How do you turn a company into a community?
It takes dedication, commitment and generations working together towards a common goal.
Meet two of Thailand’s ‘Tiger’ families and discover the legacy they have built with ExxonMobil and Esso as they have helped power the nation over the past 65 years, driven by a willingness and commitment to building a better future.
For more than half a century, the Intarasen and Pengsawat families have played a part in creating energy for their country, but what has driven them, generation after generation, to join the same company as their forebears?
According to the latest generations to join the company, it’s not just that sense of commitment to powering their country, but also a commitment to their families and the wider Tiger family of ExxonMobil.
A Thai worker at the Sriracha refinery, where the Pengsawat and Intarasen ‘Tiger’ families work. The ‘Tiger’ name acknowledges ExxonMobil and Esso Thailand’s tiger logo.
“The atmosphere in the workplace, society, environment and especially colleagues were all a factor,” third-generation employee Wandej Pengsawat explained, when asked why he chose to work for ExxonMobil in Thailand.
“But the most important factor is seeing other workers as a ‘family’ from the generations of my grandfather and father until the current day.”
Wandej’s father, Sophon Pengsawat, said he has been watching oil tankers move energy around the country ever since his own father, Sangwan Pengsawat, worked at Esso during the 80s and 90s. He says the bonds with other staff go well beyond the office.
“We’ve worked as part of the Tiger family, helping and supporting each other like brothers and sisters,” Sophon said.
The Pengsawat family, multiple generations of ExxonMobil and Esso staff.
“Most importantly, the company took good care of me, even in times of illness. I have kidney disease and they supported me for over 10 years until I had a kidney replacement before retiring.
“Even though I’ve retired, the relationship did not end, and us ex-workers still meet and keep in touch,” he said.
The story is the same for the Intarasens, as the torch has been passed from father to daughter.
The Intarasen family has spent generations working for the company.
“I have been part of the Esso family since I was a child,” Pracha Intarasen said.
“I worked here for 34 years until I retired. It’s been a part of my life. And now I passed the good memories to my daughter for her to learn and grow in her own way.
“It is unbelievable that the Intarasen family will have been working here for three generations now, and this will be a good memory of our family forever.”
Pracha’s daughter Chotiga, who also now works for ExxonMobil, spent her childhood listening to her grandfather and father tell stories about life at the energy company.
She said that “grow and get to work here” is a phrase that has been heard by many workers’ children, and seeing the contentment on her parents’ faces after each working day has played a large part in driving the next generation to join.
“There was no day that my father would not be happy to work here, and I felt this myself the day I actually came to work there,” Chotiga said.
As their families grow, the Intarasens and Pengsawats are also growing Thailand’s Tiger families and playing their part in powering the nation forward.
