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

[kennw]

12 hours ago, Neeranam said:

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

The history of the word Farang goes way back to when the first foreigners that the Thais saw were those coming across the border in the North East and they were mostly French and Thais call France Farangset so from those early days the name given to all non Thais of pale complexion was Farang. Not an offensive word. 

[KanchanaburiGuy]

A note about Rs sounding like Ls............ from someone who's made an observation, but who has absolutely zero qualifications! (Me, of course!)................. 

 

Go ahead and make an R sound. Sound it out. But as you do, think about where your tongue is positioned............

 

When you make  R sound, your tongue will hang floating in the middle of your mouth.

 

Ruh Ruh Ruh Ruh

 

Now go ahead and make an L sound. Think about what your tongue does THEN! 

 

The tip of your tongue goes up to the roof of your mouth, doesn't it? Sure it does!

 

Luh Luh Luh Luh

 

But here's the thing........... 

 

Thai is a language that sometimes "trills" its Rs. "Farrrang!" So go ahead, trill the R a couple of times. 

 

Now.......... we KNOW that making an R sound NORMALLY leaves our tongue hanging in the middle. But what happens when you TRILL the R? 

 

That's right! To TRILL the R, you must put the tip of your tongue right up to the roof of your mouth........... the very same place the L sound comes from! (And very different from where the R sound NORMALLY comes from!) 

 

So......... is this why Thai people pronounce their Rs as Ls? Ah heck, I dunno!

 

But it's as good a guess as any I've heard! 

 

????????????

 

Cheers! 

 

 

 

 

 

[ozimoron]

15 minutes ago, KanchanaburiGuy said:

A note about Rs sounding like Ls............ from someone who's made an observation, but who has absolutely zero qualifications! (Me, of course!)................. 

 

Go ahead and make an R sound. Sound it out. But as you do, think about where your tongue is positioned............

 

When you make  R sound, your tongue will hang floating in the middle of your mouth.

 

Ruh Ruh Ruh Ruh

 

Now go ahead and make an L sound. Think about what your tongue does THEN! 

 

The tip of your tongue goes up to the roof of your mouth, doesn't it? Sure it does!

 

Luh Luh Luh Luh

 

But here's the thing........... 

 

Thai is a language that sometimes "trills" its Rs. "Farrrang!" So go ahead, trill the R a couple of times. 

 

Now.......... we KNOW that making an R sound NORMALLY leaves our tongue hanging in the middle. But what happens when you TRILL the R? 

 

That's right! To TRILL the R, you must put the tip of your tongue right up to the roof of your mouth........... the very same place the L sound comes from! (And very different from where the R sound NORMALLY comes from!) 

 

So......... is this why Thai people pronounce their Rs as Ls? Ah heck, I dunno!

 

But it's as good a guess as any I've heard! 

 

????????????

 

Cheers!

Thais don't use a soft, rolling R at all the way English native speakers do. Conversely, we don't use their glottal stop R at all. Some other sounds as well, such as ng at the beginning of a syllable like ngoo (a snake). Dtaw dtao (a turtle) is another example of a sound we don't have.

Edited April 21, 2022 by ozimoron

[Sparktrader]

13 hours ago, seajae said:

being called a farang doesnt bother me at all but the way it is said by some can be very agressive and demeaning, its all in the way it is used, not the word itself

It means white foreigner

Clearly racist

Offended? No

Not bothered by words

[ozimoron]

https://theculturetrip.com/asia/thailand/articles/is-it-offensive-to-call-westerners-farang/

[Purdey]

6 hours ago, Doctor Tom said:

None of that is true.  Farang simply means foreigner.  A Back Brit, or Black US citizen would also be called a farang. 

Sorry but that is not correct. Black people are never called farang. Read this

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farang#:~:text='bird-droppings Farang'),are often called farang varieties.

[ozimoron]

Like very many words in Thai, they can't be interpreted in the singular, stand alone sense. Thais add words to give context and meaning in everything from plurals onwards. It is only by listening to the words that accompany any given words that context can be inferred. In other words, a negative connotation can't be reasonably inferred from the word farang when used alone.

[Neeranam]

7 minutes ago, Purdey said:

Sorry but that is not correct. Black people are never called farang. Read this

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farang#:~:text='bird-droppings Farang'),are often called farang varieties.

