Thai / Foot Massage

[John K]

I am sure there are other threads on this but I was curious as to how much to tip in various places in Thailand. For example Bangkok vs Pattaya, I am sure Bangkok is higher. There is also a big price difference by just walking around a corner. I stumbled across a few places on Sukhumvit soi 22 that only charge 250 ThB for a 2 hour Thai massage. That is the same price you can find on Ekkachai road next to Carrefour. I have heard of a place on Phetchaburi soi 5 that only charges 200 for a 2 hour Thai Massage. So the Questions are;

1) How much does the place charge?

2) Type of massage?

3) Where is it?

4) how would you rate the massage quality from 1 to 5 with 5 being the best.

5) How much you tip?

[Neeranam]

Suk. soi 49, rate 4 - 250baht for two hours - tip nothing.

Suk. soi Ekkamai - blind massage - 250baht for 2 hours - sometimes 20baht tip.rate 5

They don't expect a tip.

Would you tip a barber? Someone at 7/11?

[John K]

That is a good point, however I was under the impression that they don’t get paid and their tip was their pay. The place they work simply provides them a place to work. That may be true in some places and not in others. I have heard of a few cases that some of the older ladies that give massage often find another place to work because of the competition with younger more attractive ladies. Can anyone verify this?

[BalthazarBeefheart]

Suk. soi 49, rate 4 - 250baht for two hours - tip nothing.

Suk. soi Ekkamai - blind massage - 250baht for 2 hours - sometimes 20baht tip.rate 5

They don't expect a tip.

Would you tip a barber? Someone at 7/11?

I don't know whether or not they expect a tip but I definitely would - at the rates above I would definitely bung them a 100Baht tip if the service is good and I do the same at the hairdressers. I suppose tipping is a personal thing whatever you are comfortable with would be my advice.

[briley]

Obviously things vary but in the place I know the staff get a salary (low) and 50% of the money paid for the massage. Not a bad wage if you do 2 or 3 2hour sessions a day?

[Sweetie]

1) How much does the place charge?

2) Type of massage?

3) Where is it?

4) how would you rate the massage quality from 1 to 5 with 5 being the best.

5) How much you tip?

1. Foot massage = 250/H

Thai massage = 200/H 300/2Hs

3. NUCH: Sukhumvit soi 24

4. 5

5. 100B

[Donz]

I always tip 100 baht, thats because they charge next to nothing.

I get massages in Oz for (converting in thai) 900 baht for 30 mins and its not as good as in thailand.

So 100 baht is nothing really

[jackr]

100 baht tip may be nothing to you, but it's a hel_l of a whack for two-hours work to the average Thai. While they may think you are generous, they also probably think you are daft at the same time. They may also come to the conclusion that they are not charging enough as all these silly farangs are paying them 100 baht on top and this may actually drive prices up. Come back next year and it'll be 300 for two hours. 20 baht tip is fine, 50 absolute max, although whatever floats your boat.

[Donz]

well in thailand the massages are very good, I feel guilty for them doing the hard work and all i give her is 200 baht, 100 baht is fair and well deserving IMO

[jdinasia]

100 baht tip may be nothing to you, but it's a hel_l of a whack for two-hours work to the average Thai. While they may think you are generous, they also probably think you are daft at the same time. They may also come to the conclusion that they are not charging enough as all these silly farangs are paying them 100 baht on top and this may actually drive prices up. Come back next year and it'll be 300 for two hours. 20 baht tip is fine, 50 absolute max, although whatever floats your boat.

Sorry ... but I disagree BIG TIME .......

I go to places on Onnut ... charge 100/hr for foot massage or Thai massage ... Thai's tips average 40/hr ... I tip 50/hr

They had help wanted signs up that fully explain the pay scale (in Thai) FT Employees get just a lottle more than part-time employees (%age) and extremely low salary (Part-time only get what they do in labor at 50%)

[Ulysses G.]

In Chiang Mai the average wage is 60 baht per hour for actual work - nothing for waiting for customers. They average one or two customers a day.

IMHO anyone who doesn't tip with such low wages is incredibly selfish.

[cobra]

I must admit, I probably grossly over-tip, solely because I can seldom get the GF to give me an impromptu foot massage.

More than that, I'm compelled to go home and shower / wash my feet first, so that takes all the spontaneity out of it, but hey, I'm just thinking of the girls, and how to make life a little more pleasant ...

(ok, your right, I have on occasion stumbled in, late night, chatted a bit with my rapier late night boozed up wit, and promptly fell a sleep in the chair, but did I say I grossly over-tip, ... )

[Rinrada]

Dont mind little -Noi-Nok or Noo Noo giving me a neck massage while having a beer or 3 in the Offshore but the full wrestling match is a No No....Dangerous Zone.

