Is "Farang" Derogatory?

[Berkshire]

13 minutes ago, jkcjag said:

Similar to the use of the description "Asian" when being used in a western country to refer to someone from somewhere in Asia. It can be used in either manner, i.e. in a derogatory way, or in a completely neutral way, depending on the context.

Agree...except "Asian," like "farang," in itself aren't derogatory, regardless of the context.  If one wanted to insult an Asian in America, they'd use terms like "Chink" or "Jap" or "slant-eye"...etc.  Just saying "dumb Asian" or "dumb farang" doesn't make the words Asian or farang derogatory, but they are insults.  It'd be the same as saying "dumb American."  Yes, an insult, but the word American isn't derogatory.     

Edited May 2, 2018 by Berkshire

[jkcjag]

The "Kon" in the context above meant "person', e.g. Kon Jin... describing a Chinese person. Khun" would not be the correct word to use.

Placed before forenames of both men and women "Khun" is like Mr./ Mrs. - khun Somsak = Mr Somsak; khun Mary = Mrs./Miss. Mary.

[evadgib]

2 hours ago, SpeakeasyThai said:

Name calling is nothing new from spiteful children. They can call me what they like as they are mostly uneducated and clueless as to their own nation they reside in. 

They're on a hair-trigger if they hear 'fff' in reply! ?

Edited May 2, 2018 by evadgib

[jkcjag]

It's used in England and Australia in a derogatory way...I've heard it often...for example "bloody Asians!" when complaining about them in general by grouping them by race. 

[jak2002003]

9 minutes ago, jackdd said:

"Jin" means China/Chinese and "Yeepun" means Japan(ese), these are not "descriptive" words.

And it's "kun" or "khun" and not "kon". "kon" would mean body or pubic hair

 คุณ     'kun or khun' means 'You' .  

 

คน      Kon in this posters means person.  Kon American... = American person.  

 

Tis is why its better to write in Thai is you want to correct people on their Thai words.

 

ผม      Means hair... 'P' NOT 'C'    

 

ขน   is the word for pubic hair.... with a 'C' but different tone.

 

 

 

[Berkshire]

1 minute ago, jkcjag said:

It's used in England and Australia in a derogatory way...I've heard it often...for example "bloody Asians!" when complaining about them in general by grouping them by race. 

So the word "Asian" is derogatory?  How about if I say "Asians have greatly contributed to our society....?"

[Kieran00001]

Quote

collectively lumping all western (anglosaxon derived) peoples

 

Obviously this has nothing to do with specifically Anglo-Saxons, who are just the decedents of Saxons who emigrated to Britain, this is about all Caucasians.

[LawrenceN]

3 hours ago, cms22 said:

By definition the word farang is discriminatory. That means it is also racist.

Nonsense. Sometimes it's necessary to identify by appearance. For example, in a restaurant, you might hear, "Hey Noi, whose pad Thai is this?" Noi is likely to answer, "For farang over there," just as you might say "for that Asian fellow" in America without animosity. Could it be done more thoughtfully? I suppose, but they're slinging hash, not uniting the world. They don't have to coddle the baggage you bring along. We, from Western countries are over-sensitized to race. However, I admit I'm annoyed when some bumpkin shouts "farang!" like he's seeing a freak show. Makes me want to charge pay-per-view.

[bambooboi]

depends how it is said..but farang key nok.....guava bird shit is offensive.  my reply when called a farang is...farang is a fruit. can be eaten.  i am not fruit.  gets a laugh usually

[freebyrd]

Well they expect to be referred to as "Khon Thai", and not just the general term Asian or any of the derogatory terms, just as I would prefer to be called English and not the general term Farang.

[freebyrd]

18 minutes ago, LawrenceN said:

Nonsense. Sometimes it's necessary to identify by appearance. For example, in a restaurant, you might hear, "Hey Noi, whose pad Thai is this?" Noi is likely to answer, "For farang over there," just as you might say "for that Asian fellow" in America without animosity. Could it be done more thoughtfully? I suppose, but they're slinging hash, not uniting the world. They don't have to coddle the baggage you bring along. We, from Western countries are over-sensitized to race. However, I admit I'm annoyed when some bumpkin shouts "farang!" like he's seeing a freak show. Makes me want to charge pay-per-view.

I would offer that the correct term for foreigner is "Khon tang prathet" not Farang.

[Odysseus123]

45 minutes ago, Cranky said:

Mostly it's fair, just a description.  But when your brother-in-law of ten years says in Thai to the Wife 'Get The Farang to pay it grates abiy

You nailed it.

