Ttt

it depends on how you like the service and the tour... i am generous and usually give 20% or more

Tipping is not the norm in Thailand outside of hotels. So there is no rule. Although 20% sounds high to me, I am sure it is welcomed.

Thanks to both of you for your guidance. We finally were able to book a tour with Tong.

Tipping is not a part of the culture in Thailand and should be discouraged except of course from our rich American cousins.

Since you will tour with the owner of an agency, a tip would not be expected.

Hi Happy,

I'm glad you got hold of Tong. Please report back with your opinion on the quality of the experience you have with her.

Tong charges a premium for her services, relative to many other guides, so tipping is not really necessary. We probably added around 10% by just rounding up her charges and it was gratiously accepted after she tried several times to give us back our "change".

I think it is different for guides that work for a larger company who may be on very low wages. 20% may be more appropriate if this was the case.

Our final confirmation from Tong indicates that our guide will be Jerry.
His reviews on Tong's website are very postive and we look forward to touring with him.

most tour guides make very poor wages... i note that many of the responses above are from australians who seem to feel it is not only right but expected that they not tip. i wonder if they know what service employees think of them?? i note that from my experiences most tour guides knock themselves out to explain their country to you and to please you. why not be generous with them...

eks---try not tipping for any and everything in nyc...

Bob: Tipping is customary in the US; it is not customary in much of Asia. The comparison is kind of silly.

Do you also tip 20% when you eat a restaurant meal in Spain?

often... i probably will not be returning to spain...

not silly in my mind

So, eks, should tip Tong's guide if we are pleased? Perhaps 10%?

Happy: I think that sounds about right. My guess is that many would give less, and obviously some will give more.

I always try to follow the custom of the country in which I am traveling. What is proper in New York, or in Spain, or in Angola, may be vastly off the mark in Thailand, for example. Because I pat the head of a cute baby back home does not mean I should do the same in Thailand, if you get my drift.


Perhaps we can implore our local resident expert to weigh in on this discussion.

In the meantime, I offer:

http://articles.latimes.com/2007/may/20/travel/tr-money20

From which I take this quote:

"As the world shrinks, it behooves us to learn the nuances of other cultures," said Ramani Durvasula, associate professor of psychology at Cal State L.A. "To do so is the most fundamental way of showing respect."

I have a Canadian colleague who gets so mad when Americans comes to Canada for meetings.. he says they overtip so much that they throw the whole system all out of whack for the Canadians who are still eating out after the Americans have left.. And then it's even more complicated if people start expecting a different level of tipping from Americans. What's a culturally sensitive American to do? Interesting discussion, and helpful to read the different perspectives, thanks for posting that article, eks.

Eks, we also travel with the countres' customs in mind. Thanks for your help.Just want to do the right thing.

i am of course wrong as usual.. i have ruined future dining out for all residents of every country i have ever travelled into, and have created great expectations from low earning service workers the world over, while at the same time have ruined the economies of those countries, not to mention my cultural insensitivity.

i will leave it to you far more knowledgable, culturally sensitive (read "tight") folks to repair the damage i have done. keep up your standards and keep the service class in their place and keep your tightly locked purses secure.

happy travels.

Yikes, I didn't mean to imply that you were wrong! I tend to overtip myself, and then wonder about it. It's me that my Canadian friend was complaining about! I think it's an interesting issue to think about and discuss, with lots of interesting perspectives, none righter or wronger. I'll crawl back in my hole now.

come out of the hole!!

Bob: If I understand you correctly, you are saying that anyone who does not tip 20% worldwide is a cheapskate. I'm sorry to say that I find your comment just a tad bit offensive.



Do you tip 20% in each and every restaurant you patronize, no matter the country?

i withhold further comment.... its all a personal choice after all.

Happytrvlr: I'm just jealous you got a response from Tong! How did you do that? I've still had no response from her or her company!

Hi joyday,

If you are happy to post your full name or your email address, I will get a message to Tong and see if I can get her to prioritize your booking.

Bob (rhkkmk) did the same for me, which I very much appreciated and still do, when I was planning my tour with her and it worked really well.

I think that she tends to focus on finalizing tours that are happening in the short term and advance bookings dont always get the attention they deserve. Not making excuses for her, before someone jumps in, just giving you my impression on how she runs her bookings. She does need to employee someone to take care of all the enquiries she receives, but, for whatever reason, she has decided not to.

I emailed her again using our earlier thread and, truthfully, told I her was leaving for Asia very soon. Bangkok is at the very end of my trip and I told her I might not have internet access before I arrive there. I will be in remote areas and wanted to have all my reservations in place before leaving home. She replied and it was another chain of emails setting it up. It was sort of now or never..glad she got back to me and we're excited about our tour.
It sounds like shanek may be correct about long term and short term bookings. I planned to have our hotel concierge make arrangements for us if I didn't get a reply from tong in time.

For what it's worth...........I tip 10% for services worldwide. London, Bangkok.....makes no difference.
If the service is satisfactory, I'm happy to pay a tip.
In fact, I'd feel uncomfortable not leaving a tip.

Waiting tables or serving drinks is no easy ride, and usually very badly paid.

''culturally sensitive American'' Where is this animal?