Tipping in Thailand

I must admit it took me a while to realize who I should be tipping in Thailand and how much I ought to give.

Of course the waiter in a restaurant was an obvious one but what about the girl who washes my hair in the salon before it is cut or the condo handyman who comes to fix any problems we have?

After working out who I should tip I then had issues about how much to give. I wanted to give a decent amount but knew that sometimes my level of tipping was way above the standard level. I would like to say that I am not aiming to be cheap and simply save on tipping but I wanted to know what Thai people give in the same situation.

Tipping in Thailand – Who to Tip and How Much to Give

Below is a list of who I tip and how much I give them. Don’t take it as a definitive rule but the amount I give is based upon my own view, the price of the service and what Thai people would give.

Hairdresser / Barber  – like in the UK I give the person cutting my hair a tip. I go to a pretty average salon chain in a Bangkok mall which charges 200 Baht for a haircut and wash. I have gotten to know the staff there quite well over 2 years and despite some communication issues I usually walk out with a decent cut.

In the UK I would normally add an extra couple of quid (100 Baht) to the bill as a tip but as the cost is only 200 I stick to 20 Baht if the experience was OK and 40 baht if it was a good cut. I used to give 50+ and a lot of the time the staff looked quite shocked so it was obviously a lot more than most people give!

Girl who washes my hair at the Salon – As I said above I also get my hair washed a couple of times when getting it cut and usually get a little massage thrown in as well! This is an experience I had never had before moving to Thailand and was a little scary at first. Now I have come to enjoy it and at the end the girl who does it gets 20 baht as a thank you as she is not a hairdresser but just shampoos hair and sweeps the floor. As I hadn’t ever had my hair washed by someone else before I asked one of my half Thai half American friends for advice and he came up with the figure of 20 Baht.

Waiters / Waitresses in proper restaurants – The key phrase here is proper restaurant. I only tip when I get sit down service in a building, so for street food there is no tip added.

When there is a service charge added I don’t give more but I will give a little at most other restaurants. I used to think that the 10% tipping rule I used in the UK would work when tipping in Thailand but this shocked a lot of Thai people I ate with who told me it was way too much when eating in above average places. They said that for an average meal of around 500 baht the tip should be about 20 or 30 Baht. Even when there is a large group and the bill is around 3 or 4 thousand Baht then we will normally only give about 100-200 Baht between us.

For some of my American friends it is quite difficult for them as they would give a lot more but here it seems the expected amount is much lower and is actually a figure rather than a percent of the bill.

Golf Caddies – I used to play golf quite regularly but not so much now. A caddie is mandatory at most golf courses in Thailand which is sometimes a blessing and sometimes a curse. A lack of English, a couldn’t care less attitude and unawareness of golf etiquette can mean that your allocated caddie is pretty much useless. There have only been a couple of times where I have had a caddie who knows their stuff and has enhanced my experience.

You will get stuck with a caddie fee of around 300-500 Baht at the clubhouse but then an extra tip is expected. The first time I played I had no idea what to give so went with 500 baht. After playing more and speaking with playing partners both Thai and foreign I have come to the conclusion that around 300 Baht is the norm with less being given for bad service and more for a top class experience.

Tour Guides – When I go on vacation in Thailand I don’t really join group trips that often but it is sometimes the only way to visit somewhere when on a budget. I took a day trip around the islands of Phi Phi last year and we gave our guide 100 Baht each as a thanks for a good trip.

I will also say I have had shitty service from some tour guides and I didn’t pass anything onto them at the end of the trip.

Cleaner / Maid – Maids are readily available and very cheap in Thailand. The rate depends on the size of your place but it is certainly not a financial burden for many foreigners living in Thailand. Whilst cleaning I’ll buy drinks and snacks for the cleaner and normally stick an extra 100 Baht in her pocket every couple of weeks to say thanks for tidying up after me.

Food delivery driver – I have been fighting a losing battle with my waistline over the last two years so it is safe to say I have had a few takeaways delivered in that time. KFC, Pizza Company and a local Vietnamese restaurant are my favorites who offer delivery.

When the food arrives I normally add on 20 baht for the driver as a thank you (providing he isn’t late).

Masseuse – Massages are normally an end of holiday treat for me and my girlfriend. We don’t go Hi-So at a 5  star resort so we usually pay around 300 Baht each for an hour’s Thai massage. Providing the service is good we add on an extra 50 baht each to say thank you.

Who I Don’t Tip

There are a few people I don’t tip in Thailand who I would in the UK.