Over the years I a have known at least 3-4 guys (of course) who have enderd up with long term problems after a session with these little monsters.

Agree in principal a mild finger squeeze ..crack your joints..might make you feel good but even the wife (thai) is gunning for the guy who twisted her shoulder in Anusan market ...2 years ago... and caused her a lot of pain afterwards (I was in the paddy pub-of course)

A Tip......wwwwwww......WOT......

[Donz]

really....

i love a really strong massage, i always request them to do it as hard as they can.

Some of the ladies have very strong fingers and ive had a swore neck the next day, but I love it at the time there doing it.

I love it when they abuse my back

[meemiathai]

IMHO anyone who doesn't tip with such low wages is incredibly selfish.

Got to agree.

Just how cheap a charlie can one be? You CHEAP CHARLIES!!

How much is 100baht in British pounds? How long or what does it take for you to earn 100baht?

For me, 100baht is minimum to tip.

[English Noodles]

IMHO anyone who doesn't tip with such low wages is incredibly selfish.

Got to agree.

Just how cheap a charlie can one be? You CHEAP CHARLIES!!

How much is 100baht in British pounds? How long or what does it take for you to earn 100baht?

For me, 100baht is minimum to tip.

You have to remember that some people who live here are not getting paid much so B100 maybe a lot to them.

I tip well but that is up to me, nothing wrong giving them a B20 tip if thats all you can afford.

[richard10365]

I give 50 to 100 baht.

Minimum wage is less than 200 baht a day in most places. A 100 baht tip is almost half a days wages.

If minimum wage was 200 baht per day and the person who gave you a massage worked 10 hours a day then that persons pay would be 20 baht/hour.

So a two hour massage would be 40 baht worth of work. A 100 baht tip would be more than double of their wages for worked performed. Which is fair...........unless your getting that extra special massage.

Edited April 10, 2006 by richard10365

[jackr]

IMHO anyone who doesn't tip with such low wages is incredibly selfish.

Got to agree.

Just how cheap a charlie can one be? You CHEAP CHARLIES!!

How much is 100baht in British pounds? How long or what does it take for you to earn 100baht?

For me, 100baht is minimum to tip.

Good for you. BTW, what's Britain got to do with all this?

[meemiathai]

IMHO anyone who doesn't tip with such low wages is incredibly selfish.

Got to agree.

Just how cheap a charlie can one be? You CHEAP CHARLIES!!

How much is 100baht in British pounds? How long or what does it take for you to earn 100baht?

For me, 100baht is minimum to tip.

Good for you. BTW, what's Britain got to do with all this?

They are related because British pounds can be changed into Thai baht.

[jdinasia]

IMHO anyone who doesn't tip with such low wages is incredibly selfish.

Got to agree.

Just how cheap a charlie can one be? You CHEAP CHARLIES!!

How much is 100baht in British pounds? How long or what does it take for you to earn 100baht?

For me, 100baht is minimum to tip.

You have to remember that some people who live here are not getting paid much so B100 maybe a lot to them.

I tip well but that is up to me, nothing wrong giving them a B20 tip if thats all you can afford.

Noodles ... that's crap... someone that can only afford 20 baht should be giving the massage ... not getting one ...

I have never seen someone give just 20 baht for a foot massage for an hour ... even when the massage was only 100 baht (95%+ of the customers where I go are Thai and there's no parking lot handy) Don't be cheap!

[egeefay]

On my recent trip to Thailand we were eating at a restaurant in Bangkok. After the meal I took the bill and added a 20% cash tip to it (what I normally tip in America) My Thai guests looked surprise. Suddenly one of them grabbed the money and gave it back to me. "That's too much" he said.

The rest of them agreed.

"How much should I tip?" I asked.

"Just give them a 20 baht or so. It's not a percentage of the bill"

When I played golf I asked the same question.

"How much should I tip the caddy. (It costs 200 baht for a caddy)

My wife figured that 100 baht would be appropriate.

What are the rules for tipping in Thailand?

Do Thais expect farangs to tip at a different rate?

[English Noodles]

IMHO anyone who doesn't tip with such low wages is incredibly selfish.

Got to agree.

Just how cheap a charlie can one be? You CHEAP CHARLIES!!

How much is 100baht in British pounds? How long or what does it take for you to earn 100baht?

For me, 100baht is minimum to tip.

You have to remember that some people who live here are not getting paid much so B100 maybe a lot to them.

I tip well but that is up to me, nothing wrong giving them a B20 tip if thats all you can afford.

Noodles ... that's crap... someone that can only afford 20 baht should be giving the massage ... not getting one ...

