Anything To Gain By Tipping?

[angiud]

Usually I leave a tip if I'm satisfied, both for food, service, friendliness etc. Roughly around 10% of the bill, is something special a bit more. My Thai wife do the same.

Having a couple of restaurants, I understand that the staff are very pleased to share a few thousand more baht a month to add to their salary.

[William Osborne]

.. leaving coins less than 20 baht is an insult so expect an extra glop of spit next time seriously if people are too tight to eat out ... eat at home

I totally disagree. Picking up coins worth less than 20 baht from the change tray could be an insult. Leaving them there is expected.

If I was given over 20 baht in coins as change I'd take every last baht.

It's quite typical of over-tippers to insult people who are more careful with their cash.

i saw a guy in foodland last picking up 2 x 20 baht notes and leaving a 5 baht coin.... for me that is worse than no tip.

Seriously, I don't think anyone gets insulted with an over-tipper... proabaly think you're a stupid farang . thats all

[Gone]

What is all this "goods & service" crap? I have only seen this posted in the Pattaya forum and never anywhere else in Thailand. Also it seems to have just started in the past year. This is a complete scam. I myself have never seen it but I don't actually eat out much. Tax is included in LOS.

Having been "nickeled and dime'd" to death in Thailand over the years I think that if I do run into a place that presents me with a bill and has an extra xxx baht for goods and service fee that I would probably just deduct the amount from the bill, pay only for the items I have had and walk away leaving no tip at all and feeling sorry for the staff who works there. If the owner tried to argue with me I would show him what "losing face" is ALL about.

To the person who posted "can't you act like a non-farang at least sometimes?" I have to say that I AM farang and always will be here. I hate these farangs that act like they are Thai and:

1. Drive around with side-cars on their bikes
   
2. Have a dog perched on the handle bars of their bikes
   
3. Drive their cars/trucks like the Thais do (dangerously)
   
4. No helmets
   
5. Drive on the sidewalks in a traffic jam
   

We ARE farangs and come from civilized countries so why not show them a little of what we have in us and hopefully one century it might wear off on them.

[eyebee]

My practice on tipping is 10 baht for a bill up to 100 baht and 20 baht for any bill over that (even up to 1000 baht or more!). I've never got the pout woth this practice. If the change comes with a mixture of coins and notes, I pick up the coins and say "for songthaew", and leave a 20 baht note behind. And yes, I do make sure I have plenty of 10 baht coins for the baht bus.

[tropo]

i saw a guy in foodland last picking up 2 x 20 baht notes and leaving a 5 baht coin.... for me that is worse than no tip.

That might have been me. I'd do that at Foodland.

[tropo]

What is all this "goods & service" crap? I have only seen this posted in the Pattaya forum and never anywhere else in Thailand. Also it seems to have just started in the past year. This is a complete scam. I myself have never seen it but I don't actually eat out much. Tax is included in LOS.

Having been "nickeled and dime'd" to death in Thailand over the years I think that if I do run into a place that presents me with a bill and has an extra xxx baht for goods and service fee that I would probably just deduct the amount from the bill, pay only for the items I have had and walk away leaving no tip at all and feeling sorry for the staff who works there. If the owner tried to argue with me I would show him what "losing face" is ALL about.

Talk about total ignorance. Many restaurants charge a 10% "service charge" here and in Bangkok. Sometimes they offer the price as "net", but it is still included in the price. A lot of the better restaurants charge this. Fuji is an example of one and I'd bet that every branch (100's) in Thailand will charge it.

I'd like to see you walking out of a restaurant without paying it - that's ridiculous. You'll end up down at the police station. The service charge will be indicated on the menu.

You should get out more or try eating somewhere other than roadside diners.

Edited January 7, 2012 by tropo

[Gone]

What is all this "goods & service" crap? I have only seen this posted in the Pattaya forum and never anywhere else in Thailand. Also it seems to have just started in the past year. This is a complete scam. I myself have never seen it but I don't actually eat out much. Tax is included in LOS.

Having been "nickeled and dime'd" to death in Thailand over the years I think that if I do run into a place that presents me with a bill and has an extra xxx baht for goods and service fee that I would probably just deduct the amount from the bill, pay only for the items I have had and walk away leaving no tip at all and feeling sorry for the staff who works there. If the owner tried to argue with me I would show him what "losing face" is ALL about.

