Who Do You Tip?

[dumball]

Had I done my job in the same laksadaisical manner that so many Thai do , I would not even have been payed for the job , forget the tip .

[whistleblower]

Had I done my job in the same laksadaisical manner that so many Thai do , I would not even have been payed for the job , forget the tip .

Nuff said!!!!!

[way2muchcoffee]

I tip. I get results.

1. Security at Moo Baan. Two or three hundred each at new year. There are five of them. Also the occasional M-150. Will they tell me if a someone scratches my car? Maybe, maybe not. But they sure are more willing to assist with a problem.

2. Bell Hops. Usually 40 bt.

3. Chamber Maids. Whatever coinage I've accumulated during the day. Usually 20-40 bt.

4. Food Service. Depends on the restaurant. Anywhere from 20-100 bt. We don't usually have bills much more than 1500.

5. Taxi Drivers. Usually about 10-20 bt on a 100 bt trip. If they are leering at my wife or otherwise rude they get nothing.

6. Motorcycle Taxi. I take these daily. My regular drivers don't get tips from me too often, but I'll give the local stand a case of beer at New Year. My life is in their hands. Unknown motorcycles get what I give them. I never set price. I know the general price and give about 10 bt over. When it is raining, I always tip. Kind of stupid to sit on a motorcycle in the rain, but if I'm on the way home I rather enjoy the sensation. It's dangerous, but refreshing.

7. Air condition guys or other household repair or labor. Usually 100 bt.

8. Water delivery. 100 bt/month (every 4 visits)

9. Hair Cut. Price is 60 bt. I pay with a 100 and don't take the change.

10. Garbage guys. Never thought to tip them.

11. Police. If I needed something from them, I'd tip.

12. Doctors. Not usually. But if I needed a major surgery, or wife gets pregnant I certainly would.

13. Bathroom Attendants. These guys get 20 bt the first time I use the toilet in the evening, but nothing more after that.

Tipping may not be expected, but it certainly is appreciated. I have the money. They don't. I don't feel compelled to tip by some kind of tradition or moral obligation. I tip because it makes sense to me. I get better service. The service is personalized. A job will be completed more professionally. I develop contacts. People will step in if they see I'm in a bind and they happen to be nearby. A small tip here or there generates a great deal of goodwill. Everyone benefits.

On a related topic, we do fruit gift baskets for our immediate neighbors at New Years. We also give baskets to favored neighbors at previous locations.

Edited November 27, 2009 by way2muchcoffee

[salty]

Chamber Maid 30 baht per day.

On my last trip I went with my lady friend to meet a lady doctor and her husband who was an army general. My friend had child minded for them many years ago and had remained very friendly. Both were very pleasant and the general seemed to me to be a very down to earth guy. We had a small meal after which I noticed the tip was pretty meagre. It seemed to be about 15-20 baht in small change. I would imagine 4 tourists would give at least 30-40 baht in similar circumstances.

[whistleblower]

"i develop contacts" From that list?? good luck. If i need a hit man who can also unblock my lav, i'll give you a call!!!

And if you think that when in a bind any of the above will step in and help you against a thai just cos you gave them a tip, your misguided.

[whistleblower]

Chamber Maid 30 baht per day.

On my last trip I went with my lady friend to meet a lady doctor and her husband who was an army general. My friend had child minded for them many years ago and had remained very friendly. Both were very pleasant and the general seemed to me to be a very down to earth guy. We had a small meal after which I noticed the tip was pretty meagre. It seemed to be about 15-20 baht in small change. I would imagine 4 tourists would give at least 30-40 baht in similar circumstances.

Why?? Your in Thailand. If an army general and his doctor wife pay 15m - 20bht, why should you pay more??? Your upsetting the cultural balance!!! I'm sure the waitress will call the 'general' a keeniaow next time he leaves a 20bht tip and the tourists on the next table leave 40bht?????

[salty]

Yes but I bet she won't throw a salute.

[way2muchcoffee]

And if you think that when in a bind any of the above will step in and help you against a thai just cos you gave them a tip, your misguided.

