Tipping Etiquette in Thailand

[Colonel_Mustard]

In a restaurant I generally tip between 5 and 10% depending on the bill and quality of service. Rarely tip elsewhere.

[Pralaad]

Tipping is not expected in Thailand. Thais are very straightforward with money, the price is the price and that's it (when speaking of restaurants and such, markets and such are different, there you can talk about discount).

That being said, I follow, and would recommend to others too, a tipping etiquette in which to leave a small tip when eating food which is cheap and good. For example, if the price is 35, just pay 40. If the price is 50-55, pay 60, and so on. In more expensive places I only tip if I feel like I have received a better than average service, which doesn't happen very often (as with more expensive places, I'm expecting a higher quality in service and food anyway).

May i ask where you learned your wisdom?

I only ask, because i own a restaurant and we deliver, i own a bar, and a few other small businesses and tipping is expected.

From delivery man to maid, to handyman, to hairdresser.

There is no set % like in US, however 20 baht for delivery man, 20 baht for maid, 20 baht for hairdresser etc.

In the bar if you order 1 drink, 20 or so baht is expected if you want to be served again and not ignored for a while.

100 baht is expected if you had a meal with a group of friends leaving a mess.

And before you tell me, its for foreigners, i can tell you my friends lawyers, accountants and doctors ALWAYS tip if service was good and tip is usually over 100 baht depending on the total bill.

If service was not good, they would leave a 20 baht tip.

Low income Thai do not tip, but not because they do not want to tip, because they do not have money to tip.

[Pralaad]

I usually balance my tips at some where between 0% and 0% of the final bill depending on service provided.

Cheap bastards like you should stay home and eat out of your garbage can. They should have a minimum of 10% added to the bill so guys like you would have to dish it out.

I dont know either of you guys but if spoonman doesnt want to tip so be it. I have to admit his response made me chuckle. I know americans always tip as its part of their culture, the British, not so much. Theres always people at different ends of the spectrum, i respect the balls and decision of giving no tip but i also admire the generosity of someone like gerard052 willing to give more, i wish i was in a position to be able to do that.

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Its not the country where you come from, but environment where you come from.

If you come from a small town there is no tipping, if you spent all your life drinking in the local pub wearing singlet and dirty work shorts, there is no tipping and if your regular eat out is corner store then again no tipping. HOWEVER if you come from a big city and do go to decent restaurants and popular bars, if you do not tip, you will not be served or last to be served.

In Sydney, some clubs, if you do not tip, for your next round, you will find yourself standing little lonely for a while not to mention have less than a nip in your drink

Its easy, put yourself in other persons shoe. If someone gave you a tip and another one did not, who would you serve first and better?

[muchogra]

Don't tip like an American who thinks he's in America!

Our son tipped B200+ for a B900+ dinner at a restaurant by the river (an ordinary one) in Bangkok. My wife, his mother, naturally, explained to him that it's not the USA. His reply was he didn't mind for he was on vacation. My wife was getting furious while explaining to him. I needed to step in to calm it downi by telling our son that that's not the point whether he's on vacation or not, it's the custom and surelly he should respect that!

Last time I was in the States, I was quite hesitant about tipping for I have lost touch of what it is. It used to be 15%.

In Thailand, I tip, ranging from B20 to B100, in restaurants! In small shops, like in shop houses, no tipping is required except when they hand you your bill in a folder. In such case, I put in a B20 and the change.

[dannyspurs]

Just told my wife about this thread, and her response was, "Tell them Thai people do leave tip, if there's good service. And 20 baht is small money now. Leave 50 baht."

[speedtripler]

Just told my wife about this thread, and her response was, "Tell them Thai people do leave tip, if there's good service. And 20 baht is small money now. Leave 50 baht."

if everyone left 50thb the waiter would be richer than the owner.......

[true blue]

tipping ? well, take the bills and leave the coins

The first time I visited Japan I did that. A few blocks down the sidewalk, the teen male server gasped up behind me, holding out the coins.

True, but Japan is the only place that I have ever had it happen in the world.

i went to jok som pet today and one of the girls ran after me with the change id left behind,

[speedtripler]

tipping ? well, take the bills and leave the coins

The first time I visited Japan I did that. A few blocks down the sidewalk, the teen male server gasped up behind me, holding out the coins.

True, but Japan is the only place that I have ever had it happen in the world.

i went to jok som pet today and one of the girls ran after me with the change id left behind,

a phone fell out my pocket on a park bench worth 23,000 and an elderly thai woman came running to give it back

she wouldnt accept any money either

[Dannyboy6]

I usually balance my tips at some where between 0% and 0% of the final bill depending on service provided.

Cheap bastards like you should stay home and eat out of your garbage can. They should have a minimum of 10% added to the bill so guys like you would have to dish it out.

lol. go eat a bag of dicks.

is 20 baht really going to change your life, what a piece of crap...

[Seastallion]

tipping ? well, take the bills and leave the coins

25 satang tip. Whew, last of the big spenders!

Edited May 21, 2014 by Seastallion

[Spoonman]

I usually balance my tips at some where between 0% and 0% of the final bill depending on service provided.

Cheap bastards like you should stay home and eat out of your garbage can. They should have a minimum of 10% added to the bill so guys like you would have to dish it out.

lol. go eat a bag of dicks.

is 20 baht really going to change your life, what a piece of crap...

lemme see. If I left a 20b tip every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner that totals Bt.21,900 per year....... Yeah I got better things to do with that money than just give it away.

