Americans in particular are notorious for tipping automatically. A Yank learns at an early age that if he departs from a restaurant without tipping, everyone he's with, and all the restaurant staff will think he's a chintzy kee-nio S.O.B. I know, I'm an American - and have been called worse.

Automatic tipping is also endemic with taxis, tuk-tuks and limousenes. Often with limousenes, the driver will insist on a hefty tip (or whatever he might call it) and the farang passenger will fork it over.

Auto-tippers might think they're being exemplary guests, but they cause the service sector to expect tips - or else. It's most evident in heavily touristed parts of Thailand. Thank Bob it's not a problem in C.Rai. Incidentally, I love to tip, and do so for all sorts of workers who don't ordinarily get tips (trash haulers, painters, truck loaders, gift wrappers, meter maids, etc). ...I do it based on merit of service, not automatically.

Parting shot: Added tips (to the bill) in fancy restaurants and hotels are nothing less than underhanded padding of bills. Few people scrutinize their bills, so most auto-tippers will tip additionally with scarce knowledge of the fact. I recommend people not pay the automatically added tip (15% or whatever). If there's a fuss, tell the management to POST THE CORRECT PRICES for their product or service !!! Don't post a lower price - and then hand me a bill for 15% additional!

That added service charge is one of my pet-peeves. Well, actually after living in Asia for so long, tipping itself has become a bit of a pet-peeve. But when I go anyplace that has the automatic service charge included, I try to let the employee know that the service charge is already included so that they shouldn't expect any tip from me. I'm sure most places don't pass along the service charge to their employees, so it's important for the employees to know that they are not receiving tips due to the service charge included policy of the establishment. If everyone refused to give any tips whatsoever in these establishments, the employees would quickly get the message and the message would quickly be transmitted to the management.

I'm not a big fan of the added service charges either (Grandma's name was MacCumber). However, at the big hotels in Hua Hin the staff make more per month on their shared tips than they do on salaries (and their salaries aren't bad). So it does provide for a big growing middle class in many of the tourist areas.

America is the home of PLUS PLUS on everything u buy e.g. a 99 cent piece of chewing gum ends up costing $1.29, bleeding inconvenient.

Tis a pity indeed that nasty practice is taking root here

When the 10% service charge is added to a bill, are you in your right to ask for it to be taken off and then leave whatever amount you feel appropriate ??

some well-thought out responses.

When the auto-tip is added, you are expected to pay it. If you contest it, the staff will think you're a cheapskate, and your date will probably agree. Especially if she's Thai, because all Thai people automatically acquiesce to whatever authority dishes out. So management at an upscale hotel or restaurant represents sterling authority to her - especially if it's something written on a bill.

And yes, more often than not, the auto-tip is probably not shared with the workers on the low end of the totem pole. It's like if I had motorbike store, and and had a big sign on the window advertising a new model for 40,000 baht. You choose the bike, go to the checkout stand, and the teller presents you with a bill for 46,000 baht. When you comment abou it, you're told it's 'service charge' blah blah blah. Not much different than hotels advertising room rates (or restaurants with posted prices on their menus) - then finding the bill is considerably more when it's time for the 'check bin'.

Oh, and to the guy who mentioned the added amounts for items purchased in the U.S. Many States, including California, and some cities, have sales tax added on. It's a fixed amount, and all residents know about it and it's not a surprise to anyone - except maybe the new visitor, who should quickly get acclimated. It's not a hidden charge, like the deceptive and under-handed 'service charge' bilking of tourists - talked about in this thread.

I'm not a big fan of the added service charges either (Grandma's name was MacCumber). However, at the big hotels in Hua Hin the staff make more per month on their shared tips than they do on salaries (and their salaries aren't bad). So it does provide for a big growing middle class in many of the tourist areas.

A friend of mine worked at the front desk at a five-star hotel in Bangkok, and I was amazed at how much he made from his "cut" of the service charges. Room service and mini-bars were a particularly lucrative source of income for the hotel staff. He said all the hotel staff, including housekeeping, security, maintenance, etc, received a share of the proceeds. They all looked forward to high season and other high-occupancy periods. When he was promoted to a low-level management post, he actually took a pay cut because his % of the revenues was less than as a front-line employee.