Tipping In Phuket

[madmitch]

Never tipped petrol pump attendants unless they clean the windscreen, something that is becoming rarer these days, it seems.

As for restaurants bars etc, I tip when I want and how much I want. No percentages, no calculations.

[Felt 35]

I live here, pay tax here and are not on an extended holiday. Tip a patrol station

If I should leave tip where I ate my lunch and where I intend to eat dinner today the owner and staff would be laughing all the way home in the evening.

[LivinginKata]

<snip>

If it was up to me I will leave my own tip that would go straight into the pockets of the staff who served me.

Fact of the matter is that all tips go into a communal kitty and divided out between front and back staff (cooks and dishwashers). You server does not keep your tip.

[snamos]

@stevenl

Where did I say waitress? Lost me there Steven.

Hotel admin that works at a place that charges 10% service charge. It goes to the staff.

We are talking here about service staff, not admin staff, so it seemed reasonable to presume also you were talking service staff. But I'm glad you know somebody in the one place on the island where the service staff gets at least a part of the money meant exclusively for them in stead of nothing. The 10% should be for the service staff exclusively. So this a fine example where money meant for service goes to non-service. The owner should pay his admin staff more.

The servive charge goes on the rooms too not just serving the food and drink.....so that way no one misses out. The pool boys, cleaners and the office staff all get it. If word gets around that these resorts arent paying the correct service charges the staff up stumps and move....it is hard to find staff in Phuket as everyone knows.

As i said before i used to be suspect on the service charge. But it does get distributed out in the big hotels

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[snamos]

30cents a week tipping someone is hardly going to break the bank. I have to pump my own petrol in Australia...maybe thats why i dont mind giving them something

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[hansgruber]

@stevenl

Where did I say waitress? Lost me there Steven.

Hotel admin that works at a place that charges 10% service charge. It goes to the staff.

We are talking here about service staff, not admin staff, so it seemed reasonable to presume also you were talking service staff. But I'm glad you know somebody in the one place on the island where the service staff gets at least a part of the money meant exclusively for them in stead of nothing. The 10% should be for the service staff exclusively. So this a fine example where money meant for service goes to non-service. The owner should pay his admin staff more.

The servive charge goes on the rooms too not just serving the food and drink.....so that way no one misses out. The pool boys, cleaners and the office staff all get it. If word gets around that these resorts arent paying the correct service charges the staff up stumps and move....it is hard to find staff in Phuket as everyone knows.

As i said before i used to be suspect on the service charge. But it does get distributed out in the big hotels

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Don't bother explaining to Steven.

He doesn't get tips or charge service charge to his divers so I doubt he has much experience with service charges when you consider where he drinks and eats around Kata.

[stevenl]

@stevenl

Where did I say waitress? Lost me there Steven.

Hotel admin that works at a place that charges 10% service charge. It goes to the staff.

We are talking here about service staff, not admin staff, so it seemed reasonable to presume also you were talking service staff. But I'm glad you know somebody in the one place on the island where the service staff gets at least a part of the money meant exclusively for them in stead of nothing. The 10% should be for the service staff exclusively. So this a fine example where money meant for service goes to non-service. The owner should pay his admin staff more.

The servive charge goes on the rooms too not just serving the food and drink.....so that way no one misses out. The pool boys, cleaners and the office staff all get it. If word gets around that these resorts arent paying the correct service charges the staff up stumps and move....it is hard to find staff in Phuket as everyone knows.

As i said before i used to be suspect on the service charge. But it does get distributed out in the big hotels

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Thaivisa Connect App

Don't bother explaining to Steven.

He doesn't get tips or charge service charge to his divers so I doubt he has much experience with service charges when you consider where he drinks and eats around Kata.

Correct, all our prices are all inclusive.

The last remark is based on nothing and leads to nothing. You have really no idea.

[sanuk21]

<snip>

If it was up to me I will leave my own tip that would go straight into the pockets of the staff who served me.

Fact of the matter is that all tips go into a communal kitty and divided out between front and back staff (cooks and dishwashers). You server does not keep your tip.

