Tips in Chiang Mai

[firecat69]

I know this is an Up to You Question

I am quite familiar with the expected tips in Pattaya and Bangkok which are quite different
I do not have a good feel for the average tips in Chiang Mai for short time offs and massage.

Thanks for any info

Some people may think that things are cheaper in Chiang Mai, including "services". So, yes, one should definitely do a survey to make sure one avoids giving a boy a few hundred baht more than is usual in CM. It wouldn't do to spoil the young man with new found wealth, would it?

If we're talking about the reverse - afraid of not paying enough - simply ask around when you get to Chiang Mai.

[firecat69]

Why is it that a simple question can never get answered simply. There is a considerable difference between prices in Bangkok and Pattaya. Just like drinks are twice as much in Bangkok the accepted offs are 50% more then Pattaya.

I see no reason for a snide comment like yours . I like to pay what is fair but I see no reason to pay more. I suppose you offer to pay 250 baht for your drinks in Pattaya because they can be a more successful bar.

Hopefully there is someone out there who will answer a simple question about expected tips in Chiang Mai versus Bangkok and Pattaya.

[Alaan]

A rather unhelpful and pointless post from bobsaigon........Firecat....i tip the same whether in Bkk/Pattaya/Phuket/Chiang Mai...that is ST or massage Bt1000 plus Bt200 for someting to eat if the guy has made a good effort.. LT/overnight Bt1500 and again bt200 for taxi/eat if attitude good.

All i can add really is that I was recently in Chaing Mai and the only guy i was with there was very happy with his Bt1500 for overnight. It might be surprising but before when i used to have guys regularly in Phuket and Bkk i only ever had good reactions with this level of tip.I stick to the same in Pattaya too as i think it is a fair amount...less to me is not fair.

[firecat69]

Guess I am overpaying in BKK 1500 short time and 2000 overnight. Pattaya 1000 and 1500 and taxi fare.

Seems the consensus is that 1000 and 1500 will be acceptable in Chiang Mai

Thanks for the replies

I also tip the same no matter where I am in Thailand. The purpose of my "snide, unhelpful, pointless" post was to say that I just think it probably matters little to us if we pay a few hundred baht more than the going rate, but it is very helpful to the boy to get the more generous amount. As many posters probably know, the 1000-1500-2000 rates have remained pretty much unchanged for the past ten years, while the cost of living, for the boys as well as for us, has increased considerably. So it doesn't bother me if I accidentally pay more than the local custom dictates.

I certainly have a different attitude when it comes to the price of drinks, but I do not place drinks and boys in the same category.

[firecat69]

To Bobsaigon

I never quite understand the rationale that a few hundred baht extra means so much to the boys. First as I have stated I usually err on the high side and feel I am more then fair with the boys. Right or wrong I was told and felt the tip expected in Bangkok was generally higher. It always made sense to me since the cost of apartments etc are far greater in Bangkok then Pattaya. None of the major bars in Bangkok provide sleeping quarters or meals as some in Pattaya do. Maybe I am overpaying in Bangkok but I am stuck with my past actions.

But back to my original point. Bobsaigon, why don't you feel the need to pay more for other services in Thailand such as taxis, waiters, haircuts etc. These people all work far harder then the boys for far less money. The average wage in Thailand has also not changed much in the last ten years. I have been coming here long enough that I know boys with real jobs . They work up to 12 hours a day , 6 days a week for 9000 baht or less per month. I would much rather give a waiter who is working 70 hours a week a big tip then overpay a Bar Boy who is working maybe 30 hours a week. Boys who work in the bars are paid handsomely and I certainly respect the work they do but they do not deserve to be overpaid just because as you have stated what does a few hundred baht mean to us. Does that mean all the Bar Boys are making good money . Of course not. But as in any job ,the ones who take their work seriously and smile and make eye contact tend to get offed regularly.

When I am on Holiday here I might average 2 boys per day for 30days. If I am overly generous by 500 baht to each one of them, that is 30,000 baht. I think that is REAL money and if I was going to give it away , I would rather it was to a worthwhile charity for homeless Thai children or Aids victims.

Most of the boys throw their money away on fancy phones, yabba etc. There are exceptions but they are the exceptions not the rule.

The whole point of my original post was to make sure I did not pay 1500 short time in Chiang Mai if 1000 was considered acceptable and fair. I still think it was a valid question and appreciate the replies.

I think you guys all pay far too much.
500 bht short time and 1000 long time is what I pay. Occasionally I will pay more but only when it is deserved.
I tend to avoid Bangkok for more than one reason.

