My Dearest Seven,
You don’t necessarily plan on becoming emotionally attached to a convenience store, but after enough early, mid-day + late night runs and seeing them on every corner you turn, it happens. And they’re not like typical convenience stores, gas stations or even other 7-Elevens back in the US. I have credibility; I am from the birthplace of Buc-ee’s. So when I say Thai 7-Elevens are even better than Buc-ee’s, they are. Sorry not sorry. [also learned while writing this that Buc-ee’s only has one “c”? since when?]
7-Eleven is practically an institution, a religion, a safe haven.
It’s where you go when you’re hungry, when you’re hot, when you need to break a 1,000 baht note, when you forgot your toothpaste, when you need to pay a bill… and apparently when you decide that you need more Snoopy merchandise (this is important to me).
Somehow, despite typically being tiny little stores, they have everything you could possibly need on a daily basis. ATMs, paying utility or phone bills, buying domestic plane tickets, 24 hours, prices made for locals, there’s always something new, fun + viral to try. They’re everywhere, so you don’t have to stock up on a bunch of stuff. You can just stroll over to the corner of the street and get what you need. Quality is reliable. 7-Eleven is comforting because you know what you're going to get.
You know how great 7-Eleven is? There are 7-Elevens next door to 7-Elevens and both are poppin. I based where I live near a 7-Eleven. It was a non-negotiable. And I don’t think it’s even the things inside I love most.
There are certain sounds that immediately make me feel like I'm in Thailand. One of them is the little ding-dong of a 7-Eleven door opening.
You walk in from the already-warm air, the doors slide open, and suddenly you're standing in glorious, aggressively cold air conditioning. And I'm not the only one who appreciates it.
If you've spent any amount of time in Thailand, you've probably seen a dog stretched out directly in front of a 7-Eleven entrance. Not off to the side. Not nearby. Directly in the path of the automatic doors and you have to step over them.
They’re not moving. Because they know every time those doors open, a blast of AC escapes. And honestly? I respect it. It’s just part of the experience. I am too just a stray dog on a hot Thai day.
Especially as a foreigner who might not have scan-to-pay, you know how essential cash is, particularly smaller denominations. Buying goods and services from local vendors requires it. Many places, unless it’s a big store, will not even accept 1,000 baht notes. Maybe they don’t want to deal with it or maybe they don’t have that kind of money. BUT, 7-Eleven is there to break your big notes.
They are the backbone to breaking 1,000 baht notes in Thailand. You pick out a snack that costs 20 baht and end up with enough small notes to last you a while in the outside world. You finally feel secure again and don’t need to apologize to people for only having large notes.
And honestly, 7-Eleven was there for me when I needed it the most.
I recently went on a date to a cafe ~45 minutes north of Chiang Mai and after, last minute decided to go to Chiang Dao for the night (extra north of Chiang Mai) since we were already halfway there (you would too, ok). All I had was what I was wearing, a jacket and my purse (consisting of my wallet, 1 tampon, my house key, portable fan — important — and some chapstick).
7-Eleven had my back. I got individually packaged pre-moistened toner pads. What can you get at a 7-Eleven in the US? An STD?
[man is no longer in my life but do you know who is…………]
There is, of course, the ham and cheese toastie.
I don't know who decided that a tiny convenience-store sandwich deserved this much loyalty, but they were onto something. I do love a sandwich and I might get hate but it is one of my favorite foods. 7-Eleven knows this about me. Once you experience picking out your toastie from the wide selection, handing it to the cashier, watching and waiting for it to heat up, getting it back hot and crispy and finally taking a bite, you will know peace.
I love the little things about you.
Individual packets of toiletries, cheap snacks, a wide array of desserts and quick meals, clothing, household goods, grabbing a few water bottles for the day, liquor, watermelon flavored cigarettes (sorry also not sorry), vitamin jelly packets, offerings for monks, Snoopy merch (you can never have enough), random things you didn’t know you needed.
When I needed a T-shirt, you had one.
When I needed underwear, you had that too.
When I needed a rain coat, you wrapped your arms around me.
When I didn't know I needed a bag of water chestnuts? You showed me I needed them.
And then there’s the stamps.
Do I always understand exactly what I'm collecting them for? No.
Do I lose track of them? Yes.
Do I still want them? Absolutely. They convert into money, btw.
But 7-Eleven isn’t just what’s happening inside. The store spills into the sidewalk. The sidewalk becomes a little gathering point.
You can walk out of 7-Eleven with your little plastic bag of goodies and immediately be standing next to someone selling grilled chicken, a Grab driver waiting for an order and a dog who has claimed the best patch of cool pavement.
At some point, it stops being somewhere you go and just becomes part of your day. Morning coffee. Water on the way somewhere. A snack in the afternoon. A late-night toastie. You don't even really think about it.
So yes, Thailand has incredible temples, beaches, markets, mountains, islands and some of the best food in the world.
But sometimes, after a long, hot day, all I want is to hear your familiar voice, walk into a blast of AC, grab a ham and cheese toastie, collect my stamps, and walk back out into the heat.
I love you. Please never change. You are my home.
