because they work all the hours given to them and still earn nearly nothing, anybody who doesn't tip taxi drivers are either tight-arsed or mean...

What is an extra 30P or 70 cents to some of us when we spend B1000 a night on booze, ladies & clothes (in that order!)

Anybody who doesn't tip taxi drivers at least B15 on his forum needs to look at themselves quite closely, could you live on B300 a day?? Taxi drivers used to earn between B350 and B500 a day before the fuel prices rocketed and that could be seen as a decent wage but now all they see is their salary going down and down and down, poor sods!

I beg to disagree. I think tipping hansomely is not a good idea as it will give Thais the idea that we, the farangs, living in Thailand are all loaded. Rounding up the fare as locals do is the way to go. Do as the locals do and you survive Thailand. Do things the "farang way" in Thailand and you won't last long. I have lived here 27 years. I round up the fare. I don't tip and PROUD of it

Some generous Thai friends of mine do the same as me and tip what they think is fair

[KohKarrang]

I beg to disagree. I think tipping hansomely is not a good idea as it will give Thais the idea that we, the farangs, living in Thailand are all loaded. Rounding up the fare as locals do is the way to go. Do as the locals do and you survive Thailand. Do things the "farang way" in Thailand and you won't last long. I have lived here 27 years. I round up the fare. I don't tip and PROUD of it

And another thing, we may not be loaded(most of us aren't) but we are probably a lot better off than most taxi drivers, how much would the same journey cost back in our own countries? How much do you spend on a night out? How much does a nice meal cost you here?

I have been here for a little bit over 7 years and I've survived fine, not extravagantly but quite well, the cost of living here is much cheaper than the UK - despite my moans about the cost of this and that - and my tipping reflects that, say for example I get a salary of B150,000 p/m then that is the equivalent of a year and a half salary for a taxi driver, I don't meant to sound bad here but that makes me quite wealthy compared to a taxi driver, blimey, cant believe I'm bothering with this, I just feel that pretty much all Thais think we're loaded already, if we all stopped giving semi-decent tips we'd all be labeled as tight-arsed...

suit yourself

[EmptyMind]

most drivers scare the crap out of me so if i manage to get to my destination without having a panic attack i will thank them and tip them.

Same here, I really don't know why they think it's amusing to drive like total nutters. I'm sure if a well dressed Thai got into the cab and they drove like f'ing loonies they would get an earful.

I had one guy demand 1,700 Bht from the old airport to BKK (after we arrived) even though his meter was running. He was as scary as hel_l and I thought it might be a bad idea to argue with him, I wasn't in the mood for getting stabbed that day. I asked him to pulled over at an ATM so I could get him his cash and I legged it into the supermarket so he didn't even get the due fare. I know that can happen anywhere, not just Thailand, but scary.

So tipping yes, maybe 20 Bht or rounding it up to to nearest Zero, but for driving like a tw@t with no regards to life. No way.

[alexth]

For Goosness sake, why do so many people ask whether they should tip or not tip? Is it so difficult a decision to make that they need help in deciding? Make your own mind up, it's easy and doesn't take much effort - sevice good? Then tip if you want to. Service not good? Then don't tip if you don't want to.

Cause people have a lot of time in their hands and they just wanna see how cheap they can really go. In Europe, what you pay for the fare from one side to the other of Bangkok will take you just about enough to move a couple of blocks away, obviously everybody forgets about that. As for the guys who are suffering a panic attack in a BKK taxi, well, I got news for you, all traffic in BKK is crazy and I never had a panic attack.

[charmonman]

Does anyone remember what year metered taxis were introduced, sometime around 1998 I think? I remember in the late eighties/early nineties when you had to bargain for every ride before getting in to the taxi - a bit of a pain in the arse. Tuk-tuks were a good option then as you could get a cheaper fare from them. Tipping was a bit irrelevant then as you'd already gone through the hard work of getting them to agree to a reasonable fare.

[nohave]

if we all stopped giving semi-decent tips we'd all be labeled as tight-arsed...

suit yourself

To Kohkarrang,

Why do you care what a total "stranger", a taxi driver, whom you will probably never meet again in your lifetime thinks of you? Personally, I couldn't care less if I am labeled tight-arsed or a nipple-ring wearing farang ladyboy. I simply don't care what strangers think of me. I only care what my closest friends and family think of me but hey bud,each to their own...

[KohKarrang]

if we all stopped giving semi-decent tips we'd all be labeled as tight-arsed...

suit yourself

To Kohkarrang,

Why do you care what a total "stranger", a taxi driver, whom you will probably never meet again in your lifetime thinks of you? Personally, I couldn't care less if I am labeled tight-arsed or a nipple-ring wearing farang ladyboy. I simply don't care what strangers think of me. I only care what my closest friends and family think of me but hey bud,each to their own...

