Thai businessman raising funds to develop “Thai Town Centre” in Chicago

CHIANG MAI,Dec 6 (TNA)- A Thai businessman in the United States is raising funds from his peers in the northern resort province of Chiang Mai to develop a community of Thai people called, “Thai Town Centre” in Chicago, the United States, to show off the Thai identity overseas.
Arun Samphanwiwat, who owns a Thai restaurant in Chicago, discussed the idea with businessmen in Chiang Mai. He is raising funds for the construction of the Thai Town Centre building on an area of 12,500 square meters in Chicago.
He expects the building to be the centre of over 10,000 Thai people who live in Chicago. The project is also aimed at introducing Thai traits to foreigners like China Town does.
“The building should take about a year for construction. The project enjoys support from the Thai and the US governments”, Mr Arun said, and added, “It will be the centre of Thai foods from four Thai regions as well as Thai spa and massage,”
According to the Thai businessman, the building will also include a hotel and function as a venue for the gatherings of Thai people in Chicago. The project is estimated at nearly 100 million baht(3 million US dollars). Now it needs about 50 million baht (1.5 million US dollars) from Thai contributors so that it will belong to Thai people.
Arun said that if the project is completed, it will be the first community of Thai people that will introduce the Thai identity overseas.(TNA)