Is "Farang" Derogatory?

[Kieran00001]

20 minutes ago, johng said:

27 minutes ago, Kieran00001 said:

 
Krung Tai.

I think you're wrong but am willing to be corrected..later beer time now..

 

That was the Thai name for the Ayutthaya kingdom, the time when we were calling it Siam and the people Siamese.

[JLCrab]

My answer is simple:

 

If my non-English speaking TGF calls me 'farang' with her clothes on, it is derogatory. If she calls me 'farang' with her clothes off, it isn't derogatory

[thaibeachlovers]

No.

There's a lot more important things to be worried about in LOS than being referred to as a foreigner.

[JLCrab]

... but only if you are blissfully ignorant per some.

[johng]

 
That was the Thai name for the Ayutthaya kingdom, the time when we were calling it Siam and the people Siamese.

From Wikipedia
Etymology of "Siam"

The country has always been called Mueang Thai by its citizens. By outsiders prior to 1949, it was usually known by the exonym Siam (Thai: สยาม RTGS: Sayam, pronounced [sajǎːm], also spelled Siem, Syâm, or Syâma).[citation needed] The word Siam has been identified[by whom?] with the Sanskrit Śyāma (श्याम, meaning "dark" or "brown"). The names Shan and A-hom seem to be variants of the same word. The word Śyâma is possibly not its origin, but a learned and artificial distortion.[clarification needed][18] Another theory is the name derives from Chinese: "Ayutthaya emerged as a dominant centre in the late fourteenth century. The Chinese called this region Xian, which the Portuguese converted into Siam." (Baker and Phongpaichit, A History of Thailand, 8) A further possibility is that Mon-speaking peoples migrating south called themselves 'syem' as do the autochthonous Mon-Khmer-speaking inhabitants of the Malay Peninsula.[citation needed]
SPPM Mongkut Rex Siamensium, King Mongkut's signature

The signature of King Mongkut (r. 1851–1868) reads SPPM (Somdet Phra Poramenthra Maha) Mongkut King of the Siamese, giving the name "Siam" official status until 24 June 1939 when it was changed to Thailand.[19] Thailand was renamed to Siam from 1946 to 1948, after which it again reverted to Thailand.

[Kieran00001]

19 minutes ago, johng said:

 

 

From Wikipedia
Etymology of "Siam"

The country has always been called Mueang Thai by its citizens. By outsiders prior to 1949, it was usually known by the exonym Siam (Thai: สยาม RTGS: Sayam, pronounced [sajǎːm], also spelled Siem, Syâm, or Syâma).[citation needed] The word Siam has been identified[by whom?] with the Sanskrit Śyāma (श्याम, meaning "dark" or "brown"). The names Shan and A-hom seem to be variants of the same word. The word Śyâma is possibly not its origin, but a learned and artificial distortion.[clarification needed][18] Another theory is the name derives from Chinese: "Ayutthaya emerged as a dominant centre in the late fourteenth century. The Chinese called this region Xian, which the Portuguese converted into Siam." (Baker and Phongpaichit, A History of Thailand, 8) A further possibility is that Mon-speaking peoples migrating south called themselves 'syem' as do the autochthonous Mon-Khmer-speaking inhabitants of the Malay Peninsula.[citation needed]
SPPM Mongkut Rex Siamensium, King Mongkut's signature

The signature of King Mongkut (r. 1851–1868) reads SPPM (Somdet Phra Poramenthra Maha) Mongkut King of the Siamese, giving the name "Siam" official status until 24 June 1939 when it was changed to Thailand.[19] Thailand was renamed to Siam from 1946 to 1948, after which it again reverted to Thailand.

 

 

Also from wiki:

 

In foreign accounts, Ayutthaya was called Siam, but many sources say the people of Ayutthaya called themselves Tai, and their kingdom Krung Tai (Thai: กรุงไท) meaning "The Tai country" (กรุงไท). It was also referred to as Iudea in a painting that was requested by the Dutch East India Company ^{[note 1]}

 

The term Mueng Thai was not the official name for Thailand, it was and still is a slang term.

