Thai / Foot Massage

[Goldenbead]

I enjoy a good foot massage and go to the same place here all the time. They charge 200 Baht for one hour. I usually tip 50 Baht. I am not a fan of Thai massage, I don't like being tied up in knots much!

[Mighty Mouse]

Every tourist destination has a multitude of services on offer and a multitude of service personnel providing their respective talents to you, the customer.

If the service is friendly and good, why not reward the server with a small token of your appreciation.

There shouldn't be a set tip scale, it is up to the individual to give what they believe to be appropriate.

From the Scottish scrooges to the American percentage tippers, there will never be consensus on how much to tip.

No tip at all or too small a tip may be regarded as an insult, too large a tip may be regarded as extravagant stupidity. Somewhere in between is just right.

[Neeranam]

Recently, I played golf and the caddy fee is 80 baht. The caddy was terrible, slagging off foreigners and us until I'd had enough and told her to quit. She answered her mobile while I was putting, and generally very un-professional. I thought I should give any tip for being so rude and bad at her job.

However, I offered her 70 baht tip and she stood there and asked for more. Now this is really not on. I said ok, give me back the 70, and then told her to <deleted> off. This attitude is caused by farang golfing and giving ridiculous tips like 200 baht. 70 baht was half of my wife's daily wage at the time and was a very generous amount.

I'm a bit of a Scottish scrooge, but why should I be expected to pay more of a tip, especially when a tip is not even expected.

Giving 100 baht tip for a massage I guess is normal tourist areas. The shops there also have to pay more, as they know that this is where all the idiots are.

[John K]

As for the percent tip, I note that some restaurants add 10% service charge along with vat. In the states 15% is customary for a restaurant as the wait staff makes most of their wage from tips. If you stop and think how much physical effort goes into a Thai massage somehow 15% seems small. Many have asked me if I would prefer a oil massage. I personally don’t like them as I sweat after them. If they gave the option of lotion that is absorbed by the skin I might consider one. From what I gather they get tipped more with an oil massage, and it requires less physical effort to give one.

I recall a conversation with a woman tourist who said the girl asked for 100 ThB tip for a foot massage. That was some place on Sukhumvit 22 as she was staying at the Regency. I would imagine that is a fair tip seeing as it is not a steady flow and some days they may have no customers at all. Its not like punching in and punching out. In my last post I see I am a bit higher than most and I may consider a bit less but not much.

[jackr]

Recently, I played golf and the caddy fee is 80 baht. The caddy was terrible, slagging off foreigners and us until I'd had enough and told her to quit. She answered her mobile while I was putting, and generally very un-professional. I thought I should give any tip for being so rude and bad at her job.

However, I offered her 70 baht tip and she stood there and asked for more. Now this is really not on. I said ok, give me back the 70, and then told her to <deleted> off. This attitude is caused by farang golfing and giving ridiculous tips like 200 baht. 70 baht was half of my wife's daily wage at the time and was a very generous amount.

I'm a bit of a Scottish scrooge, but why should I be expected to pay more of a tip, especially when a tip is not even expected.

Giving 100 baht tip for a massage I guess is normal tourist areas. The shops there also have to pay more, as they know that this is where all the idiots are.

Spot on Neeranam. I would have told her to <deleted> right off, too. As you say, many now EXPECT a tip because of stupid farang over-tipping. How about this one - I was in a McDonalds in Bangkok back in '98 and the tart behind the counter said 'give me 100 baht' as she was giving me my change. <deleted>!! For what?! I guess some of our readers on here would have done just that.

If someone genuinely gives good service, I give an appropriate tip, but if they ever ask for a tip they can bog off. That's not being a scrooge, that's being sane. Same for the massage. All this over-tipping will simply drive prices higher and higher and then they'll expect it. Observe the Thais and do what they do.

[dive_mistress]

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.

Dont worry about our generous Yankee-style tipping. Most Thais know that Yankee style tipping is done only by Yankees, Canucks and Brits and they know not to expect it from Australians or Europeans. Its a known fact that if you want a good bargain when shopping in tourist area its better to say that you are from Australia then America.

While working as a dive master I always made sure I put the American customers in my group. Being American I like them and I knew I had a good chance to supplement my not so ample wages with a tip. However should i have customers from Australia or Europe I didnt expect a tip as I know it just cultural. Americans tip and we are happy to tip for good service, not bad service.

