Stuff Thai People Love #1

I decided to start a new series on my blog titled "Stuff Thai People Love." I have a large list to share and I hope to give you a little insight into the culture and the people in Thailand. Some of these Thai crazes I've come to love and appreciate while some of them I don't understand and I'm honestly not sure if I'll ever understand. These aren't meant to be stereotypes or sweeping generalizations about the culture, but rather my own personal observations from living here. Let me know what you think! 

#1. 7-Eleven

Known among Thai people as "Seven" you can't go anywhere in Thailand without seeing one of these. Just like Starbucks in America, 7-Elevens are literally everywhere in Thailand. In fact, one day I realized that there are actually six 7-Elevens within 10 minute walking distance of my apartment. According to an article I recently read, there are about 7,000 stores in Thailand, half of which are located in Bangkok. It's quite common to literally see two different 7-Eleven stores directly across the street from each other. "I'm standing in front of 7-Eleven" is probably the worst direction you could ever give someone to your location. One of my friends actually told me that her apartment is a 20 minute walk from the nearest 7-Eleven. "Wow, you must live in the middle of nowhere!" I responded. 

While the US has it's fair share of 7-Elevens, it's just not part of our culture like it is here. At home, I really only associate 7-Eleven with their infamous Slurpees, but aside from that, they're usually kinda shady and dirty and I almost always prefer to go somewhere else. In Thailand, I love going to "Seven." It's just part of my daily routine. I honestly don't think there's been a single day in Thailand in the past 4 months that I haven't set foot in one. 

The other funny thing I noticed is that people tend to become attached to a specific store, usually the one closest to where you live. I consider that I have two 7-Elevens, one near my apartment and one by school. I think we just become attached to the employees and know where everything is so we can zip in and out quickly. I found that even though I pass three different 7-Elevens on my walk home from work, I always wait until I get to "my" 7-Eleven to pop in.

Photo credit: Alex Kozela

They are also great because it's a 100% guaranteed air conditioned spot in Thailand (hard to come by), so sometimes I'll just walk into one and pretend to shop around for a minute while I cool down from the heat. Also, almost all of the stores carry the exact same products at the exact same prices (clearly marked), so you know what you can get there. When living in a culture where most prices are negotiable, sometimes its nice to not have to haggle. Also, 7-Eleven is truly a one-stop shop. I'm still amazed that in tiny little store you can find anything from pink duct tape, deodorant, birthday candles, ice cream, nail clippers, umbrellas, soy milk, warm ham and cheese sandwiches, pizza, Thai-English dictionaries, chicken fried rice, mini birthday cakes, diapers, bottles of whisky, toilet paper, to crispy seaweed snacks. AND you can get it all at 3:00 AM because they're open 24/7. What more could you possibly need? 

For Christmas, my group of teacher friends in Ayutthaya did a fun gift exchange. There were only two rules 1) 50 baht ($1.60) spending limit and 2) the theme was "As Thai as you can find."  I received was these lovely 7-Eleven earrings. I think my friend Alex did well considering the theme. The gift I gave will be explained in a future "Stuff Thai People Love" post. 

Remember how I said in an earlier post that "Seven"was a popular Thai nickname? Well, now you know why...