 

[AlQaholic]

On 5/8/2018 at 10:40 PM, Kieran00001 said:

 

What do you think is a coincidental resemblance, the name?  Guava's were brought to Asia by the Portuguese along with potatoes, they named them both after the farangs who brought them.  Or do you think you look like a guava?

Yes, I definitely look like a Guava. And do you think that the Thais, that point at you in the street and scream "farang" are aware of the illustrious source of the word?

Edited May 14, 2018 by AlQaholic

[Justfine]

On 10/05/2018 at 1:29 PM, thaibeachlovers said:

No.

There's a lot more important things to be worried about in LOS than being referred to as a foreigner.

Words reflect culture

Culture reflects laws

 

So the farang word is a reflection of the anti foreigner laws.

 

So it is something to worry about and it is racist.

[transam]

3 minutes ago, Justfine said:

Words reflect culture

Culture reflects laws

 

So the farang word is a reflection of the anti foreigner laws.

 

So it is something to worry about and it is racist.

Good grief......

[faraday]

7 minutes ago, Justfine said:

Words reflect culture

Culture reflects laws

 

So the farang word is a reflection of the anti foreigner laws.

 

So it is something to worry about and it is racist.

 

Err, nope. It's a word, & interpretation, context & meaning are to be considered.

[spidermike007]

No. It means outsider. Other Asians are not considered farangs. It is because we look so different. We will never be considered Thai, no matter how long we live here, and how well we speak the language. Thailand is not an inclusive nation, nor is it an inclusive culture. If you live in Mexico for more than 20 years, and speak the language well, you are more or less considered an honorary Mexican. Not so here. When the incredible fool Phibun started promoting nationalism back in the 1930's, he forever changed the nation. Many of the more open minded people do not buy into the nonsense, and genuinely like foreigners. But, some are not as open minded. Now, the tiny man at the top is attempting to restart this nonsensical nationalist agenda. It is mindlessness at it's zenith. But, that pretty much describes the little man. The average Thai means no harm when using the term. Take no offense. Water off a duck's back. Thick skin is a real attribute. Do not be like Trump. Thin skin is a tremendous weakness, and is usually a sign of major self esteem issues. Real men have thick skin, and care little what others think of them.

[NanLaew]

35 minutes ago, Justfine said:

Words reflect culture

Culture reflects laws

 

So the farang word is a reflection of the anti foreigner laws.

 

So it is something to worry about and it is racist.

Today's incredibly unbelievable stretch post-of-the-day award goes to...

[Justfine]

1 minute ago, NanLaew said:

Today's incredibly unbelievable stretch post-of-the-day award goes to...

Farang is a derogatory word and the way they hide double pricing at Muay Thai stadiums sums up the racist culture.

 

 

[NanLaew]

22 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

If you live in Mexico for more than 20 years, and speak the language well, you are more or less considered an honorary Mexican. Not so here.

It really depends if your claimed Mexican 'more of less' is in any way comparable with the Thai 'more or less' doesn't it? I seriously doubt that the long-time American living in a village in Chiapas has the same social standing with the local community as the long-time German living in a condo in Acapulco no matter how good the gringo speaks the lingo.

 

Plenty of expatriates living fulfilling lives as part of their local community in Lampang, Nongbua Lamphu and Pakret. It's just that they are having such a great time as an accepted, contributing member of their moobahn, they don't have time to post about it.

[NanLaew]

6 minutes ago, Justfine said:

Farang is a derogatory word and the way they hide double pricing at Muay Thai stadiums sums up the racist culture.

 

 

And it's absolutely just fine for you to believe that.

Edited May 14, 2018 by NanLaew

[Justfine]

1 minute ago, NanLaew said:

And it's absolutely just fine for you to believe that.

Ok

[watcharacters]

6 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

It's just that they are having such a great time as an accepted, contributing member of their moobahn, they don't have time to post about it.

 

 

And yet you posted about it?

[JingerBen]

You would have to be living in the expat bubble to think that "farang" was a racial insult. 

As already pointed out, the word has a long history in this part of the world as a neutral term for Europeans and people of European descent.

If the word was offensive then surely sometime within the last 600 years that aspect of it would have been commented on by Thais themselves or the visitors to this country who have written extensively about the manners and customs of the Thai people.

