Thai Town, Los Angeles, California

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2008)

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 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. Like Los Angeles, Bangkok (Thailand's capital) is known as "the City of Angels" (Krung Thep Maha Nakhon, Bangkok's official name, means "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.^{[citation needed]}

History

Thai Town began in the 1960s when many Thai went to Los Angeles to study; many decided to stay and open businesses. A 1980s regional financial crisis led many Thais to come to Thai Town and find work.^[2] City Council designated the neighborhood on October 27, 1999; during that time it had many of the estimated 80,000 Thai in Southern California.^[3]

In July 2003 Laura Bush, the First Lady of the United States, granted the neighborhood recognition as a "Preserve America" community. This makes Thai Town eligible for $250,000 United States dollars in "Preserve America" grants and $250,000 in other private and public grants.^[4]

References

v • d • e City of Los Angeles Topics History · Transportation · Culture · Landmarks · Historic Places · Skyscrapers · Demographics · Crime · Sports · Media · Music · Notable people Government Mayors · City Council · Other elected officials · Fire Department · Police · Public schools Regions Downtown · Eastside · Harbor Area · Greater Hollywood · Westlake & Silver Lake/Los Feliz · San Fernando and Crescenta Valleys · South Los Angeles · Westside · Wilshire

v • d • e Greater Hollywood area, Los Angeles, California Districts and neighborhoods Beachwood Canyon · Cahuenga Pass · East Hollywood · Hollywood · Hollywood Dell · Hollywood Hills · Hollywood Heights · Laurel Canyon · Little Armenia · Melrose District · Melrose Hill · Nichols Canyon · Outpost Estates · Spaulding Square · Sunset Hills · Thai Town · Virgil Village · Whitley Heights · Yucca Corridor Points of interest Griffith Park · Grauman's Chinese Theatre · Hollywood Boulevard · Walk of Fame See also Beverly Hills · West Hollywood Downtown · Eastside · Harbor Area · Greater Hollywood · Westlake/Silver Lake/Los Feliz · San Fernando and Crescenta Valleys · South Los Angeles · Westside · Wilshire

This Los Angeles County, California-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v • d • e