Ok. I'll tell that to the motorcycle taxi guy who, along with our friendly Chinese neighbor helped find our current townhouse rental when we had problems with some new tuk tuk driving neighbors at our old place down the street.

I'll tell the motorcycle drivers at my local stand who didn't mind ferrying me around for a couple days last year when I lost my wallet.

There are the security guards who bent over backwards helping out when we moved in.

And the maid who found and returned my bag with wallet and cash I'd left by the pool on a trip a few months ago,

There is the neighbor who found a friend to come over to give us a jump on a Sunday night after the wife had left the truck door ajar killing the battery.

The barber who occasionally forces me jump to the queue when the place is extra busy.

The restaurant up the street who always seems to give me larger portions.

There's the local a/c guy who sent his friend over to look at our wiring and replace a couple fuses and wires at no charge.

Couldn't forget the time my wife got a flat tire on the Wave down by the 7-11 and one of our local motorcycle guys pushed it home for her and wouldn't accept a tip.

How about that night I was walking to the 7-11 when a couple of punks came out of a karaoke joint looking for a fight? They selected me to vent their frustration. Before things could get out of hand, the noodle shop guy and the Khao Ka Moo guy ran over and sent the drunken louts packing. Both were food carts I and the wife frequent. It also helped that a couple of the guys from my secondary neighborhood motorcycle stand were moving in as backup.

Again. I absolutely believe that a kindhearted tip now and again generates a great deal of goodwill. Neighbors, vendors, service people - they all talk. Having a good reputation in your community makes life more livable and can be very useful, particularly as a foreigner.

Edited November 27, 2009 by way2muchcoffee

[jc14all]

Well said way2muchcoffee...kindness and goodwill are still alive.

Edited November 27, 2009 by jc14all

[dumball]

Way2much coffee , what you are telling us , or at least me , is that by tipping you get the sevice you should have received in the first place from a conciencious employee , I get most of what you have written in great detail , just by being polite and appreciative . I have never been given poor service because I am a meagre tipper . When I have received poor service , I have made comment about it to give the establishment a hint to up the ante , in buisiness I learned to improve my methods , I needed the complaints of my customers when and if they had any , no one should need to pay 'Extra 'to get the service they should have received in the first place .

[mauiguy90]

Again. I absolutely believe that a kindhearted tip now and again generates a great deal of goodwill.

And I believe that people that are good at heart produce good will through their actions. There are many actions we can take to show empathy and respect for others, regardless of whether they are maids, food servers or security guards. Of course, money does not have to be involved. Tips are just an easy way to show a little kindness and empathy for the difficult lives many of the lower paid thai people have. I'm sure that those that choose not to tip, demonstrate their respect and kindness in other ways.

[way2muchcoffee]

Yeah. I see your point Dumball. I'm not claiming that tipping is directly responsible for all those acts of kindness. Certainly demeanor and attitude are important in having good relations with your community. What I am saying is that for me it is part of the package. It feels right to me.

My wife's family isn't wealthy. I've stayed in itinerant tin tin shanties on construction sites drinking with her cousins. I've been up close with the poverty, both here and in my home country. I couldn't imagine having to get by on 5-7k per month. These are people who work all day for a pittance, making someone else rich. 20 bt may enable a working stiff to enjoy a cold bottle of Leo at the end of the day that he wouldn't otherwise have had. The friendly girl at the restaurant gets a somewhat better meal that night, or a new shirt from one of the neighborhood stalls. I tip the people whose work directly impacts my life. Never large amounts. Just a bit. Everyone benefits.

And to be perfectly honest, I'm selfish too. If I didn't perceive a real benefit to myself by tipping I probably would be more reluctant to tip.

Edited November 27, 2009 by way2muchcoffee

[dumball]

You know , it has been bandied around that throwing money at poor people actualy achieves less to truly enhance their lives than many perceive , many , for instance , would buy a new cell phone rather than a good pair of shoes . Poor people are more likely to buy that which they dream about rather than what they need , look at what the farmers did when Thaksin rained money on them .

