Tipping In Cambodia - A Complete Guide
Quick Guide
๐ฝ๏ธ Restaurant - 10% (แ2000 Min) If No Serv. C.
๐น Bar - 10% (แ2000 Min) If Table Service & No S.C.
โ๏ธ Cafรฉ - 10% (แ2000 Min) If Table Serv. & No S.C.
๐ Taxi - No Tip or Round Up By At Least แ2000
๐บ Tuk Tuk - No Tip or Round Up By At Least แ2000
๐๏ธ Bellhop - แ4000 Total Customary
๐๏ธ Housekeeping - แ4000/Day Customary
๐ธ Tour Guide - 10% Customary
๐ Street Food - No Tip Expected
Tipping is a mixed bag in Cambodia. Sometimes itโs customary for good service, sometimes it isnโt. It really depends on the scenario.
In any case, bear in mind that many service workers work long hours for a low wage and a little always goes a long way.
Calculate a culturally appropriate tip for Cambodia using the calculator below and read on for more detail on tipping in Restaurants, Cafรฉs, Bars, Taxis, Tuk-Tuks, Hotels etc.
Cambodia Tip Calculator
Good Tip For Cambodia
Tip
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Total With Tip
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Tipping in Restaurants
You can tip around 10% if the service is great but, at a bear minimum, itโs always considerate to tip at least แ2000.
Itโs better to leave at least แ2000 than to leave change worth less than that as it could be deemed insulting.
If thereโs a service charge (โSVCโ) more common in high-end, tourist and urban restaurants, thereโs no need to tip extra but thereโs no guarantee your server will get a portion of that amount.
You can usually pay and tip using Cambodian Riel or US Dollars but bear in mind that dollars will face greater scrutiny.
Older USD bills or those with small tears or graffiti are often not accepted as theyโre harder to exchange.
If you pay the whole bill with USD, you may get some small Riel back and you might be shortchanged in the exchange.
Remember that servers arenโt paid well, they tend to go out of their way to provide good service and they often work long hours.
Tipping in Bars & Cafรฉs
If youโre just grabbing a drink at a bar or getting a coffee, thereโs no need to tip.
In sit-down establishments with table service, tipping 10% with a minimum of แ2000 would be considerate.
Tipping Taxi & Tuk Tuk Drivers
Itโs quite unusual to to tip Taxi and Tuk Tuk drivers. They wonโt expect a tip and will not be offended if you just pay the fare and take your change.
That being said, if youโd like to tip them for good service, you could tell them to keep the change as long as itโs at least แ2000 (anything less may cause insult).
Tipping The Bellhop
Bellhops are common in Cambodian hotels and guesthouses.
Itโs customary to tip them around แ4000 total or $1 USD.
When using dollars, stick to newer, crisp and clean notes with no tears or graffiti. With Riel, the condition doesnโt really matter.
Tipping Housekeeping
Itโs customary to leave the maid a daily tip of around แ4000 or $1 USD (again, using newer, crisp and clean USD if you are using them).
Leave the tip under a pillow or under a towel or the staff member that checks the minibar might get it.
Tipping Tour Guides
Tour guides do tend to expect tips. As long as the guide was average, tipping them about 10% of the total tour cost is customary.
Cambodian tours are pretty cheap due to the massive amount of competition.
Plus, most tour guides work hard to learn a language and gain the knowledge required.
If you go on a free tour, always tip the equivalent of what youโd have paid for the experience.
Which Currency To Use
The official Cambodian currency is the Riel (Symbol: แ, Code: KHR) but US Dollars (Symbol: $, Code: USD) are almost universally accepted in all transactions.
That being said, stick to Riel if you can as dollars face more scrutiny. Youโll need to use newer USD bills that are crisp and clean with no tears or graffiti.
Plus, youโll often get change in Riel no matter how you pay and you may be shortchanged.
Debit cards are accepted in some establishments but cash is king in Cambodia.
ATMs in airports and big cities like Phnom Penh and Siem Reap dispense both currencies but they often charge withdrawal fees.
โSok sabay Cambodia!โ (แแปแแแแแถแแแแแแปแแถ!) - Enjoy Cambodia! ๐ฐ๐ญ๐๐๐
