Thailand Tipping - when is it a definite NO?

[MRYANG]

Tipping is no no for many reasons:

1. It tells the recipient that wrong price was set from the beginning (and how the hell are we to know better than the owner?)

2. It disrupts the economy by directly increase the prices faster than market

3. It's basically to feel poor for the recipient. But didn't they choose to become taxi drivers and not learn computer programming (which is a free education for anyone with a smartphone).

4. It is a show off and thus totally unnecessary in the context of social development.

But yes... I do leave coins as well for practical reasons when wearing shorts with non-existing pockets..... (lame but true...)

[KhnomKhnom]

I tip whoever I expect to see again for service. Gate guard, postman, favorite restaurant wait people, and the like. I like the welcome of my next visit.

[Neeranam]

I tip whoever I expect to see again for service. Gate guard, postman, favorite restaurant wait people, and the like. I like the welcome of my next visit.

So it's your fault my postman takes ages when giving me change or says he doesn't have any.

I've heard it all now - tipping the postman. What about your dentist - do you see him regularly?

[Donutz]

I the service is bad, the thing most Thais do is leave 1 baht. I've done this a couple of times to show my annoyance.

If the waiting staff hand my wife the menu,I generally don't tip. Once I went into MK with my kids and the stupid waitress gave the menu to the eldest and looked straight through me.

Not to mention the English only menu, which just happens to be twice the price of the Thai only menu.

MK has different menu's with different prices? Rarely come there and we all get the Thai language menu, so I wouldn't be aware of any English language menu or price difference.

But as I asked earlier, anyone knows if Sabu charges 10% service charge for Thai (only)? The menu suggests they do not, my Thai friends said they do though they know I dislike dual pricing (and services charges). Nothing to do with khi nok, but detesting discrimination and things being forced upon you. If we eat out with friends I prefer restaurants outside malls with only Thai guests: Korean BBQ, roadside/sidewalk "restaurant" etc. Very sanook and no western prices, let alone silly service charges.

[David48]

This is one take on it ... it's an observation, it's a generalisation, not a rule.

If you are from the USA, tipping is engrained in your mindset.

Indeed, your goodwill with your tip forms indirectly part of the wait service staff's salary.

The USA minimum wage is USD 7.25 an hour.

Service staff are reliant on tips to top up their wage.

So, when someone from the States travels ... they will tip ... it's their mindset.

Nothing wrong with that, they are doing what comes naturally.

Of course, not everyone is the same ... it's a generalisation, not a rule

Where, in Australia and many other countries, tipping is not part of the Culture.

The Aussie minimum wage is AUD 16.87 an hour.

So, the wait staff are much less reliant on the tips.

So, when someone from Australia travels ... they will either not tip or tip only for exceptional service ... it's their mindset.

Nothing wrong with that, they are doing what comes naturally.

Of course, not everyone is the same ... it's a generalisation, not a rule

But Cultures change depending on their influences and the USA (popular) Cultural Influence is strong.

Through Hollywood and Sit-coms etc

When it comes to tipping in Thailand, I try to notice what my Thai Partner does, what her friends tip.

How and when Thais tip.

I would curious to hear from someone who has lived in China to see, in the World's most popular Nation,

is tipping part of their Culture?

Also from members who have lived in India ... what is their tipping Culture?

.

[DCvincens]

I sometimes tip outragous amounts, percentage wise, just cos im feeling good that day (had a beer or two have we..??), or that the lady who is servicing me is cute/funny/charming. I also know for a fact they work way harder than me. Call me an idealist, but whos to say I get to keep all my money and not distribute just a lil bit to my fellow man and woman in lesser circumstances. I like to think... that I do what I can?

Just back from Walking Street, and tipped the nice burger lady who always greets me with a smile 500 baht Whats alcohol for if u cant do things like that? I gave 2000 to some half retarded hustler gogo girl the other day, who just happens to be pretty damn hot. Do u think my burger lady friend whines about that? No. Pay 2-5k to a ws pro, and ur just another painful memory she had to endure in her book the next day. Tip the burger lady, and u will have her smile and her time of day forever.

