Tipping at a Restaurant - Unlike in the west where an appropriate tip is now 15-20% (and don't even get me started on how ridiculously high that amount is), in Thailand many Thais don't leave tips at restaurants. If they do decide to leave a tip, it might be as small as 5 baht (around 18 cents) and rarely more than 20 baht (67 cents).
Acceptable tipping for a westerner in a restaurant in Thailand is either to round up to the closest 20 baht (eg: on an 85 baht meal I would leave 100 baht (a total of approximately $3, so a 50 cent tip), or if the service is exceptional, I leave 40 baht ($1.33). For more expensive meals, ie: over 1,000 baht ($33), I normally leave 10% or more. However, make sure you check your bill, as many of the higher-end restaurants automatically add a 10% tip to your bill, in which case there's no need to leave any extra.
Tipping Taxi Drivers - I have yet to sit in a taxi where a Thai tipped much of anything. Literally, for a 58 baht fare ($1.97), most Thais would hand over 60 baht and let the driver keep the change. Considering 2 baht is about 6 cents, you can hardly call them big tippers. (And I'm not talking about poor Thais, as most of my friends are upper-middle-class or what Thais call hi-so (high-society), in other words......loaded).
For westerners however, I do believe a tip for a taxi driver is in order, if he gets you there in one piece, isn't rude and doesn't take the long way around. As a general rule for tipping a taxi driver, I usually give an extra 10 baht (33 cents) for a short journey if the meter shows 45 baht and 15-20 baht (50-67 cents for longer journeys). However, if you go to the airport in Bangkok by taxi, give a 40-50 baht tip as it's a long distance.
Most Thai taxi drivers make a small amount of money as, by the time they've paid for the taxi rental, insurance and gas, if they make $15 a day, they've had a good day. That's why a small tip is appreciated, even though some of the incredibly honest ones will still try to give it back to you. Don't let them.
Tipping Doorman or Service People - Again, not one of my Thai friends tips service people or doormen. They just seem to think it's part of life in Thailand. For westerners, I recommend, if a doorman helps you with bags, carries things to your room, or is particularly helpful with any questions you may have, a 20 baht tip (67 cents) is in order.
In fact, I'm amazed at the number of westerners I see who don't even think about tipping the doorman, even though he's just cycled down a long street in the pouring rain to get them a taxi so they don't have to get wet. Seriously. It's 67 cents. Stop being so tight.
Tipping the Hairdresser - A few weeks ago, several of my Thai friends were askance when I told them I always tip my hairdresser. I've been going to the same Bangkok hairdresser for 7 years and he does an incredible job, so why wouldn't I? Their outrage grew even more when I said, yes, I do tip the shampoo girl as well. Thais don't tip their hairdresser either, but you're not Thai, so you should.
When I get my hair washed, cut and set the cost is 250 baht ($8), so I tip my hairdresser 100 baht ($3) and the shampoo girl 40 baht ($1.33). You however don't need to be as generous, particularly if it's a one-time trip. A 40-50 baht tip to the hairdresser ($1.33 to $1.67) is fine and 20 baht (67 cents) to the shampoo girl.
When you're a westerner in Thailand, it's often assumed you have a lot of money, which when you think about how much the average Thai makes, it's true. But, for me, tipping in Thailand isn't about showing I have money, but more about being a responsible consumer and giving a small amount of extra money to a Thai worker who will appreciate it a lot more than a western worker would do.
After all, 30 baht ($1) isn't much to me, but to an average Thai cleaner, taxi driver, or waitress, that 30 baht buys lunch. Now what could be a nicer thing to do than that?
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