[larsjohnsson]

When you receive your change you will often see that it includes, for example 50 to 100 baht in coins and maybe 5 x 20 baht notes.

The staff are anticipating that you will at least leave the coins and hopefully the small notes as well.

So yes, in these places the sataff expect a tip.

I hate that. And never leave a tip when I get 50 baht in coins

[Ulysses G.]

lemme see. If I left a 20b tip every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner that totals Bt.21,900 per year....... Yeah I got better things to do with that money than just give it away.

Those poor people would just waste it on food and rent anyway.

[larsjohnsson]

Just told my wife about this thread, and her response was, "Tell them Thai people do leave tip, if there's good service. And 20 baht is small money now. Leave 50 baht."

Getting 50 baht from every one eating in a small restaurant would make at least 100×50 baht=5000 every day. And make the waitress salary incredible good 100k+

[topt]

tipping ? well, take the bills and leave the coins

The first time I visited Japan I did that. A few blocks down the sidewalk, the teen male server gasped up behind me, holding out the coins.

True, but Japan is the only place that I have ever had it happen in the world.

i went to jok som pet today and one of the girls ran after me with the change id left behind,

I have seen it happen in China as well. Unfortunately it is changing for the worse as more restaurants serving international customers expect to be tipped.

[Spoonman]

lemme see. If I left a 20b tip every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner that totals Bt.21,900 per year....... Yeah I got better things to do with that money than just give it away.

Those poor people would just waste it on food and rent anyway.

Well if they didn't blow their salary on booze and drugs they would already have money for food and rent.

[samran]

Nice to see the Americans getting flustered over this as much as I get flustered when I go to the states and have to deal with tipping etiquette.

Karma!

For the purposes of Thailand - well Tipping really is a city in china.

[Neeranam]

Sometimes I leave 1 baht tip if the service was terrible.

I never leave a tip if they ignore me. happened in an MK type place the other day when I was taking my 11 year old daughter out.

She is 155 cm and looks older than she is. Anyways, the waitress waied her as we walked in and when we were ready to order spoke to her until I jumped in but then she checked the order with her. I was fuming and my daughter embarrassed. It's bad enough when I'm with my wife and the hand her the menu etc.

[Gerard052]

lemme see. If I left a 20b tip every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner that totals Bt.21,900 per year....... Yeah I got better things to do with that money than just give it away.

Those poor people would just waste it on food and rent anyway.

Well if they didn't blow their salary on booze and drugs they would already have money for food and rent.

Spoonman, I didn't know that you could add, you must have at least primary school education, congratulation. Now you can go rut in hell.

[Geordie Boy]

I tip all the time but one thing I've done is keep bike taxi drivers sweet ! Bought a few of them a couple bottles of Thai whiskey they were sound after that.

Any trouble my way they would watch & sorted it out because there were a few lunatics knocking about in this area & another posse I bought food for them never paid for a taxi off neither of these crews

[Spoonman]

lemme see. If I left a 20b tip every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner that totals Bt.21,900 per year....... Yeah I got better things to do with that money than just give it away.

Those poor people would just waste it on food and rent anyway.

Well if they didn't blow their salary on booze and drugs they would already have money for food and rent.

Spoonman, I didn't know that you could add, you must have at least primary school education, congratulation. Now you can go rut in hell.

Your spelling of rot suggests you did not even make it to primary school, congratulations.

[Ulysses G.]

I think he was suggesting that you rut in hell with monsters and demons.

[richard_smith237]

Those poor people would just waste it on food and rent anyway.

Well if they didn't blow their salary on booze and drugs they would already have money for food and rent.

Spoonman, I didn't know that you could add, you must have at least primary school education, congratulation. Now you can go rut in hell.

Your spelling of rot suggests you did not even make it to primary school, congratulations.

... nicely set up....

Edited May 23, 2014 by richard_smith237

[Sydebolle]

Well, do that back in your home country and see what reaction a THB 20 tip leaves. How cheap can people be.
Question is, what is the tip all about. Good food, good service = tip. Lousy food, lousy service = no tip.

Trust me, restaurants and staff rate us more critical than guests rate restaurants/staff. A cheap Charlie (i.e. anything below 10%) for a good meal and a good service is considered cheap and we as guests will be treated accordingly.

They live on a salary between THB 9'000 - THB 15'000; if they do a good job then show it - it is rewarded.

[Spoonman]

Well, do that back in your home country and see what reaction a THB 20 tip leaves. How cheap can people be.

Why would I leave a 20b tip in a country that does not tip ?

Trust me, restaurants and staff rate us more critical than guests rate restaurants/staff. A cheap Charlie (i.e. anything below 10%) for a good meal and a good service is considered cheap and we as guests will be treated accordingly.

So the staff keep tabs on who is a good tipper and who is not and dish out the job they are paid to do accordingly ? must be one hell of a lil' black book they keep, maybe they grab your picture from the CCTV and make notations against it and have it flag you as a cheap charlie when you next visit......

They live on a salary between THB 9'000 - THB 15'000; if they do a good job then show it - it is rewarded.

I can kinda understand the tip thing in the USA due to the staff being on minimum wage but 9k to 15k is well above minimum wage in Thailand so why give them more ?

Edited May 25, 2014 by Spoonman