Talk about total ignorance. Many restaurants charge a 10% "service charge" here and in Bangkok. Sometimes they offer the price as "net", but it is still included in the price. A lot of the better restaurants charge this. Fuji is an example of one and I'd bet that every branch (100's) in Thailand will charge it.

I'd like to see you walking out of a restaurant without paying it - that's ridiculous. You'll end up down at the police station. The service charge will be indicated on the menu.

You should get out more or try eating somewhere other than roadside diners.

Been getting out now for 11 years strait and I do mostly my own cooking so why would I need to "get out more?"

Total ignorance? Like I say I have NEVER seen a bill that shows: Food & drinks = xxx baht then below it says service fees xx baht. I would pay for the food and drinks and give the waiter/waitress a tip and THATS ALL.

Most diners where I do eat are on a road so what are you on about?

Can someone scan and post one of these bills with the extra "goods and service" fees?

I don't eat at "HiSo" restaurants because I am not HiSo. Why would I want to eat at a place that ads these extra charges? I could most likely get better quality of the same food at a small Thai stall that actually needs the money and yes I am happy to support these places because I like people who work for a living instead of snatching gold necklaces etc.

Maybe you are rich and spend 4 weeks per year here but I live here so no I'm not rich.

[tropo]

What is all this "goods & service" crap? I have only seen this posted in the Pattaya forum and never anywhere else in Thailand. Also it seems to have just started in the past year. This is a complete scam. I myself have never seen it but I don't actually eat out much. Tax is included in LOS.

Having been "nickeled and dime'd" to death in Thailand over the years I think that if I do run into a place that presents me with a bill and has an extra xxx baht for goods and service fee that I would probably just deduct the amount from the bill, pay only for the items I have had and walk away leaving no tip at all and feeling sorry for the staff who works there. If the owner tried to argue with me I would show him what "losing face" is ALL about.

Talk about total ignorance. Many restaurants charge a 10% "service charge" here and in Bangkok. Sometimes they offer the price as "net", but it is still included in the price. A lot of the better restaurants charge this. Fuji is an example of one and I'd bet that every branch (100's) in Thailand will charge it.

I'd like to see you walking out of a restaurant without paying it - that's ridiculous. You'll end up down at the police station. The service charge will be indicated on the menu.

You should get out more or try eating somewhere other than roadside diners.

Been getting out now for 11 years strait and I do mostly my own cooking so why would I need to "get out more?"

Total ignorance? Like I say I have NEVER seen a bill that shows: Food & drinks = xxx baht then below it says service fees xx baht. I would pay for the food and drinks and give the waiter/waitress a tip and THATS ALL.

Most diners where I do eat are on a road so what are you on about?

Can someone scan and post one of these bills with the extra "goods and service" fees?

I don't eat at "HiSo" restaurants because I am not HiSo. Why would I want to eat at a place that ads these extra charges? I could most likely get better quality of the same food at a small Thai stall that actually needs the money and yes I am happy to support these places because I like people who work for a living instead of snatching gold necklaces etc.

Maybe you are rich and spend 4 weeks per year here but I live here so no I'm not rich.

I'm not about to scan any bills to prove to you that service charges are not uncommon. I'll give you 3 at the top of my head: Fuji, Sukishi and Zen. They are not "Hiso" restaurants, but huge chains with stores all over Thailand.

Most 4 and 5 star hotels charge an extra 10% service charge.

[joker7]

If im in a bar and ive 4+ drinks then I might tip 40-60 baht.

If im bar hopping they get the change.

I tip the security guard 100 maybe 200 baht / month as a polite gesture that ive not forgotten about him.

If ive been out with 6-8 friends for a meal then Ill make sure the tip is at least 100 baht / head of farang.

Ill tip the taxi driver maybe 50-100 baht If hes taking me from the Airport to pattaya.

[smedly]

If im in a bar and ive 4+ drinks then I might tip 40-60 baht.

If im bar hopping they get the change.

I tip the security guard 100 maybe 200 baht / month as a polite gesture that ive not forgotten about him.