I am from a poor family in a monetary sense , but rich in the love I was afforded , I recall asking my father to buy me a bicycle which I could ride to school instead af walking a couple of miles or so and wearing out my shoes .

He took me to the garden shed and pointed to his still new looking bicycle "Son , it took your mother and I 2 years to buy that bicycle so I did not have to walk more miles than you can dream about "

I found myself a paper route before and after school , saved every penny until I had enough to buy my own bicycle , I waited for him at the garden gate until he arrived home from work . "Dad " I said "I would like to show you something " I took him to the garden shed , opened the door and pointed to my treasure " My god "he said "and it only took you 3 months to save the money , I am proud of you son " . I learned a very good lesson from that episode in my life , if you realy want something in life , do not sit and dream about it or expect others to pay , get off your rear end and DO something about it . It has held me in good stead plus his other words of wisdom "If you do not have the money in your pocket , you cannot afford it " I never had a credit card , what I had was mine and no one could take it from me .

Moral of the story , it is better to buy the MEANS to success than give them immediate gratification , my extended family are doing nicely thank you .

[ajahnlau]

Yeah. I see your point Dumball. I'm not claiming that tipping is directly responsible for all those acts of kindness. Certainly demeanor and attitude are important in having good relations with your community. What I am saying is that for me it is part of the package. It feels right to me.

My wife's family isn't wealthy. I've stayed in itinerant tin tin shanties on construction sites drinking with her cousins. I've been up close with the poverty, both here and in my home country. I couldn't imagine having to get by on 5-7k per month. These are people who work all day for a pittance, making someone else rich. 20 bt may enable a working stiff to enjoy a cold bottle of Leo at the end of the day that he wouldn't otherwise have had. The friendly girl at the restaurant gets a somewhat better meal that night, or a new shirt from one of the neighborhood stalls. I tip the people whose work directly impacts my life. Never large amounts. Just a bit. Everyone benefits.

And to be perfectly honest, I'm selfish too. If I didn't perceive a real benefit to myself by tipping I probably would be more reluctant to tip.

Yes, showing just a little kindness goes miles.

[needforspeed]

You know , it has been bandied around that throwing money at poor people actualy achieves less to truly enhance their lives than many perceive , many , for instance , would buy a new cell phone rather than a good pair of shoes . Poor people are more likely to buy that which they dream about rather than what they need , look at what the farmers did when Thaksin rained money on them .

I am from a poor family in a monetary sense , but rich in the love I was afforded , I recall asking my father to buy me a bicycle which I could ride to school instead af walking a couple of miles or so and wearing out my shoes .

He took me to the garden shed and pointed to his still new looking bicycle "Son , it took your mother and I 2 years to buy that bicycle so I did not have to walk more miles than you can dream about "

I found myself a paper route before and after school , saved every penny until I had enough to buy my own bicycle , I waited for him at the garden gate until he arrived home from work . "Dad " I said "I would like to show you something " I took him to the garden shed , opened the door and pointed to my treasure " My god "he said "and it only took you 3 months to save the money , I am proud of you son " . I learned a very good lesson from that episode in my life , if you realy want something in life , do not sit and dream about it or expect others to pay , get off your rear end and DO something about it . It has held me in good stead plus his other words of wisdom "If you do not have the money in your pocket , you cannot afford it " I never had a credit card , what I had was mine and no one could take it from me .

Moral of the story , it is better to buy the MEANS to success than give them immediate gratification , my extended family are doing nicely thank you .

You had the privilege of having love ones teach you how to deal with live and send you in the right direction, sadly that isnt for many Thai people around us.

[needforspeed]

Tip as much as your budget can handle:

"Tip Nidnoy i like you Nidnoy, Tip mak mak i like you mak mak"

Thank you very Big

[doggie888888]

I tip. I get results.

Does not make sense for service providers who do not know you eg new restaurant. The tipping is normally "after" the result, so how would service provider know you are a generous tipper or not? Only makes sense for service providers who already know you!