You are an optimist if you think all tips actually go into a communal kitty to be shared with other staff.

Nevertheless if I am particurly happy with an indivual's service, I actually place a tip into their hand or pocket and not leave it with the bill.

sanuk

[HongKongPhooey]

So who's fault is that and who is punishing the staff if they do not get the forced 10% service charge?? It is definitely not the customer's responsibilty!

As far as I'm concerned if I've already paid 10% plus tax on that tip (or is it the other way around?), then I'm not going to lose any sleep worrying if the owner is holding back on his staff and I'm definitely not going to justify the greed by leaving any additional tip on top that the owner will also keep for himself. That is just crazy.

But the point you're missing is the 10% was never ever meant for the staff and nobody's even pretending it was. Service charges were introduced as a way of making more profit in the same way a price increase would be.

If a restaurant who normally did 100 baht dishes and used the 10% service charge policy, suddenly stopped charging a service charge but put the price of the dishes up to 110 baht on the menu, would you be happy? You would be none the wiser and paying the exact same price, yet one way you may leave a tip and the other you wouldn't. So the staff are being punished and not tipped when there is a service charge why exactly?

It is you (and many others) who have taken it upon yourself to behave as if the service charge was a tip for the staff when nobody ever said it was. It is nothing more than a part of the total costs the restaurant wants to charge and how they are applied.

Are you happy being so gullible that all it takes is an owner to scrap the 10% charge but put it back on the menu price to keep you happy?

First off, I havent agreed with anything you've said in thsi thread so far. You may see yourself as a shining knight dropping big tips on bills and thinking you are helping out the down trodden but if the owner is keeping the service charge then chances are they will keep the extra tip you leave too so you are just encouraging and allowing greed.

So you are deciding to punish all staff by not tipping because on the rare occasion there may be an unscrupulous owner that doesn't pass the tips on. I personally would rather accept that those kind of morons exist but not let them dictate to me how I behave. If I tip occasionally and the staff don't get it, then that's life, I've done my bit. I know that the vast majority of the time they will.

And I don't like people who over-tip (20-25% was it?) - perpetuating the belief that all farangs are rich idiots .

If you think paying 1200 baht for a 1000 baht meal, when you have been served well and the food was good, is acting like a rich idiot then it isn't me who has the problem I assure you. 20% is very standard (For people who aren't tighter than a gnats chuff)

[Hostile17]

But have you ever seen a cheap restaurant with a service charge? I certainly have not. Usualy its chain restaurants and we can be sure that the staff gets it. So in those places i leave only the coins because lets face it.. this is thailand and the service is never good enough for leaving much more. Always lazy, they never speak english decently and many other problems.

Delivery motorbike guys are pretty much the only people in the service industry who actually work hard in thailand.

Edited June 17, 2012 by Hostile17

[Ping]

Yes, many of them don't speak English all that well - or Russian, or German, or Italian... how many languages would you like them to learn?

[Hostile17]

i would like them to speak more than 2 words of english as they have had years of english classes in school and they chose the service industry in an international destination.

Everywhere else in the world, uneducated dumbos are able to speak english in places of tourism, even road sellers are pretty decent. Yet in thailand even an university educated tourism worker can't put 3 words together except 'you pay!'

[hansgruber]

i would like them to speak more than 2 words of english as they have had years of english classes in school and they chose the service industry in an international destination.

Everywhere else in the world, uneducated dumbos are able to speak english in places of tourism, even road sellers are pretty decent. Yet in thailand even an university educated tourism worker can't put 3 words together except 'you pay!'

I have to agree with you here.

Well below the regional standard and will work against them once the AEC in 2015 opens up. It will be a nice wake up call they have long needed.

Edited June 18, 2012 by hansgruber

[snamos]

i would like them to speak more than 2 words of english as they have had years of english classes in school and they chose the service industry in an international destination.

Everywhere else in the world, uneducated dumbos are able to speak english in places of tourism, even road sellers are pretty decent. Yet in thailand even an university educated tourism worker can't put 3 words together except 'you pay!'

