USA Bus Lines

What would be the customary tip for a tour guide and charter bus driver?

More specifically, what would be the tip for a tour of Thailand (Pattaya/Bangkok) run by and catered to Chinese-Americans? We were told by the tour guide that tip is customarily $8 USD per day per person ($5 for tour guide and $3 for driver), which seems somewhat expensive for a tip.

Public Comments

1. The best tip you could give is to tell them not to take any wooden nickles.
2. 20 bot for the driver and 10 bot for the tour guid. If your with a GUY TELL HIM TO LOOK AT THE GIRL IF THERE IS ONE AND SAY SWAY MOK MOK PUOEING AND GIVE HER THE 30BOT AND TELL HER TO SLIP IT...SMILE IF THAT DON'T WORK JUMP SHIP...SMILE AND AFTER YOU JUMP SHIP SLAP YOUR BOYFRIEND FOR CALLING HER A VERY BEAUTIFUL WOMAN....SMILE I THINK IT IS STILL 20BOT TO A DOLLAR. iF IT WAS A GOOD TRIP GIVE IT TO THEM . iT IS FAR happy new year
3. Yes, that is quite expensive! Tip them 60 baht (20/40) or 100 baht (40/60) and you will be fine. Some buses post signs that say 50 baht is the standard tip, but few people actually tip. Fresh off the boat tourists with more money than sense often over-tip and that is problematic. 100 baht is roughly 3$USD. Remember you get a more favorable exchange rate in Thailand than you do abroad. The Exhange rate abroad is 29.8 baht per dollar, here it is about 32 baht to 1 USD. (Yes you can manipulate this currency) The exchange rate between Baht and Chinese RMB (Yuan) is 4 baht to 1 Yuan. Further info on tipping, as a general rule tipping 5% is more than adequate. Some western chain restaurants add a 10% tip, as do MK, and Fuji and chains similar to those. Additional tipping is not expected. Chinese owned restaurants almost never expect a tip, and the same goes with sidewalk restaurants and food stalls. Enjoy your stay, and have a happy new year!
4. Hi, usually you tip if you think that the service provided had been good for you. More if the guide and driver had gone out of their way to make the tour enjoyable for you. They do not earn much and whatever you can give is a big help to them. In a typical group tour as you seem to have, usually the tip is given at the end of the tour before you leave the country. In such instance, depending on the number of days you are on the tour, the tip is usually expected to be about 50-100bahts a day. If you like, you can separate the tip for the guide and driver depending whom you like. Or equal tip to both. Just understand that these guys extract quite low salary, so your tips in whatever amount will be appreciated.
5. I'd go for ten each. Common...
6. Don't go overboard and judge tipping by what ur used to at home, my partner never tips more than 20 baht for anything unless the service is outstanding, then it's 40, n she's Thai. $8 a day per person - no way.
7. Interesting about "tip is customarily $8 USD per day per person " And you are right - what you said is VERY expensive for a tip. THERE IS NO LAW to tip anyone. Tipping is not complusory although sometimes people do tip for good service and people working in hospitality industry is getting accustomed to this and sometimes "expects" it. If I tip, say.. a hotel porter, I woudl NEVER tip more than 30 baht - which is about $1 USD. Taxi ride, if they are good and helpful I give them a bit extra than what the meter says as drivers hardly make any money over there (about 300 baht or 10 USD a day average) The tour guide that expect you to tip $8 USD (230 baht) per person per day is ripping you off. 50 baht tip per person is really getting way too much already for anything. Three of us went to an expensive restaurant for a big meal we would never leave more than 300 baht tip total (about $10). Any normal eating places around the street we DON'T tip - although refusing small coin change is apperciated. Again - $8 tip PER DAY is really ripping you off!!!
8. i typically tip taxi drivers around 100 baht, if ive chartered a car ill tip the driver anywhere between 500 - 1000 baht, depending on how far the trip is. considering ill never sign up for a "tour" or be caught dead on any type of tour bus, ive never had to tip a tour guide. i understand most people dont tip this much, but making a strangers day typically doesnt rank too high on the average Americans list, as evident by the comments on this thread saying $8 is a rip off.