Why are westerners so offended over the word farang? Get over it.

[JonnyF]

1 hour ago, LivingNThailand said:

From what I understand, and I may be wrong, Farang means all Foreigners regardless of race, creed, color, religion, etc.   So why be offended?  It's a word for everyone.  I'd rather be called a Farang than a Foreigner or Alien.  But, as others have  mentioned above, it's the way it is said, the tone.  

Actually you are wrong. Farang means Caucasian but it's more of an informal word - it is inoffensive slang/a nickname like Whitey/Whiteboy/Honky or whatever.

 

Thais do not call Chinese people or Indian people Farang because they are not Caucasian.

 

I don't find it particularly offensive but I am not particularly easily offended. I do find it strange when white people are fine with the word but at the same time would frown if someone used a term like Slope or Wop. It's a double standard, especially when we are expected to creep around our language with other races, for example "People of colour" is fine but "Coloured people" is not. So I have to be OK with the word Farang but I can't say coloured people? Not exactly consistent is it? 

 

Personally, I jokingly use nicknames for other races, for example I tease my girlfiend about her "cute chinky eyes" so I am in no position to object to the word Farang (if used in a nice way or jokingly). 

 

 

[chuang]

Maybe Paleface is ok...

[RichardColeman]

OK , Would his lordship the PM be happy being addressed say by the UN as a foreigner before being introduced at a summit? Think we all know the answer to that one.

[mancub]

1 hour ago, Neeranam said:

Faranset.

 

Farang comes from the Persian word for the German group of early traveller called Franks.

The same ones ever to "reserve" the sunbeds ? ???? 

[richard_smith237]

I don’t find the word offensive... but there are times the use of the word farang highlights the class of the others using the word, sometimes its harmless, sometimes its socially clumsy, sometimes its outright offensive. 

 

IF discussing westerners in Thailand in general - the term is common place. However, I simply use ‘Westerners’ (which at some point in the future is bound to become offensive to someone!).

 

IF in a family or friends setting I never expect to hear the term ‘farang’ in reference to me when everyone knows my name. (i.e. does the farang want rice?’) equally offensive would be my family referring to my wife as ’The Asian’ - that just doesn’t happen. I am never referred to as ‘farang’ in with friends and family. 

 

When in a larger group many of whom I may not be on personal terms they I may hear the term, but it's as a descriptor rather than a slur. 

 

In my younger years I was at a friends house and his mum asked.. “Does Rick eat Thai food or does he want farang food”.....  more than the question I was more intregued as to what ‘farang’ food was going to be !!...  I guess its the same as my folks thinking all asian food is the same.. rice and anything else !!!

 

What I don’t like is when I hear it in certain contexts which are highlight a particular lack of respect... i.e. motorcycle taxis... “Hey you, farang, where you go” (I just completely ignore their existence in such cases).

 

 

[connda]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Or is there negative connotation? It certainly doesn’t in its etymology, at least not the way more racially charged words (invented and used mostly by farangs) does like the N word. Farang, according to linguists, is just a Thai transliteration of Franks. And while Franks has become disused in modern lexicon, one can see the word farang traced back to the first Western Europeans to visit Thailand.

The N-Word is just a transliteration of the word Nigeria (nai-jer-ria) or Niger (nai-jer).  So using your logic, what is the problem with the N-word?  Now you know why some bristle over the use of 'farang.'  Depending on the context, it can be a label as well as an ethnic slur.  It presupposes that a nationalist Thai considers themselves a higher form of human than a lowly 'farang.'

Try using a word like 'slant-eye', 'gink', or 'gook' to refer to a Thai or Asian in the US and see where that gets you?  And yet that same Thai will likely have no problem with using the  term 'farang' when referring to you while even in the US.

Personally I think all forms of slang ethnic classifications (racial slurs) are morally wrong and should be avoided.  It displays the speaker's ethnic superiority and moral deficiency.

[Liverpool Lou]

2 hours ago, toofarnorth said:

It makes the locals smile when I meet up for a coffee with a mate and when he walks in I say " Sawasdee khap ferlung ".

"Ferlung"?

What I can't understand is why some foreigners insist on using gratuitously strange spellings for the word "farang".  Who on earth ever pronounces the word as "fer-lung".

[BritManToo]

3 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

"Ferlung"?

What I can't understand is why some foreigners insist on using gratuitously strange spellings for the word "farang".  Who on earth ever pronounces the word as "fer-lung".

It's part of showing they're more Thai than you ........ even though it's the only Thai word they know.

 

[Liverpool Lou]

1 hour ago, Lucky Bones said:

Be very careful who you choose to (jokingly) abuse over here.

They will have access to a gun.

You think that every Thai has immediate access to a gun that they'll use?   You're hanging round with the wrong type of person.

[BritManToo]

8 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

When in a larger group many of whom I may not be on personal terms they I may hear the term, but it's as a descriptor rather than a slur. 

Why do you think they need to refer to you by your skin colour?

[Bluespunk]

7 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

"Ferlung"?

What I can't understand is why some foreigners insist on using gratuitously strange spellings for the word "farang".  Who on earth ever pronounces the word as "fer-lung".

His friend probably speaks very poor Thai and has problems with even the most simple words.
 

Irony alert… 

[Liverpool Lou]

3 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

7 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

"Ferlung"?

What I can't understand is why some foreigners insist on using gratuitously strange spellings for the word "farang".  Who on earth ever pronounces the word as "fer-lung".

It's part of showing they're more Thai than you ........ even though it's the only Thai word they know.

It's part of showing [they think that] they're more Thai than you ........ even though it's the only Thai word [they think] that they know!