You ever been to Japan? Ive been well over 40 times....I heard less English spoken by Japanese than Thais, and Japan is supposed to be an educated 1st world country. I found it glum / bleak and boring, unless we found a Thai or Filipino Kareoke bar.

[hansgruber]

i would like them to speak more than 2 words of english as they have had years of english classes in school and they chose the service industry in an international destination.

Everywhere else in the world, uneducated dumbos are able to speak english in places of tourism, even road sellers are pretty decent. Yet in thailand even an university educated tourism worker can't put 3 words together except 'you pay!'

You ever been to Japan? Ive been well over 40 times....I heard less English spoken by Japanese than Thais, and Japan is supposed to be an educated 1st world country. I found it glum / bleak and boring, unless we found a Thai or Filipino Kareoke bar.

Japan don't rely on tourism as a major contribution to the economy as Thailand does. Apple's and oranges comparison

[Hostile17]

i would like them to speak more than 2 words of english as they have had years of english classes in school and they chose the service industry in an international destination.

Everywhere else in the world, uneducated dumbos are able to speak english in places of tourism, even road sellers are pretty decent. Yet in thailand even an university educated tourism worker can't put 3 words together except 'you pay!'

You ever been to Japan? Ive been well over 40 times....I heard less English spoken by Japanese than Thais, and Japan is supposed to be an educated 1st world country. I found it glum / bleak and boring, unless we found a Thai or Filipino Kareoke bar.

That's ok but again you keep thinking the world works like it does in your head.

Again i have to specifyt that most people are not only interested in brothels, bars, drinking spots etc etc. Japan has a lot of english in tourist areas. (sky resort as an example) Also japan isnt a country that relies on tourism as much as thailand. Phuket itselfs doesnt have much else.

Edited June 18, 2012 by Hostile17

[stevenl]

i would like them to speak more than 2 words of english as they have had years of english classes in school and they chose the service industry in an international destination.

Everywhere else in the world, uneducated dumbos are able to speak english in places of tourism, even road sellers are pretty decent. Yet in thailand even an university educated tourism worker can't put 3 words together except 'you pay!'

Want to live here? Then speak Thai. Are you a tourist? Yes, you can expect service in English, and yes, that is way below standards.

[snamos]

i would like them to speak more than 2 words of english as they have had years of english classes in school and they chose the service industry in an international destination.

Everywhere else in the world, uneducated dumbos are able to speak english in places of tourism, even road sellers are pretty decent. Yet in thailand even an university educated tourism worker can't put 3 words together except 'you pay!'

You ever been to Japan? Ive been well over 40 times....I heard less English spoken by Japanese than Thais, and Japan is supposed to be an educated 1st world country. I found it glum / bleak and boring, unless we found a Thai or Filipino Kareoke bar.

That's ok but again you keep thinking the world works like it does in your head.

Again i have to specifyt that most people are not only interested in brothels, bars, drinking spots etc etc. Japan has a lot of english in tourist areas. (sky resort as an example) Also japan isnt a country that relies on tourism as much as thailand. Phuket itselfs doesnt have much else.

Well if you like shopping centres and glum grey buildings then you will like Japan...their aint much else...its cold and miserable. The people are openly hostile to westerners, they use the old crossed arms when they dont want you to go into a nightclub, no beaches....so what else do you do? Sit outside 7-11 drinking a Kirin when the ship pulls in to port? A guy has to have to have some entertainment and I tell you what. The Japanese provide very little. You are correct about relying on tourism though...the Japanese dont have to, and if the day did come they needed tourism, they would need some major attitude adjusting.

And Kareoke Bars arent brothels. They are places where people sing.