Having worked as a waitress before I appreciated a nice tip, just like when i was a dive master. I didnt feel spoiled by it. IF i came off the boat with good tips then I wold certainly be more generous that week with my tipping as well just to keep it flowing.

I too tip my massage girls 100 baht. this was a conscious decision that my friend and I made. Should we regularily tip 50 or 100. We go there weekly and knew that once we tipped 100 we couldnt go back to 50. She is Brittish.

We liked the place so much, clean, good massages and the manager is great, so we decided on a 100 baht tip.

Do the girls expect al customers to give them 100 baht? NO. do they complain when they get no tip? No. i have seen Thai customers tip 40 baht as well. I tip 100 bhat becaseu I understand what it is like to get a good tip!!! Obviously some people dont.

In the low season surely I have less income but I still tip the same asi know they have even less income as this is in Phuket and touristy.

I think it is nice to see that a lot of peope here tip their massage girls or boys well instead of subscribing to the FEAR (oh the FEAR!!) that we are going to "Spoil <i>THEM</i>". Its just showing appreciation. Who doesnt like a little bonus?

Im sure there are enough pepopel Like Jackr to keep that from happening anyways.

Im sorry I didnt just come to Thailand and forget about tipping.

I cant imagine that my presence and western ways make Phuket or Thailand a better place. The least I can do is show some appreciation for the cheap massages that I could NEVER afford in America. And if Thais in the serivce industry expect me to tip becasue im a farang then so be it.

However I too would be pissed off if somone asked for a tip!!!!

Being a farang female its one of the reasons <b>I</b> live here, inexpensive massages I love a good hard foot massage! (and the fruit man!!!! Nothing like somoe having already cut the pineapple for you).

For people worried about the being twisted or injured then i reccomend shelling out the extra 100 bhat and getting an Oil massage. There is no wierd back cracking or yoga postures. hOweer a foot massage will also include about 10 minutes of neck and shoulders.

Yes I agree the STICK is cheating and I dont like props!

I have a thai friend who was a waitress.she said that extra 10 or 20 baht does help and is appreciated. Sure she was alwasy surprised if she gave a great service and people didnt even leave a measly 10baht. Who can fault her? (Do i dare ask?)

[jdinasia]

Recently, I played golf and the caddy fee is 80 baht. The caddy was terrible, slagging off foreigners and us until I'd had enough and told her to quit. She answered her mobile while I was putting, and generally very un-professional. I thought I should give any tip for being so rude and bad at her job.

However, I offered her 70 baht tip and she stood there and asked for more. Now this is really not on. I said ok, give me back the 70, and then told her to &lt;deleted&gt; off. This attitude is caused by farang golfing and giving ridiculous tips like 200 baht. 70 baht was half of my wife's daily wage at the time and was a very generous amount.

I'm a bit of a Scottish scrooge, but why should I be expected to pay more of a tip, especially when a tip is not even expected.

Giving 100 baht tip for a massage I guess is normal tourist areas. The shops there also have to pay more, as they know that this is where all the idiots are.

Your wife recently made only 140 baht a day?

Why didn't you get a different caddy? I'd wait and send one back. Personally I don't see 200 baht tip as ridiculous when you have someone following you in the sun carrying your crud for hours. (That being said ... I NEVER reward BAD service)

I don't live in a tourist area. I tip what Thais tip plus just a little. Thais tip 40 baht/hr at the massage place I go ... I tip 50. <My partner set the rate that I tip from the beginning ... i would have tipped 100/hr happily ... I get great service there from super people!>

[jdinasia]

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.

Tipping at that level is appropriate in places where the rates are that much higher! I go to a place that's 100/bht an hour .... tipping is how those people survive

[chuang]

In general at any place of service you give tips, how much one gives depend on the individual and the service rendered. 100 Baht is reasonable given the cheap price for massage.

Do you give tips in your home country and how much ?

[gregc]

Yeah i reckon they expect to be tipped too much for a massage. I used to give 50B tip for a 2 hour massage (300 Baht) and got some snide comments back. However I think its reasonable and in proportion to the cost of the service.

[jdinasia]

for 2 hours you tipped 50? egads!

[meemiathai]

dive_mistress

[meemiathai]

How much money do people here make for 2 hours?

[kasi]

The massage ladies usually make between 40-50% commission.

So on 250bht foot/thai massage they make 100-125bht.

A 50bht tip would be the minimum. Since most of these ladies are so gracious they accept even a 20bht tip with grace. But if you like the place and would like similar service next time a 100bht tip is a good idea.