[way2muchcoffee]

I tip. I get results.

Does not make sense for service providers who do not know you eg new restaurant. The tipping is normally "after" the result, so how would service provider know you are a generous tipper or not? Only makes sense for service providers who already know you!

Sort of chicken and egg thing going on here I reckon. If one never tips, one may never get the additional attention to detail and better service upon return visits. Moreover, I believe that my tipping will increase the likelihood of better service for the next guy, even if I never return to the restaurant. Service in Thailand is notoriously poor. Do you think restaurant service in the US would be good if there were no tips? It may take a while to catch on here, due to the rampant tightfisted selfishness amongst many Thais and Expats, but it will eventually dawn on service staff here that their incomes may improve considerably by providing better service.

Edited November 28, 2009 by way2muchcoffee

[doggie888888]

Ok. I'll tell that to the motorcycle taxi guy who, along with our friendly Chinese neighbor helped find our current townhouse rental when we had problems with some new tuk tuk driving neighbors at our old place down the street.

I'll tell the motorcycle drivers at my local stand who didn't mind ferrying me around for a couple days last year when I lost my wallet.

There are the security guards who bent over backwards helping out when we moved in.

And the maid who found and returned my bag with wallet and cash I'd left by the pool on a trip a few months ago,

There is the neighbor who found a friend to come over to give us a jump on a Sunday night after the wife had left the truck door ajar killing the battery.

The barber who occasionally forces me jump to the queue when the place is extra busy.

The restaurant up the street who always seems to give me larger portions.

There's the local a/c guy who sent his friend over to look at our wiring and replace a couple fuses and wires at no charge.

Couldn't forget the time my wife got a flat tire on the Wave down by the 7-11 and one of our local motorcycle guys pushed it home for her and wouldn't accept a tip.

How about that night I was walking to the 7-11 when a couple of punks came out of a karaoke joint looking for a fight? They selected me to vent their frustration. Before things could get out of hand, the noodle shop guy and the Khao Ka Moo guy ran over and sent the drunken louts packing. Both were food carts I and the wife frequent. It also helped that a couple of the guys from my secondary neighborhood motorcycle stand were moving in as backup.

Again. I absolutely believe that a kindhearted tip now and again generates a great deal of goodwill. Neighbors, vendors, service people - they all talk. Having a good reputation in your community makes life more livable and can be very useful, particularly as a foreigner.

I understand what you are trying to say and I agreee to some extent... but aren't you worried that all your relationships with locals are tainted with the smell of money and little else? After all, everyone in the neighbourhood will be happy if an ATM opens in the street as long as it keeps spitting out the cash

Also, aren't you worried that in some instances a tip is demeaning to the recipient eg doctor or neighbour? I have excellent relationships with neighbours, and the thought of tipping them for doing somethiong nice just never crossed my mind! There are other forms of generosity that ought not to disturb the equal footing between neighbours and between a professional and his client.

Your comment re jumping the queue at the barber disturbs me. It is your right to tip of course in whatever amount that pleases you, but if you think that gives you the right to jump a queue ahead of locals who can't match your "generosity" then I am afraid you might be mistaken about "having a good reputation in your community".

By the way, I too have expereinced kindness, helpfulness from the locals, neighbours, etc and I am sure I am not as generous (or as widespread) a tipper as you.

Just my opinion, not a criticism of your tipping policy becasue frankly, it's none of my business.

[Penefattore]

I tip only security guards when they drag away annoying kalees who keep to knock at my door.

[way2muchcoffee]

I understand what you are trying to say and I agreee to some extent... but aren't you worried that all your relationships with locals are tainted with the smell of money and little else? After all, everyone in the neighbourhood will be happy if an ATM opens in the street as long as it keeps spitting out the cash

Also, aren't you worried that in some instances a tip is demeaning to the recipient eg doctor or neighbour? I have excellent relationships with neighbours, and the thought of tipping them for doing somethiong nice just never crossed my mind! There are other forms of generosity that ought not to disturb the equal footing between neighbours and between a professional and his client.

