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DrLove
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Simple, most hotels/restaurants add ++ to inflate the final price.
If the ++ was included the price would seem to be to high. That's why cheaper hotels quote inclusive when booked directly.
There is no Thai law that you have to add service and tax to the price of your hotel (or restaurant). You may quote including taxes, but of course you have to pay it back to the Revenue Department and keep it transparent in your bookkeeping.
So, it's nonsense that hotels and restaurant have to add ++....
Furthermore, if a hotel/restaurant charges service, don't tip. Some hotels/restaurants will share the service with the staff, some others don't.
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Bangkok Women : Meet Sensual Bangkok Women
Posted on: 3:52 am on Jan. 22, 2007
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Yurune
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There obviously is a law that you must add 7% VAT, but there is certainly no law saying that service charge must be added.
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Thai Girls : Meet Sexy Thai Girls
Posted on: 3:44 pm on Jan. 22, 2007
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IBFarang
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As far as the VAT and service charge – no service charge necessary but VAT certainly is – but quoted rates can be all inclusive (including VAT and service charges (if any) ). Just something one has to be aware of when selecting their hotel and reviewing prices. Just an issue of marketing and how the individual web-site/hotel wishes to present their prices to the consumer.
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Sexy Bangkok Girls
Posted on: 8:03 pm on Jan. 22, 2007
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Livingstones
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Yurune, DrLove,
Let us clarify the ++ issue, to avoid misunderstandings and generalizations.
VAT must be added by law, and Service Charge must be added based on the staff payment model we selected. The biggest part of the Service Charge is paid to the staff as a part of their salary, a payment model which most of the hotels in Thailand choose.
All the rest is same as in all other countries. We can either show prices including all those surcharges or net prices and add the ++. Usually hotels show net prices in their price lists.
Internet booking sites usually show the prices including the VAT and Service Charge.
The Management
Livingstone's Lodge Co., Ltd.
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 10:06 pm on Jan. 22, 2007
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expatchuck
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Quote: from Livingstones on 12:30 pm on Jan. 23, 2007
...."The biggest part of the service charge is paid to the staff as a part of their salary, a payment model which most of the hotels in Thailand choose."
I am now more confused than ever about this service charge.
Are you saying service charges are used to pay the regular salary an employee receives and are not in addition to the regular salary one receives? If that be the case, the only people benefitting from a service charge is the hotel, since they no longer have to pay salaries out of earned income.
What about the tip money? Does that get split among the employees or do hotels take a cut of that as well?
Please explain and thanks.
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Bangkok Women : Meet Beautiful Thai Girls
Posted on: 11:06 pm on Jan. 22, 2007
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DaffyDuck
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Quote: from Livingstones on 12:30 pm on Jan. 23, 2007
Internet booking sites usually show the prices including the VAT and Service Charge.
Which leads to my question regarding why the hotel won't provide the same price as the discounter - I have tried to negotiate getting the same price in the past, but they wouldn't budge -- when I would reason that a discounter pays the hotel even less, in order to give me the lower price.
In other words, if Livingstone's price is (and this is just illustrative) 1,800 THB, and an online discounter had the same room for 1,700 THB, including VAT and service fee, would Livingstone management give me the same price, if I were to book directly with them (especially considering that if I booked with the discounter, they would receive (let's say) 1,600, and still end up with me as a customer...)
Either way, it's generally not much of an issue, as I just book my entire stay with the online discounter, inform the management of my arrival, and still get what I want, at the price I prefer.
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 11:29 pm on Jan. 22, 2007
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Livingstones
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Clarifications:
Service Charge
The staff has of course a basic salary, and additionally it gets most of the service charge. So it participates on the success of our business, and if we have a lot customers and the staff must work a lot, the salaries are higher. It is generally a win/win situation then.
Internet Rates
Hotel booking websites generally need to get a lower price than our walk-in rates. Otherwise there is no benefit for a customer to book via a website.
If we now offered those customers the same room rates we would destroy the business of the website - it simply would not be fair.
The Management
Livingstone's Lodge Co., Ltd.
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Thai Girls : Meet Active Thai Girls
Posted on: 11:47 pm on Jan. 22, 2007
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IBFarang
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I am a bit confused by the indication that “The staff….gets MOST of the service charge.” Why would they not get ALL of the service charge. We are already paying a rack rate for the service the hotel is providing are we not? Why should we pay an additional “service charge” to the hotel?
The following is not meant to be specific to Livingstons – but more about Internet rate issues in general:
Certainly can understand the point of needing to protect what is basically a business partner as they help to provide a very basic level of marketing, and also a channel for potential customers (especially first time visitors) to make reservations with the hotel. I only question (not with your particular hotel) the value some hotels place on this service. One example of the breaking down of this relationship is that many airlines and many major hotel chains will agree to match the lowest offer available on the web. Some customers will remain loyal to a travel web-site, some customers will remain loyal to a particular chain.
I do find it especially problematic if I book the original stay thru a website then have difficulty getting the hotel to match that rate to extend the trip by a day or two. I could see the logic if I booked a day or two to get the rate and then wanted to keep that low rate for say another week. But why make the customer jump thru hoops (go down to the local internet shop to book another day or two) rather than simply matching the rate they had already been paying on the pervious days booked thru the website?
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Thai Women : Meet Matured Thai Women
Posted on: 2:29 am on Jan. 23, 2007
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Livingstones
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The service charge is completely used for staff issues, but not only directly paid to them. Staff food is paid as well as broken glasses, tools etc.. But the major part (> 70 %) is directly paid to the staff additionally to their basic salary.
When service charge is openly shown on the price lists it is NOT NECESSARY to tip the staff.
The Management
Livingstone's Lodge Co., Ltd.
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Bangkok Girls : Meet Attractive Thai Girls
Posted on: 3:13 am on Jan. 23, 2007
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