Tipping in Thailand: When, How Much and When Not To

In short: Tipping in Thailand isn't expected, but it is appreciated. Round up or leave 20 to 50 baht in restaurants (check for a 10% service charge first), give 50 to 100 baht after a massage, round up taxi fares, and leave nothing at street food stalls, food courts or 7-Eleven.

In this guide

• Do you tip in Thailand?
• How much to tip, place by place
• The 10% service charge and the '++' on menus
• How to tip without making it awkward
• Tipping on a group tour
• When not to tip
• A few other money manners

Do you tip in Thailand?

Tipping in Thailand works nothing like it does in the US, and not much like it does in the UK either. There is no fixed percentage, nobody is relying on you to top up a wage at the till, and no one will follow you out of the door if you leave nothing. A tip here is a small thank-you for good service, and small is the important word.

That said, wages in tourism are low, and 20 or 50 baht means far more to the person receiving it than it does to you. So the habit most regular visitors fall into is simple: tip for personal service, round up for everyday things, and leave nothing where you order at a counter or a stall.

Our own advice to travellers on our Thailand trips is the same as the table above, and it is deliberately relaxed. You will not offend anyone by getting it slightly wrong.

How much to tip, place by place

Street food, markets and food courts

Nothing. A plate of pad kra pao costs 50 or 60 baht and the price is the price. Food courts in shopping centres usually run on a prepaid card or coupons, so there is no moment to tip even if you wanted to. If a vendor has been especially kind, telling them the food was delicious (aroy mak) is worth more than coins. For ideas on what to order, see our guide to Thai street food.

Restaurants and cafes

In a simple local restaurant, round the bill up or leave the coins from your change plus a 20 baht note. In a smarter sit-down place, 20 to 50 baht is normal, and up to 10% is generous if the service was genuinely good and no service charge was added.

Bars

Not expected. If you have had table service all night, leaving the change from your last round is a nice touch. On islands and in beach bars the staff often share a tip jar by the till.

Massage and spas

This is the one place where most travellers do tip, because therapists are often paid a small share of the price. After an hour of Thai massage, 50 to 100 baht handed directly to the person who treated you is a kind gesture. For a long or expensive spa treatment, around 10% is plenty.

Taxis, tuk-tuks and ride apps

Round a metered taxi fare up to the nearest 10 or 20 baht and tell the driver to keep the change. With a tuk-tuk you agree the price before you get in, so the fare you agreed is the fare you pay. Ride apps let you add a tip afterwards if you want to, and there is no expectation that you will.

Hotels and hostels

If a porter carries your bag, 20 to 50 baht is right. Housekeeping tips are not expected, but 20 to 50 baht left on the pillow with a note is appreciated, especially on a longer stay. Hostel staff do not expect anything.

Boat crews, day trips and classes

Longtail boat drivers, snorkelling crews, cooking class teachers and day-trip guides all work hard for modest pay. If they have looked after you well, 50 to 100 baht per person at the end of the day is a generous thank-you. It is still optional.

The 10% service charge and the '++' on menus

Many mid-range and upmarket restaurants, and most hotels, add a 10% service charge to the bill, often alongside 7% VAT. Menus flag this with two plus signs after the price, so "250++" means 250 baht plus service plus tax, which comes to roughly 295 baht.

If a service charge is on your bill, you have already tipped. There is no need to add more unless you want to. If you are not sure, look at the bottom of the bill before you pay: it is always listed as its own line.

Tip: Service charges do not always reach the person who served you. If someone has been brilliant, a 20 or 50 baht note handed to them directly is the surest way to say so.

How to tip without making it awkward

• Use cash, in baht. Tips added to a card payment may not reach the staff, and foreign coins cannot be exchanged.
• Give notes, not a pile of tiny coins. Leaving only one or two baht coins can look like an insult. A 20 baht note is the smallest tip worth giving.
• Hand it over directly where you can, with a smile and a thank-you: "khop khun kha" if you are a woman, "khop khun khrap" if you are a man.
• Keep small notes on you. ATMs give out 1,000 baht notes, which taxi drivers and stalls often cannot change. Break one at a 7-Eleven early in the day.
• Never step on a dropped coin or note to stop it rolling away. Thai money carries the King's portrait, and treading on it is deeply disrespectful. It is one of several Thai customs that surprise visitors.

Thai ATMs charge foreign cards a fee on every withdrawal, usually a little over 200 baht, so it pays to take out larger amounts less often. A travel card such as Wise keeps the exchange rate fair when you do. Our guide to spending money on your tour has a fuller budget.

Tipping on a group tour

On an organised trip the question people really want answered is: do I have to tip my guide? The honest answer is no. Tipping your guide or driver at the end of a trip is entirely up to you. Nobody on our team expects it and nobody will hint at it.

Plenty of groups do choose to say thank you, usually by putting something in an envelope together on the last night. If your guide has turned a good trip into a great one, that is a lovely way to end it. If your budget is tight, a heartfelt thank-you and a review mean a lot too.

The bigger saving on a tour is that most of the awkward moments never come up. Accommodation, transport and the main activities are already paid for, so your day-to-day tipping comes down to meals out, massages and the odd taxi. If that sounds like your kind of trip, have a look at our 12-day Backpacking Thailand trip or the island-heavy 14-day Island Paradise trip.

When not to tip

• Street stalls, markets and food courts. Fixed prices, no tipping.
• 7-Eleven, supermarkets and shops. Never.
• Public transport. The Skytrain, metro, buses, ferries and shared songthaews all run on set fares.
• Officials. Do not offer money to police, immigration or any government staff. That is not a tip.
• When a service charge is already on the bill. You have paid it.
• When the service was poor. A tip is a thank-you, not an obligation.

Temples are a separate matter. Donations go in the boxes provided rather than into anyone's hand, and they are a contribution to the temple, not a tip. Our guide to visiting a Thai temple respectfully covers what to wear and how to behave.

A few other money manners

Bargain at markets, not in shops. Haggling is expected at night markets and with tuk-tuk drivers, and it should be friendly. Offer a fair price, smile, and walk away happily if you cannot agree. Shopping centres, convenience stores and restaurants have fixed prices.

Keep your cool. Raising your voice over a bill or a fare gets you nowhere in Thailand. Staying calm, which Thais call having a cool heart, almost always sorts things out faster.

Ask for the meter. In Bangkok taxis, ask for the meter before you set off. If the driver refuses, take the next taxi. Then round up when you arrive, and everyone is happy.

Why book with Backpacking Tours?

Our Thailand trips are for travellers aged 20 to 45 who want the fun of backpacking without the admin. Accommodation, transport, the main activities, a set number of meals and a group leader or local guide are included, so you know what the trip costs before you land, and your spending money goes on the good stuff. We are a licensed, Bangkok-based company and have been running small-group tours since 2013.

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