Decent tip for thai massage ?

[Idefix]

Hi guys,

 

I live for 4 months in the south Soi Buakaow area

and like going to thai massage 3 times a week.

 

I used to give about 30-40 bahts tip for a thai massage (150 bahts, 1 hour)

or 40-60 bahts tip for oil (no sex) massage (250 bahts, 1 hour)

 

From yesterday I am very perplex about that...

 

Last evening I stay a few hours in one salon after my massage,

chating with ladies (or mostly one ladie )

and then I saw lot of guys when they come to pay after massage.

 

I was very surprise that most of them give 100 bahts tip (or not far)

for a simple thai massage or foot massage (150 bahts)

 

I though that 100 bahts was a current practice for tourists

on Walking Street or Second Road, but not for expats in Soi Buakaow ??

 

So please tell me what you give as tip for these massages ?

Tell me that I am not becomming a Cheap-Charly ?

 

Regards

Idefix

[Kev]

Cheap Charlie!!!

 

Mind you 100 bahts is a hell of a tip in Patts by anyone's standards!!

 

[ting_tong]

those ladies only make 50 baht per traditional thai massage, and 100 baht for oil.

 

50 to 100 for thai (1 & 2 hours)

100 for oil

 

if they are your friends, treat them like they are. also buy them some snacks too.

[mbiggs]

I usually tip about 100, just to mention, some friends of mine call Soi Buakhao "Cheap Charlie Avenue". I wonder why that is?

[soi unwise]

I generally tip on the value of service I receive,isn't that the whole idea.If they are crap and dis-interested they receive the minimum 20 baht,if they are very good it's 100,if average it's 50.

[Malakor]

I've always tipped B100 for 2 hours of Thai massage. Oil massage is a little more perplexing as certain other factors usually come into play......

[elef]

50 baht for thai and oil massage - but for oil massage I also give the girl some extra in the room as I always get something extra.

[Idefix]

Thank's guys for your replies.

 

- 50 to 100 (1 or 2 hours)

- 100

- 20 to 100, average 50

- 100 for 2 hours

- 50

 

Ok. So I am not so far of your prices. Good to know it.

 

However I will make a small increase of my tips :

50 bahts will be my minimum tip now for 1 hour massage.

A small "nothing" for me that I know "big" for them .

 

Thank's

Idefix

[sinbinjack]

Loads of nonsense talked on this site at times,Many people dont tip at all and the Thais dont (for the most part )expect a tip,but to tip 100 on a 150 baht massage is well out of proportion to the services rendered,a 10% tip is more than adequate,on top of the fee already paid. the fact that its nothing to you means nothing A TIP SHOULD BE IN PROPORTION TO THE RECIPIANT NOT THE GIVER.

[soi unwise]

Typical tight arse jock,tipping is an individual choice.

[torrenova]

Whilst I actually dislike the practice of tipping, I do so. In the case of massages, the price to the customer has been kept artificially low for too long. The one opposite my bar for example (Sirent Boxing Complex) charges Bt200 per hour for Thai or foot massage. From that, the house keeps Bt130 and the girl gets Bt70.

 

So she earns Bt70 per hour when she can work. Sure more than a factory wage but Pattaya is more expensive to live in.

 

I tip Bt100 per hour, not because I can afford it, but because the price is actually too cheap. It will be cheaper in places like Soi Buakhow as rents there are cheaper. Still bet the girl gets about Bt70 of it though.

[saigon_butterfly]

Torrenova, the massage place across from your bar is my favorite. Ususally stop in there once a day while in town.

Been hitting up on a cuttie there for 4 years now with no luck.

The last time I was there, she kept telling me that her last customer only tip her 20 baht, 20 Baht, 20 BAHT.

Ok, I got the hint.

I know it's probably not your local hangout, but 5 bucks is still cheap for a massage.

Later, SB

[Eneukman]

For a standard 1 hour oil massage, I invariably give a 100 baht tip.

 

Alan

[elef]

If you include the money I give the girl inside the room for the extra my total tip is at least 150 (maybe 250) for 2 hours oilmassage.

[rightsaid]

If you include the money I give the girl inside the room for the extra my total tip is at least 150 (maybe 250) for 2 hours oilmassage.

If you are giving a girl money for "EXTRAS" then that is not a tip.

[elef]

Above the agreed price for the extra I tip the girl - amount depends how good the service was.