Also, threads like this makes me want to continue my naive and "sucker" way to go about things. I felt inspired today, the burger lady thanks u all! It's an added, truly fulfilling pleasure to pump up the expectations and prices for some cheap charlie expat whiners who sometimes join a piteous alliance on this forum, and who think the third world owes them something.

Flame disclaimer: I dont have much money, as i know its frowned upon here. On the other hand, i dont really give a shit about it, which helps in the trickiest of situations in life's many trials and tribulations.

Good luck in the BBQ stand to u all. Nothing personal with this, I wish u great fortune and discounts on the sticky rice.

Good night folks

[David48]

I sometimes tip outragous amounts, percentage wise, just cos im feeling good that day (had a beer or two have we..??), or that the lady who is servicing me is cute/funny/charming. I also know they work way harder than me. Call me an idealist, but whos to say I get to keep all my money and not distribute just a lil bit to my fellow man and woman in lesser circumstances. I like to think... that I do what I can?

Just back from Walking Street, and tipped the nice burger lady who always greets me with a smile 500 baht Whats alcohol for if u cant do things like that? I gave 2000 to some half retarded hustler gogo girl the other day, who just happens to be pretty damn hot. Do u think my burger lady friend whines about that? No. Pay 2-5k to a ws pro, and ur just another painful memory she had to endure in her book the next day. Tip the burger lady, and u will have her smile and her time of day forever.

Also, threads like this makes me want to continue my naive and "sucker" way to go about things. I felt inspired today, the burger lady thanks u all! It's an added, truly fulfilling pleasure to pump up the expectations and prices for some cheap charlie expat whiners who sometimes join a feeble force on this forum, and who think the third world owes them something.

Flame disclaimer: I dont have much money, as i know its frowned upon here. On the other hand, i dont really give a shit about it, which helps in the trickiest of situations in life's many trials and tribulations.

Good luck in the BBQ stand to u all. Nothing personal with this, I wish u great fortune and discounts on the sticky rice.

Good night folks

Sounds like you've had a fun night out on the Town and the Turps ... good luck to you.

May I ask if you live in Pattaya, or just visiting?

Working in Thailand, or back in the West?

Off-Shore Worker?

Pensioner?

Just curious.

Thanks for the post ... it would be a boring world if we were all the same.

[DCvincens]

Thanks for your kind reply.

Ive lived here 3 years. Im a licenced chiropractor. Long story bro.... Lost a few illusions yes, but i try to keep a positive outlook. It might not be anhything near true (!), but its the way i WANT the world to be. So in all humility, i'd like to think im doing my part. Parts of my part anyways, we all gotta start somewhere.

As for my loyal burger lady ws wife - these things have been known, although rare, to escalate into some after closing time "Issan monkey business". But her smile and genuine appreciation I can pretty much guarantee to u all. She might think I'm a sucker, but hey, that's my best guess AND my tip on top of my tip as well.

Keep living the dream folks. There's a tip fee world on the horizon! We just gotta gang up on this ugly concept for the greater sake of mankind!!!

[marquis22]

In all honesty, I usually leave whatever coins I have and or given back in change, nothing to do with service, its more about me not liking pockets full of shrapnel.

I do similar but then feel a bit awkward if it comes to 99bt and they get a lousy 1bt 'tip"

Most smile and khop khun krap happily, but some times wonder if they really appreciate it ?

[DCvincens]

I should say i feel priviliged, even unfairly fortunate, not to care about individual baht coins to an extreme degree. Aka, not giving a shit about something so dead and trivial as pocket change, which is practically not much to me, but can mean a whole lot more to someone else. U know.. some baby food on the table up in the village back home, or the finest blend of the crappiest Thai whisky money can buy for neglected daddies, upholding domestic peace and bliss!