Taxi drivers – I only use taxi drivers who work by the meter and I don’t tip. Actually I normally round the fare to the nearest 5 Baht but I wouldn’t consider that tipping. The very rare occasion that I do tip is when they do something out of the norm such as multiple drop offs or helping to load up when carrying many things. Even in this situation I would be adding maybe 20 Baht to the fare, not a huge amount.

Technicians – By technicians I means the guys from the internet / TV companies or those who come to clean the AC or change the wiring in my place. Whilst I do appreciate the work they do I have a few problems with technicians. Firstly, they are normally late. Not just a bit late but often hours and some don’t come at all without phoning. Secondly they often make a mess. I have to spend a lot of time cleaning the floors (dirty footprints), the walls (dirty hand prints) and making things look neat and tidy as they chuck things around and don’t clean after themselves. These things piss me off and leave me feeling they don’t deserve a tip.

Bartenders – Most of my drinks are brought by waiters but on the odd occasion I get a drink made at the bar I don’t tip. Thailand isn’t like many other countries where these employees live from tips. They just don’t expect to get anything and as such most Thai people don’t tip bartenders.

Backhanders and Sorting People Out

This section is what I would say is the grey area when it comes to tipping in Thailand. They are the people who I wouldn’t tip but are worth sorting out with a few Baht or a certain product every now and then.

An example of this is the security at my condo. When I first moved in they were all smiles and laughs, opening the door for me and saluting with a little heel click. After about 6 months they ignored me and I was left to open the door myself even when laden with shopping. Every now and then I distribute a few beers to the guys when they are working late at night and they changed back to the cheerful souls I first knew when I moved in.

So what do I really get for these few beers, is it worth it for someone who just opens the door for me? You would think they should do these things automatically without expecting anything.  In reality it is their job but would you try your best at all hours of the day on a low salary when nobody is going to complain or check up on you? I now know that I have people looking after my place when I go away and they will make sure my post gets through without being dropped or thrown around in the post room. All in all the price of a few beers is worth it to get a better service and it is worth having the peace of mind that they are looking out for me.

My visa guy is another who gets an extra 100 baht in his back pocket from me which goes towards getting me to the front of the line and out of immigration in double time. Going to immigration sucks and the money I slip him greases a few fingers and means my visa is updated, my multi entry permit added and photos are taken within 15 minutes of arrival. The first time I went to immigration took me 4 hours, 100 Baht is a small price to pay to avoid all that nonsense.

Non-Money Tipping in Thailand

Sometimes I try to tip or reward people without using money. I don’t mean I give waiters a 3 minute English lesson in exchange for a 20 baht tip but sometimes when people come to my house I offer drinks or food as a thank you. This is the norm in the UK, a worker comes to your house and you offer a cup of tea, some biscuits or to make them a sandwich at lunchtime.

This can create some issues as seemingly these people aren’t used to this situation. I had some guys come over to to do some work and I bought them some drinks and snacks from 7/11 and they tried to pay me for them! I explained they were a gift,a thank you and they accepted them but with a look of confusion in their eyes.

Service Charge

I hate services charges. I feel it means staff don’t have to bother trying hard, they know an automatic 10% will be added to the bill. I have no problems paying tips but don’t like it when they sneak on this charge without showing it will be there (or having it written only in Thai in small print).

A lot of restaurant chains, especially those in shopping malls, are starting to add this automatically to the bill. In the UK it is possible to ask for it to be removed but the same is almost impossible in Thailand.

I had an experience when out with a group of 6 friends where we were left waiting for ages, had hair in 3 different dishes and the wrong food was brought out to us twice. Overall we were very dissapointed and had to really kick up a huge fuss to get the service charge taken off. The waiter made up excuses such as the manager had gone home so it was impossible to remove it and that the computer couldn’t change the bill. In the end we paid cash less the service bill and our refusal to pay the charge was finally accepted.

Thai vs Foreigner Tipping in Thailand

It quickly became apparent to me the difference in tips given between Thai and foreign people. My girlfriend ridiculed me for giving too much on many occasions.

In the end I feel comfortable now after 4 years that I give appropriate tips which are appreciated by those who receive them. Sure I am not as generous as a tourist but then I am getting paid in Baht and live here so feel I should be acting more like the locals. The way I look at it is 20-50 Baht will pay for the persons travel to work or get them lunch so it is a reasonable amount.

When friends come to Thailand they are surprised when they see me tipping 20-30 Baht for our meals and perhaps waiters in tourist areas are expecting more but in local Thai neighborhoods it isn’t a problem.

So let me know what you think, do you agree with my list or do you tip other people or give different amounts?