Tipping

[murrinman]

gday to all new to forum but not to thailand just asking whats a fair tip dont want to go overboard but want to be a cheap charlie

[sulasno]

tip for what services ? lolranges from 20 to 1000 Baht

[metisdead]

I sometimes tip what the amount of the caddy fee was, or 300 Baht, if not real happy with the caddy for not cleaning up bunkers properly or if she's a slow walker, etc, the tip decreases.

[oldmajor]

we usually tip 500 Baht as long as the girls have been reasonable. As long as there is one caddy that can read the greens, that's good enough for me. We will usually have a "nearest the pin" competition on one of the Par 3's, the proceeds of which go to the winners caddy.

[richard_smith237]

I always tip caddies B300 thats in and around Bangkok / Kanchanaburi / Hua Hin / Chonburi

I sometimes play with Thai's who tip the same amount.

In Khao Yai my Thai friends were tipping B200 - I followed suit.

I only ever saw one problem and that was when a caddy complained that I wasn't using a cart. So she swapped with another caddy and ended up caddying for my friend who was playing in the group behind and also walking.

Apparently she complained all the way round, then scowled and complained at his B300 tip....

Edited August 1, 2010 by richard_smith237

[Moonfruit]

300THB, or if they were crap then the equivalent of the amount of the caddy fee.

I gave 500THB the other week at Springfield but she was the best caddy i've ever had.

Id still prefer to play without them though!

[montrii]

Can't believe most of the answers so far have related to golf, I believe most of us don't play golf. Murrinman seems to be asking about tipping generally, which is almost never anywhere near 300 baht.

Most tips are 20 baht. The guy who brings your bags up to your room and turns on the AC gets 20 baht. Your waiter/waitress (for a normal restaurant, not a high end farang hotel) is 20 baht. Security guy in a parking lot, 20 baht, like that. In the rich-farang-oriented places, use your head, follow your inclinations. But generally, think small. Tipping is not a big part of the landscape here.

[murrinman]

no

Can't believe most of the answers so far have related to golf, I believe most of us don't play golf. Murrinman seems to be asking about tipping generally, which is almost never anywhere near 300 baht.

Most tips are 20 baht. The guy who brings your bags up to your room and turns on the AC gets 20 baht. Your waiter/waitress (for a normal restaurant, not a high end farang hotel) is 20 baht. Security guy in a parking lot, 20 baht, like that. In the rich-farang-oriented places, use your head, follow your inclinations. But generally, think small. Tipping is not a big part of the landscape here.

no i was actually talking about golf i dont tip much in every day life the caddies at the local course maemot caddies want 200b and iwas just wondering how much more considering i pay a labourer about 250b aday

[richard_smith237]

Can't believe most of the answers so far have related to golf, I believe most of us don't play golf. Murrinman seems to be asking about tipping generally, which is almost never anywhere near 300 baht.

Perhaps because this is the Golf forum.

[metisdead]

Richard beat me to it, reply deleted.

Edited August 2, 2010 by metisdead

[cronus]

Pattaya: minimum tip expected for 18 holes is 200bt.

Tip around 250bt and never had someone complain. Dont drive prices high with tipping 500bt!!!!!

[tgeezer]

I asked my Thai partners at the Army Ram Indra and they said 200, The caddy fee went up to 220 about a year ago but the tip appears not to have gone up. I think that the normal thing to do is tip the caddy fee. Being Farang and few in number, we can tip more without causing inflation of tips.

[PingManDan]

250 THB fair tip

300 THB if you like caddie

Anything else is just screwing the whole caddie thing for everybody, next the courses will be upping the caddie fee, and caddies will be wanting more then 250-300 soon if people keep tipping more & more it will get completely out of control.

I have seen Thai's tip a caddie at Palm Hills 2000 THB, he had two caddies also what a crock of $hit

Of course people keep trying to buy a caddie for the night, get real

[hacker69]

standard start 300, good go up to 400 bad go down to 200.

my extra question. Should i tip extra if i get a hole in 1?

