Farang is NOT impolite word.

[sillyfool]

3 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

As do "Orientals" ! to most "farangs" 

that may of been the case when you were a young chap my friend but times have changed. the world is a much smaller place now. attitudes and people have changed.

 

i hear people back home on a regular basis calling people oriental when they interact with them.....said no one ever

 

 

[Berkshire]

4 hours ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

why it is potentially racist...

 

4 hours ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

certainly lazy and ignorant.

 

4 hours ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

The term farang is dismissive and thoughtless.

....in your opinion.  The Thais don't agree with you....which is to say you think you know more about the Thai language than the Thais.  Your arrogance is only exceeded by your ignorance.  But let's look at it from a practical perspective.  Are you going to change how the Thais practice their language?  Just demonstrating how pointless your exercise is.  Like barking at the moon.

[Nyezhov]

9 hours ago, ericthai said:

Allot of the those villages still dont have internet.  There are newspapers in the small villages all over Thailand so they get news, but typically you are buying a paper that was issued 2-3 days ago. Still had TV back then.

Villages? I bet in BKK some folks never go more than a few blocks from their homes. I cut through the local market (filled with Myanmarites, and I wish someone would tell me what those little leaf packets are that are filled with white stuff and something else that they make on the corners and sell like hotcakes) and people just sit there in front of the ancient Tube TV and watch variety shows. Sometimes a whole bunch of folks. I think when you are running a market stall and working 4am to 7pm ish you dont spend a lot of time cruising the net. Or even leaving your area, except to go to Khlong Toey or Pak Khlong Talat

 

 

[Nyezhov]

4 hours ago, pookondee said:

dont know $hit but trying to tell a Thai what a Thai word means

Brilliant. 

 

Tells ya more about the farangs than the Thai folks. Some truly unhappy folks here.

[CharlieH]

1 minute ago, Nyezhov said:

Brilliant. 

 

Tells ya more about the farangs than the Thai folks. Some truly unhappy folks here.

Happy about being unhappy, nay revel in being sour livered.

[Andrew Dwyer]

Villages? I bet in BKK some folks never go more than a few blocks from their homes. I cut through the local market (filled with Myanmarites, and I wish someone would tell me what those little leaf packets are that are filled with white stuff and something else that they make on the corners and sell like hotcakes)
 
 

These I believe are coconut and sago pudding.



While these are sticky rice and coconut steamed.



Of course there could be variations, especially if made by the Myanmaringos [emoji51]

[Nyezhov]

21 minutes ago, luckyluke said:

 

 

But now being 71, I am mostly called " Pa ",

which, I suppose, is also open to controversy.

Everytime a lady, no matter how old she is, says, Hellloooooo Papa, I smile and say Hellooooo Mama, which invariably results in peals of laughter and occasionally, food.

 

When I was just totally groooving on the bun selection last night at the almost 24 hour bakery around the corner, and just singing and humming Smoke on the Water to myself, the totally ancient crone bun harvesting too poked me and said something, the bakery auntie laughed and said she say you are happy farang, so I turned to the granny and gave her some air guitar riffs, which caused Auntie to really laugh and give me a free donut, for you, you happy farang. Yeah lady Im wandering around some market with rats and stuff in a place where half the folks dont even speak Thai, and I have THREE LONG BLOCKS of various foods to try, damn right Im happy.

 

 

[Nyezhov]

8 minutes ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

These I believe are coconut and sago pudding.



While these are sticky rice and coconut steamed.



Of course there could be variations, especially if made by the Myanmaringos

Naw dude, not those, I know what they are, these are little tiny packets, almost like a snuff thing. Kid makes them on a grill. He takes a leaf, spreads white stuff on it, then a pinch of stuff that looks like chopped insects or crumbled cat ***t, then he folds it up into a tiny little packet and they pop it in their mouths. The leaf is like an oval one. Maybe its like some Myanmarish stimulant or something.

[meechai]

1 hour ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

Yes, exactly.

You could call the older ones Pee Farang and the younger ones Nong Farang !!

Sorted !!

555 yes I messed that up ????

I meant just P or  Nong

Later add name when known

[Andrew Dwyer]

Naw dude, not those, I know what they are, these are little tiny packets, almost like a snuff thing. Kid makes them on a grill. He takes a leaf, spreads white stuff on it, then a pinch of stuff that looks like chopped insects or crumbled cat ***t, then he folds it up into a tiny little packet and they pop it in their mouths. The leaf is like an oval one. Maybe its like some Myanmarish stimulant or something.

Sorry dude, not seen those.

You’ve gotta try one , you never know, could be coca leaves [emoji848]

[Andrew Dwyer]

Anyhoo, back on topic:

I voted to leave.... the Thai people to call us farang and not get offended.

While many voted to remain...... offended every time they hear the word farang .

Sorted !!

That’s two topics sorted in one. !

Next !!

