You must have noticed that 7-Eleven convenience stores are literally on every street corner in Bangkok and other major Thai cities. In fact, Thailand proudly holds the number two spot (the first is held by Japan) for housing the most 7-Eleven stores worldwide, with almost 8,000 stores throughout the country.
Not only do the stores carry the usual snacks, candy, drinks, prepaid phone cards, magazines, and cigarettes, among other goods, for your “convenience”, they are a place to pay your utility bills, buy a hot meal and participate in promotional campaigns. At the moment, one of the most popular programs includes the “Premium Stamp 2014” campaign. Bearing cartoon images that celebrate the upcoming ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) integration, these stickers look like postal stamps with the jagged edges, but they cannot be used to mail letters. Each stamp specifies a baht value on its face. You get a 1-baht stamp for every 50 baht you spend at the store at any one time. When you buy specially designated items, you will receive a 3-baht stamp.
You can exchange these stamps directly for a discount on your next purchase, based on their stated value. You can also collect them, affixing them to a special card issued by 7-Eleven, which allows you to redeem special cutesy AEC-themed goods, such as tableware, food containers and other kitchen items. If you can’t be bothered to collect the stamps and/or don’t care for the promotional items, you can elect to donate your stamps to charity.