Most of us have to think about how much gratuity should be given in any situation while traveling – or is it given at all?
When is it important to give a tip?
Where & when is gratuity given?
In general, there are no rules written in stone to give a tip.
Dropping depends largely on which Asian travel destination you travel to and what kind of service you get.
There is no general tip culture outside of established tourist areas, so you are not expected to give a tip. In some countries, giving a tip is a common practice, in others it is virtually unknown at all.
Remember that giving tips is ALWAYS voluntary.
We have put together this guide on the culture of drinking money in certain Asian travel destinations.
Please note that the guide is for guidance only and the local currency amounts given in the guide are based on the exchange rates prevailing at the time of writing (February 2018).
Tipping money in Vietnam
The tip is gratefully received in Vietnam, and you can decide for yourself how much you want to drop at any given time. The amount of gratuity should reflect the service you receive.
Overview: How much gratuity should be given?
- Restaurants: Most restaurants add a 10% tax and a 5% service charge to the bill, but this money doesn’t end up with waiters. So you can give an additional 5-10% if you want, if you have received a particularly good service. Drink money is not expected at local restaurants, but you can leave a few small notes on the table if you wish.
- Tour guides / drivers: For day trips, guides are usually given $ 5-10 per person (about 115-230 do’ngia) and drivers $ 2-5 (about 45-115 do’ngia) per person.
- Taxi drivers: No gratuity – however, you can round the amount up.
- Hotel staff : A few dollars will be left for the cleaner, while a piccolo will be given $ 1-2 (approx. 20-5 do’ngia) per person.
Tipping money in Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka, it is customary to give gratuities.
You can decide for yourself how much you want to drop, depending on the quality of the service. So the most important criterion is your own experience of the service.
Overview: How much gratuity should be given?
- Restaurants: Feel free to add 10% gratuity to the final bill. If you wish, you can also give the bartender some tips. A suitable fee for good service is ½-$ 1 (about 100 rupees).
- Tour Guides / Drivers: If you are happy with the tour guide, the appropriate gratuity from one family is about $ 20 per day (about Rs 3,000). You can give the driver about $ 10 / day per family (about Rs 1,500).
- Taxi drivers: It is polite for taxi drivers to give tips. It is customary to give $ 1-3 (200-400 rupees) for a three-hour trip, or 3-3 ½ dollars (about 500 rupees) for an entire day.
- Hotel staff : Normally a tip is given to a piccolo for $ 1 / suitcase (about Rs 150), while cleaners are given $ 2 / day (about Rs 300) from one family. For example, if you go for a massage or spa treatment, it is good practice to give a 10% tip.
Tipping money in Thailand
In Thailand, the tourist is often expected to give a tip – at least in tourist hotels and restaurants. Drink money also measures satisfaction, so drops especially when you are satisfied with the service you receive. Most Thais do not refuse to pay close attention.
Never give just 1 baht as a drink, as this is perceived as offensive in a small amount.
Overview: How much gratuity should be given?
- Restaurants: In restaurants, you are expected to add a 10% tip to the bill if a service charge has not already been added to the bill. Give the money directly to the waiter. At local restaurants, about $ 1 (about 20-40 baht) is enough for a drink. The finer the restaurant, the more drink money is expected. In street kitchens, on the other hand, giving a tip is not a habit at all.
- Tour guides / drivers: Depending on how satisfied you are, you can give a day trip guide for $ 3-9 / person / day (about 100-300 baht). The amount suitable for the driver is half of this.
- Taxi drivers: You can give the taxi driver a small change or round the taxi to the nearest lump sum if you are satisfied with the smooth running of the trip. In Tuktuk, the price of the trip is paid in advance, so there is no need to give gratuity.
- Hotel staff : Give a piccolo carrying your luggage about $ 1 (about 20-40 baht) – depending on the level of service and the number of suitcases. The cleaners don’t expect a tip, but if you want to give a little praise as a thank you for the good work, you can put about 50-100 baht / day in the envelope.
Tipping money in Indonesia / Bali
In Indonesia and Bali, dropping is common and polite.
Therefore, it is a good idea to always carry a few small notes with you to thank you for your help or service.
Overview: How much gratuity should be given?
- Restaurants: In international restaurants, the appropriate amount is at least $ 1 per person (about 10,000-15,000 rupees), while small local restaurants do not expect gratuity at all.
- Tour guides / drivers: Give your guide $ 4 (approx. 50,000-55,000 rupees) per day per person. A suitable tip for a driver is $ 2-3 (about Rs 30,000) per day per person.
- Taxi drivers: Give the taxi driver a small change or $ 1 (about 10,000-15,000 rupees).
- Hotel staff : Give piccolo $ 1 / suitcase (approx. Rs 10,000-15,000) and cleaners $ 2 / day / room (Rs 20,000-30,000).
