Is "Farang" Derogatory?

[MrJohnson]

I love this old Chestnut. It seems to be something that  really gets people riled up. I've asked my (Thai) staff many times about it and Thai friends as well. They, all of them, assert that  it inoffensive. By I do enjoy the banter back forwards. Just under 24 hours and more than 140 replies on TV!

 

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, MrJohnson said:

I love this old Chestnut. It seems to be something that  really gets people riled up. I've asked my (Thai) staff many times about it and Thai friends as well. They, all of them, assert that  it inoffensive. By I do enjoy the banter back forwards. Just under 24 hours and more than 140 replies on TV!

 

... and you believe them? ... 

[mihalis]

Just now, Jingthing said:

... and you believe them? ... 

I believe my wife and many Thai friends ! 

[MrJohnson]

2 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

... and you believe them? ... 

As a matter of fact, yes I do. For most it is simply a descriptor. Nothing derogatory about it.

[Jingthing]

4 minutes ago, mihalis said:

I believe my wife and many Thai friends ! 

I'll put this another way. 

Argentina was brought up.
In Argentina it's common to give people nicknames such as CHINO for a Chinese person.

It's "innocent" and Chinese Argentinians are used to it.

But think about it -- objectively, just how innocent is it?

What if that person was a fast runner. His nickname wouldn't be about that. It would still be CHINO. 

There may often be no CONSCIOUS racism in the Thai usage of farang but that doesn't mean it's racism free either. 

It's so deeply internalized that they mostly aren't even aware of it. 

Edited May 2, 2018 by Jingthing

[manarak]

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

I'll put this another way. 

Argentina was brought up.
In Argentina it's common to give people nicknames such as CHINO for a Chinese person.

It's "innocent" and Chinese Argentinians are used to it.

But think about it -- objectively, just how innocent is it?

What if that person was a fast runner. His nickname wouldn't be about that. It would still be CHINO. 

There may often be no CONSCIOUS racism in the Thai usage of farang but that doesn't mean it's racism free either. 

I guess it's only offensive for people who "think about it".

So for a large part of the Thai population it's not offensive.

[Jingthing]

Just now, manarak said:

I guess it's only offensive for people who "think about it".

So for a large part of the Thai population it's not offensive.

Ouch. The old 'tink too much' canard! 

[manarak]

Just now, Jingthing said:

Ouch. The old 'tink too much' canard! 

maybe, but *think about it* ... I believe I hit the nail on the head with that one.

[Acemaker]

54 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

 

And that without a doubt in my book was the smartest move and well done!.

 

The guy screaming the comment doesn't look smart or tough, he just looks like the braindead, uneducated <deleted> that he is.

 

He might get a snigger from equally uneducated <deleted>, but you need not trouble your brain with them.

[Jingthing]

2 minutes ago, manarak said:

maybe, but *think about it* ... I believe I hit the nail on the head with that one.

Not sure what you're saying. If you're saying expats may be a better fit here checking their brain at BKK, I might agree. 

[Soneva]

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.

I think that is because the other terms are proper descriptors and therefore are used with khon.

Farang itself is an informal expression (potentially derogatory, but often not) that already refers to a white foreigner, and thus saying person again would be redundant.

I frankly don’t even give a damn it what they refer to me as is potentially derogatory. They have no idea of the words that exist in the English language that describe people from various ethnic groups, many of which can be derogatory or even extremely offensive.

If anyone does not like me because I’m a foreigner, I certainly do not give a sh!t what they think about me, or what they call me.


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[observer90210]

Does one really care what a stranger or anybody with whom you are not having sex, thinks or says of you,....really ? ...who cares ?  

[grollies]

2 hours ago, 55Jay said:

Farangs are rich, and handsum by default, but if you dig a little deeper, you'll find they tend to have body odor, because they intentionally lay nearly naked under the hot sun in a puddle of their own sweat to turn their skin brown without getting paid for it.  That odd habit also exacerbates the decomposing fecal matter they schmeared around their bits with scraps of paper earlier.   Clearly, being a farang compensates for a lot, so don't be too quick to reject it wholesale.

--------

But it can work against you, especially after over-dosing on ThaiVisa rage.   For example, after 10 hours straight in the General Forum Threads, I went walked up to the village market for a bottle of Chang and SangSom, and while unraveling the sweaty bills from my pocket lint, a 7-year old Thai kid pointed at me and exclaimed, "Fah-Lang Fah-Lang!" with a big grin on his face; which we all know by now means the exact opposite of whatever we think it means, and I thought,  "You racist little shit!".     I  ran over and shook him by his shoulders vigorously, demanding he tell me what he really meant by that and in what context!     The police turned up at my house later and I sat there, rich, handsum and tan, but smelling of fecal matter, handcuffed to my refrigerator, wondering how in the hell these numpty cops found my house so quickly.    The odds are stacked against "us" all the time, so I've shelved my plan to rob the local bank until I get a darker sun tan to blend in a bit more with the natives.

--------

On the other hand, I once, and only once, had something good come of being the farang.  A Kerry delivery man was due to deliver an item from Lazada, but ran out of phone credit and couldn't call for final directions to the house.  He stopped at our nearby village market to inquire, and all the vendors and 7 year old stood in a loose knot, pointing down the Soi and said, "Yeah, that stinky <deleted> lives right over there!". 

My wife consoled me, saying it sounds more pleasant in Thai, or French, as long as you say it in a nice way.

Wow, did you really run over and grab a 7year old boy and shake him as you describe?

 

You're lucky you didn't get shot.

 

And if you'd have done that to my son I'd have beaten the crap out of you.

 

The rest of your post is really weird.