I realise some of you will think I am a 'cheap charlie' but I have only ever paid what a boy has expected. Unless, as I said, I thought there was something exceptional going on. That's not to say I haven't paid alot more for a ReAlly long time!

[nanette]

Guys on Gayromeo have accepted offers of around 700-800B. I have regularly paid 500B to hairstylists or masseurs who took my fancy. Go for a shampoo or a hair cut, and ask the guy out, or get his phone number. Most of them are willing to come to your room for 500B. You can take them out to discos, and invite them to stay overnight. Some were even glad to just join you for buffet breakfast in the morning. Nowadays there are so many guys who post themselves on the web. I weed out the fishy characters by asking for their pics(face & body, not just their c@@k).
Bar boys have been contented with tips of 1000-1500B. The better ones get repeat business.

Maybe my first post above was a little unfair, especially if you're offing 2 boys a day for a month (God bless you, I wish I could still do that).

Having said that, I still hold to the belief that a boy's services are not in the same category as material goods, and trying to pay as little as possible still, to me, lacks a certain dignity. But I'm no expert. Maybe many boys are quite happy with 300 or 500 as opposed to nothing.

Cheers.

[cdnmatt]

Maybe many boys are quite happy with 300 or 500 as opposed to nothing.

Oh yeah, those boys can be found, generally on the internet from what I hear. I've heard some farangs even have the nerve to say they'll pay 500 baht short-time, but only if the sex is "REALLY, REALLY, REALLY" good. If it's not, then they'll only pay 100 or 200 baht.

I've heard some farangs even have the nerve to say they'll pay 500 baht short-time, but only if the sex is "REALLY, REALLY, REALLY" good. If it's not, then they'll only pay 100 or 200 baht.And there are some who say "And you'll only get a tip if YOU cum". Outrageous.

I had boys ask for 2k but I'd never pay it. These are guys that either found me on the street or we found each other at a sauna and spent more time together. A part of it is because I spent 1k's taking them to dinner, NAB, and other places in addition to giving them 500-1k in cash. None of them were upset with 1k in Pattaya or Bangkok.

I guess I'd expect to pay a little more for a boy from one of the better boy bars, but that isn't really my scene...Wild West is the only one that I visited while I was here and I was a little put off by the 19yr old pretty things that were only interested in hand-jobs and big tips. I had better luck meeting guys on the beach, etc.

I had boys ask for 2k but I'd never pay it. ..... A part of it is because I spent 1k's taking them to dinner, NAB, and other places in addition to giving them 500-1k in cash.

A common but total misunderstanding of the situation and the boy's point of view. Whatever you spend "taking them to dinner, NAB, and other places" has no bearing on what he expects to be paid for his services, which include being paid to keep you company at "dinner, NAB, and other places". Cash is what counts, not a gourmet meal.

[ceejay]

I had boys ask for 2k but I'd never pay it. ..... A part of it is because I spent 1k's taking them to dinner, NAB, and other places in addition to giving them 500-1k in cash.

A common but total misunderstanding of the situation and the boy's point of view. Whatever you spend "taking them to dinner, NAB, and other places" has no bearing on what he expects to be paid for his services, which include being paid to keep you company at "dinner, NAB, and other places". Cash is what counts, not a gourmet meal.
That's always been my understanding too. Another thing I have found is that, especially if a boy is new to the bar scene and not long out of an Issan village, they sometimes do not even enjoy being taken to a restaurant. It's partly the food, be it farang or Thai (the Thai food in restaurants catering to tourists usually being westernised to a greater or lesser degree anyway). I think it's also partly feeling out of place if the restaurant is too "upscale" (in their perception). In any case, from what I have seen, Thais are often snackers and browsers. Sitting down to a multi course meal is not how they do things, in my very limited experience.
I'm not against nice restaurants (hence my recent mention of Ruen Thai) but one of the most enjoyable (in terms of enjoyable for both of us) meals I have had in Thailand was at the food section in Jomtien Night market, with the boy I was with going round the stalls and choosing the food for both of us.

[cdnmatt]

Agreed with the two posts above. Taking someone out for dinner or to the clubs doesn't mean you're allowed to tip them less. To them, it's the equivalent of for example, working in the oil patch in Canada, and being able to sit in your truck and smoke cigarettes for a few hours, instead of being on the ass end of a shovel. Makes your day that much better, but you still expect the same pay.