I have never seen someone give just 20 baht for a foot massage for an hour ... even when the massage was only 100 baht (95%+ of the customers where I go are Thai and there's no parking lot handy) Don't be cheap!

Hi there, Firstly who are you to tell me what to do? I will give as much as i feel i would like to. You know nothing about me, who i am or what i do. Maybe some day you will but untill you do please reserve your judgements.

[jdinasia]

i assumed YOU tip well ... <you said so> ... telling other people to tip like they are cheap charlies is crap though!

[meemiathai]

I agree that some people don't get paid much so it's really up to them. That's why I can accept English teachers even asking for discounts when they have their massages.

OK. Wasn't being serious actually.

I'm only against those who has lots of money and with a mentality that says 100baht is a lot of money to those lower class thais.

[cloudtiger]

According to my Thai friend, washing/massaging someone's foot is very "low" work and that it is only polite to tip the "mor" (massage "doctor") 20-50bhat per hr. if you can afford it. (I've seen even poor Thais tip at this rate)

It is thoughtful to offer the tip with two hands or with one supporting the other at the wrist.

Also, it is polite to "wai" your mor after a session when she/he "wai" you.

Massage is a highly skilled work but it is also a highly physical labor. As such, it comes with considerable risks and injuries to the practitioner as well.

One could always find ways and reasons to pay less or do less for others. What a world it would be if we could find ways to do more instead ...

[cdnvic]

According to my Thai friend, washing/massaging someone's foot is very "low" work and that it is only polite to tip the "mor" (massage "doctor") 20-50bhat per hr. if you can afford it. (I've seen even poor Thais tip at this rate)

It is thoughtful to offer the tip with two hands or with one supporting the other at the wrist.

Also, it is polite to "wai" your mor after a session when she/he "wai" you.

Massage is a highly skilled work but it is also a highly physical labor. As such, it comes with considerable risks and injuries to the practitioner as well.

One could always find ways and reasons to pay less or do less for others. What a world it would be if we could find ways to do more instead ...

Very informative and well said. Where were you 20 posts ago?

cv

[jdinasia]

wai'ing a massage girl ... well just wouldn't be done ... "accepting" a wai would be proper ...

[John K]

I have been tipping 150 for a foot and about 250 for a Thai, however that is only if it is a good quality massage. If they try to find the pressure points on the top of my foot via the bottom with the stick, the tip is less. I think the least I have ever tipped was 100 for a Thai massage but that was only because it was about the third massage she ever gave. Apparently she was more interested in providing happy endings and not a quality massage. It holds true if she has been at it for more than 5 years, you can expect a top notch massage. Hathias at the Thong-lo BTS station outbound side of Sukhumvit gives great massages, but getting the girl you want is difficult as they are always busy. They charge 300 for 2 hours. I find if you tip well you get much better service and will gladly modify the massage and spend more time working on any sore spots like neck and shoulders. Spending a few extra ThB on a tip is worth while in the long run. They treat you like a king when you go back. Personally I cant see tipping less that 50% of the cost massage. I have been in some shops at 4 PM and have been the first customer, so if you can afford a good tip you should. 250 ThB is the price of 2 beers in some places.

[jackr]

On my recent trip to Thailand we were eating at a restaurant in Bangkok. After the meal I took the bill and added a 20% cash tip to it (what I normally tip in America) My Thai guests looked surprise. Suddenly one of them grabbed the money and gave it back to me. "That's too much" he said.

The rest of them agreed.

"How much should I tip?" I asked.

"Just give them a 20 baht or so. It's not a percentage of the bill"

When I played golf I asked the same question.

"How much should I tip the caddy. (It costs 200 baht for a caddy)

My wife figured that 100 baht would be appropriate.

What are the rules for tipping in Thailand?

Do Thais expect farangs to tip at a different rate?

Yeah, please don't bring your Yankee-style tipping percentage here as, god forbid, we don't want it to end up like the system over there. The tip for caddy is appropriate though, but only if the caddy was on the ball...no pun intended.

[The Coder]

Many masseuses earn 40baht/hour. It's why sometimes you run across thai guys who tell you they can find a 2 hour massage for just 80 baht. I really appreciate a 2 hour massage and tip 100 because I think they deserve it. I do worry about price hikes of massages, but I only frequent a place if it is 300 baht or less for 2 hours. Numerous places have been raising prices over time where it is normal to see 400-600 baht in Bangkok, but there are still a few off the beaten path with good rates and I reward them with my business.

The masseuses who really make out are the ones that work at the airport. They have to pay in just for the privilege to work there; something like 10,000 baht. But they can turn that over within a short period of time and make very good money.