[sticklee]

Caddie tip at all Chiang Mai courses seems acceptable at 200baht. If you're pleased with her give extra. Closest to pin on par 3's as a 'caddie hole' is a nice idea. If you get a hole in one, tip everybody!

[Losangels]

Average round average caddy 250 baht.

Good round, and knowledgable caddy 300-350 baht

[svenivan]

Normal tip up here in chiang Rai on Santiburi is 200-250 baht. At Army course we have been told by the Thai players NOT to tip more than 150 baht.

I had a hole in one years ago at Sant iand gave the caddy a 1000 and she was as happy as I was.

[PingManDan]

Anything above 300 THB you are cutting your own throats, with caddies expecting more then 300, you already pay a caddie fee, which they get about 95% of at the end of each month for every round they did. LETS GET REAL HERE< FARANGS ARE CUTTING THEIR OWN THROATS

Green fees up = farangs will pay it

Caddie fees up = farangs will pay it

Caddie tips up = farangs will pay more

Think about it, you are driving up the prices more & more

Edited April 11, 2011 by PingManDan

[sticklee]

I'm noticing more and more.... Caddies expecting 20B for every birdie you make. I've decided I don't like the idea of a 'Caddie hole', paying the players caddie who is kp. It was 50B last time I did this and one one guy was kp on 3 par 3s. His caddie gets an extra 300B total from the other 2 players ( the potential is 800B for a 5 ball if one guy is kp on every par 3). One caddie got nothing extra for the round. They don't hit the shot so why give the caddie anything for a closest to the pin??

[jingjoe8]

i just started playing at a 9hole course, green fees are 300bht for 9holes,caddy fee 150bht i'm assuming 100bht for every 9 holes played is a fair tip,the caddies are nice enough but have absolutely no idea about golf,so they pretty much carry the clubs,hold the pin and i do the rest.

[LarryBird]

They don't hit the shot so why give the caddie anything for a closest to the pin??

Helluva observation.

It's called helping out someone who is a little less fortunate in life.

[sticklee]

They don't hit the shot so why give the caddie anything for a closest to the pin??

Helluva observation.

It's called helping out someone who is a little less fortunate in life.

I'm surprised it took someone so long to completely miss the point and wade in. So if you're reason for playing golf is to 'help the less fortunate', why bother at all, just hang around the caddie area and hand out 100B bills. Better yet just spread your infinite wealth far and wide around the country side.

So really, let's consider what caddies do/don't do to deserve a tip.

Generally, caddies do a poor job of an easy job. They know little to nothing about golf. They drag your bag around and hand you the club you ask for. They dump some sand into your divot marks, mark your ball, pull the pin. They generally do a poor job of cleaning your clubs and ball, they have their phones on 'ring' and take calls, they lag far behind leaving you waiting for a club, they race far ahead at the green leaving you waiting for a club, they step on someone's line, they talk and shift around while your setting up your tee shot.etc, etc.

What a good caddie does: hands you water without being asked, has a club ready for you without being asked ( she has enough knowledge to learn your game quickly), provides shade under an umbrella without being asked, provides reliable putting advice, cleans your shoes, always has a clean damp towel for your face and hands, etc, etc.

So tip your caddie accordingly after your round. I don't believe in tipping coz you made a 20 footer for birdie (unless her reads are consistently right on), hitting a 300 yard drive, sticking an 8 iron to 14 inches, holing a bunker shot for par or anything else you accomplish with whatever skill you have while they stand around watching.

[LarryBird]

you sound like a good time.

[JAS21]

They don't hit the shot so why give the caddie anything for a closest to the pin??

Helluva observation.

It's called helping out someone who is a little less fortunate in life.

I'm surprised it took someone so long to completely miss the point and wade in. So if you're reason for playing golf is to 'help the less fortunate', why bother at all, just hang around the caddie area and hand out 100B bills. Better yet just spread your infinite wealth far and wide around the country side.