[baansgr]

The video offers no real explanation....maybe Francois and he even says Frog....if it really means white Caucasian why then are black people called Farang dam? Its offensive and on a par with all the offensive words used to describe other nationalities by westerners. Hiding behind its Thai culture is a get out...reminds me a bit of Southern US states until the 60s describing fellow Americans thinking it was OK

[Nyezhov]

1 hour ago, mngmn said:

ou can study Thai to Bachelor degree level overseas. Are you saying that all Thais know more than someone with a degree in Thai just because that are Thai?

Yep. Its a cultural thing. Unless you are studying Thai to the doctorate level with all the emphasis on Buddhism and Thai culture that will be a part of such study. Mere "fluency" in Thai only means you can communicate, not necessarily understand.

 

 

[tifino]

1 hour ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

1 hour ago, CharlieH said:

They call me "Na+name" I believe that's "uncle" as I am senior to them.

I thought that was Lung ?

the 'na' is an added bit, to amplify (or include some) 'respect' 

 

for example on the telly; one often hears the announcer, instead of saying nthe simple '...khrap' will extrapolate it to "na khrap"

 to sort pof pay overall respect to his audience...

- BUT you won't hear a female announcer saying " na Ka"  ... for obvious comedy reaction potential to what it can warped into, in the viewer's mind.   kn***kers to that!!

[tifino]

23 minutes ago, baansgr said:

The video offers no real explanation....maybe Francois and he even says Frog....if it really means white Caucasian why then are black people called Farang dam? Its offensive and on a par with all the offensive words used to describe other nationalities by westerners. Hiding behind its Thai culture is a get out...reminds me a bit of Southern US states until the 60s describing fellow Americans thinking it was OK

thais have backhanders for everyone...  even the ones they respect the most...aways North of them   

call them 'khon chin'  

 

 

seems it is only the farang that are the only genus that will call the thais out about it... 

 - the white knights fight back , but in a subtle way...

 

[Emmess]

52 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

Naw dude, not those, I know what they are, these are little tiny packets, almost like a snuff thing. Kid makes them on a grill. He takes a leaf, spreads white stuff on it, then a pinch of stuff that looks like chopped insects or crumbled cat ***t, then he folds it up into a tiny little packet and they pop it in their mouths. The leaf is like an oval one. Maybe its like some Myanmarish stimulant or something.

Here you go: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paan

[DannyCarlton]

24 minutes ago, tifino said:

the 'na' is an added bit, to amplify (or include some) 'respect' 

 

for example on the telly; one often hears the announcer, instead of saying nthe simple '...khrap' will extrapolate it to "na khrap"

 to sort pof pay overall respect to his audience...

- BUT you won't hear a female announcer saying " na Ka"  ... for obvious comedy reaction potential to what it can warped into, in the viewer's mind.   kn***kers to that!!

 

19 minutes ago, tifino said:

thais have backhanders for everyone...  even the ones they respect the most...aways North of them   

call them 'khon chin'  

 

 

seems it is only the farang that are the only genus that will call the thais out about it... 

 - the white knights fight back , but in a subtle way...

 

555. Do you actually speak Thai? You're just as likely to hear a female TV presenter say "na ka" as you are to hear a male presenter say "na khrap".

 

Thais call Chinese people "chin", it's Thai for Chinese, nothing more. Ever heard of "Thai chin"?

 

It's not a question of farang "white knights" defending Thais. We have heard from 2 Thais explaining the meaning and inference of the word "ferang" on this thread. But the "know more than Thais" ferangs still insist that the Thais, talking about their own language in their own country, are wrong and they are right.

 

How's that for arrogance and ignorance?

 

 

Edited September 23, 2019 by DannyCarlton

[Nyezhov]

6 minutes ago, Emmess said:

Here you go: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paan

Thats it dude! I knew it! 

 

Last year I lived in Talat Phlu which is the old betel market, but I never saw any. Ive seen them chawing on it up in Isaan, but never the actual making.

 

I guess I have to try. Spit red.

 

Naw I guess I wont lol

Edited September 23, 2019 by Nyezhov

[villagefarang]

29 minutes ago, tifino said:

1 hour ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

2 hours ago, CharlieH said:

They call me "Na+name" I believe that's "uncle" as I am senior to them.

I thought that was Lung ?

the 'na' is an added bit, to amplify (or include some) 'respect' 

 

for example on the telly; one often hears the announcer, instead of saying nthe simple '...khrap' will extrapolate it to "na khrap"

 to sort pof pay overall respect to his audience...

- BUT you won't hear a female announcer saying " na Ka"  ... for obvious comedy reaction potential to what it can warped into, in the viewer's mind.   kn***kers to that!!

You are referring to a different "Na", not the uncle "Na" CharlieH was referring to.

[cmsally]

33 minutes ago, tifino said:

the 'na' is an added bit, to amplify (or include some) 'respect' 

 

for example on the telly; one often hears the announcer, instead of saying nthe simple '...khrap' will extrapolate it to "na khrap"

 to sort pof pay overall respect to his audience...

- BUT you won't hear a female announcer saying " na Ka"  ... for obvious comedy reaction potential to what it can warped into, in the viewer's mind.   kn***kers to that!!

