Thames, New Zealand

Thames Pārāwai (Māori)
Coordinates: 37°8′18″S 175°32′15″E / 37.13833°S 175.53750°E / -37.13833; 175.53750
Country	New Zealand
Region	Waikato Region
District	Thames-Coromandel District
Ward	Thames ward
Community Board	Thames Community
Electorates	Coromandel Hauraki-Waikato
Government
• Council	Thames-Coromandel District Council
Area [1]
• Total	16.99 km2 (6.56 sq mi)
Population  (June 2023)[2]
• Total	7,630
• Density	450/km2 (1,200/sq mi)
Postcode(s)	3500, 3540

Thames (/tɛmz/ ^ⓘ) (Māori: Pārāwai) is a town at the southwestern end of the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand's North Island. It is located on the Firth of Thames close to the mouth of the Waihou River. The town is the seat of the Thames-Coromandel District Council. The Māori iwi are Ngāti Maru, who are descendants of Marutuahu's son Te Ngako. Ngāti Maru is part of the Ngati Marutuahu confederation of tribes or better known as Hauraki Iwi.

Thames had an estimated population of 15,000 in 1870, but this declined to 4,500 in 1881, and it has increased modestly since. It is still the biggest town on the Coromandel Peninsula. Until 2016, a historical oak tree that was planted by Governor George Grey stood on the corner of Grey and Rolleston streets.^[3]