Agreed with ceejay as well. We might think we're treating them to a good night out at a nice restaurant, etc... but to them it's uncomfortable and they feel out of place. If you want to give them a good dinner, head off to one of the noodle stands with him, and ask him to order for both you. More than likely, he'll be quite impressed with you for doing that for him. Either that, or he'll think you're a sucker, who he can get a large tip out of. Depends on the guy you end up with.

That's why not once have I ever taken my BF to a farang oriented gay area, restaurant or anything else. He's Thai, more than happy being Thai, and I do what I can to ensure he doesn't have to conform very much. But, there's two different cultures and backgrounds molding together, so we both have to conform a little bit (I'm not about to sleep on tile floor, or live in a 170 house village, for example), but we both do what we can to make sure each other is happy and comfortable.

Either that, or he'll think you're a sucker, who he can get a large tip out of. Depends on the guy you end up with.

Yup, depends on the guy. The guy that I was with in Pattaya spoke good English and the relationship was clear enough...he didn't consider himself a money boy and just wanted to go places with me and have me pay, for the most part (he also said that it amused him to have other Thai compliment the fine catch that he'd made. haha). I gave him 2k in cash over the week but he spent half of that on taxis and drinks for himself (that I would have ended up paying for anyway).

I'm quiet and tend to end up with extroverts so I spent a lot of time listening to my friend speak in Thai to his other friends. I asked him where we should go most of the time, so we tended to visit restaurants that his friends worked at...we ran to get his laundry, etc. I personally find every-day life every bit as interesting as touring historical sites so this was good by me.

What annoyed me is when he hooked me up with one of his younger friends. After spending around 4k on the evening out for the three of us, he wanted another 2k. I told him to go to sleep since I'd spent enough money for the day. I ended up giving him 1k in the morning (admittedly by friend #1's insistence) so I have first-hand examples of what you guys said about only caring about their pay. I'm just not interested in this type of guy so it's going to take a little more effort for me to find what I'm looking for, that's all. At least I have one contact in Pattaya that I like, so it's a start.

Yeah, I learned a lot on this trip...partly how things work and partly about myself. That's how it goes.

[latintopxxx]

Old topic...but a perennial one...guess it will never be exhausted. at the same time good to read different opinions although I suspect that the tree hugging/sandal wearing do gooders who profess to treat their rent like gods and throw fistfulls of cash at them for minimal service are exagerrating their generosity.
I always treat the business side of renting a boys services like any other deal....maximum service for minimm outlay without pushing it too far so as not to ruin repeat business...seems to work for me so far.
Occasionally if the boy performs really well...above my expectations ....i tip nicely.....easy!!
The professionals with the right attitude (customer is always right...customer comes first!!) easily bring in 25 to 45 thou....while around the corner at the all night store they're on 7 to 9 thou with overtime....easy money....easy life.

[aussie_]

I asked him where we should go most of the time, so we tended to visit restaurants that his friends worked at...we ran to get his laundry, etc.

I met a guy on Gay Romeo last time in Pattaya. He didn't want any money for sex but I foolishly asked him out for a drink later. We visited every bar in Jomtiem where his friend's worked and then went to NAB later where more of his friends turned up. $$$

Another bar boy I know does the same trick, takes you to every bar where his friends work as waiters or go go boys.

I realise if these guys are in the trade then that is where they will find their friends but i am sure that some of them are also on the payroll of some of the bar owners to bring in customers.

Another bar boy I know does the same trick, takes you to every bar where his friends work as waiters or go go boys.



If you think this is a "trick", you have a helluva lot to learn about Thailand.

If you think this is a "trick", you have a helluva lot to learn about Thailand.

It certainly wasn't a trick in my case. The guy is an extrovert and knew people everywhere that we went, that's all. Most of the Thai that I've met are a lot more outgoing than the typical American so I don't think much of it.

Aussie, sorry that you feel that you were taken for a ride but all of the Thai that I met were honest people. I doubt that 99% of them would even consider stealing something...they will ask for things and it is up to you to draw the line somewhere. At the end of my post I said that I learned things about myself on this trip--that is what I was talking about. Sometimes the problem is within and not other people. I made some mistakes but they were affordable ones, so learn from it and enjoy your next trip a little more.

The boy that asked for 2k after what I considered to be an expensive night out actually offered me a freebie (although I didn't like it at all since the guy was aggressive and not safe--totally not my thing). I gave him the 1k the next day because friend #1 was concerned that I'd get a bad reputation (more importantly, I'm sure he didn't want it to reflect upon him since he set me up with the guy). Friend #1 got trashed at NAB that night and after talking with him it was clear that he set me up with the guy because he wanted me to be happy...but in actuality he didn't want to share me. The bottom-line is that these 'money boys' do want a few bucks from us but they are also people, with feelings, and many of them I'd be pleased to consider a friend because they have good hearts/character.