As for Phuket I have my local hangouts where I chat with my friends, the idea of the OP was to find out how much people tip in certain areas, judging by your previous comments and experiences in different countries like Burma. It isnt much...so you give the Japanese a giant wrap, because you know that in their culture they wont accept tips at all. You wont even give a couple of baht to someone slogging it out 6 days a week waiting tables because they dont speak good english....who cares? its all part of the Phuket dream isnt it? I wont use the clich'e 'If you dont like it leave" but why dont you be the educator of all...go around teaching English pro bono.....but dont expect anyone to tip you

[Hostile17]

There is a big difference in our ways of thinking

I personally tip on service, which is horrible in thailand so yes i rarely tip here. You tip to be accepted because you crave it, just as many older men move to this country not only for the women but because money sort of buys friendship and a personality here. This isnt most people though. I request that you stop imagining that everyone is the same as you.

Japan is amazing, there is much to see and its much more intellectual and visual. You will find a lot of fine little food outlets that will blow your head off as well. I wouldn't expect an Englishman living in thailand to understand this

As far as teaching pro-bono. Thais have years of english classes and they still refuse to learn, they'd rather take drugs and shoot each others. That's not my problem. They just get no money from me and many other who think their service is crap. Thais refusing to learn more than 5 words of english in the tourism industry are simply arrogant and do not deserve any money.

Tips for service are just like food in a 5 star restaurant back home. Food sucks? You dont pay and you flip off the '5 star' cook.

[BigBikeBKK]

i would like them to speak more than 2 words of english as they have had years of english classes in school and they chose the service industry in an international destination.

Everywhere else in the world, uneducated dumbos are able to speak english in places of tourism, even road sellers are pretty decent. Yet in thailand even an university educated tourism worker can't put 3 words together except 'you pay!'

You ever been to Japan? Ive been well over 40 times....I heard less English spoken by Japanese than Thais, and Japan is supposed to be an educated 1st world country. I found it glum / bleak and boring, unless we found a Thai or Filipino Kareoke bar.

There is no tipping in Japan so what's your point?

The Japanese don't NEED to speak English in their own country.

If the only place you can find fun in Japan is a Thai or Flip bar I feel sorry for you.

[Hostile17]

i would like them to speak more than 2 words of english as they have had years of english classes in school and they chose the service industry in an international destination.

Everywhere else in the world, uneducated dumbos are able to speak english in places of tourism, even road sellers are pretty decent. Yet in thailand even an university educated tourism worker can't put 3 words together except 'you pay!'

You ever been to Japan? Ive been well over 40 times....I heard less English spoken by Japanese than Thais, and Japan is supposed to be an educated 1st world country. I found it glum / bleak and boring, unless we found a Thai or Filipino Kareoke bar.

There is no tipping in Japan so what's your point?

The Japanese don't NEED to speak English in their own country.

If the only place you can find fun in Japan is a Thai or Flip bar I feel sorry for you.

According to snamos you're only a decent man if you throw money around burned out honeys in bars or in casino slots

[HongKongPhooey]

i would like them to speak more than 2 words of english as they have had years of english classes in school and they chose the service industry in an international destination.

Everywhere else in the world, uneducated dumbos are able to speak english in places of tourism, even road sellers are pretty decent. Yet in thailand even an university educated tourism worker can't put 3 words together except 'you pay!'

I have to agree with you here.

Well below the regional standard and will work against them once the AEC in 2015 opens up. It will be a nice wake up call they have long needed.

If the Thais speaking English poorly is going to affect tourism, wouldn't it have started to affect it long ago?

[HongKongPhooey]

The Japanese don't NEED to speak English in their own country.

Then surely the Thais don't either?

[stevenl]

The Japanese don't NEED to speak English in their own country.

Then surely the Thais don't either?

I would say there is a big difference here. If you want to cater to tourists, like Phuket does, speak their language or if not possible another language they speak.

[Hostile17]

i would like them to speak more than 2 words of english as they have had years of english classes in school and they chose the service industry in an international destination.

Everywhere else in the world, uneducated dumbos are able to speak english in places of tourism, even road sellers are pretty decent. Yet in thailand even an university educated tourism worker can't put 3 words together except 'you pay!'

I have to agree with you here.

Well below the regional standard and will work against them once the AEC in 2015 opens up. It will be a nice wake up call they have long needed.

