poooket
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Does anyone tip when there's a 10% service charge? I don't. Do the staff get this as an extra bonus or does the restaurant owner use it to pay their staff wages.
I'd really like to hear about this from someone in the business.
I have been in the hospitality business in the USA for 14 years and in Thailand for the last 22, and as I have been reading this topic I have read little that I did not expect. For me to try and explain my position as a career F & B worker to most of those who have posted here IMO would be as useless as most BMs here saying it is to tip a Thai. So I won't get too far into that.
To answer the question about who gets the 10% in Thailand I will say from my 22 years of experience in every type of venue from no star to 5 star, from BKK to Pats to Phuket, most hotel, restaurant and venue owners keep the better part of the 10% (if not all of it) and will pass on a few percentage to the staff (if any). So for those who think the staff are getting tipped too much because they see 10% on the bill as a service charge YOU ARE WRONG. FACT.
It is my concerted opinion that tipping is supposed to be an incentive for staff to work well, and IFO would prefer to not have the 10% automatically added to bill, and I would tip what I thought was commensurate with the level of service and quality of the rest of my meal (unlike so many who have posted to this topic). I tip between 10 and 20% dependent on many factors. If it is included and there is a large percentage of service charge related to having purchased some good bottles of wine then I will adjust my tip accordingly (lower) and keep in mind the level of overall service and food, rather than the total of the entire bill.
If I am in an upscale venue and they have already levied a 10% service charge, and I feel I got exemplary service, I will still add what I think would balance out to 15 or 20%. But I have to say that after being in the F & B business on 2 continents for a total of 36 years, most decent, hardworking staffs deserve to get paid a livable wage, deserve to get tipped when it’s commensurate with the level of service they have provided, and should be treated with respect.
But if they are lazy, unfriendly, poor servers, or request/demand to be tipped I do not and I will take the time to let them know why I have not. Many times I will tell management, leave comments on social media pages, or write to management about what I feel is deficient.
IFO thinks it’s all about having a balanced approach and i tip/comment accordingly.
Also keep in mind that in 99.99% of all TH F & B venues any tips/service charge, including those left on the table, will be shared by ALL the staff - front of the house, back of the house, parking/valet, bar, toilet, whatever. The only tip a worker may keep for themselves is the one placed directly into their hand, and most often they will still throw that into the general tip pool for all to share.
Further, to keep this all in perspective I do not tip when I eat on the street or in fast food places. But even in a typical TH shop house restaurant if the service was good I will leave a small tip relative to the cost of the meal, if there was a server, and the service was good/attentive. Being an expat of so many years I typically eat in the same places time and again, and like some BMs have stated, rational tipping goes a long way to getting consistnetly good service, food and beverages as time goes on.
If it’s a bar venue I tip the bartender so that they will remember what I like, how I like it, and so I get a fair pour each and every time. IFO think that those few baht go a long way for me to get what I want and to have a good time.
When I am at work training staff I spend a lot of time on trying to impress them with the fact that customers are not required to leave anything (10% included or not) and that the only way to encourage a customer to tip is to simply provide a high level of friendly professional service. But I also try to teach them not to expect that to yield results either (as shown by many posts on this thread) and to simply provide the best level of service that they can each and every time, and eventually that in and of itself should yield a reward for them.
Contrary to what a lot of people think on this board, having a service job and dealing with the public (and their high expectations and many times plantation attitude), and all the related stress that brings is most often not easy. People who do this work should be compensated accordingly like anyone else who wakes up each day and goes out to earn an honest wage.
And yes, I am an American, and that should have nothing to do with this discussion.
Good post. Nice to hear the opinion from someone inside the business. As I expected the 10% service charge rarely goes to the staff but used to substitute their salary. Imo that's not fair. I usually don't tip when I see the 10% service charge due to the fact its forced on you to tip. In other places, if the service is good i tip nicely. And as for the posters that say Thais not tip, totally wrong, all my Thai friends tip at restaurants besides the noodle stands on the street.
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Sounds like a scam.. 8000 for a meal ? I wouldn't be leaving a tip at all. Unless you felt you've insulted the waiters by spending what they earn a month on lunch.
If you had read the Op he stated that friends invited him and mrs, that I think would be at least 4 people. So 8000 for food and wine for maybe 4 people is not expensive for a restaurant at riverside.
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There you have the problem, many shops turn off the refrigerator during the night.