 

(even tho' your post was somewhat truncated )

 

If someone who is familiar with you,your name or your country but still uses the word in reference to you-give them the bum's rush.

[freebyrd]

18 minutes ago, bambooboi said:

depends how it is said..but farang key nok.....guava bird shit is offensive.  my reply when called a farang is...farang is a fruit. can be eaten.  i am not fruit.  gets a laugh usually

I used to reply in Thai that "I'm not a Farang I'm a Baksida", thereby indicating that I'd been in TL too long to still be called a Farang. That always got a laugh and usually started a friendly conversation in Thai.

[seajae]

while it is in how it is used it is also in how the one referred to  takes it, I refer to myself as a farang as thats what I am to most thais, many of our daughters friends ask he if her father is a farang too, doesnt bother me in the least. Different if they called you a ****ing farang but few do, in Australia I grew up with a lot of italian mates, they were referred to as <deleted>, even had a movie made and tv show using <deleted> in the titles. My mates mum always told me I would make a great <deleted> because I loved her cooking, words are all in the way you take them, they can be offensive to some and not others unless they are meant to be offensive when spoken then they are definitely offensive. If being called a farang in general conversations bothers you, you really need to grow thicker skin

[Thaidream]

This topic has been revisited many times.   To me- the term Farang' is mostly neutral and describes someone who looks Western. If an adjective is added that is derogatory then that is what the speaker means.   I have had the unpleasant experience of hearing a bank manager refer to all  Farang using the term 'It'- meaning in her opinion we were not even worthy of being human. Was I angry- for sure- but had to keep quiet because my Thai wife was cashing a US Check. That manager was undoubtedly prejudiced towards any Westerner and had no excuse as she was educated and knew better.

 

Most Thai people never really learn that certain things are offensive to others or maybe considered offensive in the context of the Western mindset. Thais often refer to the disabled as 'funny'; the darker skinned as 'ugly';  those with no education as 'stupid'; it is part of the lexicon and they seem to accept it as part of life.

 

It is also interesting to note that at one time- market sellers  called out - 'you' to get your attention and then learned that it was rude;  they then called everyone Western-  'Peter' and then realized not everyone is named Peter; now they use the term Mister or Madam which is a proper way to get one's attention. through experience, they learned what is proper and what is not.

 

We, as Westerners have been taught or learned through experience that certain terms are offensive or can be construed as offensive to others and avoid using the term at least publicly.  Most Thais simply see nothing wrong with using certain terms referring to a person's color; ethnic background or other to describe people. They have never been taught any different.

 

I try and avoid the term Farang as I know some people don't like it and if my family uses it to refer to a Western person- I usually say- haven't you people ever seen a Westerner before-  they very seldom use it any more but  if they do- I know it is used in a neutral manner.

[55Jay]

16 hours ago, rdhowell said:

2 readers expressed "confusion", one expressed "sad."

Those 2 Emoticons seem to trigger insecurity and a need for validation in certain segments of the farang population.

 

If you don't get what you need from this thread, try talking to your dog(s), like Dr. Naam does.  He says they are excellent listeners and also know a lot about air conditioning and physics.  However, he warns they are far too agreeable around dinner time or when you rub their bellies, so be mindful of that.  Chok Dee. 

[Krataiboy]

21 minutes ago, Black arab said:

The Royal Institute DIctionary 1999   the official use of thai words class farang as "a person of white race".Imo it can be used as a derogatory term sometimes, but generally not.It doesnt bother me so much.

According to Wikipedia, "The word farang may have either originated from the Hindi word firangi (Devanāgarī: फिरंगी, "foreign"), a derogatory term for Europeans that was coined during British colonial rule in India, or from the Persian word farang (فرنگ) or farangī (فرنگی), meaning "Frank, European". 

 

In Thailand the term was imported (or so the apocryphal story goes) from a different source - IndoChina under French rule. Falang was apparently the closest the natives of Vietnam, Cambodia and Lao could get to pronouncing the word (francais) for the strange language spoken by their colonial masters.

[transam]

Those here who think being called farang is derogatory are daft...

 

But, I must be daft because Mrs.Trans often calls me daft farang....

[nausea]

Oh, we have our uses, guarding Wat Pho, for example:

 

[MikeN]

I once asked my Thai language teacher why Thais say Khon dam (black people) or khon Asian, khon Thai, etc, but not khon farang. She got a bit upset at me for even asking, certainly could not explain why. If they were to say khon farang/ farang people I would not consider it derogatory but omitting “khon” does sort of imply they do not consider us as people.