"Give daddy a drink, and he will quench the thirst of a village"

Yea, no one said that... give the concept some time.....

Again, we can fight this if we wanted to. If we unite as a whole. The Brave and Brutal Budget Army! Come together for once, we need all semi-abled bodies!! The famous saying comes to mind - "What is life, if not the pain of sharing your privilige?"

(Again, said no one in history... sorry)

Tap the fellow expat on the shoulder next time in BBQ line.. "Thanks for your service, budget soldier. Say no to "tricky sticky" rice." Bonus stripes and rank for raised tone of voice and impatience with the Thai vendor, wearing Singha tank top and unmatching socks in those comfy veteran sandals.

Even if most of us can't fight for shit, lets put a real nosebleed on these food market oligarchs! In the designated shitty-coin basket - RIGHT WHERE IT HURTS

[NoshowJones]

Be like me, never tip when your in America, the simple reason is because they say you should.

[williet98248]

I am an expat now but on one of my early exploratory trips I tipped the beach boy who helped me launch and recover a sailboat. He looked at it and asked what it was. "A tip, you know, money for good service." He looked at me like I was nuts and walked away. That was when I realized I wasn't in Kansas anymore. I asked some long timers about the tipping policies and they advised that it was customary to leave the coins and take the paper. I tip the manicurist 20 baht but when the owner cuts my hair, no tip. Taxi drivers have the fare rounded up if they haven't tried to kill me. However I have on occasion just gotten out and walked away when they have taken me to a shopping mall instead of the bus station. If the restaurant has a service charge I ask the servers if that goes to them. If yes, no tip. If no I give them a personal tip and bitch to the owner about the SC. And probably don't go back. Fancy restaurants get about 10%. Street vendors; no tip. After all, I buy there because it is cheap. In fancy restaurants if they don't bring back the change of the bill I call them out and don't leave a tip. This would happen on occasion even in the US. Basically I take into account who it is and where I am whether to pick everything up, leave the coins or actually give a tip. But I feel liberated in Thailand where it is generally not required to pay a tip.

[cgphuket]

I never tip anyone, anytime, for any reason.

If I use a songthaew, and the advertised fare is 17bht, I hold my hand out until 3bht is returned.

I never buy anything that is unpriced either.

and I bet your a joy to be around.

[WhamBam]

When is it a no?

Bad service = No.

Slow / incompetent service = No

Poor cleaning of the hotel room = No.

Surly staff = No

Anywhere with service charge = N0 (with one exception. If the staff are really happy, smiling and give great service - like where I have my breakfast each day).

Standard services such as shops, petrol, clothes, repairs are all a No.

As another poster mentioned, when staff ask for more = No.

And when staff hold out their hand = No.

20 Baht tip delivered slowly down the cleavage? Definite YES

[David48]

^^ WB ... never failing to disappoint.

Focus on the last line ...

[David48]

I never tip anyone, anytime, for any reason.

If I use a songthaew, and the advertised fare is 17bht, I hold my hand out until 3bht is returned.

I never buy anything that is unpriced either.

and I bet your a joy to be around.

cg ... I reckon you are being a little harsh there.

I don't know if you use the songthaew often, but away from the tourist areas ... everyone pays the fare.

Not more, not less ... just the fare ... 'tipping' is unheard of.

100% ... not done.

Where I used to live, on the outskirts of Bangkok, the songthaew ride from the apartment, about 20 mins, to the end of the BTS line was Bt 8 ... in the many months I lived there, I saw one other Westerner taking the songthaew, so all the customers were Thai ... to a person, everyone paid Bt 8

AOA is not being cheap ... he's doing and paying the expected amount ... no more and no less.

[attrayant]

Tipping is no no for many reasons:

1. It tells the recipient that wrong price was set from the beginning (and how the hell are we to know better than the owner?)

Because we are the customer. If the price is "wrong", we won't eat there.