These ladies work very hard. 100 bht isn't a lot of money. They are feeding and supporting extended families more often than not. How big of a sacrifice is 100 bht?(if it is then tip only 50bht) Especially considering the goodwill 100bht generates. Anyway as someone said earlier "up to you".

I usually tip 200bht to my favorites. It's well appreciated.

[John_Betong]

Hi To All and nobody in particular,

Point 1:

For a massage I tip about 50 to 100 baht depending on the quality of the service. The service includes the ambience and if the masseuse/massager (SP) is constantly talking to her friend I do not tip. If the tip is looked at scornfully then I say words to the effect of "No problem" and take it back.

Point 2:

For beer drinks I usually give 20 baht, tend to frequent the same places and have good service nearly every time. Also amused at the difference in service from the same place and server for identical orders.

Point 3:

I have learnt to be careful of what I tip since in Thailand I have noticed that service is initially good, rapidly gets worse until eventually one is taken for granted and a tip is just expected regardless of how shoddy service is given. My reaction to the out-stretched hand for shoddy service is to shrug my shoulders, look aghast and ask "Why"?

Point 4:

In UK I ran two service businesses for about 12 years and discussed at length my employees' tips. Some guys done remarkably well, others just never got a tip. I always remember driving pensioners in one of my taxis and having the ten pence (7 baht) pressed into the palm of my hand. Ten pence from a pensioner meant a great deal to them! I always strived for a tip and felt that if I never got one then I had not given a good service because of poor driving. I tried to be careful when accelerating and breaking, (please don't get me going on local taxis, tutuks and motorsai' drivers).

Point 5:

Tipping in Uk and other countries. I reckon is all relative and maybe different nationalities should observe the Big Mac Index. What you are tipping equates to the quality of a local meal.

Burgernomics is based on the theory of purchasing-power parity, the notion that a dollar should buy the same amount in all countries. Thus in the long run, the exchange rate between two countries should move towards the rate that equalises the prices of an identical basket of goods and services in each country. Our "basket" is a McDonald's Big Mac, which is produced in about 120 countries. The Big Mac PPP is the exchange rate that would mean hamburgers cost the same in America as abroad. Comparing actual exchange rates with PPPs

Chokdee,

John_Betong

[John K]

In general at any place of service you give tips, how much one gives depend on the individual and the service rendered. 100 Baht is reasonable given the cheap price for massage.

Do you give tips in your home country and how much ?

Back in the states the need to be licenced to work. If they are charging you $60.00 / hr for a massage, it all goes to them. From that they pay their rent if the are working with others. Most have their own place or service in your office by bringing a massage chair. For them no tip.

[jdinasia]

huh? I NEVER tipped less than $10 USD for a 90 minute massage in the US .... have several friends that are LMT's and they say I was cheap ... that $20 USD was common

Granted that was for massage in my own home and not at a spa ... the better spa's expected at least $20

Edited April 11, 2006 by jdinasia

[English Noodles]

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7246&st=0

[joinme2leave]

my last rfound of golf with thai biz partners......medium expensive course (b 800/round+200/caddy).....I became ashamed of myself when I saw the thais giving the caddies (friendly but unexpereinced ones) a 200baht tip. Ashamed coz I gave only 90 (that's what i had left in small money). My caddie was the best one out of those 4...

as about massage: thai massage if done well i tip a 50b. in 100% tourist areas i do not tip at all or max 20.

[daleyboy]

I tip what i feel is appropriate. If it was a good massage i will give quite generously(sp) if it was a crap massage then they get &lt;deleted&gt; all.

This is how i pretty much run my life when it comes to tips, good service good tip, bad service &lt;deleted&gt; all

And its nobodys business but mine what i tip, unless the wife is present then i tip what i am told

Edited April 11, 2006 by daleyboy

[Rinrada]

There shouldn't be a set tip scale, it is up to the individual to give what they believe to be appropriate.

From the Scottish scrooges to the American percentage tippers, there will never be consensus on how much to tip.

No tip at all or too small a tip may be regarded as an insult, too large a tip may be regarded as extravagant stupidity. Somewhere in between is just right.

Me thinks ALL tipping should be considered an INSULT and is DEMEANING to any individual...

The Dignity of LABOUR....u gotta be kidding....

So...in future ...a scale...in LOS

....Waitresses.................10 bt

....Bus Driver.................20 Bt

...Massage lady/guy........30 Bt

...Rubbish Collector.........40 Bt

...Taxi driver .................50 Bt

...Tuk Tuk Driver............60 bt

...Toilet Cleaner..............70 Bt

...TG Airline pilot.............80 Bt

...Som Tam lady.............90 Bt

...beggers on the Bridge....1 bt

...BGs...............................................??????