If ive been out with 6-8 friends for a meal then Ill make sure the tip is at least 100 baht / head of farang.

Ill tip the taxi driver maybe 50-100 baht If hes taking me from the Airport to pattaya.

So do you do the same at home after you've finished your 2x week holiday

we can discuss this tipping thing till we're blue in the face - it's a personal thing and in my opinion is spoiling this place rotten, as a resident here I do tip but I will dip into my pocket and pull out 10baht as opposed to leaving one of the 20baht notes I just got from change for a bottle of beer, they can take it or leave it I don't really care, some of you guys are just spoiling them thais to expect more and more, I come from a country where tipping is not mandatory except maybe in resturants.

[jayceenik]

I tip 20 to 60b in beerbars depending on number of beers.

I tip 20b in gogo bars (where I rarely have more than a couple beers per bar).

In Bamboo my beer is 110b and I give 100+20, easy. (OK not much of a tip but I'll have a few and maybe a drink for a lady)

If I've had a pleasant lengthy chat ( i speak Thai) with a girl in a beerbar, on top of the LD I've bought her, I'll tip her personally100 up to sometimes 500b if I don't barfine her.

If I go to a restaurant (other than a hotel buffet) it's always accompanied by a TG and I let her sort out the bill and tip.

[morphic]

My tip is to return if I like the service/food/whatever.

Very rarely do I leave an actual tip unless its a beer bar where I've just had a coffee and leave 10-20, whatever the change is normally or 20-40 if 've had a couple of beers and the girls have paid attention to me.

[Jingthing]

My tip is to return if I like the service/food/whatever.

...

Ouch!

That's almost as bad as -- here's my tip, go back to school and get a better job!

[myfriendu]

.. leaving coins less than 20 baht is an insult so expect an extra glop of spit next time seriously if people are too tight to eat out ... eat at home

I totally disagree. Picking up coins worth less than 20 baht from the change tray could be an insult. Leaving them there is expected.

If I was given over 20 baht in coins as change I'd take every last baht.

It's quite typical of over-tippers to insult people who are more careful with their cash.

i saw a guy in foodland last picking up 2 x 20 baht notes and leaving a 5 baht coin.... for me that is worse than no tip.

Seriously, I don't think anyone gets insulted with an over-tipper... proabaly think you're a stupid farang . thats all

here,s a tip bill your full of it.punching people lol what ever next

[tropo]

My tip is to return if I like the service/food/whatever.

...

Ouch!

That's almost as bad as -- here's my tip, go back to school and get a better job!

I go along with it. A lot of small mom n' pop Thai restaurants are more interested in you coming back often than a small gratuity left in the tray. If the owners are serving the food I won't tip.

[James3113]

Soi Buakow massage shop which is just fantastic because it's clean and good AC. 1 hour = 100 baht. I always tipped 20% on the first massage with any employee if it was decent and she obviously made a concerted effort. BUT, if she did something...ahem...illogical or inconsiderate (ie: talking loudly to her mate while her mouth was close to my ears) during the hour or two, no tip and never repeat with the girl.

The problem they nearly always do something illogical or inconsiderate. The solution: get massages at home from 1 expert and tip to compensate her travel costs if the massage was even better than the last time.

[richard_smith237]

Anyone ever Tip the breakfast staff when you stay in a hotel ????

[tropo]

Soi Buakow massage shop which is just fantastic because it's clean and good AC. 1 hour = 100 baht. I always tipped 20% on the first massage with any employee if it was decent and she obviously made a concerted effort. BUT, if she did something...ahem...illogical or inconsiderate (ie: talking loudly to her mate while her mouth was close to my ears) during the hour or two, no tip and never repeat with the girl.

The problem they nearly always do something illogical or inconsiderate. The solution: get massages at home from 1 expert and tip to compensate her travel costs if the massage was even better than the last time.

You expect a lot for 100 baht/hour don't you?

When one of these girls does something really illogical and inconsiderate for 100 baht/hour (she may get half) do you ever think that you could train her to be more logical and considerate by letting her know how much of a tip she lost by being so inconsiderate?

Edited January 8, 2012 by tropo

[tropo]

Anyone ever Tip the breakfast staff when you stay in a hotel ????