น้า, naaH, uncle; younger brother of mother

[tifino]

3 minutes ago, villagefarang said:

You are referring to a different "Na", not the uncle "Na" CharlieH was referring to.

 

... like mixing up Dog and Horse...  in the similar sounds

Edited September 23, 2019 by tifino

[DannyCarlton]

19 minutes ago, Emmess said:

Here you go: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paan

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betel_chewing_in_Thailand

 

More relevant to it's use in Thailand. Sonds like @Nyezhov was lucky to find it in Bangkok, but he is in the right age group for it's consumption. I'll have to try it!

[villagefarang]

Because of our bloody and violent history of attempted world domination, certain words carry a lot of baggage with them.  That is our history, not Thai history.  Most of their conflict has been with immediate neighbors over land and survival.  Black and White, Christian and Muslim, Hitler and Jews, Western and Native People, slavery, colonization...just don't have the same relevance or meaning to Thais who were not involved.  They are blissfully ignorant of our deep phycological hangups and can't be expected to know every little thing which might upset us.

[geronimo]

Most foreigners get upset when they find out they are called "farang", but those who have lived here for a while realise that it is not meant in any derogatory way. It comes from the French being the first Europeans here, and the Thai word for France is 'farangset".

[sillyfool]

4 minutes ago, geronimo said:

Most foreigners get upset when they find out they are called "farang", but those who have lived here for a while realise that it is not meant in any derogatory way. It comes from the French being the first Europeans here, and the Thai word for France is 'farangset".

well this simplified explanation to a very complex issue just about sums it all up then.....

[DannyCarlton]

8 minutes ago, geronimo said:

Most foreigners get upset when they find out they are called "farang", but those who have lived here for a while realise that it is not meant in any derogatory way. It comes from the French being the first Europeans here, and the Thai word for France is 'farangset".

Agree totally with your first sentence but it coming from the French is only one theory and not the one I personally subscribe to.

[geronimo]

1 minute ago, DannyCarlton said:

Agree totally with your first sentence but it coming from the French is only one theory and not the one I personally subscribe to.

Ok I am not aware of any other origin than the Thai word for the French, enlighten me please.

[DannyCarlton]

5 minutes ago, geronimo said:

Ok I am not aware of any other origin than the Thai word for the French, enlighten me please.

There are several conflicting theories as to the origin, we'll never actually know which is true.

 

However, there is evidence that the word has been around much longer than the French. My favourite theory it that it originated from early Persian traders who came to Thailand and referred to themselves as "ferrangi".

[transam]

I will go for this concise explanation, all the Mr.Angry's can keep on muttering with their nose in the glass....????

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farang

[pookondee]

2 hours ago, Jingthing said:

About gringo.

You grossly mischaracterized what I wrote about it before.

I think the use of gringo in Latin America is a very close approximation to the use of farang in Thailand.

In Mexico, gringo is DEFINITELY a derogatory term. No doubt.

In Ecuador and Colombia it is not a derogatory term and so it's like farang if you actually believe that farang is not a derogatory term in Thailand.

My opinion is that in reality, in actual USAGE, farang is in the middle. Sometimes derogatory and sometimes not. So it's not surprising that many people are polarized on this question. Some arguing it's never derogatory and others arguing it's always derogatory by definition.

No, it is not that black and white.

 

(To complicate this further, some of the people that fit the gringo definition in Colombia and Ecuador KNOWING that it is derogatory in Mexico which is a very large country, perceive gringo as derogatory everywhere. It's possible that over time gringo could develop into a derogatory term in Colombia and Ecuador based on negative feelings towards the gringos, but I think it's impossible for gringo in Mexico to develop into a neutral word.)

Fair enough.

I admit to not knowing anything about the word "gringo".

Reading your explanation as to the interpretation of it in different regions gave me the impression that one would be offended if they choose to be offended?

 

In that regard "farang" might be kind of the same.

If Thais know you well enough to know your name, but constantly keep using "farang" 

then i agree it is a bit off-putting, but i am not really offended by it.

Its just common manners.

 

 

When meeting an ex gf's family, to start with i heard a lot of farang- this and that..

 

but as time went on, at some stage i morphed into Pee <my actual name>.

 

And to be honest i never really even noticed the transition at the time.

If there is one helpful thing ive learned from Thais, its not to over-think think things so much.

 

If you are speaking Thai to Thais all the time, chances are at some stage you yourself will have said..

"Farang mai chob.....bla bla bla" 

 

Its just easier, and I cant even remember those other "proper" word for foriegners.

If speaking to a Thai it would just sound strange to say it any other way, like:

"wes-ter-NERS mai chob...." 

 

So for me its just a common use word,

and i think thats what Yinn has been getting at all along.

 

Of course, if other adjectives are added it then becomes offensive, but that is the same for all languages.

 

I should add: i come from a country that uses unmistakably derogatory names for nearly every nationality..

greasy <deleted>....bloody chinks...etc

 

so farang aint so bad!!