Does it bother you being labelled as a "Farang" when in the company of Thais?

[PatOngo]

1 hour ago, WineOh said:

Why is there a deep distrust among Thais with the farang?

It's not distrust, it's a deep seated inferiority complex, but don't ever expect them to admit it!

[PatOngo]

48 minutes ago, WineOh said:

as I said in my OP, I try my best not to let it bother me but sometimes it gets too much.

I know I am a foreigner, but do I need to be reminded of that fact daily? 

Just tell yourself you are living with simple minds! Don't worry about, it won't change!

[mfd101]

What you see (and hear) depends on perspective ie how close up or far off you stand.

 

My b/f is a Khmer peasant, softened by years in BKK. His huge family here in Surin are Khmer peasants unsoftened - semi-literate or illiterate, mostly ignorant of anything outside the village. My b/f speaks Thai with a rural accent, fluent northern (Thai) Khmer, and understands Lao, as do the rest of the family. Is he 'Thai'? Are they 'Thai'?

 

In The West we have (now) mostly been trained out of overt racism, well, in the more progressive parts of The West at any rate. But when we look at someone with a dark or darker skin who lives amongst us and may be our friend, are we totally oblivious to their skin colour every time we look at them? I think not. External appearances are part of how we judge people - often we have nothing else to go on.

[Boomer6969]

Yes, for the simple reason that I could be African and, while with a group of "friends" being referred to a the "ne..o". 

[WineOh]

4 minutes ago, PatOngo said:

Just tell yourself you are living with simple minds!

Funnily enough I do that daily.

But once i've had a few drinks I forget all that and (sometimes) let my emotions get the better of me.

 

Most of the time (95%) I don't let other people bother me.

it's just times like last night, maybe I heard the word one too many times this month already and it was the straw that broke the camels back.

Edited February 14, 2021 by WineOh

[foreverlomsak]

13 minutes ago, ezzra said:

My name is  Zarley  Achtymichuk but Thai people call me the Farang...

Too true a Thai (and quite a few others me included) could never pronounce that, hope you don't mind but I'll stick to Farang.

 

[ThailandRyan]

21 minutes ago, vogie said:

We have had one but the bottom dropped out of it.

You mean it just sprayed all over the forum...

[canuckamuck]

3 minutes ago, WineOh said:

Funnily enough I do that daily.

But once i've had a few drinks I forget all that and let my emotions get the better of me.

 

Most of the time (95%) I don't let other people bother me.

it's just times like last night, maybe I heard the word one too many times this month already and it was the straw that broke the camels back.

My camel's back breaks from time to time. It's understandable.

[canuckamuck]

8 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

What you see (and hear) depends on perspective ie how close up or far off you stand.

 

My b/f is a Khmer peasant, softened by years in BKK. His huge family here in Surin are Khmer peasants unsoftened - semi-literate or illiterate, mostly ignorant of anything outside the village. My b/f speaks Thai with a rural accent, fluent northern (Thai) Khmer, and understands Lao, as do the rest of the family. Is he 'Thai'? Are they 'Thai'?

 

In The West we have (now) mostly been trained out of overt racism, well, in the more progressive parts of The West at any rate. But when we look at someone with a dark or darker skin who lives amongst us and may be our friend, are we totally oblivious to their skin colour every time we look at them? I think not. External appearances are part of how we judge people - often we have nothing else to go on.

Just so you know, Northern Thai is not Khmer, it's Khmueng. You must mean North Eastern Thai.

[Surelynot]

Not really....you have to put it in the context of a nation that is fairly backward when it comes to issues of race and racism (and many other things).......if I were being referred to in a similar way in a more 'advanced' society then it could be annoying.

 

I ask my Thai relatives what they mean by it....they just say "foreigner" and don't seem to attach any animosity to the the term.

[rcuthbert]

Yesterday, after I had bought some farang fruit from a street vendor. He laughed and said - "Farang gin (eat) farang". It was only a joke. Thus I laughed with him.

As has already been mentioned, Thais' thinking has not been shaped by radical ideologies - which I find to be both refreshing and appealing.

Edited February 14, 2021 by rcuthbert

[WineOh]

3 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

My camel's back breaks from time to time. It's understandable.

we are, after all, only human ???? 

some people expect you to act like a robot living here, devoid of feelings and emotions.

 

 

 

[CharlieH]

"once i've had a few drinks I forget all that and (sometimes) let my emotions get the better of me."

 

That seems to be the answer to many of your "situations" , perhaps you need to look at that as the cause and not the answer.

Just an observation ????

[WineOh]

Just now, CharlieH said:

"once i've had a few drinks I forget all that and (sometimes) let my emotions get the better of me."

 

That seems to be the answer to many of your "situations" , perhaps you need to look at that as the cause and not the answer.

Just an observation ????

I like a drink, Charlie.

I know you don't but many of us do.

As do the Thai people I currently associate with.

