The Thailand caddie guide: what they do, what to tip, how not to be that guy

As of October 2026. Exchange rate: 33.5 THB = 1 USD. Caddie fees and tip norms change slowly, but they do change. Check the posted guidance at the pro shop when you arrive.

In Thailand, you don't decide whether to take a caddie. The course decides for you. Essentially every course requires one, one per player.

That's the best part of golf here. She carries your bag, cleans your clubs, hands you the right one, reads your putts, rakes your bunkers and finds your ball in the rough. The first time, you feel like a PGA Tour player. That feeling doesn't go away.

It comes with its own rules. Most first-timers learn them by getting a few wrong.

The short version

• A caddie is mandatory, one per player.
• You pay twice: a caddie fee at the counter (usually 350–450 THB) and a tip in cash to your caddie.
• Tip at least the caddie fee. 500 THB is standard, 600–700 for a caddie who had a good day, and about 1,000 if you booked her in advance.
• Hand it over in cash, in baht, at the end of the round. Not through the pro shop. Not left in the cart.
• Treat her as a professional at work. If something goes wrong, stay calm and raise it with the caddie master afterwards.

What your caddie actually does

Caddies at Bangkok-area and tourist courses are almost always women. Some provincial courses have male caddies. Either way, the job is the same, and it's a lot more than carrying a bag:

• Carries or pulls your bag, or rides with you in the cart. Usually she drives it.
• Gives you yardages and hands you the club.
• Cleans your clubs and your ball, marks your ball on the green.
• Reads your putts.
• Rakes bunkers, repairs divots and pitch marks.
• Finds your ball in the rough, which saves time and saves balls.
• Keeps score.
• Holds an umbrella for shade or rain, and carries water and cold towels.

A good caddie knows every green on her course. You can't buy that knowledge anywhere else.

The fee and the tip are two different things

This is where most visitors get confused. You pay for your caddie twice, in two different places.

Some real counter fees, from course rate pages as of October 2026: Pineapple Valley 400, Lakewood 400 (cash only), Thana City 450, Silverlake Links 450, Panya Indra 500.

Where does the caddie fee go? Honestly, it depends, and nobody publishes the split. English-language tourist sites usually say the course keeps most of it. Thai-language sources describe it differently: caddies generally don't get a salary, and their income is a per-round payment from that ticket plus tips. In November 2023, Thailand's Labour Minister put caddie pay at 300–500 THB per round from the ticket, plus 400–700 THB a day in tips. That's roughly 10,000 THB a month (about $300) at around 20 rounds.

So I won't tell you "the fee all goes to the course." It varies by club. What's clear is this: your tip is a big part of what your caddie earns. Budget for it like it's part of the green fee. It is.

How much to tip

The floor is the caddie fee. The course charges a caddie fee at the counter, anywhere from 250 to 1,000 baht. Most courses sit around 300–400. Whatever it is, tip at least that much.

500 is the 15%. Think of 500 baht as the equivalent of tipping 15% back home: standard, and what keeps you from being quietly judged. If your caddie had a good day, 600–700 is a good tip.

Booked caddies cost more. If you request a specific caddie in advance, the expected minimum is around 1,000 baht. Some booked caddies ask for a "firm tip" up front, a set amount agreed before the round, typically 800–3,000 depending on the caddie. Agree on it before you tee off, not after.

Where the best-looking caddies are. Usually at the courses with night golf: Bangkok Golf Club, Pinehurst Golf Club, Green Valley Golf Club, Summit Windmill, Panya Indra Golf Club, Rachakram Golf Club and RSU Vista Golf Club, among others. Those are also the courses where booking a caddie is most common, so budget booked-caddie tips there.

Why older blogs say 200–300. That was the norm around 2007–2012. It isn't anymore. If you're reading a guide that says 200 baht is fine for 18 holes, it's out of date.

Tip more when she earns it. Read three putts you'd have missed? Found two balls in the jungle? Kept you calm on a bad day? That's the 600–700 tip.

Some courses build the tip into the price. Nikanti, for one, includes the tip in its all-in rate, along with food and drinks. A few others are reported to do the same, but the reports conflict. Ask at the counter: "Is the caddie tip included?"

Look for posted guidance. Many courses put tip guidance up in the pro shop, and it can be above the caddie fee. If it's posted, follow it.

How to hand it over

This part matters as much as the amount.