The bottom-line is that these 'money boys' do want a few bucks from us but they are also people, with feelings, and many of them I'd be pleased to consider a friend because they have good hearts/character.

As long as you have a fat wallet you can be sure of lots of friends..................

:hello1:

As long as you have a fat wallet you can be sure of lots of friends..................

Some guys make it feel like less of a transaction than others, which I do prefer.

I met one regular gay guy in Bangkok but nothing of the sort in Pattaya. Pattaya has a more commercial feel to it.

... the relationship was clear enough...he didn't consider himself a money boy and just wanted to go places with me and have me pay, for the most part (he also said that it amused him to have other Thai compliment the fine catch that he'd made. haha)......... After spending around 4k on the evening out for the three of us, he wanted another 2k.

haha indeed .... still a plonker.

[neddy3]

Pattaya has a more commercial feel to it.


Oh, yes!

He's Thai, more than happy being Thai, and I do what I can to ensure he doesn't have to conform very much. But, there's two different cultures and backgrounds molding together, so we both have to conform a little bit (I'm not about to sleep on tile floor, or live in a 170 house village, for example), but we both do what we can to make sure each other is happy and comfortable.

In which case there's not only hope for the world but considerable hope for your relationship too!

If you can maximise the similarities and things you both enjoy doing and minimise (or better still laugh at) the differences, then you already have a far better relationship than most others here.

[cdnmatt]

In which case there's not only hope for the world but considerable hope for your relationship too!

If you can maximise the similarities and things you both enjoy doing and minimise (or better still laugh at) the differences, then you already have a far better relationship than most others here.

What's this? A compliment from GF? Are you feeling ok? :tongue3:

I was just fairly lost at the beginning, just as he was. You know, I was worn out of my life in Vancouver, so decided a 5 week trip to Asia would do good for me. I know Pattaya well enough, so falling in love was the last thing on my mind, but sure enough that's what happened. At first, I didn't know what was going on, plus other things, such as I didn't want to offend any cultural sensitivities, didn't want to do anything that would hurt him in the long run (ie. there's lots of doors in life you can open, but many can't be closed), and so on.

But now that we've moreless stabilized into a nice, comfortable relationship, I've come to realize it's basically just the same typical bullshit as any relationship, with a few minor differences. For example, going for a nice steak dinner at a fancy restauraunt is now considered a bad thing, whereas some pineapple, fish and sticky rice from the stalls is an excellent meal. Or a 1bdrm luxury condo with comfortable king-sized bed is now a horrible place to live, whereas an old, crappy studio with a mattress on the floor that's hard as a rock and ants running around is now an excellent place to live.

Just small things like that, which I don't mind at all, and if anything enjoy quite a bit. Feels like I'm back to the simple life of being 22 again. :-)

[Beachlover]

Feels like I'm back to the simple life of being 22 again. :-)

It gets more complex? :blackeye:

[cdnmatt]

Feels like I'm back to the simple life of being 22 again. :-)

It gets more complex? :blackeye:


No, not really. In general, you just get dumber as you get older. You begin thinking things are important, which aren't. You know how it goes, especially in the West. People begin thinking it's really important whether or not their DVD player supports blu-ray or just HD, or think that since their truck is three years old they better buy a new one, or their couch having a blemish on it is an absolute travesty, or think they got a good deal on a salt & pepper shaker for only $180, and so on. You know what I mean.

haha indeed .... still a plonker.

As usual, your reading comprehension is lacking. I'm not sure why I bothered reading your post, but since I did...

The boy that wanted 2k was the younger friend of the guy that I was spending most of my time with. I thought the younger friend was cute but he spoke very little English and in the end I certainly wish that I hadn't bothered.

I knew they were money boys of different varieties, whether the older one chose to accept the label or not. Outside of paying his way for companionship, I gave him less than 2k outright (in the course of 5 days) and he spent a lot of that on drinks and taxi fare that I would have paid for anyway. We were both happy with how the week went and I think that's all that matters in the end.

Not to worry, GF, as soon as my vacation hangover is gone I'll drop off the forum for another year.

[Brad the Impala]

haha indeed .... still a plonker.

Not to worry, GF, as soon as my vacation hangover is gone I'll drop off the forum for another year.

Not to worry mlomker, the posts about your holiday experiences were enjoyed, and GF insults posters regularly. Don't take it personally, he is just the harmless but tiresome drunk in the corner of the bar.

