Tipping in Laos

TIPPING IN LAOS

 

Sometimes I see people asking questions about 'tipping' in Laos. I will try to give you an answer with my personal experience, the ideas of my wife (she is Lao) and the experiences I've heard from other foreigners living in this beautiful country.

First of all, tipping is not 'obligatory' in Laos (in other words, you don't have to leave a tip). People will not be angry with you if you don't leave a tip and it will cause no problems like it will probably do in the United States of America for example...

But secondly... It might be worth considering leaving something as a tip if you enjoyed your food in a restaurant or if you enjoyed staying in a guesthouse/ homestay/ hotel/ hostel or somewhere else they've served you. If the service is good, the food tasty and you had a good time, it might be worth leaving a few Kip (the local currency in the Lao PDR).

Why? A tip might be a nice way of showing someone or a business that you've appreciated what they have served you. Even a small tip might make both you and the people serving you (or the owners of a small business) happy. My wife and me know from personal experience that we greatly appreciate it when the people leave a tip for us. Nice words, greatful guests and happy faces are great to see and if they are also leaving a bit extra if they have enjoyed the service, it can make your day.... It might be nice to keep in mind that many people serving you in restaurants get the minimum salary (sometimes even less...) and that's 900,000 Kip at the moment (about 90 Euros or 108 USD) a month (working 7 days a week sometimes with very limited days off).... Many western travelers (even with low paid jobs) will get at least 10 Euros an hour back home. Yes, Laos is cheaper but many things are absolutely not that much cheaper (some even more expensive)... Some businesses (not talking about big hotels etc.) also don't make a lot of money. A few Kip can go a long way here and can make someone very happy. 

How much? That's a difficult one. I think it depends on some different things. First of all it might make a difference how long you've stayed somewhere. If (for example) you've stayed in a guesthouse (and you had your food and drinks there) for a week and you are happy with the service, the tip might be more than if you had a quick breakfast somewhere for 20 minutes.... Another factor might be your own financial situation, but a bit of money on a big trip will not make a huge difference... If the service was bad and they weren't friendly or they didn't care about you being there (keep in mind some people are not as 'international' as some others and they might be very shy... even in more touristy places where young people from the countryside get jobs...) you might not leave a tip or just round up the bill if it was OK enough for you (if it's 68,000 Kip make if 70,000 Kip of it for example). If the service was attentive, active and good (and forgive people their mistakes please, most of them didn't had the chance to study and English is not an official language in Laos...) you might consider leaving a bit more in a restaurant. It's completely up to you but leaving 10,000 or 20,000 Kip (or more if you had a big meal) or ginving them the change back) might make both sides happy... Sometimes they might not even understand the concept of tipping (although some Lao people do it as well) and want to give it back to you because they think you're making a  mistake. Just smile and give it to them directly (and if other people also served you, make sure they also see it, so it's more likely the tip gets shared).     

Enjoy your stay in Laos! You will meet many wonderful and generous people and be generous yourself as well if you like.