yosithezet

And assuming you still feel you need to tip, a THB 10 coin is more than sufficient. THB 50? Crazy money.

drron

As has been said tipping is not part of the Thai culture.Why do Americans have to introduce their customs to the rest of the world?
I dont tip in Thailand unless it is very obvious it is being demanded-infrequent.
There are however a lot of ways of helping out where ever you are in Asia.Do a little research and you to can make a difference.

Aus_Mal

I think this quote from the article sums it up well (Tipping in NZ):

Also, don't forget the "tipping culture required" for Australia/NZ:

I need to quit my day job and start becoming a private guide! Maybe I should specialise in Conde Nasty customers!

wolf539

Most of us are conditioned to tip from birth!

But the more seasoned travelers among us take the time to learn the customs and expectations of the host country, and behave appropriately. We're all not hillbillies hanging out at all-inclusive resorts and throwing dollar bills around like were lotto winners!

Aus_Mal

Care to let Conde Nasty know what tipping should occur based on your experience? - I doubt my feedback to them would get anywhere!

Rampo

If this is a reference to my post in that thread, please note that the $20 tip was for guide AND driver for 3 days of service. If this seems too much for some, so be it.

glob99

The JW Marriott, and most other upscale hotels, charge you a 10% service fee! Why would you ever tip twice?

wolf539

I gave up on Conde Nast years ago...

opushomes

Please note that you travel as a tourist not a visitor or traveler. There is a great distinction. Those of us who try to fit in see a different side to many of the places we travel without raising false expectations. What may seem piddling to you may be a fortune to people in other countries.

$20 is roughly 2/3 of a month's earnings for many Cambodians. Working Thais have a somewhat higher standard. The mores of the visited society are much more important that the tourist imposing his mores on the society. Please learn to act like you belong even if only as a knowledgeable expat.

Rampo

Being of German and Scot ancestry, I am by no means a big-time spender, but I will tip what I think is right, and the least of my concerns is that I will ruin it for those who want to get by with a $1 tip or even no tip for 3 days of very good service. My 3-day trip to Siem Reap was not inexpensive, and $20 was a drop in the bucket in comparison. If you're staying in $20 a night guesthouse, a guide will have one expectation. If you're staying in a $150 a night hotel in Siem Reap, he will have another.

I have not noticed that one of the customs of Southeast Asians is stinginess. For the most part, if they have, they share. The idea that being cheap makes one "fit in" better strikes me as more of a rationalization for personal frugality than a truth. And let's be honest - in Southeast Asia expats never really "fit in." They are just there and are generally tolerated unless they make a nuisance of themselves.

CarNut

I'm sure that not much has changed, but I was hoping to get advice based on current experiences and norms.

We will be in Bangkok for one night next week. We have booked a limo through the hotel, and have booked a private tour guide for a 5 hour city tour. In addition, our hotel has butler service.

Should I be prepared to tip for any of these services? If so, what would be an appropriate amount? Given our short visit, I don't plan on having a lot of Thai currency on me.

Thanks!

aBroadAbroad

Rule of thumb: Tipping is NOT the norm in Thailand. Tipping the limo and butler is unnecessary. You're already paying a very inflated premium for the limo, and the service charge covers the butler.

We don't use often use guides when we travel, but whenever we have done so, we haven't tipped. We do buy drinks and snacks throughout the day, and we always invite them to join us for a sit-down meal (usually getting them to take us to some local joint we'd never have found on our own). The one time a guide declined our lunch invitation, we give him meal money, because we'd had him for about six hours, and had never stopped for a meal break.

In general, it's appropriate to round up. Leave the loose change when paying in cash (food service, taxis, etc.), or drop a few coins on the table when paying by credit card. If the credit card ticket has a tip line provided (usually not), you might round up, but not necessary.

For truly exceptional service, well above and beyond expectations, a special tip handed directly to the person who earned it is acceptable (servers, housekeepers, etc.), along with a "thank you, you were especially helpful" or similar. Note: If you don't present the tip as a gift to the specific individual, it will go in the kitty for divvying up among the entire staff. Again, this kind of tipping is the exception.

We tip bell staff about THB20 per bag, because if we use them at all, it's because we have a lot of bags or very large bags. We also give them between THB20-40 (total) if they carry up the groceries or some other extra service.

As previously stated, do not overtip! Consider how much the average person makes in a day. We've observed service people in Thailand and other non-tipping countries who were clearly embarrassed, insulted, or both by a large tip (not from us).

Always consider whether you're already paying a service charge (10%-18% depending). Why would you tip on top of this? Doing so should be the exception.

We do give fairly sizable tips (actually, cash gifts) to our regular service people on a semi-annual basis (housekeeper, driver). We also give our driver meal money whenever we keep him late, and he has to stand by for us through the dinner hour.

And, we always tip our hairdresser, mainly because she puts up with our annoying nit-pickiness, fits us in for appointments even when she's booked... and because it's so flippin' hard to find someone who understands farang hair!

Diplomatico

I chuckle at the responses that state tipping is not necessary or the norm....and then list 6-10 instances in which the poster feels compelled to tip, lol.

Dr. HFH

True, but not tipping a guide after a whole day? Any idea what they make from the tour company? I'm quite friendly with one, and I do know. IMO if a guide spends an entire day with you, s/he deserves a non-trivial tip. They are paid remarkably little, and only when they work. When they have no tours for a day, they are paid nothing.

SeanThePilot's point about the service charge is well taken. The hotel distributes the service charge to employees equally, and it can and often does exceed their salary. OTOH, he and I both know people at this same hotel who cannot afford hot water in their apartments. For point of reference, those small hot water heaters which attach to the wall in the shower are around THB 3,500, I'm told.

dsquared37

In Tesco they can be had for as little as 1000 THB, top end is about 4500 THB. The cheaper ones don't put out much but they will convert cold water to room temp.

Also needed to put into consideration is how your guide was hired. If they are independent and you contract with them directly then tipping is not required. If they are sent by an agency you might want to give them something they can pocket. The same thing to keep in mind when dealing with a family run restaurant vs a bigger business. If a tuk tuk/taxi fare is negotiated I don't give a tip.

I generally will tip by leaving the coins given as change at a restaurant. Some people are aware of this tactic and give additional coins rather than bills. It's somewhat akin to the waitstaff mentality, in the US, of giving small bills for change rather than a large one.

While there's no problem with tipping per se the danger is when the tips are expected rather than for as a reward for good service.