1. Bring baht in cash. Small notes. Put 500 aside before you tee off so you're not digging through your wallet at the end.
2. Give it at the end of the round, at the bag drop when she's finished with your clubs.
3. Hand it to her directly. Don't add it to your card at the pro shop. Don't leave it in the cart.
4. Use both hands, or your right hand with your left hand supporting your forearm. It's a small gesture of respect, and it's noticed.
5. Say thank you. Khob khun krub (men) or khob khun ka (women).

Carts, walking and extra caddies

The caddie usually drives the cart. That's often an insurance rule. A few courses let players drive. Pineapple Valley does, but you're liable for any damage. Some courses make the cart compulsory, and when it's wet you'll be cart-path-only.

Walking is allowed at many budget and military courses. Your caddie pulls your bag on a trolley. Same fee, same tip.

Second caddies and forecaddies exist, but they're not a tourist expense. Some elite courses offer an extra "umbrella" caddie for an added fee, mostly used by wealthy local players. Forecaddies show up occasionally with big weekend groups. No course we checked publishes a price for either. You won't need one.

Etiquette: do's and don'ts

The cultural rules you learn in Thailand off the course apply on it too. Saving face matters. Keeping a cool head (jai yen) matters. I wrote about both in Why I Chose to Live in Thailand.

Do
- Check in about 30 minutes early. Pineapple Valley's rules ask for it. Other courses run on similar timing.
- Dress for it: collared shirt, tailored shorts or trousers, socks, soft spikes. No denim, no sleeveless shirts, no gym wear.
- Keep pace. A round should take about 4 hours 15 to 4 hours 30. Some par 3s use "call-ups," where you hit and then wave the group behind you through.
- Buy her a drink at the halfway hut. A water or a soft drink is 20–40 THB. Sources disagree on whether it's expected. It's always appreciated.
- Take her read seriously. She's seen that green a thousand times. You've seen it once.
- Note her bib number if you liked her. At many courses you can request the same caddie next time. (Not everywhere. Some courses rotate.)
- Phone on silent. No calls on tees or greens.

Don't
- Don't shout at your caddie or blame her in front of the group. In Thailand, that costs everyone face, and you'll look worse than she does. If there's a real problem, take it to the caddie master quietly after the round.
- Don't throw clubs. She has to go and get it.
- Don't bring your own alcohol onto premium courses. Alcohol rules vary by course. Ask.
- Don't take photos or video of her without asking first.
- Don't treat her as anything other than a professional at work. No touching, no comments about her looks. This shouldn't need saying. In 2022, videos of visiting golfers harassing caddies caused a national outcry in Thailand. Don't be the reason for the next one.

How not to be that guy

Every caddie has stories about golfers. Here's how you stay out of them:

1. Undertipping. Handing over 200 baht for 18 holes because a 2010 blog said so. The floor is the caddie fee. And don't be the guy who books a caddie and tips 400.
2. Tipping through the pro shop. Putting the tip on your card means it doesn't go from your hand to hers. Cash, at the end.
3. Blaming the read. Missed putt? That's your stroke, not her read.
4. Losing your temper. The club throw, the shouting, the sulk. In Thailand, the person who blows up loses more face than the person they blew up at.
5. Ignoring her. Some players treat the caddie like part of the cart. Ask her name. Ask her how the greens are running. It costs nothing and you'll play better for it.
6. Showing up late and rushing. Your caddie's day runs on tee times. Be early.

A few useful words

A few words of Thai go a long way.

You'll hear mai pen rai after your bad shots. Take it in the spirit it's offered.

Quick-reference checklist

Screenshot this before your first round.

• [ ] Cash in baht, including small notes. 500 THB per round set aside for the tip (more if you've booked a caddie).
• [ ] Budget the caddie fee (350–450 THB, sometimes up to 600) on top of the green fee.
• [ ] Ask at the counter: is the tip included? Check for posted tip guidance.
• [ ] Collared shirt, proper shorts or trousers, socks, soft spikes.
• [ ] Arrive 30 minutes before your tee time.
• [ ] Phone on silent.
• [ ] Ask your caddie's name. Note her bib number.
• [ ] Trust her reads. Your misses are yours.
• [ ] 20–40 THB for her drink at the halfway hut.
• [ ] Tip at least the caddie fee; 500 standard; 600–700 for a great day; about 1,000 for a booked caddie (200–300 for 9 holes).
• [ ] Hand it over at the end, in cash, with both hands. Say khob khun krub / ka.
• [ ] Problem? Stay calm. Tell the caddie master afterwards, not the group.

That's it. The caddie is the reason a round here feels different from anywhere else. Pay her properly and treat her well, and you'll get the best version of Thai golf.