Passports and Visas

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.

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

The city of Orlando, located in the Central Florida region of the United States and known as “the City Beautiful”, is ranked as America’s 23rd most-populous city.  The Orlando metropolitan area has a population of 2.6 million people and is home to several theme parks including Walt Disney World, SeaWorld, and Universal Studios.  Orlando’s theme parks, natural attractions, and year-round warm weather make it one of the most-visited cities in the world.  The city receives over 75 million visitors per year, including 6.5 million international visitors.  Orlando is home to the University of Central Florida, which has one of the largest student bodies in the country and includes students from Thailand.  The Orlando metropolitan area is composed of various cities and towns including Sanford, St. Cloud, Winter Garden, Winter Park, Altamonte Springs, Apopka, and Kissimmee—a city just south of Orlando that has a Thai Buddhist temple (Wat Florida Dhammaram).

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

The city of Tampa, located in the West Central region of Florida on the Gulf Coast, 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 the Asian immigrant population in Tampa is not huge, their numbers have been growing the past two decades due to the expansion of technology-focused companies in the area.  There is a growing population of immigrants from Vietnam and Thailand that have come to Tampa to study and open small businesses.  Tampa has a Thai Buddhist temple that offers religious services and a Sunday market selling authentic Thai foods and other items.

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

The Greater Miami Area is the seventh-largest metropolitan area in the United States and has a population of 6.2 million people.  The metropolitan area is located in the South Florida region of the U.S. state of Florida and is composed of Miami-Dade County, Broward County, and Palm Beach County.  Its main cities include Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Coral Gables, West Palm Beach, Hialeah, Miramar, Pembroke Pines, Hollywood, and Boca Raton.  This is a diverse community where 40% of the population was born in another country. While this diversity does not include a large population of Asian immigrants, there are a few thousand Thai people living throughout South Florida.  Miami has a Thai Buddhist temple and a Thai Trade Center (an organization sponsored by the Thai government facilitating trade between Thailand and the U.S.).  South Florida’s climate is similar to Thailand’s climate, allowing farmers in the area to grow Thai tropical fruits and vegetables.