I'm not really interested in what they think of me, I'm more interested in making people feel a little bit happier during their days work, same as when I go into McDonald's and smile and say thank you after ordering or saying 'no problem' when they tell me I have to wait 2 extra mins for my chips... for example

It's a little bit sad that you think I'm interested in what they think of me, I was talking about all of us Falang as one... Our collective reputation.

Tipping a nice/decent/funny taxi driver(I never said I tipped the mental drivers) or a taxi driver who took the quickest route or one who's got an old banger of a car will certainly make their day better, it'll either buy them a plate of food next time they are hungry or maybe they can treat themselves to a bottle of beer when they've finished their B300/18 hour days work.

Just like to make someones day.

[erikhs]

Dissatisfied taxidrivers?

Reading this thread i think many of you must be tourists. Why would you tip the taxidriver? Want to show off?

Locals sure dont do it. I can count the the times ive tipped taxidrivers the last 6 months on one hand and only if the guy did his job well and gives me the appropiate respect. This includes NOT asking if i want to go to massage, singing, begging, talking to me like a tourist. I just let the driver round up the small change no problem there.

Maybe some of you forget that thailand has a feudal society. Cab drivers, employees in 7-eleven and so on, should not treat you as equals and you should not either, doing so would be showing lack of respect or be confusing for thais.

[KohKarrang]

Dissatisfied taxidrivers?

1. Reading this thread i think many of you must be tourists. Why would you tip the taxidriver? Want to show off?

2. This includes NOT asking if i want to go to massage, singing, begging, talking to me like a tourist. I just let the driver round up the small change no problem there.

3. Maybe some of you forget that thailand has a feudal society. Cab drivers, employees in 7-eleven and so on, should not treat you as equals and you should not either, doing so would be showing lack of respect or be confusing for thais.

Ridiculous.

1. I'm not a tourist, I've been living here for 7 years and not once wanted to show off, I tip when I think I've received a decent service.

2. I've never ever ever been asked if I want any of the above, I get in the taxi, tell him where I want to go, speak a little bit of Thai to let him know that I'm no fool then we're off to my destination.

What kind of taxi do you get into? The type that sits by the side of the road poncing tourists for expensive journeys to the airport, by the sound of your comments you are no more than a tourist in essence!

3. I couldn't give a monkeys for 'feudal' societies, maybe you mean a 'hierarchical' society but that too, I couldn't give a monkeys, as I said above, lots of my Thai friends tip just as well as me. As far as your point 'doing so would be showing lack of respect or be confusing for thais' I think that is just silly, showing a lack of respect by tipping?? Surely that is showing repsect as you appreciate the service you've received... And to say you m ight be confusing them!! I've never been met with confusion when offering a tip, I don't tip in 7eleven because they're generally servicing the masses and going through the motions but I do tip in restaurants all the time, I don't tip in my local shop, I did once but she looked at me like I was mental, that was one lesson learned but even then I didn't disrespect her or confuse her, I simply surprised her!

I try not to come on this forum for a row but I frequently end up having one because I can't stop myself - it's the ridiculous and swathing comments that some people leave without a thought.

[alexth]

if we all stopped giving semi-decent tips we'd all be labeled as tight-arsed...

suit yourself

To Kohkarrang,

Why do you care what a total "stranger", a taxi driver, whom you will probably never meet again in your lifetime thinks of you? Personally, I couldn't care less if I am labeled tight-arsed or a nipple-ring wearing farang ladyboy. I simply don't care what strangers think of me. I only care what my closest friends and family think of me but hey bud,each to their own...

You familiar with what they call self respect or common sense?

[wineman]

I beg to disagree. I think tipping hansomely is not a good idea as it will give Thais the idea that we, the farangs, living in Thailand are all loaded. Rounding up the fare as locals do is the way to go. Do as the locals do and you survive Thailand. Do things the "farang way" in Thailand and you won't last long. I have lived here 27 years. I round up the fare. I don't tip and PROUD of it

"....it will give Thais the idea that we, the farangs, living in Thailand are all loaded." You/we are loaded.

[Lancashirelad]

As others i round up. Bit more if particularly polite, helpful, etc.

I used to tip 20 bht in all bars, even if only had one drink. The then university educated TGF told me off for being too generous.

In England i drive, part time, a 44 tonne articulated truck. I often deliver loads worth over a million ££'s safely, on time, undamaged and am as helpful as possible to get it unloaded.

Do i ever get a tip? yeah sure...... usually: "Sorry driver, no you can't park in our yard for your break."!

[Noyna]

I have memorized the time and distance per kilometer and if they have got me there on time I am more then happy to go 20-30 baht a tip, but if they have played around with the meter and decide to take a scenic root then I tell him I am disappointed and he will not get a tip.

Most of the time I have had good service with them anyway

Oh...u did the right thing, anyway, nice and not nice people are everywhere!

[Samuian]

Tippers will tip on any service, Cheap Charlies will find a reason not to tip, period,

...........

Tip back home and anywhere else if I am happy with the service provided!