Yes. Why you ask?

[richard_smith237]

Anyone ever Tip the breakfast staff when you stay in a hotel ????

Yes. Why you ask?

Because that question came up in a conversation I had in the UK a few weeks ago. The thought of tipping breakfast staff never even crossed my mind.

I'd had an excellent meal (for 4 of us for £110) - I paid by card and tipped the waitress £15 in cash. She appeared pleasantly taken aback, I always assumed the tipping culture in the UK was 10%.

(For the record: for a B4000 meal for 4 of us in Thailand, I tipped B200 which seemed adequate).

When relaying the story to friends it was confirmed that I'd tipped correctly. The conversation did remind me of how often this topic comes up on Thai visa.com.

As the conversation developed it was confirmed that we all tip for evening meals in restaurants and hotels, but who has ever tipped the breakfast staff at hotels? Its one of the worst shifts to do and no one pays as the breakfasts are usually included in the room costs...

Thus, the breakfast staff generally get nothing....

Edited January 8, 2012 by richard_smith237

[Semper]

I tip because it makes me feel good, the more i tip the better I feel, amateur physiologists please explain why?

Too deep pockets?

[raro]

I'd get banned for what I wanted to write. But yeah cheapskate Pattaya folks Thais do tip.

that is correct. I saw the other day at the check-out at Home pro some wannabe Thai fat cat (easy to spot by the blue/red striped polo shirt, baggy shorts and rubber slippers) who bought some stuff worth a couple of 1000s putting a 100 Baht note into the breast pocket of the guy who stuffs the goods in the plastic bag. He got a deep wai in response and felt like he owns the world.

[transam]

At my snooker hall we have a private room (nice and quiet), same girl brings our beer and acts like a referee. We always give her a few baht tip. Now we are like her family, she goes out and buys herself some ghin kow with here own money and offers us to eat some with her. If l make a bad shot, which is often, she laughs her head off, but l must add, we do not act like hi-so farangs but have a good laugh with her. Yep, she is happy with a tip from us.

[Semper]

Tip? What's that?

Nickname of a girl I know.

[Semper]

if i get a happy ending i tip,rude not too

Is that (happy ending) not what you already paid for?

[dean999]

Went to Xzyte disco a long while back and there used to be two Thai men that used to give you a hot towel and crack your neck. One of them was trying to massage my shoulders whilst i was at the urinal. I really didn't feel comfortable with him doing that. I told him if he left me alone he would get a good tip. I gave him 1000 Baht. The look on his face was priceless. It does make you feel good to see someone else happy.

[tropo]

Its one of the worst shifts to do and no one pays as the breakfasts are usually included in the room costs...

Thus, the breakfast staff generally get nothing....

Which IMO is more reason to tip them.

It's not surprising that this topic often comes up on Thaivisa forum. We are a lot of people from different parts of the world coming from countries with different practices.

I see a lot of posters on here behaving as though it's a UK forum and always comparing everything to the UK.

[RabC]

Its one of the worst shifts to do and no one pays as the breakfasts are usually included in the room costs...

Thus, the breakfast staff generally get nothing....

Which IMO is more reason to tip them.

It's not surprising that this topic often comes up on Thaivisa forum. We are a lot of people from different parts of the world coming from countries with different practices.

I see a lot of posters on here behaving as though it's a UK forum and always comparing everything to the UK.

Thats rather racist, what about all the Americans (From USA) who complain that Pizza or Mexican isnt like it is at home. I understand the Aussies cant complain as anything is better than being there.

[pattaya_girl]

If the service is good, and the waiter/waitress is nice and polite, i will tip 20 bt..

However if the waiter/waitress stands waiting with the metal plate, i refuse to.

Standing waiting for a tip is cheeky !!! I dont care what they think of me, and I am not shy at all of not leaving a tip.

[transam]

If the service is good, and the waiter/waitress is nice and polite, i will tip 20 bt..

However if the waiter/waitress stands waiting with the metal plate, i refuse to.

Standing waiting for a tip is cheeky !!! I dont care what they think of me, and I am not shy at all of not leaving a tip.

You remind me of a song, ''Hey big spenderrrrrrrrrr, speeeeeeeeend a little time with me''