Visitors often assume that once a 10% service charge appears on a nicer Bangkok restaurant bill, the job of tipping is already done. In reality, that charge frequently functions more like a general restaurant revenue line than a direct distribution to the server who looked after your table — how it is split, or whether it is split with staff at all, varies restaurant by restaurant and is rarely disclosed.
What that means for you
At restaurants with a service charge already added: a small additional note left directly for your server (20-100 baht, depending on the venue and bill size) is a genuinely valued, separate gesture.
At street food stalls, markets and most local eateries: tipping has never been traditional and is not expected at all.
Hotel porters and housekeeping, especially at international chains: 20-50 baht is a reasonable, low-key amount.
Massage and spa staff: a direct cash tip of around 10% is increasingly standard practice, especially in tourist areas of Bangkok.
Example: dinner in Bangkok
Bill: 850 baht, with a 10% service charge already included (85 baht).
Many visitors still leave a further 40-60 baht directly for the server, since it is unclear how much of that 85 baht actually reaches them personally.
Outside Bangkok: in smaller towns and rural areas across Thailand, tipping remains far less common in any form, and a service charge on the bill is unusual outside tourist-oriented restaurants and hotels.