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The Thai Plaza in Thai Town
Thai Town is a neighborhood of Los Angeles centered along Hollywood Boulevard between Normandie Avenue and Western Avenue in Hollywood. The half-mile long neighborhood was designated by the City Council on October 27, 1999. The area contains many Thai restaurants, markets and shops, including import stores, silk clothing stores and massage spas. There are also many Armenians living in the area, which is accordingly also referred to as Little Armenia. The boundaries between Thai Town and Little Armenia are ambiguous and fluid. The area is served by the Metro Red Line at the Hollywood/Western station.
Los Angeles has the largest Thai population outside of Thailand. Roughly 80,000 of California's estimated 120,000 Thai Americans live in Los Angeles.[1] It is also home to the world's first and only Thai Town. In 2002 there was an estimated 80,000 Thai immigrants living in Los Angeles. Thai Chinese are also included in the population. Because of this, Los Angeles is sometimes referred to as Thailand's 77th province. Both Bangkok (Thailand's capital) and Los Angeles are known as the City of Angels.
On the first Sunday in April, Thai Town celebrates Songkran, the Thai New Year, by closing off Hollywood Boulevard within its boundaries, and setting up food stands and entertainment on the street.
[edit] References
- ^ Reeves, Terence and Claudette Bennet. "We the People: Asian Populations in the United States." United States Department of Commerce, December 2004.
