When did farang start to mean a white person

[kingstonkid]

Just wondering when farang became a white western person.

 

My interpretation from everyone Thai and non Thai was that it was a foreigner meaning that it was multi cultural and multi colored.

 

Recently in a chat on here I used the term and got called a racist because I used the term and they felt I was only saying that white people smoked pot and got drunk.

 

Looking up online the definition for farang is foreigner which to me includes all races and people from all non Thai countries.

 

Is ASEAN news now gone Woke.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[hotandsticky]

No.

 

Clearly you are not familiar with often used terms of "Chocolate man", "Nippon", Khairks etc

 

Why are foreigners called farang in Thailand?

 

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".

[Crossy]

Yeah ^^^, that's pretty much my understanding too.

[Phnom Penh Trader]

Farang comes from the nearest Thai pronunciation of the word ‘Frankish’ meaning a person from France,probably due to all of Thailand’s neighbours (Vietnam,Cambodia and Laos) being under their rule as French Indochine/Indochina?

The original word pronunciation was Farangse but shortened over time to the now infamous Farang!

[Myran]

Since forever. It has never meant "general foreigner".

[Tom H]

It started with Paul Phaulkon.

Phaulcons name has been developed to the word Phalang (Farang).

 

He spoke French too:).

Edited November 29, 2022 by Tom H

[scorecard]

9 minutes ago, Phnom Penh Trader said:

Farang comes from the nearest Thai pronunciation of the word ‘Frankish’ meaning a person from France,probably due to all of Thailand’s neighbours (Vietnam,Cambodia and Laos) being under their rule as French Indochine/Indochina?

The original word pronunciation was Farangse but shortened over time to the now infamous Farang!

'imfamous' is part  the meaning for some.

 

But not all, I'm well aware that many Thai folks use the term with zero negative conitation.

[fusion58]

Many Thais with whom I've broached the subject insist that "farang" translates to "foreigner," but when I ask "are Japanese or Korean people also farangs?" then the reply is always an emphatic "no." Something doesn't jibe here!

[Phnom Penh Trader]

It is also made worse by adding the prefix ‘Ai’ as in ‘Ai Farang’ a very derogatory term for a generally white European or Western man.

[KannikaP]

And I am happy to be the only Farang in my village!

[Lacessit]

I don't worry about being called a farang, it's probably less derogatory than being called gweiloh ( Chinese ) or gaijin ( Japanese )

[Slip]

Sorry to say OP, your interpretation was/ is wrong, unless it is based on before I got here a couple of decades ago.

[IvorBiggun2]

Black people are called 'Negro'. Why don't they get called 'farang' same as us 'whites'?

3 hours ago, kingstonkid said:

which to me includes all races and people from all non Thai countries.

Only problem is that black people are seen by Thais as being ugly.

 

[Phnom Penh Trader]

11 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

I don't worry about being called a farang, it's probably less derogatory than being called gweiloh ( Chinese ) or gaijin ( Japanese )

Bule in Indonesia,Ang Mo in Singapore,Barang in Cambodia,Goro in Bangladesh etc.

[KayDeeDee]

Very Good Question  

[FarAngMoh]

28 minutes ago, Phnom Penh Trader said:

It is also made worse by adding the prefix ‘Ai’ as in ‘Ai Farang’ a very derogatory term for a generally white European or Western man.

Just like ‘chao ang moh’ is more derogatory version of ‘ang moh’ in Singapore. Literally “smelly red haired one” — but it always depends how it is said too.

[stoner]

could you imagine back in canada walking around on a daily basis and when seeing or interacting with asians you constantly said

 

asian

asian 

asian

asian

asian

asian

asian

 

yes we know they are asian but we don't constantly need to say it or remind them about it. it would be really strange.

 

but then here all the time.......

 

farang

farang

farang

 

very simple minded if you ask me.

[Phnom Penh Trader]

7 minutes ago, IvorBiggun2 said:

Black people are called 'Negro'. Why don't they get called 'farang' same as us 'whites'?

Only problem is that black people are seen by Thais as being ugly.

 

I shouldn’t laugh but it really does sum up South-East Asia and it’s many varying prejudices,a picture truly does say a thousand words! ????

[FarAngMoh]

4 minutes ago, Phnom Penh Trader said:

Bule in Indonesia,Ang Mo in Singapore,Barang in Cambodia,Goro in Bangladesh etc.