2. It disrupts the economy by directly increase the prices faster than market

Non-sequitur. Tipping has nothing to do with inflation.

3. It's basically to feel poor for the recipient. But didn't they choose to become taxi drivers and not learn computer programming (which is a free education for anyone with a smartphone).

And if they can't afford a 30,000 baht smartphone and 10,000 baht a year for internet access? Oops, I guess that's basically to make them "feel poor".

4. It is a show off and thus totally unnecessary in the context of social development.

That describes smartphones very well, along with designer clothing, automobiles, and going out to restaurants in the first place.

[attrayant]

Be like me, never tip when your in America, the simple reason is because they say you should.

Subscribe to Possum's newsletter "Better Living Through Spite!" now.

[Lucifer]

I am an expat now but on one of my early exploratory trips I tipped the beach boy who helped me launch and recover a sailboat. He looked at it and asked what it was. "A tip, you know, money for good service." He looked at me like I was nuts and walked away. That was when I realized I wasn't in Kansas anymore. I asked some long timers about the tipping policies and they advised that it was customary to leave the coins and take the paper. I tip the manicurist 20 baht but when the owner cuts my hair, no tip. Taxi drivers have the fare rounded up if they haven't tried to kill me. However I have on occasion just gotten out and walked away when they have taken me to a shopping mall instead of the bus station. If the restaurant has a service charge I ask the servers if that goes to them. If yes, no tip. If no I give them a personal tip and bitch to the owner about the SC. And probably don't go back. Fancy restaurants get about 10%. Street vendors; no tip. After all, I buy there because it is cheap. In fancy restaurants if they don't bring back the change of the bill I call them out and don't leave a tip. This would happen on occasion even in the US. Basically I take into account who it is and where I am whether to pick everything up, leave the coins or actually give a tip. But I feel liberated in Thailand where it is generally not required to pay a tip.

But 10% of "cheap" is cheap.

[Naam]

hmmm...

[farang000999]

Nothing better than a tipping thread... we get to hear once again the greatest insult you can ever give a Thai is to offer them a tip... because we know how much they hate money and that Thais themselves never tip.

[Naam]

many rainy seasons ago when i was a bachelor, living/working in Saudi Arabia and holidaying in Thailand i insulted a massage lady with a huge tip. that made her so angry that she insulted me with a blowjob

[farang000999]

I know you guys would never believe me if I told you that most Thais have more money than I do. Still its not important what people think, is it.

I believe you.

[WhamBam]

^^ WB ... never failing to disappoint.

Focus on the last line ...

I do try to keep it up

If I did not keep it up then wouldn't it be a let down?

[Neeranam]

many rainy seasons ago when i was a bachelor, living/working in Saudi Arabia and holidaying in Thailand i insulted a massage lady with a huge tip. that made her so angry that she insulted me with a blowjob

People in PAttaya should really have their own forum. Thai poeple that go to work in Pattaya are NOT typical Thai people, they go there ONLY for the money. Massage joint there is another word for brothel and what you paid for is called dessert, I believe, or pudding for the unrefined

Pattaya is a sex tourist destination and there is a huge separation between Thais and foreigners. Mostly, the Thais hate foreigners but put up with them because of the money - the ones that don't tip are hated even more - all due to the sexpats being ill-informed about Thai customs and traditions. I've seen foreigners tip the woman who sells pineapples on the street even after she is charging them twice what I paid as I spoke Isarn with her.

Fine,, but look at the state of pattaya. I want to inform the expats who come to Isarn and other partds of Thailand that tipping is not one of their customs and people are proud here and do feel insulted when some oil worker comes in thinking he is the SUltan of Brunei. A friend of mine was earning 500 quid a day about 10 years ago gave every waitress a 1000 baht tip one - 7 in total. SUre they were happy but if everyone did this what do you think would happen?

Please don't compare Pattaya to the real Thailand.