Edited May 2, 2018 by MikeN

[ResandePohm]

4 hours ago, cms22 said:

By definition the word farang is discriminatory. That means it is also racist.

Discriminatory? Under your definition then so is the word Brit, Pom or Limey. That is not to mention calling the French frogs or maybe even worse calling someone from Sweden a Swede. If you are offended by the word Farang then you are ridiculously over sensative

[55Jay]

OP:

 

Farang is far easier to pronounce than Are Dee Hah-Wool. 

 

I wouldn't worry about it too much, olde bean.  Pour another noon sun downer, take a nap, and try not to tink too mutt. 

 

[Get Real]

2 hours ago, KiChakayan said:

Yeah, "non hurtful", such as the treatment of the Jewish community between 1933 to 1945... And, can you explain why someone would have to use "racist terms and objects"?

First it was not about the jewish community between the times of world war two. Totally irrelevant to this dicussion. Back tight up on topic, so to say.

You also state that you want an explaination why someone would have to use, as you call it and refer to, "recist terms and objects" Se answer below:

As a wake up call for you. Long time ago, many of the terms that are considered to fit your little box were considered fun and thrown as hard jokes between people.
As I see it, today people are so sensitive and see every chance they have to make somebody pay for something they said that might be wrong. Weak people, in my opinion.

That´s why it´s better to live in Thailand, where people can still use this in ordinary day talk. here it is not considered as your way of seeing it. That means again your words "racist terms and objects".

Maybe now you understand that what is racist and what is not is very individual. If you are a person that can´t take a punch in life. Yeah, right! Then you moan and complain. If you can roll with the punches, then you see more open on things. Yeah! You just don´t moan and complain all the time.

[watcharacters]

1 hour ago, Berkshire said:

Your premise and examples are completely wrong.  Firstly, farang does not mean foreigner, it means Caucasian person.  As for the USA, we are obsessed about race.  There is constant reference to one's race or ethnicity, whether African-American, or Hispanic, or Asian, or Muslim...it's constant.  So you are wrong on all counts.   

 

And you are totally wrong IMHO, Sir.

 

The examples  I gave are 100% valid for my life experience.    Your's may differ and I respect that but please speak in this instance  for yourself  don't  accuse me of being wrong as I stated about you.  

 

Lastly  since this topic has arisen more than once, please offer a genuine and  100% valid, final  link to prove your   Caucasian  definition  claim.    You may be on to something new..

 

TIA

[Autonuaq]

farang is not a polite word.

 

That is teached to you when you go to school and learn Thai.

And the school in bangkok or phuket or chaing mai all teach the same farang is not a polite word

 

 

Many companies also have a policy about this and other words like this.

 

Farang is just not a polite word.

Originating from frenchman.

[Kieran00001]

1 hour ago, bambooboi said:

depends how it is said..but farang key nok.....guava bird shit is offensive.  my reply when called a farang is...farang is a fruit. can be eaten.  i am not fruit.  gets a laugh usually

 

Guavas were introduced to Asia by the Portuguese, the term Farang out-dates that, you are not a fruit, the fruit came from our people.

[chuang]

Farang is all-in-one word for westerners...they can't call you by your nationality unless you have it written on your forehead..besides other countries do you know what they call westerners in Hongkong and China..

[jspill]

In the same way lumping together can be a good thing, e.g. 'I really like Asian chicks', I'm doing Cambodians a favour there, putting them in the same bracket as Japanese who are much hotter

[Kieran00001]

1 minute ago, Autonuaq said:

farang is not a polite word.

 

That is teached to you when you go to school and learn Thai.

And the school in bangkok or phuket or chaing mai all teach the same farang is not a polite word

 

 

Many companies also have a policy about this and other words like this.

 

Farang is just not a polite word.

Originating from frenchman.

 

Do they, and in what context, surely not all contexts as that makes no sense at all!  It is not an ethnic slur, it is just a term for an ethnicity, and it actually comes from Frank, the Franks were a Germanic people who settled in France and thus it was named after them.

[Kieran00001]

7 minutes ago, watcharacters said:

 

And you are totally wrong IMHO, Sir.

 

The examples  I gave are 100% valid for my life experience.    Your's may differ and I respect that but please speak in this instance  for yourself  don't  accuse me of being wrong as I stated about you.  

 

Lastly  since this topic has arisen more than once, please offer a genuine and  100% valid, final  link to prove your   Caucasian  definition  claim.    You may be on to something new..

 

TIA

 

Here is what the Oxford English Dictionary says.

farang
 (faˈraɳ)[Thai fa 4-rang 4 white race of people, ad. Frank n. 1; cf. Feringhee.]