Monthly Archives: November 2020

Atlanta has a population of over 6 million people, making it the 9th most populous metropolitan area in the United States.  Atlanta is the capital of Georgia, which is the 8th most populous of the 50 states.  The city and surrounding area—known as the Atlanta metropolitan area—is also the commercial capital of the Southeast United States and has the third-largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies in the country.  The metropolitan area includes the municipalities of Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Marietta, Smyrna, Brookhaven, Tucker, Duluth, Chamblee, Peachtree Corners, Decatur, and many others.  There are about 7,000 Turkish people throughout Atlanta and the area is home to the American-Turkish Friendship Council and Turkish-American Chamber of Commerce of the Southeast United States.  Georgia State University offers Turkish language courses and Turkish Airlines has nonstop flights from Atlanta to Istanbul.  

The city of Tampa, located on the Gulf Coast of Florida, is one of the three principal cities (the other two being St. Petersburg and Clearwater) that make up the Tampa Bay Area.  The Tampa Bay Area is the 18th-largest metropolis in the United States and has a population of 3.1 million people.  The metro area includes the counties of Hillsborough, Pinellas, Citrus, and Manatee, along with the towns of Brandon, Palm Harbor, Dunedin, Largo, Tarpon Springs, and Bradenton.  Although not officially part of the Tampa Bay Area, nearby Sarasota is a popular destination for international visitors, including those from Turkey.  While the Turkish immigrant community in Tampa is not huge, the overall population of Turks in Florida is growing thanks to the direct flight from Istanbul to Miami on Turkish Airlines.  Turkish immigrants come to Tampa to open small businesses and study at universities like University of South Florida, which has a Turkish Student Association.   

UPDATED November 27, 2022 (Please see information below under "Other things to consider")

San Diego is America’s 17th-most populous city and is the third-most populous urban area in the state of California.  This metropolis of 3.3 million residents shares a 15-mile border with Mexico, where just to the other side sits Tijuana—Mexico’s sixth-most populous city.  About 200,000 people cross the border each day, making this one of the busiest land borders in the world.  San Diego is well known for its mild Mediterranean climate, which some consider to be the best in the U.S.  The San Diego metropolitan area includes cities such as Carlsbad, Chula Vista, El Cajon, San Marcos, Santee, La Mesa, National City, Oceanside, Vista, Escondido, and Encinitas.  There are a few thousand Thai people living in the San Diego area and there is a Thai Buddhist temple in Escondido that serves Thai food on Sundays and offers classes in Thai culture and language.  

UPDATED November 27, 2022 (Please see information below under "Other things to consider")

Los Angeles is America’s second most populous city after New York.  Greater Los Angeles—which includes Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County, Ventura County, and Orange County—has a population of nearly 19 million people.  Known for its endless sprawl (and endless freeways), Greater Los Angeles is the largest metropolitan region in the United States by land area and includes over 200 cities such as Santa Monica, Pasadena, Malibu, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Burbank,  Long Beach, Irvine, Anaheim, Oxnard, and Huntington Beach.  Los Angeles has a population of 75,000 Thai people, making it the home of roughly 25% of all Thais in the United States.  Los Angeles is also home to the only “Thai Town” in the U.S. and has some of the best Thai restaurants and markets in the country.  Wat Thai Los Angeles is the city’s largest Thai Buddhist temple and has a weekend food court and offers Thai language classes.  

UPDATED November 27, 2022 (Please see information below under "Other things to consider")

Honolulu is the largest city in the state of Hawaii and is the most-populous city in the Oceania region (excluding cities in Australia and New Zealand).  Honolulu has a population of 390,000 people making this city the 56th most-populous metropolitan area in the United States, while the Urban Honolulu Metropolitan Statistical Area (this includes the entire population of the island of Oahu, the island where Honolulu is located) has a population of 975,000.  The state of Hawaii is the only island state in America, and includes 8 main islands: Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe, Maui, and Hawaii (known as the “Big Island”).  There are only about 2,000 Thai people living in Hawaii, but there is a Thai Buddhist temple located in Honolulu (Pearl City) that sells Thai food on Sundays.  The University of Hawaii at Manoa has a Thai Student Association and is one of the few universities in the country that has a Thai language program.  