Tipping money in Japan
Tipping is hardly used in Japan.
If you leave a tip on the restaurant table, the waiter can run after you and return your “forgotten” money!
In contrast, giving small and beautifully wrapped gifts as a show is a common practice. For example, you can delight a guide or hotel cleaner by giving a small symbolic gift, such as a pastry or Japanese sweets. However, remember that the most important thing in a gift is the idea, not its size or value.
Overview: How much gratuity should be given?
- Restaurants: Nothing – if you pay “too much”, you just get your money back.
- Tour guides / drivers: There are some exceptions to Japanese drink money culture. You can give the tour guide a few dollars (about 220-230 yen) as a thank you for the good service, but that is not particularly expected.
- Taxi drivers: None.
- Hotel staff: Hotel staff refuse gratuities.
Tipping money in Cambodia
Drink money is welcomed in Cambodia.
The most common amount is about $ 2 (about 8 reels).
However, no one will be offended if you fail to provide gratuity due to a lack of service, for example.
Overview: How much gratuity should be given?
- Restaurants: In restaurants, the bill usually includes a service charge, so there is no need to provide extra gratuity. Drink money is not expected at local restaurants, but you are happy to give 5% of the final bill amount if the service was good, or 10% if the service was excellent.
- Tour guides / drivers: Give your tour guide $ 5-10 / day / person (approx. 20-40 riels) and the driver $ 2-5 / day / person (approx. 10-20 riels).
- Taxi drivers: Round up or enter $ 1 (approx. 4 rigs).
- Hotel Staff : Provide a tip of $ 1-2 (approx. 4-8 reels) per day or per suitcase depending on the duties of the employee.
Drink money in China
In China, drinking money is not generally expected. However, it has become customary to give small sums to piccoloes in western hotels and restaurants.
Overview: How much gratuity should be given?
- Restaurants: Small restaurants don’t tend to give a tip, but in bigger cities you can leave a little change or $ 1-5 (about 7-35 yuan) on the restaurant table.
- Tour guides / drivers: Giving tips to drivers and tour guides is slowly becoming more common. Depending on the service, you can give the guide $ 5-10 / day / person (about 35-70 yuan). The driver is given half of what the guide – and preferably directly to that person.
- Taxi drivers: You can decide for yourself if you want to give the taxi driver a tip. If the service has been good, you can give the driver your small change or $ 1-2 (about 7-15 yuan).
- Hotel staff: In China, hotel cleaners do not tend to give gratuities, but if you still want to show your gratitude, you can give about $ 2 / day (about 10-15 yuan). You can also give a little tip to piccolo to thank you for carrying your suitcases in the room. The appropriate amount is 1-2 dollars / room (about 7-15 yuan).
Tipping money in Laos
In Laos, giving a tip is not a very common practice. Exceptions are destinations popular with tourists, where gratuities are valued as a reward for a job well done.
Overview: How much gratuity should be given?
- Restaurants: In restaurants, the bill often includes a service fee, but if the service has been particularly good, you are happy to leave an additional 10% tip. There is no need to worry about gratuities at local restaurants.
- Tour guides / drivers: It is polite to give tips to tour guides. A suitable drink for a full-day trip is $ 5-10 / person for the guide (about 40-80 sparks) and $ 3-5 / person (about 25-40 sparks) for the driver.
- Taxi drivers: Taxi drivers are not given a tip because the price of the trip is agreed in advance.
- Hotel staff: Normally hotel staff in Laos are not given a tip, but as a thank you for your help you can give a few coins if you wish. If you want to thank you for a good job, you can give piccolo and the cleaner $ 1 / day (about 8-10 sparks).
Tipping money in Myanmar
Myanmar is a relatively new travel destination, so the beverage culture is not yet well established in the country.
If you get particularly good service, you can give some tips, which are always gratefully received.
Overview: How much gratuity should be given?
- Restaurants: Drinking money isn’t expected at restaurants, and you don’t normally have to worry about dropping. If you are satisfied with the service you have received, you can, of course, add 10% to the final invoice, for example.
- Tour guides / drivers: If you feel you have received first-class service, you can give the guide $ 7-10 / family (about 10-14 kyats) at the end of the day trip. The amount suitable for the driver is half of this.
- Hotel Staff : Most of the time, gratuities are only given in finer hotels, but if you want to thank the piccolo and the cleaner for their good work, you can give each a small amount.
Wondering about dropping?
The habits, instructions, and habits associated with giving gratuity are constantly changing in our travel destinations as cultural norms and fees change.
If you’re not sure, trust your instincts, round up the amount of the bill, or feel free to ask what the local way is.
Of course, you can always also confirm this by asking our travel advisors.