Do you know of any 7/11 that turns off refrigerators at night? Of course not. Why would you imply such a thing?
Talk about defamation.........
I quote attrayant reply but for some reason the quote did not show. No I did not talk about 7/11. For example some villa markets turn of the refrigerator at night.
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There you have the problem, many shops turn off the refrigerator during the night.
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You had to be blind already if you bought that stuff
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"No fear of the law"? What law is that? ohhh the ones that are enforced when it suits those responsible for enforcement.
Maximum 500 baht fine
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I tried Krungsri last week with a Thai card and 30k was no longer possible, only 20k so not sure if foreign cards still allow 30k
Not correct.
You can still withdraw 30k.
Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand -
There is a franchise and business opportunities exhibition at bitec , Bangna 24-27 July.
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Try Pizza Big in Naklua. Wood fired oven, best pizza in Pattaya. From the Dolphin circle procede up Naklua road about 1 km and they are on the right side.
My friends and I have been regulars for many, many years in this place, despite an owner that does not even greet the few times he is actually present. The pizza has always been excellent. The last few weeks we have made several visits and every single time the misc. pizzas we had, were more or less sweet. We could not figure out what the problem was, staff was not responsive. Cheese? Oil? Dough? Tomato-Sauce. No idea. Some of them hardly edible. Also clearly the amount of fillings down 20% at least. We have now decided to give up o this place, sadly. Hope we can find replacement soon. In fact a good US-style Pizza would be great!
MS>Agree with you. They used to make good pizzas. Last time was a disappointment, less filling and VERY oily.
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Granted, its for the 150baht fee, but I know I was getting 30K pulls at the Central Festival branch ATM here in Pattaya just last week. They have a sign to the effect that the ATM can dispense a maximum of 25 bank notes - still beats 20K pulls at either 150 or 180 baht but this latest development leaves me wondering how long that will be the case. Which was the other bank that still allows 30k withdrawals ?
Krungsri (yellow ATM) -
What's her weight??
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As for the maid, yes you can get part time. Over the years I have had live-in and part time. Live-in is nice when you have kids as you always have a baby sitter available (if she is good with kids) I would say most Thai's are good with kids. Part time was not bad she came 3 days a week, this was when I was single so it was good for me, I paid her 200B a day (minimum wage at the time was 150B a day) I paid her more than minimum wage because she would be there more than 10hrs a day and did everything each day, mop floors, dust, dishes, clean bathrooms, etc not just tidy up. If you want a part time maid figure about paying minimum wage which is now 300B a day ( a little under $10 USD)if it is going to be full days. If less than a full day then adjust.
I had a maid for awhile that came every day, mop, dishes and took my laundry home to wash and iron. I paid her 4000B a month (about $125.00 USD) She worked about 2-3hrs a day plus however long doing laundry.
Full time live-in maid I paid 8000B a month (about $250) she had one day a week off, which was Sundays, she did most of the food buying. I would give her how much I thought she needed to buy food and most of the time there was money left over which I would always give to her. (50-100B) So she did make a little extra money each month. She was from Burma honest and great worker and the kids loved her. She would help them with homework pick them up after school wake them up in the morning and have breakfast ready for everyone. It's not easy to find a good maid you might need to go through 2-3 before you find the one that fits in.
There are plenty of things to go and see and do. Hua Hin beach is less than 2hr drive from Bangkok which is always nice for the weekend. If you are going to go somewhere on the weekend get away and use the driver then you will need to give the driver some cash for him to find a place to stay. There is no need to get him a hotel room. I used to give my driver 500B this would let him get a room, have a meal or two and maybe a few beers. Most of the time my driver would know someone and stay with them and pocket the cash. So many places to go and see just too much to list.
Some information on visa's your husband will be able to get a non-B visa, he should check into getting his Non-b from a consultant or embassy in the US before coming to Thailand.
This will make things a little easier. If not then when you get here you will get a visa exempt stamp then when the paper work is ready he will need to travel to Laos or Malaysia to get a visa, same for you. In the US he should he able to get a 1 year visa. He will need a letter from his employer stating that he is being transferred, most of the time the letter is all that is needed, sometimes they want more taxes payments, corporation papers etc., best to call and ask what is needed. You should be able to get a non-O from his Non-B. As for the children you don't really need to worry about them if they are under the age of 12, if not then get them a Non-O. When coming to Thailand if the children dont have a visa they will get a visa exempt stamp. Thailand does not impose any penalties for children under the age of 12 for not having a visa or for overstaying. If your husband's employer will take care of the children's visas then let them do it, if not and it becomes a hassle then as stated if under the age of 12 don't worry. My one friend was transferred to Thailand for 3 years and his children were 4 and 6. They were on over stay as he never did anything with their visa. He knew the laws and when they left no problem at all.