[TheSpade]

I tip if there's good service but it's so rare I don't have to do it often. Or when it's just 5-10B left in change in a bar / restaurant / laundry / taxi because it's no big deal. Will tip 50B or so for a good haircut.

I gave my laundry to the place in my new condo this week on Monday morning. Went back the next evening to collect as is standard for any laundry I've ever used in Thailand.

Was told it wouldn't be ready until Wednesday.

Forget to go back Wednesday

Go back Thursday told "it's not ready yet". I can see it it's just not been folded and bagged up.

Go back Friday and laundry is closed.

Finally am able to pick up Saturday, 5 days after initially handing it in, but have to wait 10 minutes for them to fold and bag it, still hadn't been done.

Was asked when paying "no tip?" with a surprised look on her face.

Definitely no tip. Other than speed your service up anyway, there's a dozen laundry places in the street and I'm sure they are cheaper and faster than you.

[Tywais]

Just like I do in traveling to most countries, I follow what the locals do. When I moved to Thailand nearly 23 years ago it was the Thais that taught me when, how and where of tipping. Even going partying or having meals with bar girls many years ago, yes I am human, even they would tip but as the norm, leave the coins on the tray or sometimes a twenty baht note. Got caught out by one when I joked about leaving 1 baht and she set me straight about that. BTW, if you are thinking of course they would leave a tip, it was my money ... some may be surprised that Dutch treat, they referred to it as American treat, was not unusual and shared the costs.

When the boss from our office would take our entire staff out for a celebratory dinner or lunch, which I can imagine being well over 8000 Baht, he tipped handsomely. Even when he would just take me out for a bite, same. The higher up the food chain, the greater the tipping was but that makes sense in terms of what one can afford to do. Could go on outlining more experiences with Thais and tipping but believe I'll stop at that. These are my experiences over a long period of time here, others' mileage may vary. I try to leave my American preconceived notions at the airport.

[rgs2001uk]

^^^^^, here in Bkk its referred to as American Share.

Quite common outside the normal tourist/farang enclaves.

[Tywais]

^^^^^, here in Bkk its referred to as American Share.

Thanks for jogging my memory, that was the phrase they used.

[Naam]

many rainy seasons ago when i was a bachelor, living/working in Saudi Arabia and holidaying in Thailand i insulted a massage lady with a huge tip. that made her so angry that she insulted me with a blowjob

People in PAttaya should really have their own forum. Thai poeple that go to work in Pattaya are NOT typical Thai people, they go there ONLY for the money. Massage joint there is another word for brothel and what you paid for is called dessert, I believe, or pudding for the unrefined

Pattaya is a sex tourist destination and there is a huge separation between Thais and foreigners. Mostly, the Thais hate foreigners but put up with them because of the money - the ones that don't tip are hated even more - all due to the sexpats being ill-informed about Thai customs and traditions. I've seen foreigners tip the woman who sells pineapples on the street even after she is charging them twice what I paid as I spoke Isarn with her.

Fine,, but look at the state of pattaya. I want to inform the expats who come to Isarn and other partds of Thailand that tipping is not one of their customs and people are proud here and do feel insulted when some oil worker comes in thinking he is the SUltan of Brunei. A friend of mine was earning 500 quid a day about 10 years ago gave every waitress a 1000 baht tip one - 7 in total. SUre they were happy but if everyone did this what do you think would happen?

Please don't compare Pattaya to the real Thailand.

Dear Sir,

people living in the wilderness should not make wild claims and irrelevant assumptions. what i clearly described happened in Bangkok in 1974, i.e. forty years ago when i was a tourist and didn't think in my wildest dreams ever to become a resident within the vicinity of Pattaya.

people living in the wilderness should also refrain to impose their ridiculous thoughts and irrelevant judgments on others and rather concentrate educating their wives/girlfriends instead of trying to educate arrivés who are not in dire need of an education.

it goes without saying that the afore-mentioned is based on my [not so] humble opinion; mileages of others may vary.