Printable View
[QUOTE=Rodwint2;1696656]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?[/QUOTE]Is a Visakha Bucha Day [URL]http://www.boomboomme.com/resources/holidays/thailand/[/URL].
I think many place will be close.
[QUOTE=ChristianG;1696697]Is a Visakha Bucha Day [URL]http://www.boomboomme.com/resources/holidays/thailand/[/URL].
I think many place will be close.[/QUOTE]Thank you for the information. I will plan accordingly.
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?
[QUOTE=Yujin;1704118]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?[/QUOTE]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.
[QUOTE=Yujin;1704118]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?[/QUOTE]I've noticed the standard service charge for at least 10 years. Usually, you pay an extra 17% (10% service charge and 7% VAT) over the price quoted. It is important to take this in to consideration when comparing prices from different booking websites. Some include the 17% and some don't.
I still leave a tip for the maid on check out, especially if I have had messy girls. But since I realized that the security guard that checks the room upon checkout has probably been grabbing it, I've started to leave it under the pillow.
Can't say how much this apply across borders, but a friend works in management at one of the big casinos in Macao. We had a discussion about tipping and the service charge and he said none of that goes to the employees, at least not as a separate payment. I suppose you could say it's included in their salary. I can't say if it's the same in Thailand, but wouldn't be surprised.
As for seeing it around Bangkok I recall seeing virtually everywhere at any place that uses a digital bill system. Possible though that maybe MICROS or whatever is the most popular point of sale system in Thailand got software update recently? Also maybe the the new government is cracking down on collecting their end?
A few of the smaller hotels it's included in the price so you don't see a separate item, but some of the booking sites show a lower price and then you see the service charge later which makes the net the equal.
[QUOTE=Yujin;1704118]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?[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=SaltyPete;1704256]I've noticed the standard service charge for at least 10 years. Usually, you pay an extra 17% (10% service charge and 7% VAT) over the price quoted. It is important to take this in to consideration when comparing prices from different booking websites. Some include the 17% and some don't.
I still leave a tip for the maid on check out, especially if I have had messy girls. But since I realized that the security guard that checks the room upon checkout has probably been grabbing it, I've started to leave it under the pillow.[/QUOTE]Your point about making sure any comparison of rates is apples to apples (i.e., either both including the service charge, or both not including it) particularly becomes relevant when comparing prepaid reservations (which would include the charge) and those that are not prepaid (where the service charge may not be included in the base rate quote)..
As to tipping the maid (or maids) I usually leave tips every day on the bed. This way the maids get tips proportional to the number of days they have made up my room. What I don't know is whether the maids are obliged to share their tips with the other maids in a sort of common fund (as many bellmen are so required).
[QUOTE=SaltyPete;1704256]I've noticed the standard service charge for at least 10 years. Usually, you pay an extra 17% (10% service charge and 7% VAT) over the price quoted. It is important to take this in to consideration when comparing prices from different booking websites. Some include the 17% and some don't.
I still leave a tip for the maid on check out, especially if I have had messy girls. But since I realized that the security guard that checks the room upon checkout has probably been grabbing it, I've started to leave it under the pillow.[/QUOTE]I have never stayed in a hotel in Bangkok that did not add 17.7% to the bill, a ten percent service charge and 7.7% VAT.
I commend you for tipping the maid who cleans your room. I recommend you leave a little something for the maid every day. This will ensure the lady who cleans your room that day, that person may change from day to day, will receive your tip; and you will likely get better service from housekeeping over the course of your stay. I make it a practice of doing this and special requests like extra towels, having my room made up at a specific time, et cetera are always taken care of with a smile.
I've seen the 17% a lot, but I'm not sure it is universal. I don't trust management to pass it on, so like others have said, I leave something on the table or desk. I had a weird Pattaya experience where she did not take it even though it was in plain sight, so I grabbed the notepad and carefully copied the Thai for "maid" and left it with the money the next day. It worked: The money was gone. But there was a problem: She had written something below my artwork. I took it with me to the bars and had a BG read it: "Thank You". I carry that thing, folded so the thank-you is gone, with me on every trip.
[QUOTE=SaltyPete;1704256]
I still leave a tip for the maid on check out, especially if I have had messy girls. But since I realized that the security guard that checks the room upon checkout has probably been grabbing it, I've started to leave it under the pillow.[/QUOTE]That's the reason I always hand over the tip to the maid (s) personally, usually at the end of my stay.
I never tip daily and I have never noticed a decline in service because of that. But most of the time I'm staying in the same hotels where the maids know me and they know I will tip them in the end.
How much do you guys tip? I give them 100 B per week or 20 B per day for a short stay.
[QUOTE=Mogwai;1704580]That's the reason I always hand over the tip to the maid (s) personally, usually at the end of my stay.
I never tip daily and I have never noticed a decline in service because of that. But most of the time I'm staying in the same hotels where the maids know me and they know I will tip them in the end.
How much do you guys tip? I give them 100 B per week or 20 B per day for a short stay.[/QUOTE]I usually give 60 or 80 baht a day, but it is for a very large suite (harder to clean) in a five-star hotel. I know many would tip less (and perhaps a few would tip more), but I am comfortable giving this amount.
Have used this on this trip, anyone who says ladies are not trolling on here have not even tried. My experience after the initial greeting. By about the 3rd reply is where your room LOL.
Here's some samples of what's out there, since it is an open app, anyone in proximity can see same photos.
the girls ask same $ as working from bar or gogo but quickly concede for lesser baht as they realize it is afternoon bonus $$ and that as not a first time visitor, money exchanged, good for me, good for them .
The doe eyed one is from airport gogo btw ....
[QUOTE=Mogwai;1704580]
How much do you guys tip?
[/QUOTE]I usually tip THB 100 per day.
[QUOTE=LAGuy5;1704582]I usually give 60 or 80 baht a day, but it is for a very large suite (harder to clean) in a five-star hotel. I know many would tip less (and perhaps a few would tip more), but I am comfortable giving this amount.[/QUOTE]I usually accumulate a bag of dirty clothes about every 5 days, and I give it to the maid to pass along to the hotel's laundry service. I hand the maid 100 baht along with the bag, and I always get a huge smile, and top-notch service for the duration of my stay. 100 baht means so little to me, but it means a whole lot to a poor maid.
[QUOTE=Mogwai;1704580]I give them 100 B per week or 20 B per day for a short stay.[/QUOTE]Sounds kind of low. 100/ day minimum. They work together in most rooms also. Your splitting 20 baht between two women.