So really, let's consider what caddies do/don't do to deserve a tip.

Generally, caddies do a poor job of an easy job. They know little to nothing about golf. They drag your bag around and hand you the club you ask for. They dump some sand into your divot marks, mark your ball, pull the pin. They generally do a poor job of cleaning your clubs and ball, they have their phones on 'ring' and take calls, they lag far behind leaving you waiting for a club, they race far ahead at the green leaving you waiting for a club, they step on someone's line, they talk and shift around while your setting up your tee shot.etc, etc.

What a good caddie does: hands you water without being asked, has a club ready for you without being asked ( she has enough knowledge to learn your game quickly), provides shade under an umbrella without being asked, provides reliable putting advice, cleans your shoes, always has a clean damp towel for your face and hands, etc, etc.

So tip your caddie accordingly after your round. I don't believe in tipping coz you made a 20 footer for birdie (unless her reads are consistently right on), hitting a 300 yard drive, sticking an 8 iron to 14 inches, holing a bunker shot for par or anything else you accomplish with whatever skill you have while they stand around watching.

That is a very sensible reply ... that LarryB bloke ... I'm probably less fortunate than him ... maybe he will give me some of those bills. In all honesty some caddies don't care a toss whilst some are actually very good. Extra tipping for this good putt and that good shot is rubbish.

I always play with a Thai and she doesn't do all this extra tipping ... she would be in big trouble if she did!!

[LarryBird]

---------------

You guys realize we're talking about 20 baht, right?

JA S21, if you really need 20 baht, I'd be happy to give you 20 baht. -- jing jing..

If I give someone 20 baht, and that makes them really happy, it gives me a lot of value to see their happiness. Not sure how I'm being villified for that.

If you can't afford to play for 20 baht, then don't play for 20 baht. If you really have a tough time making ends meet, your friends should understand. If you don't feel like playing for twenty baht, but have got plenty of money, then you're a cheapskate. It's your money, you can do what you want with it, but don't act like it's 'not about the $$, it's the principle.'' Because we all know, you're kii-niaow!! You'll fit in just fine in thailand, though. There's plenty of you.

----------------

[sticklee]

Again the point has been missed. This is not about 20B, it's about a very slippery slope. Golf is just an analogy. "Tip jars' are appearing everywhere. Just think about tipping in your home country, we would tip in restaurants, cabs and some delivery persons (pizza, newspaper, etc.). Certainly not in a 7-11 or a general retail shop. For a country that resists western influence, Thailand is taking to tipping very readily. Obviously when they see farang just offering 'free money' they are glad to accept, albeit in a slightly bewildered way sometimes. Thailand is a non tipping culture and we are turning it into one, they want our money and we are gladly obliging. Tipping is for the purpose of showing how satisfied you are with a service provided and at all times should be optional. Here we are made to feel it is mandatory.

Back to golf, I observed, in the locker room at Green Valley, the attendant grovelling to some Japanaese for a tip. He was almost on his knees and it was sickening. It was pretty much begging. I know some one who played a caddie hole game in which all holes were won by the same player. At the end of the round my friend gave his caddie the customary tip. She refused to return his bag until he tipped her the same amount as the 'winning' caddie had received in total. There was quite a fuss made. again this happened at Green Valley. The last ( and it will be the last) time I played caddie hole it was 50B. One player won 3 holes so his caddie got an additional 450B from the group. I won none so my caddie payment was 200+200+200B. The whole idea will generate infighting and jealousy amongst the caddies. We know how the women can be. It's just a bad idea. As I said before tip your caddie after the round according to your satisfaction.

And yes I am no fun, I'm a serious non smiling curmudgeon. But why would you give a shit? At least I will admit it.

[Khonper]

standard start 300, good go up to 400 bad go down to 200.

my extra question. Should i tip extra if i get a hole in 1?

Only if it is the 19th hole, lol