Not sure the credibility of that site. Farang kee nok

 

Quote

Farang khi nok (Thai: ฝรั่งขี้นก, lit. 'bird-droppings Farang'), also used in Lao, is slang commonly used as an insult to a person of white race, equivalent to white trash, as khi means feces and nok means bird, referring to the white color of bird-droppings.^[9]

'Farang kee nok' is a shortened form of 'dton farang kee nok' which is a type of guava. It is spread by birds eating the seed and dispersing them in other areas. Not many people realize but this guava has red flesh, not the normal white and Thais call other Thais that behave in a Western way this. It is also used for scruffy travellers, like the ones on Khao san road. It doesn't mean poor foreigner -  that is farang kee NGOK, ngok means stingy or cheap. 

[ozimoron]

1 minute ago, Neeranam said:

Not sure the credibility of that site. Farang kee nok

 

'Farang kee nok' is a shortened form of 'dton farang kee nok' which is a type of guava. It is spread by birds eating the seed and dispersing them in other areas. Not many people realize but this guava has red flesh, not the normal white and Thais call other Thais that behave in a Western way this. It is also used for scruffy travellers, like the ones on Khao san road. It doesn't mean poor foreigner -  that is farang kee NGOK, ngok means stingy or cheap. 

There is a very common guava in Thailand with white flesh. What is the name for that?

[Neeranam]

2 minutes ago, ozimoron said:

There is a very common guava in Thailand with white flesh. What is the name for that?

There are many types actually

Edited April 21, 2022 by Neeranam

[KanchanaburiGuy]

33 minutes ago, ozimoron said:

There's no transliteration which makes raw reua an l.

And yet those phonemes keep falling out of people's mouths! 

 

Cheers! 

 

 

[ozimoron]

3 minutes ago, KanchanaburiGuy said:

And yet those phonemes keep falling out of people's mouths! 

 

Cheers!

That's nothing other than laziness, colloquial use of the language and generally indicative a lower level of education. It is not official in any way and is most prevalent in Isaan which is why farangs hear it so much.

Edited April 21, 2022 by ozimoron

[Neeranam]

Just now, ozimoron said:

It is not official in any way and is most prevalent in Isaan which is why farangs hear it so much.

There are a lot more farang outside Isarn. 'farang'  has no 's' btw ???? 

[ozimoron]

1 minute ago, Neeranam said:

There are a lot more farang outside Isarn. 'farang'  has no 's' btw ???? 

I spelled it in English. I did mention that Thais add words to indicate plural ????

 

The Thais who farang(s) hear mostly come from Isaan.

Edited April 21, 2022 by ozimoron

[ooyha]

falang's never bothered me not so keen on ling,monkey, but you do not hear it much  

[ozimoron]

Most recently I got called Mr. Lor which impressed me as it was in discussion between two girls working in Amazon coffee and not directed at me ????

[KanchanaburiGuy]

20 minutes ago, Purdey said:

Sorry but that is not correct. Black people are never called farang. Read this

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farang#:~:text='bird-droppings Farang'),are often called farang varieties.

My wife has occasionally referred to black Americans as "black farangs." (Well, she says "falangs.") 

 

Then again, she calls Americans in America "farang"............. and fails to see the humor when I point out that while in America, SHE is the "farang" ("foreigner"), NOT the Americans! 

 

But you know what? 

 

She is so dead-set against me labeling her as a "farang," even in jest......... she is almost physically repulsed by the idea(!)............ that I MUST conclude there is a deep seated, inherent, negative connotation that goes with that name---that moniker---that lurks deep beneath the surface!

 

I mean, why else would she seem so truly OFFENDED by my calling her such............ even in jest......... unless she knew in her heart of hearts that it is, in fact, at its core, nothing but a derogatory term? 

[ozimoron]

1 minute ago, KanchanaburiGuy said:

I mean, why else would she seem so truly OFFENDED by my calling her such............ even in jest......... unless she knew in her heart of hearts that it is, in fact, at its core, nothing but a derogatory term? 

Pardon the clip but I think she objects because she knows it can also be used in a derogatory fashion, rather than "nothing but". You are (imo) falsely implying that the word farang is always derogatory which is simply not the case.

[grubman]

I dont' have any problem with the word when it is used in the context of a sentence to discribes an event or some thing that happened with a forieginer. 

 

What i do dislike is when it is used directected at you when Thais are talking in thai in front of you, for example, early this year i treated myself to a 5 star hotel in Chiang Mai when i was on a motorbike trip, aupon check in i stopped my bike at the front of the hotel to unload my luggage after parking my bike i when to the front desk to check inn  and as the staff were finishing my check inn and after my credit card had been processed the concierge staff member who helped me with my luggage arrive and hand the front desk staff member the ticket for my luggage and in font of me spoke in thai and said that the ticket was for the Pom poi Farang in front of you. normally i dont take to much offence to the work but in this sitituation i was affended, in a 5 star hotel i did not expect that to be said in front of me. 

