Foot massage tip

[Blueskytoday]

I am aware of tip prices for oil/cream body massages..
I have not had a foot massage..
What is a fair tip for an hour foot massage,,200 Baht ??
I understand Thai's give 50bt or 100 bt....
I don't want to be cheap for the service nor give excessive..
Thanks

OH, do they also give back of head or neck massage or only the foot
as I have such pain in my neck..thanks for the adivce..

usually they some attention to neck and head. 50 baht is ok. More is better for them, of course.

[gorcum-old]

they are happy with a tip of 100 bath.

and if you are Russian, they will be surprised if you tip.

[mahjongguy]

they are happy with a tip of 100 bath. [sic]
100 baht means that they won't actually starve to death that day. And the 60 baht commission from the shop's fee will go towards their rent.

I'm a big fan of chair massage and Thai massage, and over the years I've gotten to know a lot about the massage business. Unlike tourists, I understand that the money paid to the masseur is not a "tip". Because the commission is so low, what's paid directly to the masseur is the bulk of his income. Not once have I ever paid less than 200 for the "tip".

[Diec]

I admit to having smelly feet. When I give the boys a 50 baht tip they are more than happy.

they are happy with a tip of 100 bath. [sic]
100 baht means that they won't actually starve to death that day. And the 60 baht commission from the shop's fee will go towards their rent.

I'm a big fan of chair massage and Thai massage, and over the years I've gotten to know a lot about the massage business. Unlike tourists, I understand that the money paid to the masseur is not a "tip". Because the commission is so low, what's paid directly to the masseur is the bulk of his income. Not once have I ever paid less than 200 for the "tip".

You tip 200 baht even if the massage is only 100 baht (as is more and more common these days)?

[mahjongguy]

You tip 200 baht even if the massage is only 100 baht (as is more and more common these days)?
Usually more than 200.

What if the shop fee were 10 baht? Would you then, thinking like a tourist, tip them a generous 30%?

You have to set aside the Western idea of giving the waiter/driver/barber a bit extra to convey that you appreciate their effort. Massage shops keep most of the fee for themselves to pay the rent, laundry, etc. Thus, the masseurs are more like freelance workers, and you should pay them something that is a fair portion of what it takes for them to survive.

It's a different system from other countries. That's why I don't like the word "tip" in this situation.

It was a theoretical question -- I wasn't saying that I tip by percent.

But conversely, would you tip the same for a 100 baht foot massage in a side alley as you would for a 1,500 baht foot massage in a five-star hotel?

Is there some inherent reason that the masseur in the hotel deserves a higher tip for the same service, just because he works in a fancy establishment?

[markie1]

It was a theoretical question -- I wasn't saying that I tip by percent.

But conversely, would you tip the same for a 100 baht foot massage in a side alley as you would for a 1,500 baht foot massage in a five-star hotel?

Is there some inherent reason that the masseur in the hotel deserves a higher tip for the same service, just because he works in a fancy establishment?

Well i have always paid 100 Tip no matter what shop i go in to ,i think a 100 baht tip is good ,i have actually seen many Tourist only give them a 20 baht note which i think is far too low .

[mahjongguy]

would you tip the same for a 100 baht foot massage in a side alley as you would for a 1,500 baht foot massage in a five-star hotel? Yes. I repeat, the money paid to the masseur has nothing to do with the shop's fee.


Well i have always paid 100 Tip no matter what shop i go in to ,i think a 100 baht tip is good ,i have actually seen many Tourist only give them a 20 baht note which i think is far too low .I don't think that 100 baht is enough, ever. And I pay no attention to what tourists pay; as with many things, they don't know what they're doing. I've seen a masseur burst into sad angry tears because some idiot gave him a 40 baht tip.

[giggsy]

I think all this tipping is an American thing who go round tipping everyone and spoil it for the rest of us farangs. Some friends and I went to see a show in Las Vegas and the American in front of us gave the man on the door a 50 dollar bill. We being British did not give him a cent and we got better seats then the yank. sometimes I think the septics should take the suckers off their foreheads. Treat 'em mean and keep 'em keen.

[quote]would you tip the same for a 100 baht foot massage in a side alley as you would for a 1,500 baht foot massage in a five-star hotel? Yes. I repeat, the money paid to the masseur has nothing to do with the shop's fee.


Well i have always paid 100 Tip no matter what shop i go in to ,i think a 100 baht tip is good ,i have actually seen many Tourist only give them a 20 baht note which i think is far too low .I don't think that 100 baht is enough, ever. And I pay no attention to what tourists pay; as with many things, they don't know what they're doing. I've seen a masseur burst into sad angry tears because some idiot gave him a 40 baht tip.[/quote:30ghj5xt]

Don't you think that the masseur's "cut" is much higher at a 1,500 baht/hour place than at a 100 baht/hour place? Foot massage/traditional massage parlors are not like the sex massage places -- the masseurs are salaried and/or receive a per-massage cut of the proceeds.