So many posters on this forum come across as querulous and nasty. They seem to take pleasure in confrontations with Thais. Just look at the level of Thai-bashing and the number of "likes" these misfits get.

[Justfine]

2 minutes ago, JingerBen said:

You would have to be living in the expat bubble to think that "farang" was a racial insult. 

As already pointed out, the word has a long history in this part of the world as a neutral term for Europeans and people of European descent.

If the word was offensive then surely sometime within the last 600 years that aspect of it would have been commented on by Thais themselves or the visitors to this country who have written extensively about the manners and customs of the Thai people.

So many posters on this forum come across as querulous and nasty. They seem to take pleasure in confrontations with Thais. Just look at the level of Thai-bashing and the number of "likes" these misfits get.

Of course it's racist. It refers to white foreigners not non Thais.

 

There's a lot of racism in Asia.

[JingerBen]

1 minute ago, Justfine said:

Of course it's racist. It refers to white foreigners not non Thais.

 

There's a lot of racism in Asia.

A word can define race without being derogatory.

 

[Kwasaki]

8 minutes ago, Justfine said:

Of course it's racist. It refers to white foreigners not non Thais.

 

There's a lot of racism in Asia.

I disagree an overreaction in my book, have read of this a good article IMO.

https://www.into-asia.com/thai_language/farang.php 

[Justfine]

3 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

I disagree an overreaction in my book, have read of this a good article IMO.

https://www.into-asia.com/thai_language/farang.php 

You can disagree. I will allow it.

[Kieran00001]

1 hour ago, AlQaholic said:

Yes, I definitely look like a Guava. And do you think that the Thais, that point at you in the street and scream "farang" are aware of the illustrious source of the word?

 

Do you think they are comparing you to a guava?  And, while we are on the subject, what makes you think they are not making a comparison with a potato?

[Kieran00001]

31 minutes ago, Justfine said:

Of course it's racist. It refers to white foreigners not non Thais.

 

There's a lot of racism in Asia.

 

Oh, so when we say black people, thus referring to non-whites, are we being racist in your opinion?  Racism is the belief that some races are superior or inferior to others, giving names to races is not inherently racist, unless they are invented specifically to disparage, which farang was not.

Edited May 14, 2018 by Kieran00001

[AlQaholic]

2 minutes ago, Kieran00001 said:

 

Do you think they are comparing you to a guava?  And, while we are on the subject, what makes you think they are not making a comparison with a potato?

 

2 minutes ago, Kieran00001 said:

 

Do you think they are comparing you to a guava?  And, while we are on the subject, what makes you think they are not making a comparison with a potato?

Yes definitely a Guava, If they want to compare me with a potato, I think they would say something like "man falang".

Edited May 14, 2018 by AlQaholic

[Kieran00001]

Just now, AlQaholic said:

 

Yes definitely a Guava, If they want to compare me with a potato, I think they would say something like "man falang".

 

Are you serious?  Do you really think that or do you think you are being funny?

 

[chippendale]

On 5/1/2018 at 8:57 PM, canuckamuck said:

They can call me whatever they want, I know I am not a guava.

 

[AlQaholic]

2 minutes ago, Kieran00001 said:

 

Are you serious?  Do you really think that or do you think you are being funny?

 

I really think that, And I also think I am being funny at the same time. It's really not that difficult. It's called multitasking.

[Kieran00001]

1 minute ago, AlQaholic said:

I really think that, And I also think I am being funny at the same time. It's really not that difficult. It's called multitasking.

 

If you really think that they are calling you guava rather than Caucasian then I can't help you, you could try asking someone, every single person will tell you the same, its never the fruit and always the race.  Is your skin green and lumpy?

[Justfine]

18 minutes ago, Kieran00001 said:

 

Oh, so when we say black people, thus referring to non-whites, are we being racist in your opinion?  Racism is the belief that some races are superior or inferior to others, giving names to races is not inherently racist, unless they are invented specifically to disparage, which farang was not.

Farangs are considered inferior and there are derogatory words for asians, blacks etc

 

 

 

Edited May 14, 2018 by Justfine