Why Don't Christian Missionaries Tip?

[Ulysses G.]

I like good food and I don't have any place to cook so I eat out 3 times a day.

I am not overly fond of Thai food - although I love Japanese, Chinese, Indian etc. - , so I avoid it most of the time and frequent Chiang Mai's best Farang restaurants, as well as other cuisines.

These Farang places are packed with missionaries and their families much of the time, and they seem to move mostly between the same 4 or 5 places that I go to most.

The staff in these places tell me that virtually none of the Christians leave any tip - at all - although they are quite demanding, and are almost always in very large groups that are difficult to serve.

Everyone knows that Thai workers make very little money and, in general, they are sweet, helpful people. These missionaries seem to live high-on-the-hog. If they have to eat out, why can't they spare a few baht for serving staff that are making almost nothing?

What ever happened to Chritian charity?

[chuchok]

These missionaries seem to live high-on-the-hog. If they have to eat out, why can't they spare a few baht for serving staff that are making almost nothing?

That's it in a nutshell.They are just tight fisted <deleted>.Next time tell them...

[elGrande]

I am always hearing about following Thai culture. Tipping is not part of Thai culture and is only founf in tourist areas. The answer to your question is no tip is required.

Next time remind the waitress.

[ovenman]

Question: Why don't Christian missionaries tip?

Answer: Because Jesus saves!

[britmaveric]

No dosh maybe? (cheap bastards)

[Tywais]

I am always hearing about following Thai culture. Tipping is not part of Thai culture and is only founf in tourist areas. The answer to your question is no tip is required.

Neither is Christianity but they don't seem bothered about interfering with one of the deepest aspects of the Thai culture. Also wrong about tipping outside of the tourist areas. Every Thai colleage I've gone out for dinner with from the university will leave a tip.

[Plus]

What ever happened to Christian charity?

a) Christian charity is for Christians (and prospective Christians) only

b ) they are being charitable just by allowing waiters to serve such exalted souls

c) it's against internal policy of giving Church's money away to infidels -see point a)

Bloody b_) turns out as a smiley

Edited June 1, 2006 by Plus

[earlofwindermere]

My question is how can you tell if someone is a missionary? Especially for Thais, all farang look the same, don't they?

I like to tip but nearly every farang that I've gone to dinner with (missionary, no missionary, Thai or Farang) has said what elgrande said above - it's not the custom here in Thailand. What I've been told is that 10-20 baht is a nice tip at most places (not including hotel restaurants). What is the norm here?

[Maejo Man]

They live in the community extremely well on church funding, and I can never understand why they are here. Thailand was fine without them.

We've got them all here, the Seventh Day Bicyclists, The Morons and The Jehovah's Woodchuckers, and they all seem to eat at the Duke's.

[mark45y]

Normally I let my lady decide how much to tip. For the noodle stands or smaller shops she does not leave a tip because there is no service involved. In some places she hands the tip to the server instead of leaving it in the check bin folder. When there is bad service she insists I leave no tip unless she knows the restaurant owner.

When I ran restaurants in the States I used to have to beg servers to wait on Canadians because they were such small tippers. The average in the States in good restaurants is 20% 15% minimum and the Canadians would only leave 5% or 10% and there a lot of Canadians living in Florida.

I always tip even when I eat at Amazing sandwich which she finds unusual.

I have known a few missionaries and found no redeemable traits in their arsenal. I wish I could say I had met even one that I thought had a good bone in their body but I have not.

I was raised a Catholic and found their pagan babies thing equally disturbing.

I find the whole concept of missionaries in a foreign country disturbing and that goes for St Patrick in Ireland.

I don’t know for sure if it is legal but I imagine it would be legal to post a sign that stated 15% added automatically to the bill of missionaries. At any rate if I open up a restaurant in Chiang Mai I would post such a sign. If nothing else it would get me some good publicity.

[chuchok]

I don’t know for sure if it is legal but I imagine it would be legal to post a sign that stated 15% added automatically to the bill of missionaries. At any rate if I open up a restaurant in Chiang Mai I would post such a sign. If nothing else it would get me some good publicity.

now that would work.

[thaibebop]

Question: Why don't Christian missionaries tip?

Answer: Because Jesus saves!

Very funny!!

[elGrande]

I don’t know for sure if it is legal but I imagine it would be legal to post a sign that stated 15% added automatically to the bill of missionaries. At any rate if I open up a restaurant in Chiang Mai I would post such a sign. If nothing else it would get me some good publicity.

I don't know about missionaries but the concept you suggest here is pure idiocy. There is basically no tipping in Thailand, leaving a few baht or loose change is not really the same as tipping 15 - 20%

[penzman]

Change all menu prices to 66.6 baht. See how they run.

[p1p]

I don’t know for sure if it is legal but I imagine it would be legal to post a sign that stated 15% added automatically to the bill of missionaries. At any rate if I open up a restaurant in Chiang Mai I would post such a sign. If nothing else it would get me some good publicity.

now that would work.

Would get my custom anyway! I should imagine the KKKryschunz would avoid you like the plague, but others flock to show their support. (You would have to serve good food though )

I don't know about missionaries but the concept you suggest here is pure idiocy. There is basically no tipping in Thailand, leaving a few baht or loose change is not really the same as tipping 15 - 20%

I take issue with this. Historically it is true, however in the last fifteen to twenty years or so tipping has become the expected norm in most restaurants above roadside noodle vendor class.