When you and your husband get your visa and you enter into Thailand you will get stamped-in for a permission of stay for 90 days, no matter how long your visa is valid for you will only get a 90 day stamp. At the end of 90 days you have a choice which will depend on what type of visa you have.
If you have a multi-entry Non-O or Non-B then you have two options. Do a visa run which would mean traveling to a neighboring country (Burma, Laos, Cambodia) by land or air. Most people in Bangkok choose Cambodia but it is about 3-4hr drive. You leave Thailand and turn around and come right back in. You can fly out and back in one day also. Other option is go to immigration and get an extension to stay, if you do this you need to report to immigration every 90 days, however this can be done via mail. This is your easiest, unless you plan to visit near by countries for holidays. There is allot of information on Thaivisa about visa's. When you do arrive and get stamped-in, check the stamp right away. They sometimes make mistakes and use the wrong stamp so make sure it is correct before you leave the airport so you can get it corrected easily. If you notice this later then you need to go to immigration to get if fixed and most days immigration in Bangkok is packed.
Hope all of this helps. Good luck and enjoy Thailand!!!
How do u get to hua hin in less than 2 hours?
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I totally disagree with you. It is not a higher fee for farangs. It is a lower fee for Thais. Everything you say is the same in USA. Go to a Virginia historical site and show your USA ID. Discount given. Many places do that. Do you think Americans discriminate against Mexicans, etc. You bet they do. You should be discriminated also but not necessarily in a negative way all of the time.
Really you should stay in the country where you were born but you live in a foreign country. There is a huge difference being in another country - language, cost of living, culture, etc
For example, what does $10 mean to you. That is a whole day's wages for a Thai. They would like to go out also but cannot because you have increased their cost of living by simply being here as a tourist, as a business owner, big corp selling into this market, etc. You caused the inflation along with foreign companies that want to do business here. You have actually ruined many of their lives. Now - get on track - pay more!!!!!! Let the Thais - who own this land and are citizens of this land - have their normal price that should go along with $10/day income. You pay more! I am American and have no problems paying more. I should.
You seems to think that every Thai only makes 300 baht a day. The 300 baht is a MINIMUM per day. Personally I don't know any Thai that earns that little.
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The Great Lake Palmer, and Mr Thai Women Ronny Conrad?
hilarious!
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Passport takes two weeks. They email you when its ready. The US makes this easy. $110.00
So it will cost you about 7k extra in overstay. Less if you get a 7 day extension. Cheaper than HK.
Just take both passports when leaving.
You may need to take a bus/train to BKK as the airlines do not like the overstay in your passport. Buses do not check the passport. Train/airline does check.
Nobody checks your visa status for a domestic flight.
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You can claim for the previous 3 years, so submit your claim next year before end of March.
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Will this be TV fastest growing thread ever? Even beats the "I paid for my gf sick buffalo" kind of threads.
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National emergency!!!! How will the Thais survive? They can't even eat without first upload a pic of the food on Facebook?
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I once bought a new phone at MBK that had a load of someone else's music on it..
Happend to me too, bought a "new" phone from Jaymart. Came in a sealed box but later I found lots of music and a full contact list on the phone.
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I am shocked and surprised at such conduct!
LOL
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- Popular Post
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The family just follow their leader...
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So it took the cops 4 years to decide which address to search first?? Probably had to see a fortune teller first to figure this one out.
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Try T.V air bookings at Emporium, But note they charge extra to pay with credit card.
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“The case investigator and anyone found involved in abusing their power will be prosecuted,” he said.
In worst case they a looking at a transfer to another province.
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MS>
Pros and cons of Bali versus Thailand
in Thailand Travel Forum
Posted
Have you ever been to Bali?
Why do you compare Denpasar and Patong?
If you want to compare Bali and Phuket, why not compare Denpasar and Phuket town or Kuta and Patong? No Bali isn't twice as expensive as Patong.