Thai diners emerge as Asia's top tippers

[Soutpeel]

Thai's rarely if ever use a Credit Card to pay for a meal.

So the customers refered to as Tiping via a Credit Card are Tourists

Thai's certainly would not trust that a server would get the "Tip" if they added it to their Credit Card Bill.

So if they did pay for a meal with a Credit Card they would give the Server in cash money a measely typical Thai Style Tip of 20 - 100 baht at the most.

Steady on....some of TV,s finest would suggest THB 20 -100 tip is an absolute fortune and one shouldn't treat the natives to such a large amount of money it will corrupt them

[BAYBOY]

If you suspect that these results to the survey are wrong then did Bangladesh get to be top last year?

BAYBOY

[Morch]

I almost always tip, unless service was really annoying (or taxi driving like a maniac).

I do this regardless if there's a service surcharge in the bill or not, as I'm pretty sure that goes straight to the owners pocket.

Wife learned and accepted the concept, family and friends....we get the odd look, and someone saying there's no need to.

Most people providing services here earn so little, and giving a bit extra directly to them won't hurt.

Never use the credit card for that, though (in Thailand, that is).

India is pretty much the same, btw.

[WarProfiteer]

Their calculation obviously includes the amounts that were later withdrawn after someone in the restaurant skimmed the customer's card and made a copy...

Edited April 16, 2014 by WarProfiteer

[empireboy]

Were thais the biggest tippers or the most frequent?

I'm surprised se Indians getting a place other than near the bottom..

[Ulic]

I think most places that take credit cards add a 10% gratuity to the bill (which the staff do not get)

I would far rather see a poll of the restaurant staff than credit card holders on who are the most generous tippers.

I took a Thai family out for lunch and tipped 300 baht on a 2,500 baht bill. One of the family members scooped

it up as we left and scolded me saying "Thais don't tip"

[GuestHouse]

Penny pinching expats go into panic over the news that tipping is catching on.

Thailand not as cheap as it was.

Masses of foreigners wearing Combo Shorts and Singha vests head for the Cambodia border.

The collapse of Thailand's economy predicted on the basis of 15,000 expats leaving the country and taking their combined Bh2million per month contribution to the Thai economy with them.

Complaints about restrictions in the sales of alcohol drop dramatically.

[lexilis]

The article implied nothing about using a credit card to pay for the meal. It was a survey, probably online and probably sent only to 8000 Master Card holders in the region with country determined by the address on the MC account. Assume say 500 of them were in Thailand. Some of those were no doubt foreigners living here. Since the survey was sent to maybe a dozen countries I doubt it was translated into local languages so it was likely in English. So the survey was not of "Thais" but of MC holding people in Thailand who would answer a survey in English. This is a biased, self-selected survey. All that said I also think the results are complete BS. The answers given by the Thais would not correspond to reality but rather to: 1) what answer makes me seem more like a rich big-shot, and 2) what answer do they want to hear.

[godden]

Who writes this crap

[Arkady]

The survey is not so meaningful as it doesn't attempt to quantify the tips. Thais often leave some small money on the plate but it is more often than not less than 5%. Most Thai taxi drivers look stunned if they get a tip which suggests that most Thais never tip them. Thankfully Thailand has not got to the same state as the US where waiters demand a tip of 15% or more. The Japanese system whereby businesses have to pay a decent wage to waiters and build that into the price makes more sense. You don't get bad service from Japanese restaurants as a result, nor do you get the intrusive US style where waiters insist on telling you their first names or how much the depend on tips because the business owner is presumably too mean to pay them a living wage.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[blazes]

Inconceivable that Bangladeshis or Indians could be high on the list, when one hears stories of four Indian tourists sharing one bottle of beer over two plus hours.

[slipperylobster]

yep. they are counting tips from farangs...and possibly farangs with thai wives..... where the wife holds the credit card and uses it to pay.

[timbus8]

Does anyone hand over a credit card for grub in LOS...........

With the Card Surcharges very few do, only those with more money than sense.

Same as those who tip even if they did not get good food or service, just watching those "Richard Heads" tipping the cashier at a help yourself buffet really cracks me up

His friends call him Dick.

