General Reports

[LA Guy 5]

There's always been a passionate debate on this board about "tipping. " It mostly applies to tipping the girls for services provided. Some nationalities don't tip and other do. Those who do tip are often faulted for being too generously or too stingy so it's a damn if you do and damn if you don't situation.

Anyway, I hadn't been in Thailand in nearly 5 years, but on my most recent trip, I noticed something that I hadn't seen before. A 10% service charge automatically added to restaurant bills and some hotel bills.

By restaurants, I mean the sit down ones with waitresses who serve you, the kind that you find in large shopping malls like Terminal 21 and MBK in Bangkok and the big mall in Pattaya.

I also noticed that Grand President Hotel in Bangkok added a "service charge" to my bill. I'm aware some hotel's will add a VAT or some other government tax, but this charge was separately itemized as a "service charge".

I wasn't upset since I've seen the automatic inclusion of a service charge by some restaurants in the USA, Europe, and South America (a steak house in Buenos Aires). In those cases, I just don't leave a tip but I always wonder if the business pockets the service charge instead of giving the money to the serving staff.

The service charge by the hotel was, however, a surprise.

Is this automatically including a service charge something new in Bangkok / Pattaya or was I simply more diligent at looking at my bills on this trip?

I usually stay at a 5-star hotel in Bangkok and as best as I can remember they have always added a 10 percent service charge to the bill (I started staying there maybe 10 years ago). But I haven't paid super close attention to this and my memory about it may not be precise.

[Yujin]

There's always been a passionate debate on this board about "tipping. " It mostly applies to tipping the girls for services provided. Some nationalities don't tip and other do. Those who do tip are often faulted for being too generously or too stingy so it's a damn if you do and damn if you don't situation.

Anyway, I hadn't been in Thailand in nearly 5 years, but on my most recent trip, I noticed something that I hadn't seen before. A 10% service charge automatically added to restaurant bills and some hotel bills.

By restaurants, I mean the sit down ones with waitresses who serve you, the kind that you find in large shopping malls like Terminal 21 and MBK in Bangkok and the big mall in Pattaya.

I also noticed that Grand President Hotel in Bangkok added a "service charge" to my bill. I'm aware some hotel's will add a VAT or some other government tax, but this charge was separately itemized as a "service charge".

I wasn't upset since I've seen the automatic inclusion of a service charge by some restaurants in the USA, Europe, and South America (a steak house in Buenos Aires). In those cases, I just don't leave a tip but I always wonder if the business pockets the service charge instead of giving the money to the serving staff.

The service charge by the hotel was, however, a surprise.

Is this automatically including a service charge something new in Bangkok / Pattaya or was I simply more diligent at looking at my bills on this trip?

[Rodwint2]

Is a Visakha Bucha Day http://www.boomboomme.com/resources/holidays/thailand/.

I think many place will be close.

Thank you for the information. I will plan accordingly.

[Christian G]

I was told that June 1 was Buddha's Birthday, so it was a holiday. Will a lot of places be closed? Restaurants? Bars? Will liquor sales be restricted?

Is a Visakha Bucha Day http://www.boomboomme.com/resources/holidays/thailand/.

I think many place will be close.

[Rodwint2]

I was told that June 1 was Buddha's Birthday, so it was a holiday. Will a lot of places be closed? Restaurants? Bars? Will liquor sales be restricted?

[Monsieur1875]

As you may know, Wednesday is 'buddha day' in Thailand.

Do you know if if it will be business as usual in Massage parlors and soapies?

As for bars, I heard they are not allowed to sell alcohol?

Thanks!

[Mogwai]

Except that now if you google "I s g I n t e r n e t s a l e" it will lead you straight to your posting.

I guess Jackson will have to search for something new to put on the credit card statements in the future and all of us who paid in the past are now hosed..

Thank you Mogwai.

"Any internet search for this name will not show any indication that you have bought a subscription to this forum."
I don't know why that is, maybe it has to do with the spaces between the letters?

Anyway, IF a search for this name leads to this site then it already lead to this site before my post because this name was already there in the FAQ section. Duh!

[Wolvenvacht]

The answer is in the FAQ section:

What name will appear on my credit card statement?

Your credit card statement will show a charge in the name of "GT*i s g i n t e r n e t s a l e 1 8 8 8 8 8 9 0 7 8 8 ". Any internet search for this name will not show any indication that you have bought a subscription to this forum.

Except that now if you google "I s g I n t e r n e t s a l e" it will lead you straight to your posting.

I guess Jackson will have to search for something new to put on the credit card statements in the future and all of us who paid in the past are now hosed..

Thank you Mogwai.

[Sunlover2]

This is my first time visiting Bangkok and one thing I have not liked is the difficulty in walking down a street in the Suk area. Frequently, pedestrians have to leave the sidewalk due to congestion and dozens of vendors and find themselves on the main Suk road. Walking on Suk can be a very unpleasant expereince. The same is true for many of the Sois.

