On 30 January and 6 February 2023, Ambassador Tanee Sangrat held meetings with Thai restaurant owners and relevant Thai community leaders in Washington DC and nearby areas (DMV) and other states in the US. The meetings discussed two main issues and unanimously agreed as follows:

1.  Establishment of Thai Restaurant Association of America (TRAA) to advance and promote the interests of and serve as a resource for the Thai restaurant industry and Thai food community in the United States, in which the Thai American Bar Association (TABA) will collect information needed for the registration of the association. The meetings jointly drafted the mission statement, objectives, activities of the association, and will follow up and discuss further on issues such as member’s qualifications, types, fees and set up initial funding for the association.

2.  Explore the possibility of establishing “Thai Town” in DMV area with the objective of being a one-stop center for Thai businesses such as restaurants, beauty salons, massage parlors, grocery stores, medical and health cares, and Thai arts and cultures. Participants agreed to further explore potential sites and gather more information on each site for further discussion and consideration in the upcoming meeting on 8 March 2023.