[Neeranam]

29 minutes ago, mancub said:

The same ones ever to "reserve" the sunbeds ? ???? 

Lol, I was thinking of that when I posted

[starky]

Like can't its a word that depends more on how said, by whom and the situation.  There are good cant's, bad cant's and shizz cant's.

  Sometimes being called a can't is a good thing and sometimes it is so obviously not. Much like falang.

[Neeranam]

21 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

"Ferlung"?

What I can't understand is why some foreigners insist on using gratuitously strange spellings for the word "farang".  Who on earth ever pronounces the word as "fer-lung".

Mostly they hang out with bar girls, who are mostly from Isaan, and say falang

[starky]

16 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Why do you think they need to refer to you by your skin colour?

Exactly. I know Thailand is a bit backward, but falang i would put in the same box as chocalate man. Probably innocuous but run round calling every fellow you see with darker skin chocalate man im guessing ya gonna <deleted> at least a few off. 

[Neeranam]

25 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

I don’t find the word offensive... but there are times the use of the word farang highlights the class of the others using the word, sometimes its harmless, sometimes its socially clumsy, sometimes its outright offensive. 

 

IF discussing westerners in Thailand in general - the term is common place. However, I simply use ‘Westerners’ (which at some point in the future is bound to become offensive to someone!).

 

IF in a family or friends setting I never expect to hear the term ‘farang’ in reference to me when everyone knows my name. (i.e. does the farang want rice?’) equally offensive would be my family referring to my wife as ’The Asian’ - that just doesn’t happen. I am never referred to as ‘farang’ in with friends and family. 

 

When in a larger group many of whom I may not be on personal terms they I may hear the term, but it's as a descriptor rather than a slur. 

 

In my younger years I was at a friends house and his mum asked.. “Does Rick eat Thai food or does he want farang food”.....  more than the question I was more intregued as to what ‘farang’ food was going to be !!...  I guess its the same as my folks thinking all asian food is the same.. rice and anything else !!!

 

What I don’t like is when I hear it in certain contexts which are highlight a particular lack of respect... i.e. motorcycle taxis... “Hey you, farang, where you go” (I just completely ignore their existence in such cases).

 

 

What I often hear is passaa(language) farang. 

Farang can mean foreign when used as an adjective. 

Mun farang

Mak farang

Etc. 

[shackleton]

As already mentioned depends on who and how it's said 

I heard children saying to their parents pointing at me a farang

Can't get to  worked up about that  ????

[ezzra]

I'm now offended by the OP suggesting i'm offended by being called farang.....

[Liverpool Lou]

13 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Mostly they hang out with bar girls, who are mostly from Isaan, and say falang

I've never heard a bar girl use the word "fer-lung", "falang", yes, but never "ferlung".  In fact, I've never heard anyone use "ferlung" in normal speech, it seems to be a gratuitous, written, Thaivisa-poster oddity.

[Skallywag]

Not offended thank you.  No over it either.  555

[Berkshire]

Farang = Caucasian

 

That's it and that's all.  It's a Thai word.  The Thais don't consider it offensive.  Foreigners don't get to decide which Thai word is offensive.  It would be like a Chinese guy going to the USA and saying "I don't like the word Asian.  It's offensive.  Stop using it!"

 

So to the farang snowflakes out there who are desperately looking for trivial things to get upset about, get over it!

[zzaa09]

Perhaps the generalized benign terminology of Farang requires some tweaking and modifying to fit the truer character of these foreigner types.

ปีศาจยุโรป or คนโง่ที่ยังไม่พัฒนา or ขยะไร้ค่า might suffice as appropriate substitutes. 

 

????????

 

[userabcd]

Haha, some a bunch of snow flakes getting upset over a word.

[ivor bigun]

ime not offended ,couldnt care less

[2 is 1]

1 hour ago, JimTripper said:

I'm a man.

 

When you speak to me you speak to me as a man using my name. If you don't know my name you ask. If you don't want to ask my name then you address me as Mr. or Sir.

Many Thai has problems to pronounce western names, so you want all call you bye name what sound really stupid or funny?And how thai who dont speak english at all going to ask your name?!  I recommend you should move to Phil if you want all call you Sir.

[transam]

I wondered when this question was due for an update discussion.....????

[Rampant Rabbit]

Nah the REAL question is    the offence taken over just words!!  Thats the biggest  offence  going.......oooooh  it so offends me.well tuff tittys

[LivingNThailand]

1 hour ago, JonnyF said:

Actually you are wrong. Farang means Caucasian but it's more of an informal word - it is inoffensive slang/a nickname like Whitey/Whiteboy/Honky or whatever.

 

Interesting.  I googled it.  Learn something new every day!

 

Farang (Persian: فرنگ) is a Persian (and Southeast Asian) word that originally referred to the Franks (the major Germanic tribe) and later came to refer to White Europeans in general. The word "Farang" is a cognate and originates from Old French: "franc".

 

  My Thai friends told me that it meant foreigner.  Where I come from a white person is called a Haole.  And the other races have different names.  It's not offensive at all.  It is used as a description word, like "That Haole guy that runs the gas station"  It's only offensive when it's used as "you F----g Haole"   ????  So I don't mind being called a Farang, it's just a description word.

[Gecko123]

3 hours ago, Neeranam said:

It doesn't actually, it means 'whitey'. 

I can't believe you of all people (whoo-hoo I have Thai citizenship) are helping to perpetuate a myth which has probably done more to unfairly foment resentment and damage inter-cultural harmony between Thais and foreigners than any other.

 

Irrespective of the etymological origin of the word, the word 'farang' is commonly used colloquially for 'foreigner' in general, regardless of skin color.