Don’t forget Mat Salleh in Malaysia and Kano in the Philippines. Both have historical connotations.

[FarAngMoh]

3 minutes ago, stoner said:

could you imagine back in canada walking around on a daily basis and when seeing or interacting with asians you constantly said

 

asian

asian 

asian

asian

asian

asian

asian

 

yes we know they are asian but we don't constantly need to say it or remind them about it. it would be really strange.

 

but then here all the time.......

 

farang

farang

farang

 

very simple minded if you ask me.

If a Thai moved to a Western country, I’m sure they hear themselves being referred to as Asian (or worse) all of the time.

[Phnom Penh Trader]

2 minutes ago, FarAngMoh said:

Don’t forget Mat Salleh in Malaysia and Kano in the Philippines. Both have historical connotations.

On a bit of a tangent but it always surprises me how few Westerners realise that the famous ‘Massaman (or Matsaman) Curry’ in Thailand simply translates as ‘Muslim Curry’?

[FarAngMoh]

3 minutes ago, Phnom Penh Trader said:

I shouldn’t laugh but it really does sum up South-East Asia and it’s many varying prejudices,a picture truly does say a thousand words! ????

The difference is, in Asia there is no PC culture… no shame to call it like they see it.
 

You can’t take the prejudice out of the world, so it’s better to work on not being offended. But to do that we’ll have to move past this woke nonsense. 

[Phnom Penh Trader]

2 minutes ago, FarAngMoh said:

If a Thai moved to a Western country, I’m sure they hear themselves being referred to as Asian (or worse) all of the time.

I have seen instances of Farang husbands trying to point out to their Thai Mia Farangs (Foreigner’s Wives) that they are actually the Farangs now in their husband’s home country!

it didn’t end well on most of these occasions! ????

[Slip]

5 minutes ago, FarAngMoh said:

The difference is, in Asia there is no PC culture… no shame to call it like they see it.
 

You can’t take the prejudice out of the world, so it’s better to work on not being offended. But to do that we’ll have to move past this woke nonsense. 

Heya newbie! When people object to other people mistreating them or a 3rd set of people because of the colour of their skin, that isn't "woke nonsense", that is decent behaviour.   If you welcome racism, perhaps you are lucky enough not to have suffered from it.

[stoner]

31 minutes ago, FarAngMoh said:

If a Thai moved to a Western country, I’m sure they hear themselves being referred to as Asian (or worse) all of the time.

my wife moved to canada with me for over 10 years. i think maybe 2 or 3 times she spoke to me about this happening. 

 

 

[Phnom Penh Trader]

2 minutes ago, stoner said:

my wife moved to canada with me for over 10 years. i think maybe 2 or 3 times she spoke to me about this happening. 

 

 

The Inuit are descended from Asia back when land bridges existed linking the continents aren't they?

[connda]

4 hours ago, Crossy said:

Yeah ^^^, that's pretty much my understanding too.

Ditto.

[connda]

When I'm in a group of Thais and hear the word, "Farang", I know exactly who they are talking about, and at the point I tend to focus in on the conversation.  It's fun catching them saying something derogatory (it doesn't happy often but it does happen) and then saying something that lets them know I heard and understood them, usually with me grinning and making direct eye-contact.  Major loss of face.  But most of the time it's a simply descriptor that identifies one person out of a crowd, or a specific somebody who lives in a Tambon that is rather free of Westerners.

Other than that though, I don't care.  I live in an area where I'm one out of another two 'farangs' in our Tambon, and I don't know either of them personally.  Just the way I like it.

Edited November 29, 2022 by connda

[kickstart]

4 hours ago, hotandsticky said:

No.

 

Clearly you are not familiar with often used terms of "Chocolate man", "Nippon", Khairks etc

 

Why are foreigners called farang in Thailand?

 

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".

As the French were the first foreigners here in Thailand and presented to the king ,which was King Narai the Great 1632-1656, probably  goes back to then ,or soon afterwards.

Pre Covid their was  the Lopburi ,Pan-Narai festival, where this meeting between the King of Thailand Pra-Narai, and a French Noble man is acted out ,complete with a couple of elephants and Thai dancers.  

[stoner]

24 minutes ago, Phnom Penh Trader said:

The Inuit are descended from Asia back when land bridges existed linking the continents aren't they?

so is my wife canadian inuit or asian ? im so confused now ????