 

And, if you learned to integrate with your locals anyone coming and asking where you lived would be told 'sorry, don't know'.

Edited May 2, 2018 by grollies

[MartinL]

25 minutes ago, Soneva said:

If anyone does not like me because I’m a foreigner, I certainly do not give a sh!t what they think about me, or what they call me.
 

 

 

 

I certainly do give a shit when a my wife's friends ask her "Does the farang .... " when they know perfectly well who I am, my relationship to my wife etc. Very few are that ignorant but it has happened, even with people with whom I've held conversations in the past.

 

Why it's beyond their wit to instead ask "Does your husband ..." I've no idea because it'd save me from giving them a mouthful for being rude (especially when it happens in my own home) and them from being embarrassed (?) that I've had a go at 'em. 

 

But in most circumstance, like you, I don't care.

[MartinL]

2 hours ago, MrJohnson said:

I love this old Chestnut. It seems to be something that  really gets people riled up. I've asked my (Thai) staff many times about it and Thai friends as well. They, all of them, assert that  it inoffensive.

 

Many Britons used to say exactly the same thing about the use of the word 'Paki' but things changed for the better, thankfully.

[55Jay]

16 minutes ago, grollies said:

Wow, did you really run over and grab a 7year old boy and shake him as you describe?

 

You're lucky you didn't get shot.

 

And if you'd have done that to my son I'd have beaten the crap out of you.

 

The rest of your post is really weird.

 

And, if you learned to integrate with your locals anyone coming and asking where you lived would be told 'sorry, don't know'.

I knew there would be at least 1.  Congratulations. 

[grollies]

15 minutes ago, 55Jay said:

I knew there would be at least 1.  Congratulations. 

........is the standard reply from someone who posts a load of <deleted> and then realises what they actually said....

Edited May 2, 2018 by grollies

[Scouse123]

 

I used to get wound up about the term ' Farang ' when I studied what it meant and the different connotations where it can be used. I then realized that the Thais using it, especially younger ones, know no better and it is simply passed down to them by listening to the older generation using the term.

 

In the main to them, they just think it is the general term for white-faced foreigners and goes no deeper than that.

 

I really don't give a bugger anymore, far worse names to be called and far more important things to worry about, to be honest.

Edited May 2, 2018 by Scouse123

[55Jay]

Just now, grollies said:

........is the standard reply from someone who posts a load of <deleted> snd then realises what they actually said....

LOL, No.  Well yes, it was a load of krap, except for the very last bit. 

[Scouse123]

1 minute ago, Scouse123 said:

grollies,

 

You fell for it ' hook, line and sinker '
 

1

 

 

Edited May 2, 2018 by Scouse123

[canuckamuck]

The full term is Mun Farang Sofa

[grollies]

5 minutes ago, Scouse123 said:

 

Ar ay mate. I did doh didn't I?

[Kwasaki]

I'll chip in with maybe something that's already posted and was like 10 + years ago before, from a Thai course years ago I read "Farang" means westerner which I am.

If Thai speaks of someone not Thai whose the farang what the hells wrong with that.

Thai people who know me call me by name, those who don't refer to me as farang, never had problem with it never will.

Those who do have problem with the farang word description/term are over sensitive in my book. 

[grollies]

36 minutes ago, 55Jay said:

LOL, No.  Well yes, it was a load of krap, except for the very last bit. 

I am gracious in defeat and bow before your superior intellect...... you got me.

[55Jay]

Just now, grollies said:

I am gracious in defeat and bow before your superior intellect...... you got me.

Naw, nothing like that, Grollies.  Hope you got a laugh out of it.  Cheers. 

[grollies]

2 minutes ago, 55Jay said:

Naw, nothing like that, Grollies.  Hope you got a laugh out of it.  Cheers. 

I did mate, thanks

[Soneva]

 
I certainly do give a shit when a my wife's friends ask her "Does the farang .... " when they know perfectly well who I am, my relationship to my wife etc. Very few are that ignorant but it has happened, even with people with whom I've held conversations in the past.
 
Why it's beyond their wit to instead ask "Does your husband ..." I've no idea because it'd save me from giving them a mouthful for being rude (especially when it happens in my own home) and them from being embarrassed (?) that I've had a go at 'em. 
 
But in most circumstance, like you, I don't care.

I totally agree. Your wife’s friend should speak more respectfully, and say something like “your husband” instead of “the farang.”

My Thai is not nuanced enough to determine when someone is using the word in a friendly/informal way or if it is derogatory.

I’m the last person who has the right to get on a politically correct high horse, however. I tend to be anything but politically correct.

The good thing is that the few people I care about do treat me with respect, and I really don’t give a shit about what others think.


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[ericthai]

14 hours ago, KiChakayan said:

As far as I am concerned it is derogatory, and I make it clear that I don't like to hear it, by stating that I am a "person". Using specific term to designate any group of people is the foundation of discrimination. I see it here on an hourly basis. When I point out the unease of some people when I have to deal with them, my wife says "Teerag, they are just shy". So? they shouldn't be.

So where you come from there are no terms used to identity different races, religions etc? 

[TheLobster]

The Thai's use the 'Farang' word with the intention for it to be derogatory and insulting.

[Jingthing]

12 minutes ago, TheLobster said:

The Thai's use the 'Farang' word with the intention for it to be derogatory and insulting.

Often but not always.

My feeling is that Thailand has no intention to ever be truly "multicultural" like the West.

What percentage of Thai citizens are caucasians?

In other words, how small a fraction of one percent is it?

Whatever the teeny tiny number it is, there is no interest in seeing that ever grow. 

So if you like getting called farang or not, grin and bear it.

Not your country.