Collecting practices of the Al-Thani Family Abu Dhabi’s cultural policies: "While Abu Dhabi is making a name for itself by building dramatic local satellites of the Louvres, the Guggenheim and the British Museum, Qatar's scheme of cultural nation building is much more homegrown, establishing its own museums rooted in the collections of its own royal family." Several members of the Al-Thani family initially led Qatar's interest and involvement into the field of arts and continue to embody and shape the cultural policy of the country. For William Lawrie, previously Head of International Modern Contemporary Arab and Iranian Art at Christie's, “Qatar’s royal family are very much
Surat Thani was impressed with the Indian city. On 21 December 1930 Surat Thani became a sanitary district ("sukhaphiban"), which was upgraded to a town ("thesaban mueang") on 7 December 1935, with a municipal area of 2.67 km². The area of the municipality was enlarged to 6.95 km² on 14 October 1958, and on 22 December 1994 it was further enlarged to 68.97 km². On 4 May 2007, the town was upgraded to city status ("thesaban nakhon"). Since 1969 Surat Thani is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Surat Thani, responsible for about 6,000 Catholics in southern Thailand. Surat Thani