 

so for me there is a time and place for the word Farang  

[ozimoron]

8 minutes ago, grubman said:

I dont' have any problem with the word when it is used in the context of a sentence to discribes an event or some thing that happened with a forieginer. 

 

What i do dislike is when it is used directected at you when Thais are talking in thai in front of you, for example, early this year i treated myself to a 5 star hotel in Chiang Mai when i was on a motorbike trip, aupon check in i stopped my bike at the front of the hotel to unload my luggage after parking my bike i when to the front desk to check inn  and as the staff were finishing my check inn and after my credit card had been processed the concierge staff member who helped me with my luggage arrive and hand the front desk staff member the ticket for my luggage and in font of me spoke in thai and said that the ticket was for the Pom poi Farang in front of you. normally i dont take to much offence to the work but in this sitituation i was affended, in a 5 star hotel i did not expect that to be said in front of me. 

 

so for me there is a time and place for the word Farang  

I rather think it was the pom poi which you should feel insulted by, not the word farang lol

[grubman]

43 minutes ago, ozimoron said:

I rather think it was the pom poi which you should feel insulted by, not the word farang lol

I do carry a few extra pounds and i know that but it was the context in which the staff member said farang it in front of me to his colleague was what offened my

 

I dont care if people call me pom poi, because i do have a few extra pounds and i am what i am and i am comfortable in who i am so it is not just that comment, 

 

I assure you that the staff member was under the impression that i do not understand thai language and saying what he said in front of my was fine for him because he thought that i waould not know what was being said. 

[pacovl46]

This has been answered at least fifty times on here already!!! Why does it keep popping up? If you want the answer to it just Google it! 

[GinBoy2]

Apart from the occasional post on here, I've never found anyone offended by the word.

 

My wife will call me a farang, I'll call myself a farang with Thai's. My son will call himself a luk keung, both me and his Mom call him a luk keung, I don't think either of us are offended.

 

So what exactly is the problem or is this just clickbate?

[NanaSomchai]

1 hour ago, KanchanaburiGuy said:

 

She is so dead-set against me labeling her as a "farang," even in jest......... she is almost physically repulsed by the idea(!)............ that I MUST conclude there is a deep seated, inherent, negative connotation that goes with that name---that moniker---that lurks deep beneath the surface!

 

I mean, why else would she seem so truly OFFENDED by my calling her such............ even in jest......... unless she knew in her heart of hearts that it is, in fact, at its core, nothing but a derogatory term? 

This, 2000%.

[whaleboneman]

13 hours 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.

People generally get the respect they earn and rarely the respect they demand.

[RobU]

6 hours ago, Neeranam said:

If someone called me a white buffalo there would be consequences. Why do you call yourself this?

Because frankly I don't care, I'm not into posturing and, like any other insult, it depends how it is said and in what context. When  was an an apprentice my tradesman teacher used to yell where are you you little B*******d. He was generous with a share of his bonus and always helpful to me a good example.

[richard_smith237]

1 hour ago, KanchanaburiGuy said:

My wife has occasionally referred to black Americans as "black farangs." (Well, she says "falangs.") 

 

Then again, she calls Americans in America "farang"............. and fails to see the humor when I point out that while in America, SHE is the "farang" ("foreigner"), NOT the Americans! 

 

But you know what? 

 

She is so dead-set against me labeling her as a "farang," even in jest......... she is almost physically repulsed by the idea(!)............ that I MUST conclude there is a deep seated, inherent, negative connotation that goes with that name---that moniker---that lurks deep beneath the surface!

 

I mean, why else would she seem so truly OFFENDED by my calling her such............ even in jest......... unless she knew in her heart of hearts that it is, in fact, at its core, nothing but a derogatory term? 

She is not a farang though.. because the word does not refer purely to foreigners... 

 

As mentioned numerous times throughout this thread, farang is used to identify Caucasian foreigners. 

 

So...  Thai’s do not call Indians, Malaysians, Japanese farangs... but will call Caucasian British, Germans, French, Australians, North Americans, farangs. 

 

So... perhaps your wife is not offended - just irritated that you don't get it. 

[d4dang]

Farung kee nok.......western sailors with the pox....white skin like a guava with splotches/bird droppings....who knows what else these sailors introduced to Siam?

[cheapcanuck]

Faring, what's that?

[Sparktrader]

3 hours ago, Purdey said:

Sorry but that is not correct. Black people are never called farang. Read this

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farang#:~:text='bird-droppings Farang'),are often called farang varieties.

See Dum means black in Thai. They get call Dum or Dum Mahk by Thais.