[BigDUSA]

Loads of nonsense talked on this site at times,Many people dont tip at all and the Thais dont (for the most part )expect a tip,but to tip 100 on a 150 baht massage is well out of proportion to the services rendered,a 10% tip is more than adequate,on top of the fee already paid. the fact that its nothing to you means nothing A TIP SHOULD BE IN PROPORTION TO THE RECIPIANT NOT THE GIVER.

It's truly amazing how guys love to overpay for damn near everything they buy. Ten baht tip or at the most twenty is more then fine for a straight massage.

[The Mook]

10 or 20 baht: 25 or 50 cents US? I would be embarrased to leave such a tip; I would skip the massage all togehter.

 

You have got to to be fuckin' kidding me, you cheapskate; you're tighter than a clam's ass...

[short]

A 200 bt tip is still much cheaper than getting married and divorced. Its all how you look at it.

 

In the states, waitresses get nearly nil as an hourly wage. They depend primarily on tips. By federal law they are required to report an income in tips of 15% of food sales. I think the restaurant actually reports the figure but I'm not sure. If you don't tip anything at all, money is actually taken away from them.

 

Therefore if I am in a place that the employees are totally dependant on tips, I would like to know that. Minimum wage in Thailand is about 50 cents an hour (20 bt). I'm sure that to survive, more money than that is needed.

[ting_tong]

thai wages are 12.50 baht an hour, I dont know where you got 20 baht?

 

150 baht for 12 hours a day

[Sa-teef]

"some friends of mine call Soi Buakhao "Cheap Charlie Avenue". "

 

Please tell me biggs we're not gonna start down that cheap charlie st bullshit in this string again?

 

Leave the lady some kind of tip between 20-50 baht per hour (based on service) and she will WELCOME you back the next time she sees you in the place. But like anywhere else in Patters, the TG's will tell you whatever they think is in their best interests.

 

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"In the states, waitresses get nearly nil as an hourly wage. They depend primarily on tips. By federal law they are required to report an income in tips of 15% of food sales. I think the restaurant actually reports the figure but I'm not sure. If you don't tip anything at all, money is actually taken away from them."

 

That's not true. Beyond the Federal minimum wage and certain work rules related to government contracts, most labor law in the USA is state specific and varies from state to state. Here in Wisconsin, employers are allowed to pay no less than 40% of the minimum wage as long as tips reported make up the difference. If tips do not equal that 60%, the employer is required to pay the difference. IRS will step-in under some circumstances if the employees in a resort or casino are grossly under-reporting tips and set a minimum based on historical numbers. But it varies from case to case. There is no hard and fast percentage in Federal law. But they are sometimes imposed on the employer when the employees routinely abuse the facts.

 

And as many would tell you incase you haven't heard it before, what happens back home bears little resemblence to what happens in LOS. So comparisons can be deceiving....

 

~Sa-teef

[Guest Fatboyfat]

I usually tip about 100, just to mention, some friends of mine call Soi Buakhao "Cheap Charlie Avenue". I wonder why that is?

Dunno

Could it be that they are a bunch of arrogant snobs, who like to revel in the possibility that they are more wealthy than other arguably more sensible members of the human race ?

[sinbinjack]

Typical tight arse jock,tipping is an individual choice.

Tipping is absolutely a choice, I dont allways want to pay more than the agreed price,so I dont, you on the other hand may want to pay more than the agreed sum for the service provided, that is up to you,your stupidity is no indication of what I should, or will do. If you want to make a difference to the "poor people of Pattaya"then I suggest that you give some money to the orphanage,and dont overpay what are (for pattaya at least)already well paid workers.

[dotcom_OD]

Sure there will be differences with tipping especially when you look at service or EXTRA service.

 

My favorite thai massage/oil charges me 250 for two hours. I had two different girls work on me. The first one did an outstanding job for my oil massage and I tipped her 200 and told her to grab a bite to eat on me.

 

The second day I went there she was not in and I was serviced by another masseuse, this time for a thai massage, 2 hours. Her massage was not good and I tipped her 80 baht which she was happy to receive.

 

The first girl worked hard to please me and went over the alotted time, she got what I felt she deserved. I usually just tailor the tipping to the service.

 

I remember at one street stall that served noodle soups with various meat of your choice as topping. The bill for 3 of us was 190 baht. The young teen girl serving us worked hard bringing us drinks and our bowls of food. I tipped her 100 baht. The smile on her face was worth every penny. It was ear to ear....

[Big Chief]

Big Chief always tip squaw that rub muscle 200 Thai face paper. Squaw make too good, Big Chief give 300 Thai face paper. This is no special muscle rubbing of Big Chief.