Alcohol brings emotions to the surface and reveals peoples true nature.

 

they would never refer to me as a farang when sober, it's always when they are drunk.

[foreverlomsak]

It's more than possible that they cannot pronounce your name and feel uncomfortable because the can't say it correctly so it's Farang is easy. Examples of what I mean are

Lemon is Raymond

Leecha is Richard

 

 

[Surelynot]

Just now, WineOh said:

Alcohol brings emotions to the surface and reveals peoples true nature.

Off topic, but read an interesting article on the effects of alcohol....it claimed that alcohol doesn't make you more aggressive or emotional per se , but it removes a filtering mechanism in the brain that would normally restrain you from making rash statements or decisions.

[KarenBravo]

16 minutes ago, Boomer6969 said:

Yes, for the simple reason that I could be African and, while with a group of "friends" being referred to a the "ne..o". 

 

If you are African, you'll know about it soon enough. Thais call Africans "chocolate men"...........said in English.

[CharlieH]

8 minutes ago, WineOh said:

 

they would never refer to me as a farang when sober, it's always when they are drunk.

Well thats a little gem of info you failed to include in your OP.

 

I dont know your name (and please dont publish it) but perhaps its just easier and requires less thinking about to use "farang" when drunk (for them) and as per your own admission because you were drunk were over sensitive to it.

[WineOh]

1 minute ago, CharlieH said:

Well thats a little gem of info you failed to include in your OP.

 

I dont know your name (and please dont publish it) but perhaps its just easier and requires less thinking about to use "farang" when drunk (for them) and as per your own admission because you were drunk were over sensitive.

This is just in the context of my current social circle.

 

It has no bearing on what happens outside in the general public.

Outside, drunk or sober, I hear the word farang all the time.

[Boomer6969]

5 minutes ago, KarenBravo said:

 

If you are African, you'll know about it soon enough. Thais call Africans "chocolate men"...........said in English.

Maybe we should refer to the Thais as the "Racist Khons"...

 

I am French.

[faraday]

It still, after all these years, makes larf, that potatoes are called "man falang"

[CharlieH]

2 minutes ago, WineOh said:

This is just in the context of my current social circle.

 

It has no bearing on what happens outside in the general public.

Outside, drunk or sober, I hear the word farang all the time.

Well outside its understandable as you are "the foreigner" and they dont know your name. They wouldnt call you "pi" as you are not a "brother" (Thai). I bet you heard "Mr" too ? I know I have.

[Sundown]

Most Thais are nice but it does happen and it does not bother me at all: I know they are hostile because their envy is overflowing to the point that they have to spit it out, and it's very okay to me.

 

Just look at how many advertisements show "westernised" photoshopped Thai faces. The truth is that Thais praise the western world, western products and farangs. Those who cannot afford a western lifestyle might fall into envy. Usually illiterates and not so smart peasants.

 

Edit: by the way "farang" is not always derogatory

 

Edited February 14, 2021 by Sundown

[Ventenio]

in certain countries, this type of "speech", depending on the context, can be looked down upon and have negative implications for those who say such things....  

 

here, whatever......smile and give them your money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

you are here, you agreed to everything.   you no like, u go home home.  

[WineOh]

Just now, CharlieH said:

Well outside its understandable as you are "the foreigner" and they dont know your name. They wouldnt call you "pi" as you are not a "brother" (Thai). I bet you heard "Mr" too ? I know I have.

How about Khun?

I'd settle for that.

 

That happens once in a blue moon though.

[Surelynot]

Just now, WineOh said:

How about Khun?

I'd settle for that.

 

That happens once in a blue moon though.

I've heard something very similar to khun said to me on a Saturday night in Manchester.

[ChakaKhan]

1 hour ago, sanuk711 said:

Lets hope the snowflakes don't get too upset with something

Snowflakes Indeed--Seditious Snow at that......Im Q btw.....and Antifa!

[Pilotman]

Not at all.  It has no racial connotations that I can see, its just a word. 

[1FinickyOne]

1 hour ago, WineOh said:

Why is there a deep distrust among Thais with the farang?

I would not equate the usage of one word to distrust...

 

For me, it depends on the usage... everyone who knows me, friends and family especially, call me "Khun Finicky" actually they use my name... or just call me uncle... as does everyone in the village... 

 

If my wife goes to the market in the village, she might come back and tell me there was a farang there... I am sure she does not know the word "caucasian"... it is not derogatory and I might say the same to her.. 

 

Funny story: my first time in the village, I walked past a lady and she used the term "farang" telling her baby gloo-a [afraid] farang - I spoke to her in Thai and told her, "we are all just people, no need to be afraid, we are all the same.." 

 

She looked at me unable to believe.. then said, "what about your nose?" 

[ChakaKhan]

14 minutes ago, KarenBravo said:

 

If you are African, you'll know about it soon enough. Thais call Africans "chocolate men"...........said in English.