Your comment re jumping the queue at the barber disturbs me. It is your right to tip of course in whatever amount that pleases you, but if you think that gives you the right to jump a queue ahead of locals who can't match your "generosity" then I am afraid you might be mistaken about "having a good reputation in your community".

By the way, I too have expereinced kindness, helpfulness from the locals, neighbours, etc and I am sure I am not as generous (or as widespread) a tipper as you.

Just my opinion, not a criticism of your tipping policy becasue frankly, it's none of my business.

Fair points. My relationships with the locals are not based on tips. As mentioned, the motorcycle boys get tips when it rains, and a case of beer at New Year. I've also been known to accept their invitation for a quick beer on the way home (at their expense). I'll usually reciprocate at a later point. This will happen a few times over the course of a year.

Security guards get tips because they watch my townhouse and belongings when I'm away. The wife and I frequently travel so it's good to know that things are being looked after.

The neighbors don't get tips. That would be inappropriate. They get a gift basket once a year. Some reciprocate. When acts of kindness are offered I won't tip a well to do neighbor, but might tip a less wealthy working man if it feels right.

As far as the barber goes, I totally agree. It usually goes like this. He gives me the nod. I move my eyes over to the others waiting. He shakes head. I shake head. He shakes head. And so on. In the end I uncomfortably acquiesce and sit in the chair. Big smiles from the barber. The waiting customers don't seem put out as they have taken in the whole exchange and seem to accept the result.

Edited November 28, 2009 by way2muchcoffee

[whistleblower]

You know , it has been bandied around that throwing money at poor people actualy achieves less to truly enhance their lives than many perceive , many , for instance , would buy a new cell phone rather than a good pair of shoes . Poor people are more likely to buy that which they dream about rather than what they need , look at what the farmers did when Thaksin rained money on them .

I am from a poor family in a monetary sense , but rich in the love I was afforded , I recall asking my father to buy me a bicycle which I could ride to school instead af walking a couple of miles or so and wearing out my shoes .

He took me to the garden shed and pointed to his still new looking bicycle "Son , it took your mother and I 2 years to buy that bicycle so I did not have to walk more miles than you can dream about "

I found myself a paper route before and after school , saved every penny until I had enough to buy my own bicycle , I waited for him at the garden gate until he arrived home from work . "Dad " I said "I would like to show you something " I took him to the garden shed , opened the door and pointed to my treasure " My god "he said "and it only took you 3 months to save the money , I am proud of you son " . I learned a very good lesson from that episode in my life , if you realy want something in life , do not sit and dream about it or expect others to pay , get off your rear end and DO something about it . It has held me in good stead plus his other words of wisdom "If you do not have the money in your pocket , you cannot afford it " I never had a credit card , what I had was mine and no one could take it from me .

Moral of the story , it is better to buy the MEANS to success than give them immediate gratification , my extended family are doing nicely thank you .

All thats missing from this story is the old HOVIS bread music!!!

[whistleblower]

And if you think that when in a bind any of the above will step in and help you against a thai just cos you gave them a tip, your misguided.

Ok. I'll tell that to the motorcycle taxi guy who, along with our friendly Chinese neighbor helped find our current townhouse rental when we had problems with some new tuk tuk driving neighbors at our old place down the street.

I'll tell the motorcycle drivers at my local stand who didn't mind ferrying me around for a couple days last year when I lost my wallet.

There are the security guards who bent over backwards helping out when we moved in.

And the maid who found and returned my bag with wallet and cash I'd left by the pool on a trip a few months ago,

There is the neighbor who found a friend to come over to give us a jump on a Sunday night after the wife had left the truck door ajar killing the battery.

The barber who occasionally forces me jump to the queue when the place is extra busy.

The restaurant up the street who always seems to give me larger portions.

There's the local a/c guy who sent his friend over to look at our wiring and replace a couple fuses and wires at no charge.

Couldn't forget the time my wife got a flat tire on the Wave down by the 7-11 and one of our local motorcycle guys pushed it home for her and wouldn't accept a tip.

