What is a normal tip in Thailand?

Luuk, this topic came up a year ago. Look: https://www.thailandblog.nl/thailand-tips/tips-voor-fooi-geven-thailand/

There's more left; Type tip in the search field at the top left and press return.

I suggest you read it first and if you have any questions then please let me know...

In a restaurant where I eat on average for between 200 and 400 Bath, I usually leave 50 Bath
At the street food stalls I usually tip 10 bath
In the hotel where I stay I give the chambermaid 100 Bath on the first day
At my favorite terrace on Khaosan Road, where I have been coming for years, I give the waitress who I have known for years 100 baths in her hand when I leave (this is giving). I know that for an average shift of 10 hours they get 5 to 600 baths. Most tips are given at checkout and shared with the staff. As mentioned above, a Thai can buy 100 meals for 2 baths. Depending on the number of guests per evening, I think this is a nice extra for the staff, who often also have to pay rent for their room because most who work in the catering industry in Bangkok come from outside the city.

Why should there be standards for tipping? Just do what you think is right and what you feel comfortable with. One gives a tip, the other doesn't. Fine, right? And furthermore it is a matter of finishing. If a taxi driver asks for 280 baht, give him 300. If a restaurant charges 10% and another 7%, I never tip. If no additional surcharges were to be paid: was the service friendly, neat and courteous? Generous tip. If not: less tip. Grumpy? No tip. In a hotel my wife puts 20 baht under her pillow every day, and when we leave another 50 baht for a short stay and 100 baht for a longer stay. If she sees the chambermaid working in the hallway or elsewhere, she always goes over to her and chats about Thai small talk with the relevant 'maebaan'. If we come to a market and see some cookies or other khanom, she always takes something with her: it doesn't cost a fortune. And if the guide or driver turns out to be a great guy or woman during the tour, don't skimp and make it 200 baht per day. This also applies to the delivery drivers from Grab, Lineman or Shopee, who race around on their mopeds all day long: round off well. We are retired, we are doing well, so give something to others with less.

Thailand had no tipping culture. In large parts of the country where few Western tourists come, it is still not to very moderate. It is mainly Western tour guides who have introduced tips.
I experience that Western companies are surprised when they refuse to keep the change.
I always tip THB 20 – 50 to a hotel bell boy when he takes my luggage to my room. I always personally give THB 50 -100 to a chambermaid who has clearly gone out of her way for me. I think putting money on the bed is too impersonal.
If someone in a restaurant makes a special effort for me and I have contact with this person, I give some change.
I agree an amount in advance with taxi drivers, guides, etc. I pay for this amount. If there is a meter, I pay what is on the meter. Only if someone performs an extra service for me that is not included in the scope of duties and is not charged for.
I don't give tips in a drinking establishment.

A Canadian friend of mine gave the driver of our hotel shuttle tuc-tuc to Sukhumvit 50 Baht every time. I said he's paying too much for that. And explained to him that at some point they will expect tips from everyone. In Mexico last year I saw the unpleasant situations this can lead to. In Mexico, people wrote in pen on the bill in a restaurant how much tip they wanted to receive. And it was very high. Could be up to 41% of the bill! There the Americans introduced the tip culture in a big way, by throwing those excessively printed dollars everywhere, of which they of course have a lot.

I think our philosopher Spinoza would conclude that we do not give those tips to please others, but to please ourselves. Like, I'm a good person, I just physically proved that. But actually a tip can also lead to a certain negative feeling among the recipient. After all, receiving a tip is similar to receiving alms. While before they had a more or less equal relationship with the customer.

One day I was able to put it to the test. I was alone in the hotel's shuttle tuc-tuc and an older couple got in after me. Apparently they were rich enough to afford a hotel room. When we arrived at Sukhumvit, I deliberately went slow to see if this Thai couple would tip off the tuc-tuc driver. And indeed they didn't pay a tip. The man gave a short but friendly wave. Hand not much higher than the elbow.

Okay folks. Somehow it might be noble to sneak a little, especially the chambermaids in the hotel. Because those poor devils are of course poorly paid. But we should not force our culture on the Thais either. So as far as I'm concerned, keep it limited. And take a good look at what people are doing locally. When in Rome, do as Romans do.

Ps. in London, bar staff and taxi drivers don't understand it if you want to give them the change. And that is 45 minutes from Ze Benelux.

Luuk, every bird sings according to its beak and furthermore, giving a tip also depends on the circumstances.
Simply saying “I never give anything, I think is quite rude”, it says a lot..
Here's my opinion:
What is a normal tip for a taxi driver?
– Tuk-Tuk = usually don't deserve it
-Taxi = round up as Soi says, or minimum 40 THB
What is a normal tip for a waiter in a restaurant?
– Round up normally or leave the small change
– But, if the service is top notch and the gentleman or lady makes the effort to have a chat and possibly give some tips about what is worth seeing in the area.... why not put 100 or 200 thb in the poll.
What is a normal tip for a chambermaid in a hotel?
– usually these are underpaid “friendly” girls from Cambodia or Myanmar… if you stay there for a few days, put 100THB on your pillow from the first day and repeat this daily… your room will be even cleaner and you will feel good about it ( and maybe you get extra mosquito repellent :-)). See also Hendrik's last sentence above, which is 100% right.
What is a normal tip for a guide or driver during a tour? Depends in group or privately, in group I would say 100thb (unless he/she was not sympathetic) and privately also depends on the effort... and you can always invite him/her to lunch..
Based on 100THB per day, this is admittedly 2100THB in 3 weeks, if your trip costs you 3000€ then it is 1,8%... that doesn't kill you and you put us in a good light!
Have a nice trip

You'll find out for yourself, tip here, how much you want to give also depends on the first messages I read. Give people something because most of them work on tip as freelancers. A bolt taxi 120 bath, nice new car and all, with great pleasure 200 bath.

Phew, what opinions, I personally think that you do what you feel best about, what I do think is that when people eat in a restaurant, they don't try to get away with paying too little, which I experienced once in Jomtien, nice together food, with great stories about what they had done that day, when at the time of payment the girl who received the money went to the cash register in good faith and discovered that she had too little and when she asked to adjust the difference, she was snubbed, I was sitting a few tables away, I then said to my wife, I don't want to be part of this, and get out.