The even numbered Suk side has a few vendors and wide side walks. No real issue. The odd numbered Suk side is a completely different story. In November 2014 I noticed the vendors were generally setting up later (7/8 pm) and Monday's were vendor free days which was a huge quality of life increase. I could hear the other people on the sidewalks talking about how nice it was when it was vendor free. For the rare time I purchase something I really did not need anyway (tshirts / belts / socks) I would vote for a greatly reduced presence.

A few days ago, someone told me a pedestrian was killed while walking on the street when he was struck by a large bus mirror attached to a public bus. Other times, the sidewalk is broken or electric wires are stretched across to provide electricity for the vendors. These are all obvious public safety hazards.

In the US there is the America Disability Act (ADA) where basically public spaces must provide wheelchair access. I often think about that in LOS and how near difficult it must be for people with mobility issues to move about.

SL.

[AfAsia]

It seems like Bkk streets are about to get a makeover.

http://www.rappler.com/world/regions...ampaign=buffer

Interesting. Says nothing about a crackdown on Nigerian drug dealers some would hope for. Priorities are screwed up as usual, I guess the palms are being greased along the corridor of powers.

[Old New Guy]

This is my first time visiting Bangkok and one thing I have not liked is the difficulty in walking down a street in the Suk area. ...

Several posters in late 2014 said the vendors would stop effective the end of 2014 but, guess what, they are still there clogging up the path.

That is the first-impression Bangkok that makes one hate the city forever, as did it to me many years ago. You may have missed the show when some high-raking police was arrested over corruption and street vendors. Nothing has changed and nothing will ever change. It is just about letting the big bazaar continue. There's zero concept of "responsibility" and "improvement", all what matters is that motor traffic can still relatively flow *, all the others can just get lost. Rich Thais don't walk anyway.

* exception, in Pattaya the traffic manager has decided that thousands of vehicles stuck for hours is better than moving traffic. Here is not even about corruption, but plain idiocy and hubris.

[Syzygies]

This is my first time visiting Bangkok and one thing I have not liked is the difficulty in walking down a street in the Suk area. Frequently, pedestrians have to leave the sidewalk due to congestion and dozens of vendors and find themselves on the main Suk road. Walking on Suk can be a very unpleasant expereince. The same is true for many of the Sois.

A few days ago, someone told me a pedestrian was killed.

Those that are here many years get used to it. I walk on the road all the time but watch out for vehicles of course. Another option is to walk on even numbered Soi side of Sukhumwit road. I can't stand to be behind casually strolling pedestrians, that insist on blocking the way and some of them stink too. Take a motorcycle short ride to just zoom past it.

Avoid this section of Suk completely. There is nothing to interest me in Soi 3 to 7. If I wanted to get to Soi 7/1 I would take motorcycle there or to Soi 11 and its a very short walk from there. Just plan the best efficient way to get to your destination. I like Foodland late but use Soi 16 branch. Correction I do go to Check Inn 99 on occasion located right in the middle of the bad stretch.

[Mogwai]

I noticed the same thing in Pattaya this week. The city built this beautiful pedestrian beach paved path and it is now impossible to walk on due to all the vendor stands. Several posters in late 2014 said the vendors would stop effective the end of 2014 but, guess what, they are still there clogging up the path.

Nobody said they would stop permanently. On the contrary: most likely they will clog up Beach Road more and more going forward.

[Tomasb]

Yes, do tell. Did it happen in produce? 555.

So you fucked her in Foodland? Sounds like an interesting story, LOL!

[Tomasb]

This is my first time visiting Bangkok and one thing I have not liked is the difficulty in walking down a street in the Suk area. Frequently, pedestrians have to leave the sidewalk due to congestion and dozens of vendors and find themselves on the main Suk road. Walking on Suk can be a very unpleasant expereince. The same is true for many of the Sois.

A few days ago, someone told me a pedestrian was killed while walking on the street when he was struck by a large bus mirror attached to a public bus. Other times, the sidewalk is broken or electric wires are stretched across to provide electricity for the vendors. These are all obvious public safety hazards.

I have been to Singapore and they have some nice hawking centers easily accessible to tourists and the general public. Hopefully, they can find the open space to create the same in the Suk / Nana area though that might be a problem since there appears to be little public open space available.

I would bet that very few of these vendors have legitimate licenses and clearly there is no sales tax or VAT attached to their prices so the city really benefits very little in generating revenue unless there is corruption involved in allowing these vendors to set up shop in these areas. Maybe, I should set up a stand selling, for example, used English and German books and see what happens?

I noticed the same thing in Pattaya this week. The city built this beautiful pedestrian beach paved path and it is now impossible to walk on due to all the vendor stands. Several posters in late 2014 said the vendors would stop effective the end of 2014 but, guess what, they are still there clogging up the path.

It seems like Bkk streets are about to get a makeover.

http://www.rappler.com/world/regions...ampaign=buffer