7-Eleven Employee Speaks 7 Languages, Inspired by James Bond

A 7-Eleven employee in Bangkok has become a social media sensation for his ability to communicate in seven languages. Known as Tony, the 48-year-old, whose full name is Thira Watanacham, works at the 7-Eleven branch at the BITEC Bang Na convention center. He has held the position of assistant manager and branch MC for about three years, often assisting foreign and Thai tourists.

Tony holds a bachelor's degree in Communication Arts and Law, a master's degree in English for Communication, and has studied tourism. He has lived and worked in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and China, previously serving as a security consultant for VIP clients and as an assistant to a Japanese executive.

His seven languages are English, German, Burmese, Chinese, Malay, Indonesian, and Japanese, excluding his native Thai. He learned English from a young age and through his master's studies. German was inspired by a senior during an internship at the Tourism Authority of Thailand. He picked up Burmese recognizing the importance of Myanmar workers to Thailand's economy. Chinese he deemed essential for dealing with investors and tourists, reinforced by time spent in Malaysia and Singapore. Malay was necessary for working in Malaysia and communicating in the deep south. Indonesian came from assignments in Surabaya and Batam. Japanese he learned while assisting a Japanese executive and seeing Japanese investment in his home province of Ayutthaya.

Tony says his inspiration came from being a lifelong fan of the James Bond 007 films, introduced by his uncle. He admired Bond's versatility, multilingual communication, and problem-solving skills, adopting 007 as his lucky number. The turning point that led him to 7-Eleven came during the COVID-19 pandemic, which devastated the tourism and hotel industries. He noticed that while everywhere else closed, 7-Eleven stayed open and kept delivering, prompting him to join the company.