Tipping On Phuket: A User's And Abuser's Guide

[alanmorison]

A tip is a measure of satisfaction. A 10 percent service charge is a tax. What's the best and fairest system?

How do island resorts and restaurants operate their taxes and tips?

SERVICE CHARGES, tips, extras, call it what you like. The wages of many people on Phuket rise or fall depending on the contentment level of the people they serve in restaurants and resorts.

From next year, it will be illegal in Britain for employers to use tips to top up the wages of lowly-paid workers.

Would that work on Phuket?

We've heard that some resorts offer consistent tipping levels year-round to attract staff.

And that means they tempt staff from other resorts. But if there's a really bad low season, those staff are more likely to lose their jobs.

And we have also been told about one restaurant that paid waitresses just 1500 baht a month, relying on tips to bring their wages up to the minimum wage of 6000 baht a month.

-- Full report at www.phuketwan.com

[donna]

many hotels offer their staff a basic salary with a minimum guaranteed service charge. there was a hotel last year who opened up at the start of high season. they were offering basic wages with 10,000 guaranteed service charge every month.

when hiring staff in phuket, the common question is 'how much is service charge and do you guarantee it?'. they often have the minimum salary but with the service charge on top they do ok.

of course not all hotels do this, but it is always a very hot topic.

[Boater]

when i was at the banyan tree last week, the people that where parking the cars for the golfers where racking it in......

[keestha]

Always hated it if a place takes 10% service charge, never feeling sure if the money would really go to the staff. If I am wrong, please correct me. And..... I like to express my appreciation by voluntary giving a tip, but I won't do this if I have to pay this charge.

Many times customers in my resort asked my advice about tipping, and then I tell them just to top up the amount the way they do at home in Europe, if they are happy about the service. 18 Euro make it 20, or 45 Euro make it 50.Similarly, 180 Baht make it 200, or 550 Baht make it 600. I also tell them honestly that for my staff, who are getting a little bit more than the minimum wage, the tipping money represents a substantial percentage of their earnings. All the tipping money goes into a box, and is evenly split up among the staff at the end of the month. I try to discourage customers from specifically tipping individual employees (superclean housekeeper, pretty waitress), it creates envy if one person is getting more tip than the other.

Can't refrain telling the story of the biggest injustice I ever encountered in the field of tipping. When I was 19, I took turns manning the reception of an Amsterdam hotel with a Serbian guy and an American. All of us receptionists spoke several languages and had to solve all kinds of problems. We got zilch tips, but Pablo, the Colombian porter who had to carry the suitcases for the guests, took in about 20 guilders of tips every day.

Edited August 12, 2008 by keestha

[huggybear]

I'm going to respond to the actual name of the thread, as what is in the post seems to be a bit all over the place.

As an American, when in America you tip 15% as there is no such thing as service charge (which is a load of B.S. to me, being charged for service? If I disagree then I go to the kitchen to get my food myself?) and you tip regularly, the tips are pooled, taxed and redistributed to the waitstaff.

Here if I see service charge in the bill, I am not obligated to tip. It's built in. But, many times 50% of the service charge goes back to the establishment (they are chiseling us!), so if the service is above and beyond, or I really like the people, I'll put another 10% down as a tip. That gets me to my 15% which is normal to me.

Overall the ++ system (Service charge and VAT) is crap. Another 17% added on to what was ordered is frustrating. I much prefer to see the price on the menu and see at the botom, "VAT and service charges included in prices".

[tamsin]

This is easy, if the particular establishment is family run, ie small Thai restaurants, and the family are all working together, then the family, altogether, will be sharing the profits of said establishment. No need to tip. Unless you can be pretty sure they've taken on a khon chai or two (someone who works just for the bowl of rice and a space out back to sleep and shelter from the rain, perhaps not so easy, but you can usually tell the sort - too old/young/Burmese, usually male and obviously very very skint).

If however, you wish to recompense the many waiting staff/bellhops etc working for a pittance for some tightarsed meanspirited 'don't give a stuff just give us the money' outfit, indeed, if you feel so strongly that such outfit should not have to dig into their enormous profits any more than they have to to pay their staff a decent wage, by all means, tip. If not, and I know this is bordering on the Utopian, don't tip, and wait for said staff to start demanding a decent day's wage for a day's work. Same same Australia, New Zealand and Canada. (Not the US, they've a lot of catching up to do too). We can dream.

[billythehat]

My own views on tipping:

First off, everything's getting more and more expensive and so I want more, not less, for my hard-earned wad. I don't owe you a living as much as you owe me one, Somchai or Nok, and I hope that's very clear from the start. If you can see the name, Santa Claus, on my passport, i will concur that you may have a point.

If I go out for a meal, I want good service and grub as the norm. I refuse to tip for pig's swill and bad service, but will tip well for what I went out for and that is the combination of the good food/service experience. Nobody should accept anything less.

