Boyztown has a Chinese new year dragon show.
Boyztown has a Chinese new year dragon show.
I've always found the tipping game very hard to understand.
On my first visit to Hong Kong as an adult I went down to breakfast at the hotel and left without tipping. The next morning, the waiters totally ignored me! It took me ages to work out why. Lol
And when I moved back to Australia to live I remember the shock I felt when a waiter in a restaurant asked me if I wanted to leave a tip. I'd never been asked for a tip in my life and had no idea what was expected.
But in S.E.Asia I always tip staff in hotels, first at the beginning of my stay and if the service has been outstanding - it always has been - I will tip again when I check out. It's a way of buying goodwill, and I find I certainly get treated very well indeed. It's money well spent.
For example, the Tarntawan Hotel has strict policies regarding ID requirements from the boys who go up to the rooms. On occasion the boys - usually non-thais - only have a copy of their passports and normally this is not accepted. The staff has never refused a boy who only had a paper copy of his ID. Needless to say, these are the staff I always tip. We "take care" each other, so to speak.
And handsome waiters also always receive a tip.
Keep clear of New York and other major US cities. In a decent restaurant, leave less than 20% and you will be met with frowns. Less than 10% and they are likely to chase you down the street!!Originally Posted by a447
Mind you, that's basically because wait staff are paid dreadful wages and are expected to be well tipped. If that's their culture, fine! What I object to is that culture being introduced to other countries. I expect that tipping in Asia probably started with Americans.
I remember my very first visit to Tokyo and offering a tip to the bellboy who took my luggage up to the room. I was shocked by the look of near horror which met my gesture. I had not realised I was basically insulting him for just doing his job. Isn't a no tip policy a much more sensible practice? Especially in Asia where there is a service culture in most countries.
christianpfc (January 27th, 2017)
There's virtually no tipping in China outside of the very big cities. You will be chased down the street to return a 1 rmb coin. A hairdresser grabbed me by the arm and wouldn't let me go until I accepted my change. In a restaurant if you bill is 86 they'll usually write off the extra 1. There will probably be more attempts to rip me off on my next 9 day trip to Thailand than in 6 years in China. I also can't remember a time when I paid more than a Chinese person for something. Swings and roundabouts.
How come?
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