Tipping in the Bars

[The_Munchmaster]

How much do you normally tip in a bar? A percentage? what you feel the service was worth? or just the small change?

 

So often I see someone get a bill and when the change comes back they just take all the notes and leave the coins without apparently giving any thought as to whether or not it is a reasonable amount to leave.

 

Say for example the bill is 395 Baht and they pay with a 500 Baht note and the change is five 20 Baht notes and a 5 Baht coin, they take the notes and leave the coin. 5 Baht is the equivalent of 7 pence in the UK or 12 cents US which is next to nothing (even in Thailand). To me this is classic cheap charlie and could only be justified by very poor service.

 

Personally in a situation like that I would at a minimum leave the coin and drop one of the 20 Baht notes as well and if it was a favourite bar I would leave more.

 

Your thoughts please.

[samak]

you should not forget that in opposite to the USA (don't know about UK), tips are basically not required and often not expected in Thailand in any restaurant or bar.

[Neo]

Well Munch I suspect you do not have that much experience getting change in gogo bars or you would know you normally get handed back bunches of coins; many more coins than is required to encourage you to leave more behind. Three to five 10 baht coins seems common, other more rare schemes like a stack of 5's glued together, or even short changed. I've found the "greener" I was, the worse these things were.

 

How much to tip and in what form is totally arbitrary and you can leave 0 and go back to the bar as much as you want without problems, though don't expect anyone to give you any attention. I have gradually tipped less over time I would say. If I have one drink, I'll leave 0-20 depending on circumstances. 20-40 if I've had a number of drinks over a longer time. But if I am just off the plane on my first night may leave a 100 note. 0-20 for the bathroom attendant depending on circumstances. Most of my tipping is in the form of LD's and handing direct notes to BG's; some bars I just have my drink(s), others dish out one or more of these extras. Not that this is a model to follow; this is just for comparison's sake. Just remember that however much you give, they will expect as much or more of everything the next time.

[The_Munchmaster]

samak said: you should not forget that in opposite to the USA (don't know about UK), tips are basically not required and often not expected in Thailand in any restaurant or bar.

 

I've spent a lot of time in Thailand and, although I've read in travel guides that tipping is not expected, I do know how much people in bars and restaurants earn (I exclude the hookers from this) and many a time I've seen the tips being divided up at the end of the night and given to the bar staff and seen how important the thirty or forty Baht is to them. I'm sure you do tip Samak, but I think that anyone who uses "tipping is not expected" as a reason to not tip, particularly when the difference between their income and ours is so vast, is basically a tight c**t.

[The_Munchmaster]

Neo said: Well Munch I suspect you do not have that much experience getting change in gogo bars or you would know you normally get handed back bunches of coins; many more coins than is required to encourage you to leave more behind. Three to five 10 baht coins seems common, other more rare schemes like a stack of 5's glued together, or even short changed. I've found the "greener" I was, the worse these things were.

 

Actually Neo I have a vast experience (17 years experience) of getting change in gogo bars and all other bars and have experienced the multiple coins trick many a time. If it's excessive and I think they're taking the piss then I just take all the change and don't leave any tip but then it only happens in bars where I'm not known (which is not many).

 

But why do they do it? For instance when you get two 10 Baht coins and a five Baht coin instead of a 20 Baht note and a five Baht coin. It's because so often some tight arse will take the note and leave just the coin, so by giving only coins as change they hope that he might leave them all and make the tip a little more presentable.

[Torneyboy]

I leave a tip (not much) in the bars..more in a restaurant ,,

[trooper]

I'm one of those guys who leaves the coins and takes the notes, 5-20 baht no matter how many beers I drink, usually not many in one bar. If they try to pull that multiple coins trick I leave absolutely nothing and have no need to visit that bar the next day.

[samak]

yes i do tip, but i tip not related to the change on the tab. i prefer to give tips directly to the staff as too many greedy bar owners keep the "tips" if they are on the tab!

[Nervous_Dog]

I love how they also judge someone, like me will leave th ecoins, so I often look and find about 50 baht in coins@

 

SMART

[BJ_Blackowitz]

Haveing worked in Restaurant business myself I know the tricks of how to get tips , and never just leave the coins, but depend the tip on how quick and proficient the service

 

in a bar I leave anything from 5 til 100 Baht depending on the amount of drinks, and again the service being given

 

In for example Lucifers wher the girls have to go thhrough vast crowds I usually give 20-50 Bt if she was quick and proficient.