Hello.

 

i read many farang get angry if thai call them farang. 

It is NOT impolite. Is NOT racism.

 

This guy do the good job explain for everyone about that.

 

 

I quite like the term farang, sometimes when I see a Thai eating some guava I tell them not to eat my little brother. It's cute and I'm proud to be a farang.

5 minutes ago, Yinn said:

This guy do the good job explain for everyone about that.

Is there a reason he looks angry?

Not the farang thing again........????

 

All the Mr.Angry's will be along in a mo.....????

I take umbrage to being shouted at ' you you' than being addressed as a farang, kinda complimenting me as being French...

im a distinguished baksida,

baksida jai jao informal

Good if preceded by " Oi " .. 

Even better " Oi Johnie Ferrang '' .. 

Makes me smile when we're out for our morning walk, & the little children on the back of their mothers m/c, get excited when they see me & tell mum "falang" ????

It is and it isn't.

 

It all depends on the situation, context and tone used.

 

Usually it isn't.

 

.

Yinn would you object to being called Asian all the time?

On a technical level it is a kind of collective noun for white westerners. But then so is women and I would object to being addressed as "you, woman". It is simply not polite.

How about "Kaek" ? Do Indians regard that as polite?

i can live with it. no biggie. but hasnt this subject been done to death. There ll be a post asking us if we believe in God next!!

People can choose to be offended, or not, thus reaction to being called 'Farang' will vary according to the disposition of the individual.

 

No problem for me people I really care about call me Papa and darling, anybody else don't expect to know or recall my name, but many do.

 

 

I don't care about the word, but it certainly isn't a polite way to refer to someone and is obviously stemmed by Thailand's lack of cultural diversity and awareness. 

 

I hate using this term 'in the western world', however it would be pretty rude and narrow minded to have a widely used phrase that targets anyone, that for example, wasn't white. 

4 minutes ago, cmsally said:

How about "Kaek" ? Do Indians regard that as polite?

Or “Jek” for Chinese.

 

My foreign educated Thai friends think it is an impolite term and think that “foreigner” or whatever term would fit the persons country of origin is the polite way to refer to someone.

 

Can’t really judge Yinn for her ignorance.

2 minutes ago, BobbyL said:

I don't care about the word, but it certainly isn't a polite way to refer to someone and is obviously stemmed by Thailand's lack of cultural diversity and awareness. 

 

I hate using this term 'in the western world', however it would be pretty rude and narrow minded to have a widely used phrase that targets anyone, that for example, wasn't white. 

"What's in a name, that which we call a rose..." etc

3 minutes ago, BobbyL said:

I don't care about the word, but it certainly isn't a polite way to refer to someone and is obviously stemmed by Thailand's lack of cultural diversity and awareness. 

 

I hate using this term 'in the western world', however it would be pretty rude and narrow minded to have a widely used phrase that targets anyone, that for example, wasn't white. 

I knew it wouldn't be long......????

Just judging the tone of some comments, I can see this thread will soon degenerate into a:

 

"I know more about Thai people than you" scrum.

3 minutes ago, transam said:

I knew it wouldn't be long......????

As I said, I don't like using the phrase, but in reality grouping anyone who is not from your own country into the same common phrase isn't really the politically correct thing do nowadays.

 

However, I couldn't care less when a Thai person refers to me as one. 

My take.

I think farang is a similar to gringo.

Interestingly in Mexico gringo is a slur word. 

In Ecuador, it is not.

I think the way things have developed in Thailand (my POV is from living in the Pattaya area) is that farang is more in the middle. Often used in a derogatory way, and often not.

So sorry dear Yinn I don't like it.

If you know a person's name, use their name.

If you know a person's nationality, refer to their nationality rather than farang.

Now THAT would be more polite!

17 minutes ago, cmsally said:

On a technical level it is a kind of collective noun for white westerners. But then so is women and I would object to being addressed as "you, woman". It is simply not polite.

Especially if it is followed with "Go into the kitchen and make me pie!"..... I'll run away now ????

1 minute ago, faraday said:

Just judging the tone of some comments, I can see this thread will soon degenerate into a:

 

"I know more about Thai people than you" scrum.

When the social habits of the tiger enter the discussion we will know we have hit the bottom....again ????

Farang is a synonym for ATM.

15 minutes ago, nikmar said:

i can live with it. no biggie. but hasnt this subject been done to death. There ll be a post asking us if we believe in God next!!

Or "Was God a Farang?"  !!

I find the word Farang a very convenient form of shorthand, easily understood and widely used here in Thailand. It would be silly to expect Thais to adhere to some rules they have never heard of from a country they have never been to.

2 minutes ago, BobbyL said:

As I said, I don't like using the phrase, but in reality grouping anyone who is not from your own country into the same common phrase isn't really the politically correct thing do nowadays.

 

However, I couldn't care less when a Thai person refers to me as one. 

I am referred to as a Brit, yet I am English, not Scots, Welsh, Indian or anything else, but I do not go around shouting about it...

Farang kee nok! I find that offensive!

Farang is not a name , it is a descriptive term.

I am not called "farang" by any one in Thailand I am called by my name.  . what I am, is described as farang, or have someone else described as "Farang"

So my wife will say " Her husband is a farang" and I know what she is talking about, or if I call someone a "farang" my wife knows what I am talking about.

It is not pejorative it is simply a universally accepted  term  for a  westerner in Thailand.

End of story.

 

17 minutes ago, BobbyL said:

I don't care about the word, but it certainly isn't a polite way to refer to someone and is obviously stemmed by Thailand's lack of cultural diversity and awareness. 

 

I hate using this term 'in the western world', however it would be pretty rude and narrow minded to have a widely used phrase that targets anyone, that for example, wasn't white. 

In the USA, we use terms like Hispanic, Asians, white people, black people, etc., all the time.  So I have no idea what the heck you're talking about.