[AryanicAristocrat]

India has a population of neary 1 billion people with a wide range of diversity in its people not to mention the economic classes. The rich are really rich, the middle class is growing and yes the poor are really poor. Yes, most of the lower middle classes who travel a lot these days can be a bit of an embarrassment for the country considering their behaviours and mentality , but there are a lot of rich Indians whose lifestyles might just shock you as they are very extravagant. I think that if you were to visit the higher establishments such as the branded shops, 5 star hotels, etc where some of the rich Indians frequent , you might be shocked. The NRI Indians or non-resident Indains who are citizens from other countries, also are great spenders and tippers. I personally know one Singaporean Indian guy here who has been in the media before as was shocked to see that he goes around tippng waiters, waitresses etc a minimum f Bt 1,000!. As far as the local Thai Indians are concerned ...many are rich and also do tip well. Yopu will be surprised to know how many five and four star hotels and service apartment projects, fashion brands like Zara, MNG, Guess, Ted Baker, Replay, Versace,Ted Baker, Forever 21, H&M, etc in Thailand are all imported and distributed by Indians including many food and restaurant chains etc like Dunkin Donuts, Au Bon Pain, Coffe Bean and Tea Leaves etc

[Morch]

India has a population of neary 1 billion people with a wide range of diversity in its people not to mention the economic classes. The rich are really rich, the middle class is growing and yes the poor are really poor. Yes, most of the lower middle classes who travel a lot these days can be a bit of an embarrassment for the country considering their behaviours and mentality , but there are a lot of rich Indians whose lifestyles might just shock you as they are very extravagant. I think that if you were to visit the higher establishments such as the branded shops, 5 star hotels, etc where some of the rich Indians frequent , you might be shocked. The NRI Indians or non-resident Indains who are citizens from other countries, also are great spenders and tippers. I personally know one Singaporean Indian guy here who has been in the media before as was shocked to see that he goes around tippng waiters, waitresses etc a minimum f Bt 1,000!. As far as the local Thai Indians are concerned ...many are rich and also do tip well. Yopu will be surprised to know how many five and four star hotels and service apartment projects, fashion brands like Zara, MNG, Guess, Ted Baker, Replay, Versace,Ted Baker, Forever 21, H&M, etc in Thailand are all imported and distributed by Indians including many food and restaurant chains etc like Dunkin Donuts, Au Bon Pain, Coffe Bean and Tea Leaves etc

NRI's tip pretty much as acceptable in their resident countries.

"Indian" Indians - not really. This might be somewhat different when traveling abroad.

[DLP]

Here"s a good tip . Dont believe everything you read !!

[super22k]

My Thai GF chastised me for tipping a waiter.She told me Thais never tip unless it is in an expensive resturant.

[crazyguyinthailand]

Lies, damned lies, and statistics.

All my Thai friends say that I am stupid everytime I want to give a tip. tip for what? they say. I wanted to give tip in a nice Skybar when another thai friend pointed at the bill and said: No need its already included in the price(VAT) service charge

Edited April 16, 2014 by crazyguyinthailand

[bushman1666]

I have a tip: Don't eat yellow snow!

Thailand, hub of Bulls#1t reporting.

[bristolgeoff]

I can imagine that the tips are no more than 20 baht most times.or nothing as they eat street food at 30 baht a go.

[cheshiremusicman]

I've been eating out in this country for 20 years and could probably count on 1 hand the number of times I have seen a Thai top more than 20 baht

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Well, I've only been here for 7 years and I've got to say that your experiences are exactly the same as mine. 99% of Thai's don't tip ; at least this is what I've witnessed, they also never say 'Please' or 'Thank you', but that's another matter!

[alphaflight]

What is this based on? I would like to know how many of these Thai credit cards are held by foreigners. I know I have 3 of them...

[kurnell]

I've been eating out in this country for 20 years and could probably count on 1 hand the number of times I have seen a Thai top more than 20 baht

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Well, I've only been here for 7 years and I've got to say that your experiences are exactly the same as mine. 99% of Thai's don't tip ; at least this is what I've witnessed, they also never say 'Please' or 'Thank you', but that's another matter!

Yes it seems to be a national sport to treat the working class with disdain

[CWMcMurray]

Well they didn't say how much.. So bill comes to 793 and 800 thb is given ... Including the 7 thb tip... So a tip was left

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[leggo]

Never seen a Thai tip

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 2 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Torrens54]

Lies, damned lies, and statistics.

They obviously did NOT include my wife in this survey!

[mca]

When I worked in Bangkok I remember a group of Japanese golfers checking out and the bell boys lugging all their clubs, luggage etc from their room and into their van. Tip ( and I kid you not) 3 baht.

Another slightly off topic tale was the New Year tip I gave to the housekeepers and security at my first apartment in LOS. Found out later that the boss and his wife spotted it and demanded they had their cut. Drove a new 3 series. Security used to arrive on a knackered bicycle.

Edited April 17, 2014 by mca

[LomSak27]

DrTurner psoted

My wife pays and the usual tip is 20baht. I do think it's a bit generous, yes. Stupid American import fad ..

not so fast whinging Nigels and Ozites. tipping is related to PooYai - P-Nong social status relations and has been a part of Thailand long before mericans and Elvis entered the picture post WWII.

Just deal with it and find something else to belch bile and cry about.

[chooka]

Tipping is just a silly American Fad.

The cost of preparing your food and the service provided by a waitress is already included in the cost of the meal so why pay them twice. Don't have tipping in Australia and I will never tip someone for something I have already paid for.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4sbYy0WdGQ&feature=player_detailpage