Monthly Archives: November 2020

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

Denver, known as the “Mile High City” because of its elevation of 5,280 feet, is the capital of Colorado and is one of the fastest growing cities in America.  The Denver Metropolitan area is the 19th most populous metro area in the U.S. and has a population approaching 3 million people.  The region’s growing and diverse economy—along with its proximity to Rocky Mountain ski resorts—make Denver an attractive destination for people seeking a more active and balanced lifestyle.  The Denver Metropolitan area includes the towns of Arvada, Aurora, Castle Rock, Centennial, Lakewood, Littleton, Thornton, and Westminster.  There are only about 2,000 Thai people in the Denver area, but the community will surely grow in the years ahead as more people move from California and other West Coast cities.  Denver does have a Thai Buddhist temple and a Thai grocery store along with other Asian markets that provide ingredients for those interested in cooking their own Thai foods.  

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

Detroit is the second-largest city in the Midwest (after Chicago) and is better known by its nickname “Motor City”, or “Motown”, because of its prominence as the global center of the automotive industry.  Although the city has certainly had its share of ups and downs, Detroit remains an important and influential American city.  The Detroit metropolitan area, known as Metro Detroit, has a population of 4.3 million and is the fourteenth-largest metropolis in the United States.  Metro Detroit includes the towns of Dearborn, Royal Oak, Auburn Hills, Troy, Livonia, Southfield, Rochester Hills, Warren, Pontiac, Sterling Heights, and other municipalities.  The Thai immigrant population is small and there are only a few thousand Thai people living in the state of Michigan, however, Metro Detroit does have a Thai Buddhist temple located in Sterling Heights and another temple in Warren.  Thai restaurants in Detroit also have an annual Thai Street Food Festival.  

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

Chicago is America’s third-most-populous city and its metropolitan area, known as Chicagoland, has a population approaching 10 million people.  Chicago is a vibrant international city with a robust economy that is the corporate headquarters for 57 Fortune 1000 companies including Boeing, McDonald’s, United Airlines, Caterpillar, Kraft, Heinz, US Foods, Walgreens, and Abbott Laboratories.  While manufacturing and food processing provide a strong foundation for its economy, the city is also an important financial center and is home to the Chicago Stock Exchange, Chicago Board Options Exchange, and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.  As an important center for American business, Chicago is also home to a Thai Trade Center, which helps facilitate trade between the United States and Thailand.  There are several thousand Thai immigrants living in Chicagoland, and perhaps as many as 10,000 people of Thai heritage in the area. 

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

The city of Dallas and the surrounding metropolitan area is the most populous metropolis in the southern United States and fourth-most populous in the country.  The Dallas metropolitan area—known as the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, or DFW by local residents—has a population of 7.6 million people and includes the cities of Fort Worth, Arlington, Plano, Irving, Garland, Frisco, Mesquite, Denton, Grand Prairie, and McKinney.  The Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, located in North Texas, is one of the fastest growing regions in the country thanks to the low cost of living, low taxes, abundance of resources, and ease of doing business.  There are several thousand Thai immigrants in the North Texas region, many of them coming to Dallas-Fort Worth to attend one of the 38 colleges in the area, or to be with their family already living in the U.S.  The city of Dallas is home to the Buddhist Temple of Dallas, which hosts the annual Thai Culture & Food Festival.   

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

New York is America’s most prominent city and some proud New Yorkers may consider it the “Capital of the World”.  Certainly a case can be made for this title since the city is the headquarters of the United Nations; it is one of the most important economic regions in the world; it has the highest number of billionaires of any city in the world; it is the most linguistically diverse city in the world; its metropolitan region has the largest foreign-born population; it is one of the most preeminent cities in the world for arts and culture; it has some of the best restaurants in the world and without a doubt, has the best pizza!  New York is also a great place for Thai food, particularly the Elmhurst neighborhood in Queens, where there is a large Thai immigrant community.  There are about 20,000 Thai people living in the New York Metropolitan Area, and the city is home to a Thai consulate, Thai Trade Center, and Thailand Board of Investment office.  

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

Greater Houston is the fifth most-populous metropolitan area in the United States with a population of over 7 million residents.  Houston is one of America’s most ethnically diverse cities.  With over 145 different languages being spoken in this global city, it is no surprise Houston has plenty of great restaurants offering delicious cuisine from all over the world, including several Thai restaurants.  This is a fast-growing and youthful city that attracts entrepreneurs, corporate businesspeople, and international investors and students.  Houston is the home to the country’s oil and gas industry and is also home to 350 aerospace and aviation companies.  There are a few thousand Thai citizens living in Houston and the city is home to a Thai Buddhist temple.  Greater Houston encompasses nine counties and includes the cities of Sugar Land, Baytown, Conroe, Pasadena, Pearland, The Woodlands, and Galveston.    

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

Philadelphia is the largest city in the state of Pennsylvania and is one of the oldest cities in the United States.  Founded in 1682 by Englishman William Penn, a social reformer and champion of liberty, he named the city Philadelphia using the Greek term meaning “brotherly love”.  Philadelphia has the nickname “City of Brotherly Love” and is nowadays more casually known by locals and non-locals alike as “Philly”.  The Philadelphia metropolitan area has over 6 million people (America’s eighth-largest metropolis) and includes cities and towns in the states of New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland, in addition to Pennsylvania.  The area is also a center of higher education and has more than 80 postsecondary institutions, making this part of the United States a popular destination for international students, including those from Thailand.  The University of Pennsylvania is one of a handful of schools in the U.S. that offer Thai language courses.

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

Boston is the capital of Massachusetts and is one of America’s oldest cities.  It has a rich history and culture that attracts over 20 million tourists each year.  Known as the “intellectual capital of the United States”, Boston is a center of education that has more than 350,000 college students from around the world and 35 universities, colleges, and community colleges along with many of the country’s best research and teaching hospitals. With a population of 4.9 million people, Greater Boston is the eleventh-most populous metropolitan area in the United States and includes towns such as Brookline, Quincy, Newton, Waltham, Medford, and Cambridge.  Cambridge is the birthplace of King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX, former King of Thailand), and there is a monument located in front of Harvard University commemorating his birth at Mount Auburn Hospital in 1927.  There are about 5,000 Thai immigrants living in the Greater Boston area.

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

Washington, D.C. is the capital of the United States and is an important global city that attracts visitors from all over the world.  The Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area—which includes the District of Columbia and parts of Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia—is America’s sixth-largest metropolis and has a population of 6.3 million people.  Cities within this area (apart from Washington, D.C.) include Alexandria, Annandale, Arlington, Fairfax, Falls Church, and Reston—all in Virginia—along with the Maryland towns of Bethesda, College Park, Frederick, Gaithersburg, Rockville, and Silver Spring.  There are nearly 10,000 Thai immigrants in the metropolitan area, concentrated mostly in Fairfax County, Virginia and Montgomery County, Maryland.  There is a Thai Buddhist temple located in Silver Spring, Maryland (Wat Thai Washington, D.C.).  Washington, D.C. has been a “sister city” of Bangkok, Thailand since 1962.