[mahjongguy]

Don't you think that the masseur's "cut" is much higher at a 1,500 baht/hour place than at a 100 baht/hour place?Higher, but not "much" higher. The 5-star hotel pays a bit more because they insist on higher standards of appearance, but most of their fee goes towards their higher operating expenses, the decor, support staff, etc., plus the hotel knows that their customers are more likely to tip well. Overall, the masseur/masseuse is reliant on the customer's generosity.

And, all of these places, from high to low, have punitive conditions of employment. If you are late to work, you get docked an amount from your commissions, and so on. At Apsara on Silom, every member of the staff was required to perform in costume for a party the owner hosted for her friends; every employee too exhausted to attend was docked 200 baht.


Foot massage/traditional massage parlors are not like the sex massage places -- the masseurs are salaried and/or receive a per-massage cut of the proceeds.
- Those that work full-time, by which I mean 12 hours a day with 2 days off per month, receive around 100 baht per day *IF* they have no customer that day, and they are expected to do housecleaning and/or laundry in exchange.
- The highest commission that I've heard of, in a large Traditional shop in Bangkok, was 120 baht for a 300 baht one hour oil massage. That was for a full-time (i.e. slave) employee. Part-time masseurs earn 90 baht.

Doesn't sound so bad compared with the minimum wage (less than 200 baht/day) or what they pay at McDonalds (40+ baht/hour). Massage work -- unlike sex work -- is a minimum-skill minimum-pay job.

[mahjongguy]

Doesn't sound so bad compared with the minimum wage (less than 200 baht/day)...
It can be a decent income, but only if:
- they get some decent "tips".
- they get several customers a day. But most are lucky to get one a day, which (with a cheapskate's tip) doesn't even cover the cost of going to work. In order to assure that a customer never ever has to wait for a massage, every shop I've ever patronized has far too large a staff, which in itself makes certain that no one earns enough to live on.

I'm done educating on this topic. The bottom line is, either you have compassion for people or you don't.

[mahjongguy]

I...go round tipping everyone and spoil it for the rest of us farangs. If you really think my paying fair value spoils things for the likes of you, I am one happy guy. I think I'll go for Thai massage tomorrow and tip the guy 600 baht just for the joy of it.

[bucknaway]

My wallet is filled with compassion. I toss my compassion around everyplace I go. Hell. I am broke and poor by the time I step out of the Taxi from the airport because I tip everyone from the moneychangers, the ATM machines, the touts blocking my exit from the airport... They all need money :dontknow: Once you start handing out Baht you can't say no to the next outstretched hand.

But I don't mind. My employer gives me extra money because they know I need it. When I cash my check, the bank teller tries to give me extra. Sometimes we get into a slap fight with me trying to tip her and her trying to tip me.

Once, when I was getting my pocket picked in Thailand my only concern was if the pickpocket was going to be able to enjoy the money they hoped to steal from me.

In my honest opinion is to try to spread your money around. Hire the services of the workers, tip appropriately. If you want to give them more money than hire them often and suggest their service to others. As you are able to spend your money wisely and have it reach more workers, the happier everyone will be and you will have a much more enjoyable holiday.

[Beachlover]

Hehe... bucknaway... I think you're right (the sensible bit that is).

I wrote about this subject slightly over a year ago, giving the inside story of pay structures, from which one can estimate what would be appropriate tip-wise. See How much does a foot massage worker earn? (http://shamelessmack.wordpress.com/2009/03/31/how-much-does-a-foot-massage-worker-earn/). From another angle, observing what other customers, mostly Asian tourists, tip at the Silom Road foot parlours, I'd say it's about 100 baht for a foot massage. Unfortunately, I don't have enough observations regarding body massage at these places to form any worthwhile conclusion.

[Beachlover]

The Thai massage shops in Australia seem to operate the same way as well... they sit around waiting for customers for long hours. Sometimes they go hours with only 1 or 2 customers in the shop at a time... then suddenly they get a rush of 6 or 7 customers and everyone is busy. They operate on a per customer basis.

The guy who gives me a massage (in Sydney) says he likes it because he earns about the same as other Thai students working in restaurants and cafes... but instead of being "busy busy" on his feet all day... he can sit around and really only works 1 or 2 or 3 hours a day. The rest of the time he can sleep... eat... study... do whatever.

A strange phenomenon... he says whenever I come the shop is very quiet... then during the hour I'm there lots and lots of customers come and by the time my session is finished, the shop is full. "I don't know why... But thank you for coming" he says lol... happens every time. I don't go at the same time each week so it is strange...

[Impulse]

A strange phenomenon... he says whenever I come the shop is very quiet... then during the hour I'm there lots and lots of customers come and by the time my session is finished, the shop is full. "I don't know why... But thank you for coming" he says lol... happens every time. I don't go at the same time each week so it is strange...
So that must be you in your avatar,your very handsome beachlover.They all want to catch a glimpse of you.
To be young ,good looking and rich.So lucky.

[Smiles]

" ... bucknaway... I think you're right ... "
That's a first.