How about that night I was walking to the 7-11 when a couple of punks came out of a karaoke joint looking for a fight? They selected me to vent their frustration. Before things could get out of hand, the noodle shop guy and the Khao Ka Moo guy ran over and sent the drunken louts packing. Both were food carts I and the wife frequent. It also helped that a couple of the guys from my secondary neighborhood motorcycle stand were moving in as backup.

Again. I absolutely believe that a kindhearted tip now and again generates a great deal of goodwill. Neighbors, vendors, service people - they all talk. Having a good reputation in your community makes life more livable and can be very useful, particularly as a foreigner.

Your either living in a farang utopia or the locals swarm around you cos you flash the cash/or most of your neighbours have their eye on your missus!!! tell me did they help you doing all these things before you tipped them??? And if you were back home and your car needed a jump start and your next door neighbour helped, would you tip him???. What you are getting is what i would call normal neighbourly help, but you pay for it.

[way2muchcoffee]

Your either living in a farang utopia or the locals swarm around you cos you flash the cash/or most of your neighbours have their eye on your missus!!! tell me did they help you doing all these things before you tipped them??? And if you were back home and your car needed a jump start and your next door neighbour helped, would you tip him???. What you are getting is what i would call normal neighbourly help, but you pay for it.

Yeah. I flash the cash for sure. 10-20 bt extra for a rainy motorcycle ride. 100 bt to the a/c laborers who just cleaned my machine for the last hour. 10-20 baht to a waitress. An annual gratuity to moo baan security. 40 bt to the man who cuts my hair the way I like it. Yep. That's me, showering the neighborhood with money. Frankly, I don't have the cash to shower anyone with. I work as a head math teacher at a local private school. Did I say I tip my neighbors? Excuse me, I suggest you reread. Income disparity here is a huge problem. So I'll share a small amount of the little I have with people less fortunate by tipping in situations where I deem it appropriate.

Man. Who would have thought the topic of tipping would produce so much hostility? Reminds me of conservatives in the US who espouse 'trickle down' economic models and then ensure that nothing trickles down from their own personal fortunes.

Edited November 28, 2009 by way2muchcoffee

[whistleblower]

Your either living in a farang utopia or the locals swarm around you cos you flash the cash/or most of your neighbours have their eye on your missus!!! tell me did they help you doing all these things before you tipped them??? And if you were back home and your car needed a jump start and your next door neighbour helped, would you tip him???. What you are getting is what i would call normal neighbourly help, but you pay for it.

Yeah. I flash the cash for sure. 10-20 bt extra for a rainy motorcycle ride. 100 bt to the a/c laborers who just cleaned my machine for the last hour. 10-20 baht to a waitress. An annual gratuity to moo baan security. 40 bt to the man who cuts my hair the way I like it. Yep. That's me, showering the neighborhood with money. Frankly, I don't have the cash to shower anyone with. I work as a head math teacher at a local private school. Did I say I tip my neighbors? Excuse me, I suggest you reread. Income disparity here is a huge problem. So I'll share a small amount of the little I have with people less fortunate by tipping in situations where I deem it appropriate.

Man. Who would have thought the topic of tipping would produce so much hostility? Reminds me of conservatives in the US who espouse 'trickle down' economic models and then ensure that nothing trickles down from their own personal fortunes.

The local people you are talking about tipping are by definition, neighbours. and i dont tip the ac man for cleaning my ac, i PAY him. and if you have to tip the barber for getting a haircut the way you like, i would suggest going to another barber.

[way2muchcoffee]

The local people you are talking about tipping are by definition, neighbours. and i dont tip the ac man for cleaning my ac, i PAY him. and if you have to tip the barber for getting a haircut the way you like, i would suggest going to another barber.

And I suggest you wake up to the economic realities of the lives of the people around you.

You do not pay the AC man for cleaning the AC. You pay the AC man's boss for that. He keeps almost all of that money and then pays as little as possible to the man who does the actual work. I don't tip the laborer's boss. I tip the laborer.

