thank vs contacting

Some examples from the web:

• He said to thank his fearless scorpion hunter.
• Time to thank our helpful elephant.
• We sincerely thank Sestri Levante municipality.
• I wish to particularly thank Mr Robazzi.
• So thank y'all from our whole family.
• Well, thank goodness that's settled.
• You should thank Asterix and Obelix.
• Please thank him for his generous donation.
• Please thank Master Yoda for me.
• Please thank your President for organizing this.
• We also thank the extremely professional consulting of arch.
• We thank Admiral Kinkaid for his intervention yesterday.
• Please thank Stefano again for affording him the opportunity.
• Indeed, I thank Lieutenant attention.
• Now, seriously, some candidates thank me.
• I therefore thank and congratulate the European Ombudsman.
• I would like to thank all those responsible.
• I must thank Commissioner Liikanen for respecting his obligations.
• I thank Members for their attention.
• Let me therefore thank the rapporteur again.

Some examples from the web:

• Because you disobeyed direct orders about contacting Agent Connelly.
• I took the liberty of contacting his people.
• We are contacting every other plant in the Kanto region.
• General, Wakanda is contacting us.
• Without a talisman we have no way of contacting him again.
• Why isn't Lieutenant wolf contacting other militias?
• She stole my methods for contacting...
• I was told you needed my assistance in contacting Sheik Nasser.
• You are all prohibited from contacting Yun Jae.
• We're just contacting all of his clients to make sure they've been debriefed.
• We're still contacting their other guardians.
• She has no way of contacting the hitters.
• We're contacting agencies in multiple countries.
• Let's start contacting her relatives and friends.
• That means no contacting friends or family.
• Finish contacting the kids from Miss Thompson's class.
• OK, we're contacting them now.
• They should have been contacting me, not her.
• We're contacting all the likely targets, putting them under police protection...
• Let's start contacting her relatives and friends.