[Beachlover]

Feels like I'm back to the simple life of being 22 again. :-)

It gets more complex? :blackeye:


No, not really. In general, you just get dumber as you get older. You begin thinking things are important, which aren't. You know how it goes, especially in the West. People begin thinking it's really important whether or not their DVD player supports blu-ray or just HD, or think that since their truck is three years old they better buy a new one, or their couch having a blemish on it is an absolute travesty, or think they got a good deal on a salt & pepper shaker for only $180, and so on. You know what I mean.

Oh darn lol.

Maybe it's time for a quarter life crisis...

GF ... is just the harmless but tiresome drunk in the corner of the bar.

Ill-informed as usual, Brad.

I have not been drunk for 30 years (I pefer to enjoy myself in other ways, not all of them "harmless") and have not been in a bar for around 5 (when I had a couple of cokes as I was driving). I would say try to limit your posts to those subjects you know something about, but that would stop you posting anything at all.

[Beachlover]

[quote="Brad the Impala":35ftvm6f]GF ... is just the harmless but tiresome drunk in the corner of the bar.

Ill-informed as usual, Brad.

I have not been drunk for 30 years (I pefer to enjoy myself in other ways, not all of them "harmless") and have not been in a bar for around 5 (when I had a couple of cokes as I was driving). I would say try to limit your posts to those subjects you know something about, but that would stop you posting anything at all.[/quote:35ftvm6f]

I think he means it as a metaphor... not literally.

I think he means it as a metaphor... not literally.

Exactly, and all such subtleties in the English language are lost on GF. I do wonder if it is his first language or if he has a touch of autism.

[Alaan]

Gone Fishing's reply is so gormless and funny that i could not believe at first that he genuinely didn't 'get' Brads very apt and fitting metaphor about GF being "the harmless but tiresome drunk in the corner of the bar" and was merely being deliberatley obtuse in his response and playing along so i deleted my original reply.........

However i realised it is GF we're talking about here and not someone with a normal understanding on things but more someone who is so full of himself he could easily be conned into the reply he gave........

Can't wait for the classic Gone Fishing backtracking embarrassing squirming arguement to tell us he really knew all along what Brad was 'getting at'........................."not been drunk for 30 years".............are you sure?

This from a guy who described mlomker as "a plonker' ..............well GF you have scaled new heights on the meaning of the word plonker as well as gormless and dense. You'll need more than your usual 10 paragraphs of internet sourced 'facts and figures' and usual crap to explain this one away. "haha indeed"

And mlomker please do not even consider 'dropping off' of the forum for any length of time just because of some pathetic (and now proved to be) cretin such as Gone Fishing.......although i dont entirely agree with all you have posted........it is interesting to read what a relative newbie's take on the current Bkk/Pattaya/Thailand scene is...........so keep posting.

And mlomker please do not even consider 'dropping off' of the forum for any length of time just because of some pathetic (and now proved to be) cretin such as Gone Fishing.......although i dont entirely agree with all you have posted.

I wouldn't be dropping off due to him, just life. I have two weeks of vacation per year so there's no reason to spend twelve months on a Thailand forum. I am planning to do a little language study over the next year since I think it'd be great to understand at least the topic of conversations that are going on around me.

No two people are going to agree on everything and goodness knows I'm ignorant about most things. My life at home is my work (computer networking) and I have little time for anything else. That doesn't mean we can't have pleasant conversations even with people that we wouldn't chose to have as friends.

[searcher]

I completely disagree with Alaan and Brad the Impala about GF ! I am not a native speaker and was taught English by Prof. Higgins, reading GF posts I get to know the world of Alfred P. Dolittle, too. What an interesting experience!!!

Can't wait for the classic Gone Fishing backtracking embarrassing squirming arguement to tell us he really knew all along what Brad was 'getting at'

I seldom have any idea what Brad is "getting at".

[Beachlover]

I think he means it as a metaphor... not literally.

Exactly, and all such subtleties in the English language are lost on GF. I do wonder if it is his first language or if he has a touch of autism.

That's right.... humour too.

It's because he's thick.

I completely disagree with Alaan and Brad the Impala about GF! I am not a native speaker and was taught English by Prof. Henry Higgins; reading GF's posts I get to know the world of Alfred P. Doolittle too. What an interesting experience!!!

I thought you were mixing your musicals, searcher, but maybe Dr John Dolittle's linguistic skills would be handy - particularly with those who think a black humour response is some sort of negro illness and that irony is a colour, like silvery.

margaritas ante porcos .......