Etiquette & CultureBy Clever Tourists · Published
Tipping in Thailand is appreciated but not required, and nobody chases you for it. The one thing that catches visitors out is the "++" after a menu or room price: it means a 10% service charge plus 7% VAT will be added, so a 1,000-baht dinner comes to about 1,177 baht. Where no service charge is added, leaving 20 to 50 baht at a casual restaurant and 50 to 100 baht after a massage is the normal range. Here is how it works at restaurants, street stalls, massage shops, in taxis and Grab cars, and with guides and hotel staff.
Free toolWork out the exact tip on any bill →Pick the country, enter the bill and get the tip in local currency — including the places where service is already on the bill.Hotel restaurants, malls, rooftop bars and most sit-down places with printed menus in English often show prices with "++" (sometimes written net when everything is already included). The first plus is a 10% service charge, the second is 7% VAT, and VAT is calculated on top of the service charge, so the total is about 17.7% above the menu price.
Thailand's statutory VAT rate is 10%, but the government has kept a reduced 7% rate in place year by year. The current extension, Royal Decree No. 807, runs from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2027, so 7% is what you will see on bills through that date.
When a 10% service charge is on the bill you do not need to tip on top. If service was good, leaving the coins and small notes from your change is a common gesture. At family-run restaurants with no service charge, 20 to 50 baht for a meal for two, or rounding the bill up, is plenty.
Street stalls and market vendors do not expect tips. You pay the price on the sign (a bowl of noodles or a plate of pad kra pao in Bangkok is usually well under 100 baht) and take your change. Leaving a few coins is fine but not customary.
At cafés with counter service there is often a small tip jar; dropping in your coins is optional. Carry 20-baht notes and 10-baht coins, because a 1,000-baht note is awkward to break at a stall.
Massage is the one service where tipping is close to expected. At a street-level Thai massage shop, 50 to 100 baht for a one-hour massage is the usual tip, paid in cash directly to the therapist, who often earns a modest share of the posted price.
At hotel spas and upscale day spas the bill may already include a 10% service charge. A cash tip on top is optional, and handing it to the therapist yourself is the only way to be sure it reaches them.
Metered taxi drivers do not expect a percentage. Rounding up to the next 10 or 20 baht is normal, and adding a little more when a driver helps with heavy bags is a kind gesture. Tuk-tuk fares are negotiated before you get in, so the agreed price is the price.
In the Grab app you can add a tip after the ride if you paid in-app; Grab's Thailand help page says the option stays open for up to 72 hours in your ride history. It is optional. For more on choosing between apps and avoiding meter refusals, see our Grab vs Bolt and Bangkok taxi scams guide.
• Day-tour guides: a few hundred baht per day from a group is a common range for a good guide; on a private tour, more is appreciated. Hand it over at the end, in cash.
• Private drivers: a smaller amount than the guide, often 100 to 300 baht for a full day.
• Hotel porters: 20 baht per bag at mid-range hotels, a bit more at luxury properties.
• Housekeeping: 20 to 50 baht per night left on the pillow is a nice touch, not an obligation.
Planning the city itself? Our Bangkok guide covers where to eat and stay.
No. Tipping is appreciated but optional. Massage therapists are the main exception, where 50 to 100 baht after a one-hour massage is customary.
It means a 10% service charge and 7% VAT will be added to the listed price. Because VAT is charged on top of the service charge, the total is about 17.7% more than the menu price.
No. When a 10% service charge is already on the bill, an extra tip is not needed, though leaving small change for good service is a common gesture.
About 50 to 100 baht in cash for a one-hour massage at a street-level shop, handed directly to the therapist. At spas that add a service charge, a tip on top is optional.
It is optional. If you paid in the Grab app you can add a tip after the ride, for up to 72 hours. For metered taxis, rounding up to the next 10 or 20 baht is normal.
The statutory rate is 10%, but a reduced 7% rate has been extended again by Royal Decree No. 807, which covers 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2027.
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