Edited November 28, 2009 by way2muchcoffee

[Spaniel]

Thanks guys for all your helpful hints concerning your tipping habits but I didn't get many replies to my original question, do you tip the security guards where you live, the Bangkok Post delivery guy, the trash pick-up guys and the mail delivery guy. We give all something, usually cookies or some kind of treat just to say thanks. The security guards seem to change frequently but the others have been the same for as long as we have lived in this housing estate now 8 years.

[eMzyme]

I had shopping delivered the other day from villa market, I asked how much it was he said nothing so I gave him 40baht is this crap?(its only about 5 mins away)

also when I first moved into my condo the security guard helped me with my shopping, I went to give him a tip but he refused and looked a little hurt so I didnt offer again.Although im not sure now, and think they may expect tips and that they were just being nice as I just moved in what do you think?

I did buy them 2 nice bottles of whiskey a few months ago tho.

[dumball]

Reality kicks in when one wakes up to the fact that Barang are not the welfare office , you will change little as to their position in life or their disposition to others , but as a tipper for what ever reason , that is and should be your perogative .

I found in real life that Aseans are not tippers as a norm , when in Rome , do as the Romans do , you will survive quite nicely merely by being courtious and saying thanks for help given . Service people fall into the same compartment , they do not normaly receive tips but appreciate one when it is proffured , as Thais are wont to say UP TO YOU .

[SeanMoran]

I reckon it's a good idea to tip around 10% for a good taxi driver, and maybe just 10 or 20 baht or the change from the rounded meter to a troglodyte at the wheel if you have such bad luck to get one, but the only other three times I tend to offer a tip are with restaurants mainly, at times when I need some good clothes washed and ironed to look spruced-up, and most important of all, the hair dresser who cuts my hair.

With the taxis, it's usually after a discussion on the price of benzine after a long ride, and it's part of the pride/face scenario to always mention the price of oil as a reason to offer a small tip, because nobody wants to get a tip for a good conversation to pass the time when they're only there to drive a frigging taxi. With the laundry people who might occasionally wash and iron my best clothes, it's around a one in four sort of timing thing, and too often would detract from the grateful meaning of why I am am thanking Mr Gai (or more importantly his wife who actually does the washing and ironing), but when I can walk out for the day wearing cleanj clothes for a month, I thank those who have made those clothes clean for me to wear.

With the raan ahanns, I reckon it's best to frequent the same places for a while, and get to know the staff as a single man dining alone for a month or two. Then sometimes when they know who and what I am, I might bring a colleague from work who happens tgo be a lady, but I can sense that acceptance of myself and my dinner guest, as kosher, unlike so many places in Bangkok where they have taken the negative view or a farang and (looks Asian) guest, (whether Thai or other - they don't know the diff at first glance) so I try to always make sure to tip those special restaurants that know me as a person and accept me as an honest farang when I am dining alone, and also when I might take a friend to dinner, (and occasionally a girlfriend) without rude looks, with a fairly decent tip like around 10% of the check-bin to the waiter/waitress, plus some for the kitchen, and on occasions a little extra for the house itself.

It's hard to find trustworthy restaurants in Thailand for a single bloke, and when I want to take a lady out to dinner, for whatever business or pleasure reason, a restaurant who can see that I'm still the same bloke who has been eating there for a month alone and tipping as well as getting to know the staff, is worth more than the price of the fare at an unknown restaraunt where everyone assumes I must be some horny sex-tourist and my guest is an whore. I tip for the future in places where I feel accepted by the staff as a decent forfeign member of their society.

As for the haircuts, well that's two things: what I see in the mirror and how that tweaky little ear massage thing feels and stuff like that.

I'll travel 100s of kilometres to sleep in a trustworthy bed, eat at a respectable raan ahaan, and get a decent haircut by someone who knows how to do it and tweaks my ears at the end of the job. I'll happily tip the taxi driver who gets me that 100 km around 10% too if I don't have a motorbike to DIY.