As an aside, I have seen staff in one restaurant follow a customer to hand back a small tip with the comment that if the customer can't afford more, they need the money more than the staff member does! This would certainly never have happened if tipping was not expected.

I applauded.

[ronz28]

What a bunch of arrogant selfish pigs. I would refuse to serve them if the free loaders ever came back. They should stay in their own country and try pulling that on their own people.

[Ricardo]

My question is how can you tell if someone is a missionary? Especially for Thais, all farang look the same, don't they?

I'd tend to suspect groups of wives, all with young children on their hips, wearing lace-hats & dull-coloured floor-length dresses. But agree that they ought to wear some sort of warning-sign.

I like to tip but nearly every farang that I've gone to dinner with (missionary, no missionary, Thai or Farang) has said what elgrande said above - it's not the custom here in Thailand. What I've been told is that 10-20 baht is a nice tip at most places (not including hotel restaurants). What is the norm here?

Personally believe that 20B is reasonable, for good/friendly service only, except for 4-5* hotels. But my better half sometimes disagrees - and I trust her judgement in this.

[ThaiPauly]

My question is how can you tell if someone is a missionary?

By thier Position

[elGrande]

I take issue with this. Historically it is true, however in the last fifteen to twenty years or so tipping has become the expected norm in most restaurants above roadside noodle vendor class.

Many things are expected. Money should change hands when it is earned, not expected. TIP is an acronym for "To Insure Promptness." If you are promptly served TIP away. In my experience promptness is no more a part of Thai custome than tipping.

[Explorer]

My question is how can you tell if someone is a missionary?

By thier Position

Spot on!

Explorer

[chanchao]

Wow... "Missionaries" AND "tipping" AND "Restaurants" all in one topic.

I just PM'd George to go arrange extra disk & bandwidth capacity for this subforum.

[Phil Conners]

Who cares? Religion is all fraud designed to help the weak make it through life.

[penzman]

[britmaveric]

Wow... "Missionaries" AND "tipping" AND "Restaurants" all in one topic.

I just PM'd George to go arrange extra disk & bandwidth capacity for this subforum.

Now throw politics into it and we will need more space!!

[KhunMarco]

Wow... "Missionaries" AND "tipping" AND "Restaurants" all in one topic.

I just PM'd George to go arrange extra disk & bandwidth capacity for this subforum.

Now throw politics into it and we will need more space!!

Any BG story around?

[cobra]

Interesting, I know the Jews are legendary in areas of frugality, (to be polite), but I wouldn't have thought this of Christians, (ie, Christian charity), unless they really take the they who do not toil, do not break bread thing seriously,

[ronz28]

Interesting, I know the Jews are legendary in areas of frugality, (to be polite), but I wouldn't have thought this of Christians, (ie, Christian charity), unless they really take the they who do not toil, do not break bread thing seriously,

I have not observed Jews not tipping in Texas. I have been to lunch with Jewish friends and my daughter and son in law have waited on tables during college and neither has commented on that being a problem with Jews.

The only people as a group who mostly do not tip in their experience in the U.S. is blacks. My daughter didn't know that and had worked her bu## off for a black family and was tipped a quarter. She told others about her frustration and they just explained to her- oh didn't you know??- Blacks don't tip. Since college students only get to work a few "waiter hours" a week- (the rest is no tip other minimum wage work time) that does hurt to spend a lot of time sevicing these customers for nothing. Later, she brought this up with my son-in law (married to the other daughter) and he said yes, its the same in New Jersey and New York too where he waited on tables while going to college- Blacks don't tip. What are the people of any group thinking when they cheat the wait staff out of a tip?

[Thaiquila]

Interesting, I know the Jews are legendary in areas of frugality, (to be polite), but I wouldn't have thought this of Christians, (ie, Christian charity), unless they really take the they who do not toil, do not break bread thing seriously,

New York City, a heavily Jewish city, and one of the great restaurant cities in the world. I have never once in my entire life heard anyone but an anti semite say that American Jews don't tip as a group at least adequately. Not sure about Israelis though!

[KhunMarco]

Oh not that anti semite sh*t again, anytime someone dare to speak about jews.

Who knows why the comment about black people past completely unnoticed and not remarked as racist by the same poster

Anyone have seen the throw up- bucket around

Edited June 2, 2006 by KhunMarco

[Diablo Bob]

I take issue with this. Historically it is true, however in the last fifteen to twenty years or so tipping has become the expected norm in most restaurants above roadside noodle vendor class.

Many things are expected. Money should change hands when it is earned, not expected. TIP is an acronym for "To Insure Promptness." If you are promptly served TIP away. In my experience promptness is no more a part of Thai custome than tipping.

Hey CHEAP CHARLIE as you say, "however in the last fifteen to twenty years or so" , well this is actually around 40+ years. This is more than enough time to be assimilated into a culture. Isn't the Thai culture allowed to mature?

We (The West) introduced it....... THEY (The Thai) embraced the concept ........ It is NOW a part of their culture (Evolution)!

Stop excusing the CHEAP missionaries, face it, they use the savings to purchase longer ladders to put signs in the forest, and SAVE more souls.