If the Thais speaking English poorly is going to affect tourism, wouldn't it have started to affect it long ago?

hasnt thailand lost a lot of tourists from countries they've served for a while? Dont they always need news countries because a lot of people never come back?

funny enough, cuba does well with mostly 1 country visiting them.

Edited June 18, 2012 by Hostile17

[HongKongPhooey]

The Japanese don't NEED to speak English in their own country.

Then surely the Thais don't either?

I would say there is a big difference here. If you want to cater to tourists, like Phuket does, speak their language or if not possible another language they speak.

I don't follow what you're saying? If Japanese people don't need to learn English to cater to their tourists then why should the Thais be expected to? Surely they both do or neither.

hasnt thailand lost a lot of tourists from countries they've served for a while? Dont they always need news countries because a lot of people never come back?

That's what people say. I don't know how true it is and the reasons behind it. Obviously we have all noticed the increase in Russians over the years but who they have replaced I'm not sure.

Things like that go in big cycles. The world economy of the last few years would have changed a lot of things I dare say. In a few years time we'll probably be asking where all the Russians have gone. Things are always changing.

[stevenl]

I would say there is a big difference here. If you want to cater to tourists, like Phuket does, speak their language or if not possible another language they speak.

I don't follow what you're saying? If Japanese people don't need to learn English to cater to their tourists then why should the Thais be expected to? Surely they both do or neither.

What I'm saying is the Japanese don't have to speak English for their tourists because they hardly have any tourists, at least not compared to Phuket, which is a tourist island. So I would people working in the tourist industry here expect to speak English much better than they do. Just as I would expect somebody who works in the Hilton in Tokyo catering to foreign businessmen to speak English.

Sorry for the wrong time in the quotes BTW, made a small mistake there.

Edited June 18, 2012 by stevenl

[HongKongPhooey]

I would say there is a big difference here. If you want to cater to tourists, like Phuket does, speak their language or if not possible another language they speak.

I don't follow what you're saying? If Japanese people don't need to learn English to cater to their tourists then why should the Thais be expected to? Surely they both do or neither.

What I'm saying is the Japanese don't have to speak English for their tourists because they hardly have any tourists, at least not compared to Phuket, which is a tourist island. So I would people working in the tourist industry here expect to speak English much better than they do. Just as I would expect somebody who works in the Hilton in Tokyo catering to foreign businessmen to speak English.

Sorry for the wrong time in the quotes BTW, made a small mistake there.

I see what you mean, but I personally think Japan gets enough tourists for it be judged by the same criteria as Thailand. Especially when you consider the differences in wealth and education.

[Hostile17]

I would say there is a big difference here. If you want to cater to tourists, like Phuket does, speak their language or if not possible another language they speak.

I don't follow what you're saying? If Japanese people don't need to learn English to cater to their tourists then why should the Thais be expected to? Surely they both do or neither.

What I'm saying is the Japanese don't have to speak English for their tourists because they hardly have any tourists, at least not compared to Phuket, which is a tourist island. So I would people working in the tourist industry here expect to speak English much better than they do. Just as I would expect somebody who works in the Hilton in Tokyo catering to foreign businessmen to speak English.

Sorry for the wrong time in the quotes BTW, made a small mistake there.

I see what you mean, but I personally think Japan gets enough tourists for it be judged by the same criteria as Thailand. Especially when you consider the differences in wealth and education.

Show me one tourist destination in japan that does not have good english speaking staff, just one. You wont be able.

While the staff at even high class destination in thailand and phuket have lots of important staff members with very little english abilities.

[HongKongPhooey]

Show me one tourist destination in japan that does not have good english speaking staff, just one. You wont be able.

While the staff at even high class destination in thailand and phuket have lots of important staff members with very little english abilities.

That maybe so, I've never been to Japan. My point was that I think the same rule should stand for both countries, where as one poster seemed to be saying that the Japs don't need to speak English but the Thais do.

Doesn't answer my question though. When exactly is this going to start to affect tourism? I haven't seen any signs yet.