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Tipping in Thailand - A Complete Guide
When you travel to another country, it's always a bit of a learning curve to understand the customs. Tipping is one of those typical things that can often be tricky when you've just arrived. To make your trip to Thailand as enjoyable as possible, we'd like to provide you with some information on how tipping works here. Is it customary to tip in Thailand? Where should you tip or not? How much should these tips be? In this article, we'll provide you with all the answers.
Restaurants and bars
In restaurants in Thailand, tipping isn't generally customary. However, in touristy areas, it's appreciated and increasingly common, largely due to many foreign tourists tipping. At upscale restaurants, there might be a 10% service charge added to the bill. Unlike some other Southeast Asian countries, tipping in Thailand isn't considered impolite or offensive. If you're satisfied with the service, leaving a tip is certainly appreciated. When you're at a bar or café just for drinks, it's not customary to tip in Thailand. Rounding up the bill is acceptable.
Hotels
Tipping hotel staff in Thailand generally isn't expected. However, if someone helps carry your luggage to the room, it's customary to give a small tip of about 50 cents per bag or backpack. Additionally, leaving a daily tip of around 50 cents to 1 dollar for the cleaning staff is a gesture of appreciation, although it's not anticipated.
Street food
In Thailand, you can find the most delicious street food everywhere. Street food is an integral part of daily life here, and it's abundant. It's not customary to tip at street stalls, but rounding up the bill is appreciated. Given that street food is inexpensive in Thailand, rounding up usually involves small amounts.
Taxi's and tuktuks
Tipping taxi or tuk-tuk drivers isn't customary in Thailand. However, they do appreciate small tips or rounding up the fare. Especially if the driver has given helpful tips about the area, you might consider tipping. As always, it's advisable in Thailand to agree on the fare before getting into the taxi or tuk-tuk.
Tours
Giving a small tip after a tour isn't expected but is a nice gesture. Especially after a full day of touring, it's customary to give a tip of around 5 to 10%. Guides in Thailand rarely explicitly ask for this, but it's highly appreciated.
Tipping in Thailand conclusion
In Thailand, tipping isn't generally expected. However, in more touristy areas, it's becoming slightly more common to leave a small tip at restaurants, and some upscale restaurants may include a service charge on the bill. In other places, tipping isn't very customary, and rounding up the bill is often considered a nice gesture.
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