salina

will be spending time in bangkok next week,what is the appropriate tips for limo driver, waiters, tour guide? staying in penninsual, and the four seasoons in chang mai,thanks

rhkkmk

almost every quality establishment adds 10% on to your bill automatically---this includes restaurants and hotels...so some leave nothing else...i usally add another 5% or less, unless the service is really exceptional or very bad and then i adjust accordingly...taxi drivers bump up the payment to the next round number...if the ride is 165B, give them 200 or even 180...
give the hotel limo driver 200 or so...give doormen something when you leave....mostly you come and go by the river so i always give the boatmen something on the first day---they remember you and do favors in return...for instance on our last nite last year the boat men at the penn took us for a short private ride down river under the bridge and back just to enjoy the coolish nite air and the lights...

remember their culture is not like western culture where service people depend on tips for their living...they receive what is considered a good wage for thailand....
don't be cheap however

orgy7

You don't have too tip taxi drivers most don't expect it unless they've come accrose rich farang who round up too the next round number. it's no big deal if your of buy lets say 7 baht.

waiters don't expect tips eaither but they are happy if you leave them the loose change.

tourist are way over tipping. and in some cases i've come accros taxi drivers who have said you give me tip.. but all he getts is a slam of the door.

Scotters

 Tipping in Thailand is generally not a local habit and Thais will somewhat begrudgingly leave a very small tip in a restaurant where they feel the service has been above the ordinary, Apart from that they do not tip even for taxis. For tourists it should be done with care and in the local currency. Many people tip at North American or European standards automatically (and in their own currency) which is nonsense. As a result of this over tipping, local people who work with tourists often ask for unreasonable amounts of money just because they've seen many tourists giving dollars around as if they were nothing. Tips should be given only for good reasons, and that amounts shouldn't be disproportionate compared to local standards. Having said all this I would suggest the following guide that even some will say is too much.
Taxis - I still tip taxi-drivers because I think on the most part they do a wonderful job under very trying circumstances. From the Bangkok airport, if the driver has been helpful, courteous and driven at a reasonable speed a 50 baht tip is about right. In the city, if the fare for example is 90 baht, pay 100 (or about 10% of the fare).
Restaurants - Many eating establishments will add a service charge onto the bill and in these cases a small tip (10-20 baht) should be left only if the service has been exceptional. Where no service charge about 10%.
Hotel Porters - It is something of an unwritten law that you slip a porter 20 baht per suitcase.
Hotel Maids - If the service is good then a 20 baht tip for each day is about right

cjbryant

Tipping in countries and/or for services where tipping is not a part of the local compensation should not be done.

Although you may feel that you want to do it and can afford it, the impact is a negative that literally changes the local economy.

No, tipping where tipping is not done will not stop the earth from spinning or cause gravity to lose its hold, but in country after country the impact of foreigners and visitors tipping has hastened changes that really are not in anyones best interest.

Sooooo.....if the locals don't tip for a service neither should you.

Afterall, you wouldn't tip the clerk at your local convenience store...tipping a cab driver/tour guide/bellman/masseuse/etc. in a country where tipping is not the local custom is the same thing as tipping the clerk at the local 7-11 in the US. (It's just not done as the wages for the job are base on it being a non-tipped position).

Now I realize that some of you generous souls are sitting their shaking your heads at this post. I am not a cheap person, I just don't believe that as tourist and travellers that we should "buck" the local system and standards.

And for goodness sake if you "must" tip regardless of the local norm please at least do it with the local currency and not with your foreign currency.

clevelandbrown

This question involves cultural clashes; I am an American and my culture is to tip, even at the newsstand or 711, but I guess I'll have to cut back on that. I may have been responsible for our recession.

I think tourists should definitely avoid actions that are offensive to the natives, but I don't see tipping as being offensive, and I have yet to have anyone return a tip, or tell me they are offended by my having left one; more commonly, they thank us, because they realize that this is the American way of saying thank you for the good service.

Both the natives and the tourists should show some understanding and respect for the cultures of each other.

orgy7

I've been scoldedd by thai frainds more then once for tipping usually with a slap on the hand. I've also have had tips returned too me whcih the person considered too big. I think it was for 1 beer and I left behind 40 baht which is way too much.

but when Im travaling I sometimes leave big tips becouse, I don't know anybetter. I'm still not familier with the currency, or I'm in too much of a huring too care.

PJKeay

Generally I've founds tips in Thailand well received. However, I have on two occaisions (both in Dusit hotels) found staff on club floors that did not wish to accept a tip. One was the chief purser - who had looked after us wonderfully during our stay.

Being English, I don't understand the automatic / regimented tipping that seems the norm in some countries - although I realise that its generally the way it is these days.