UPDATED November 27, 2022 (Please see information below under "Other things to consider")

Portland is the most populous city in the state of Oregon and the second-most populous city in the Pacific Northwest after Seattle.  The Portland metropolitan area has a population of 2.5 million people and is the 25th most populous metropolis in the United States.  The city is located on the Columbia and Willamette Rivers, which meet on the northern end of the Willamette Valley.  The valley stretches for 150 miles between forested mountains containing lush farmland and scenic views.  Over 250 agricultural items are produced here, including award winning wines (Pinot noir) and hops used in the production of craft beer.  Although the population of Thai people in the Portland metropolitan area is less than 2,000, the city has over 125 Thai restaurants.  Portland and the state or Oregon is a popular destination for students from Thailand, with Portland State University, University of Oregon, and Oregon State University having active Thai Student Associations.   

UPDATED November 27, 2022 (Please see information below under "Other things to consider")

San Francisco, known as the “City by the Bay”, is one of America’s most famous and beautiful cities.  Located in Northern California, San Francisco is just one of the many cities that together make up the San Francisco Bay Area, or Bay Area for short.  The 14-county combined statistical area (that comprises the Bay Area) has nearly 10 million people, making it the fifth-most populous region in the United States.  The Bay Area includes cities such as Oakland, Berkeley, Concord, Pleasanton, Fremont, San Jose, San Mateo, Palo Alto, Sausalito, San Rafael, and Novato.  There are an estimated 10,000 Thai immigrants in the Bay Area, but at least triple that number of 2nd and 3rd generation Thai Americans.  The Bay Area is home to several Thai Buddhist temples, many of which offer Thai language courses to children and adults.  These temples also offer courses in Thai music and dance—and they host Thai cultural events throughout the year.    

UPDATED November 27, 2022 (Please see information below under "Other things to consider")

Las Vegas is the largest city in the state of Nevada and located in the Mojave Desert, sandwiched between California and Arizona.  The Las Vegas metropolitan area, known as the Las Vegas Valley, includes Clark County and the cities of North Las Vegas, Henderson, and Boulder City, as well as several other unincorporated communities and neighborhoods.  The Las Vegas Valley has a population of 2.3 million people and has been America’s fastest growing city the past decade.  Although Las Vegas ranks only as the 28th-most populous city in the United States, there could be as many as 300,000 tourists visiting the city on any given day.  Las Vegas has a Thai population of nearly 10,000, making it the second largest Thai community in the United States (after Los Angeles).  The city is home to several Thai Buddhist temples and Thai restaurants, along with a Thai grocery store, Thai language newspaper and community organization.

UPDATED November 27, 2022 (Please see information below under "Other things to consider")

Phoenix is the capital of Arizona and is the largest city in the Mountain Time Zone.  The Phoenix Metropolitan Area has a population of 4.8 million—the tenth largest metropolitan area in the United States—and is one of the fastest growing cities in America.  New residents and businesses come here for the low cost of living and year-round warm weather.  Phoenix gets more sunshine than any other major city on the planet.  The Phoenix Metropolitan Area, also known as the Valley, includes the cities of Casa Grande, Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale, Maricopa, Mesa, Peoria, Scottsdale, Surprise, and Tempe.  There are only about 2,000 Thai people in the state of Arizona, but the overall Asian immigrant community is growing as more people search for new opportunities and lower cost of living outside of California.  Phoenix has a Thai Buddhist temple and the Thai-American Association of Arizona is active in the community.

UPDATED November 27, 2022 (Please see information below under "Other things to consider")

Seattle is the largest city in America’s Pacific Northwest region and located in the state of Washington.  The Seattle metropolitan area has a population of 4 million people and is the fifteenth-largest metropolis in the United States.  Just 100 miles south of the Canadian border, Seattle is America's northernmost metropolis.  Known as the “Emerald City”, Seattle is situated in a magnificent natural environment, surrounded by evergreen forests, mountains, and water.  Having no shortage of scenic views, outdoor activities, cultural events, trendy restaurants and coffee shops, it is no surprise that Seattle is a popular tourist destination with over 40 million visitors coming to the city each year.  The Seattle metropolitan area includes the cities of Tacoma, Bellevue, Kent, Everett, Renton, Kirkland, and Redmond.  Although there are over 100 Thai restaurants in Seattle, the area only has about 1,000 Thai immigrants (but perhaps as many as 4,000 Thai Americans).