Misunderstandings are common when people from different backgrounds come together, but it’s how you deal with them that matters.

In this story, a missed detail about tipping etiquette in Thailand caused friction between a foreign exchange student and the person she thought was her closest friend.

Read on for the full story.

AITA for not telling our new friend tipping isn’t expected in our country?

Said friend ‘Angie’ (20) is an exchange student at our university. The four of us have had lunch together three times.

When it comes to tipping, she usually has a flexible attitude.

The first time, I (21) paid. I let them keep the change since it’s my favorite restaurant, one I have been frequenting since I was a child.

It’s not actually expected here in Thailand but is appreciated.

Her other friends both took their own approaches.

The other two times, my two friends took turns paying the bills. One tipped for a similar reason to mine and one did not tip.

Then the three of them went to have lunch together when I was busy, and Angie paid and tipped.

So when she let Angie know of the typical customs, Angie blew up on her.

They only told Angie that tipping isn’t expected after leaving. She’s more upset at me for not telling her since I generally spend more time hanging out with her than they do.

She said she thought the friend who didn’t tip “was cheap.” It just didn’t cross my mind.

AITA?

What a disproportionate reaction.

Redditors weigh in with their thoughts.

This really isn’t a scenario that calls for a lot of drama.

At the very least, her friend could have been more patient with her.

If her friend really wanted to avoid discomfort, she should have done more thorough research.

This commenter is definitely a more organized traveler.

Ultimately, it wasn’t anyone else’s responsibility to walk her through every local custom.

In life, you have to choose your battles, and this was the wrong pick.

If you liked that story, check out this post about an oblivious CEO who tells a web developer to “act his wage”… and it results in 30% of the workforce being laid off.