'Little Thailand' celebrated in New York

Foreign Affairs Minister Don Pramudwinai, centre, watches traditional dancers perform at 'Little Thailand Way' in the New York Borough of Queens on Saturday. (Photo by Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Foreign Affairs Minister Don Pramudwinai, centre, watches traditional dancers perform at 'Little Thailand Way' in the New York Borough of Queens on Saturday. (Photo by Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

New York City's Thai community on Monday celebrated the naming of a road in Queens as "Little Thailand Way".

The event celebrated the official naming of the three-block road, intersecting with 77th Street and Woodside Avenue, in the Borough of Queens.

The Queens neighbourhood -- nicknamed "Little Thailand" -- is famous throughout the city for its Thai restaurants and businesses.

Foreign Affairs Minister Don Pramudwinai attended the event while he was visiting New York.

"This road is going to represent Thainess to both New Yorkers and foreigners," Mr Don said. "This is important for improving relationships between the two nations."

The official opening of the road was on Saturday, before the naming ceremony two days later which Mr Don attended.

"The Thai community in the US is the biggest Thai diaspora community in the world," he said, noting there are 15,000-17,000 Thais living in Queens.

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Vocabulary

  • block: the length of one side of a piece of land or group of buildings, from the place where one street crosses it to the next - เขตหนึ่งของตัวเมือง
  • celebrate: to do something enjoyable in order to show that an occasion or event is special - ฉลอง
  • ceremony (noun): a formal public event - งานพิธี
  • community: a group of people who share the same job, interests, religion, etc - สังคม
  • diaspora: when the people of an ethnic group or country leave the country, moving to other places around the world, scattering, dispersion - การพลัดถิ่น การกระจัดกระจายของชาวยิวจากอิสราเอลไปยังบาบิโลเนีย และจากบาบิโลเนียไปทั่วโลก
  • intersect (verb): (of lines, roads, etc.) to meet or cross each other - ตัดกัน
  • relationship: the way in which two people, groups or countries behave towards each other or deal with each other - ความสัมพันธ์
  • represent: to be an example or expression of something - แสดงให้เห็น, เป็นเครื่องหมายของ
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