This goes for both Thai or Farang owned places. If some fat, bald & tattooed clown (I mean very handsome man) who's been DisneyLand for too long thinks he can pull this kinda malarkey, can think again.

Don't get me started on the 'Service Charge' scam.

Good recommendations can help avoid the above; all ya gotta do is ask around.

"Aye, pass me a bit more of that gravey for me chips, there's a good lass..eeeee…food of the God's, so it is.."

Edited August 13, 2008 by billythehat

[tamsin]

My own views on tipping:

First off, everything's getting more and more expensive and so I want more, not less, for my hard-earned wad. I don't owe you a living as much as you owe me one, Somchai or Nok, and I hope that's very clear from the start. If you can see the name, Santa Claus, on my passport, i will concur that you may have a point.

If I go out for a meal, I want good service and grub as the norm. I refuse to tip for pig's swill and bad service, but will tip well for what I went out for and that is the combination of the good food/service experience. Nobody should accept anything less.

This goes for both Thai or Farang owned places. If some fat, bald & tattooed clown (I mean very handsome man) who's been DisneyLand for too long thinks he can pull this kinda malarkey, can think again.

Don't get me started on the 'Service Charge' scam.

Good recommendations can help avoid the above; all ya gotta do is ask around.

"Aye, pass me a bit more of that gravey for me chips, there's a good lass..eeeee…food of the God's, so it is.."

[harleyclarkey]

I've tipped ... over the odd glass or two, and even tipped (not all the way over!!) a table.

I suppose I'd tip my hat if I wore one.

[huggybear]

"Aye, pass me a bit more of that gravey for me chips, there's a good lass..eeeee…food of the God's, so it is.."

Gravey and chips, "food of the God's"? Is that the God of bland slop?

Billythehat, how are you with spicy Thai food? I would think a spicy Tom Yum Goong, with some big goongs would be closer to a "food of the God's". Or a big lobster....

[Sir Burr]

Or a big lobster....

There aren't any lobsters in Phuket. They are all crayfish.

[sadman]

I tip for good service but if there is service charge already added I don't usually tip extra, although I will for really good service. I like to see the benefit go to the person providing the good service, not just a hidden surcharge going to the owners.

I also deeply resent the US practice of tipping 15% as a matter of course. I've got no problem with tipping heavily if the service is good, but the expectation that 15% should be given no matter how poor the service is, to my mind, ludicrous. Probably like most people, I've had great service in the US (and everywhere else, for that matter) and I've had dire service. Do I tip the same? Certainly not.

[billythehat]

Gravey and chips, "food of the God's"? Is that the God of bland slop?

Billythehat, how are you with spicy Thai food? I would think a spicy Tom Yum Goong, with some big goongs would be closer to a "food of the God's". Or a big lobster....

Now, now, my dear Mr Bear…

I believe you may be a fine person from God's favourite country, the USA, and I have taken this into account in my measured reply. As a gentleman, I feel that I must take issue with your good self, with your quite scandalous attack on the humble spud. That's 'potato' to you yanky fellows, although when they have arrived at your table, they are called 'fries', however, I digress..

Bland dish? Crivvens, no and no, again Sir. Oh, such pitiful and galactic ignorance.

What I'm talking about here are 'proper chips' and not the reconstituted mush that forms the so-called French Fries. I have personally contacted the French Government about this abomination, but their answer was in the form of waving white flags and the whole country going on strike.

Aye, real chips, every fan has there own method of preparation:

The best spuds are from England and Ireland (that's Goddam Limeylandshire to you yanky chaps)

An Irish recipe:

Cut the fresh spuds into the traditional finger shapes (amphibious landing craft shapes are acceptable, but may be a bit ambitious for the beginner)

Rinse off the starch and dry off on some kitchen paper (your sunbathing TGF will do if you cannot find any paper, but ensure she has eaten within at least the last 15 minutes)

Frying – don't under any circumstances use 'Honest Somchai's 20/50 Oil' for this fine dish. Simply take the fat from a (lightly killed) Goose and use that. Heat the deep fryer and cook at high heat until light brown, but not fully cooked and remove from the cooker. A couple of minutes before serving put the par-cooked chips back into the fryer and finish cooking to a deep golden brown. Remove and drain slightly but ensure you have left a good coating of the shiny, tasty artery clogging fat.

Gravey – dead simple – Use real chicken and vegetable stock, the meat juices from the lightly killed goose, a generous dash of Irish Whiskey and a little corn flour to thicken.

When drunk, curry sauce can be used, but the Chinese varieties are preferred as the Thai curries are a bit too watery.

Serve, belch loudly and tip most generously.

Spicy food? I'd rather lick poisonous Toads.

Good day to you, Sir.

[huggybear]

"Spicy food? I'd rather lick poisonous Toads. "

Ha !!! Touche, but I feel the same way about "chips and gravy".

Edited August 14, 2008 by huggybear