Wouldnt it be easier if on arrival in LOS say at Don.M all tourists just deposited ...wot say.. $1000 each to cover their 2 week Jolli.....and would make everyone feel better all round......

They could ALL be given a daft baseball hat to wear with a yellow Message in both Thai and English proclaiming ....

I am NOT a "sticky B*m" (keen-yok)...I TIP generously to all the POOR People in Thailand and it makes me feel like one of those people with a lot of money to throw away...just like John Paul Getty.Georgie Soros and the guys who own Micro-Soft..........thinks SOFT is the word....dear dear..

Hey BIG Spenders

[jdinasia]

huh?

OK ... no tipping is fine with me ... jump the prices to reasonable would be fine. Then the keeniaw tightwads might just stay back in <insert whatever country is apporpriate here ... that actually PAYS people well enough not to live off of tips>

[meemiathai]

Where can I buy those baseball hats?

Actually it is good that there are quite some cheap charlies who don't tip! It makes me a bit different. Otherwise I would be having to tip like 500bahts!

I am starting to think maybe T-shirts saying "I do not tip!" would make quite a good sale.

[Rinrada]

We used to have shirts in Hanoi printed with the words (in Viet-Namese -of course) saying..

"I am Not a tourist ..I live here".......but they had no effect.

The guys who used to flog the copied versions of the Quiet Man,Ho Che Mings biography,postage stamps showing americian bombers being shot down during the war..etc still persisted to hassle.

It was only later on when we re printed the shirts to say ...

I am NOT a Fkuking Tourist I Fkuking Live that they would then ignore us.

funny old world.....init

[John K]

As it would happen I decided to go out to Nana Disco last night, and one of the girls that works at the massage / barber / laundry across the street was there. She said that they charge 250 ThB for a 1 hour foot massage and that a 150 ThB tip was average for a foot massage. She did indicate that one lady did tip her 500. She has actually only given me one foot massage as I prefer a different girl there. The one foot massage that she did give me was quite average and nothing spectacular. It would seem that tips are all over the house but that is a tourist area and it would stand to reason people have no idea as to what tip is appropriate.

[robitusson]

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

That's it, raise the country's inflation by giving a half a day's wages as a tip. We're not in America. Tipping is not neccesary. 5% or possibly 10% is plenty if the guilt is really kicking in.

[jdinasia]

1/2 a day's wages? for whom would that be 1/2 a days wages?

for a laborer? yes ... for a teen working at 7/11? yes ....

for my partner? He spends more on lunch daily .... And he's sitting behind a desk ... not rubbing the sweaty feet of some tourist

[jackr]

they charge 250 ThB for a 1 hour foot massage and that a 150 ThB tip was average for a foot massage. She did indicate that one lady did tip her 500. It would seem that tips are all over the house but that is a tourist area and it would stand to reason people have no idea as to what tip is appropriate.

Exactly, the expectation is there now through silly farangs coming here thinking they're all generous and doing the right thing, where, in reality, they are giving the locals the wrong idea. As someone else said, tip a token amount for good service, which is the done thing here, but none of this ridiculous percentage lark. Tipping like that here is just not necessary. Just because the job may be poorly paid in your eyes and relative to your country, like most jobs in Muang Thai, doesn't mean it's poorly paid for them and should be subsidized as in the American way. They are earning perfectly well out of the standard price and are laughing all the way to the bank with the extras.

Why don't the newbies get this??

[jdinasia]

scroll through the posts here Jackr ....don't just read the last 3

[joinme2leave]

SO WHAT we (you)are all talking about 4 pages now? Tipping in general is mostly an AMERICAN tradition isn't it? European way of tipping is...well...you give IF you give whatever you consider to give coz of good service blabla....imho, IT IS TOO LATE (far too late) to talk about how much to give...it's been the americans who destroy(ed) that kinda behaviour/misbehaviour years ago. No offense to americans though. LOS - thanks to Thaksin and companions - is a country LEARNING about HOW to make easy money easily...and they adopt well. For an expat I agree these discussions turn into so-to-say future trouble as - believe me - tipping won't be less than nowadays - in the coming years. Nonetheless, beeing some kinda mix expat and more than frequent traveller (and european) I tip what i tip whatever standards may tell me about it....

have a nice day.