Dear Hillary,
How do I stop my husband tipping? I know it probably sounds mean, but he is always leaving 20 baht here, 50 baht there and it all mounts up. We have retired here from the UK and live off his pension which is not all that much every month. When I chide him about it he just says that everyone has to live or words to that effect. How do I show him that the amounts he leaves are excessive?
Mona
Dear Mona,
You certainly are a little moaner aren’t you my Petal. Leaving a tip for people in the hospitality industry is how many of these people survive because their wages can be amazingly low. There are not strong unions as there are in your country, so there is no guarantee of minimum salaries, even though there may be legislation to that effect. Provided you are living within your means, and your husband is tipping within those means, let him feel good about it and let the recipients enjoy their added “extras”. They’ll need it more than you do, my Purple Petunia.
