Thais Using "farang" Instead Of Our Name In Conversation

[traveller5000]

Went to the hairdresser today to get the usual short back and sides, and there were a few other Thais waiting around reading mags.

She starts talking in Thai to me but calls me "farang" instead of my name, to address and refer to me. Her tone is loud, rough and abrupt but that is typical of her speaking style.

Anyhow I though it was rude. I would never say something like "hey asian guy, pass me the salt please". What should I make of this? Is it somehow acceptable to substitute "farang" instead of the real name in Thai culture ? or is it a sign of rudeness and if so any ideas on how to respond to this type of rudeness ?

[lannarebirth]

Shrug it off. Thai is not a language noted for it's richness of verbiage.

[pickel]

Put a smile on your face and refer to her as "Kon Thai". She'll get the point and prolly have a chuckle as well.

[kiakaha]

Went to the hairdresser today to get the usual short back and sides, and there were a few other Thais waiting around reading mags.

She starts talking in Thai to me but calls me "farang" instead of my name, to address and refer to me. Her tone is loud, rough and abrupt but that is typical of her speaking style.

Anyhow I though it was rude. I would never say something like "hey asian guy, pass me the salt please". What should I make of this? Is it somehow acceptable to substitute "farang" instead of the real name in Thai culture ? or is it a sign of rudeness and if so any ideas on how to respond to this type of rudeness ?

Your hairdresser knows your name ? Its not one of those special chinese salons is it

[funfun]

Ask what falang means and wait for the Arinakar?????

[ozzydom]

Could be worse ,many around our village still refer to westerners as " Big Nose"

[JSixpack]

Put a smile on your face and refer to her as "Kon Thai". She'll get the point and prolly have a chuckle as well.

Make it "Khon Lao".

[Dakhar]

Could be worse ,many around our village still refer to westerners as " Big Nose"

I Tiawan they would call me Big Nose (which is their way of saying falang) I just called the shovel face. They didn't seem to get the point, and the I consider the Tiawanese to fairly bright people.

[game4shame]

it happened to me in samui recently. friend of a friend. she knew my name too.

I just let it go (not worth making a scene) but I did take a mental note of it. cow.

it's inappropriate and patronising IMO.

[garro]

If my wife, her family or a close friend called me a farang then I would see it as disrespectful. If somebody is only an acquaintance or a stranger then I don't mind. I do find it odd when other westerners refer to me as a farang, but I don't lose any sleep over it.

[traveller5000]

I've just spoken to a Thai about this and she reluctantly admitted this is rude for a Thai to do this.

This has been about the fifth (and maybe last) time I went there for a haircut and she never addressed me before as "hey farang". Now i'm trying to work out the sudden change.

There are two things I can think of, first when I was waiting my turn looking in a mag, she says "are you going to do some travelling during songran?" I got a motorbike and said "no, I don't like long distances, its dangerous. some Thais are bad drivers" Perhaps she didn't like the way I blamed Thais (they seem to be quite sensitive in this regard). The other reason is she has been trying to set me up with her daughter, I knew what she looked like and politely declined citing the language barrier. This may have brought about "loss of face", I don't know. Seems quite petty if one of these are the cause of her rudeness.

Yeh probably would have been best to shrug it off or smile and call her "hey hairdresser" or "hey you Thai!". I would like to try doing that next opportunity, but the aggressive tone of her voice made me not want to converse with her at all.

[percy2]

In "Her Indoors" Thai view , its rude and disrespectful.

I agree.

Cheers

[Pushit]

Better change your hairdresser, you are getting no respect from this one.

Start with the wise cracks and this I can see is going to end well.

[sbk]

I agree with Pushit, change to another hairdresser, and make sure this one sees you going to another hairdresser

[Shah Jahan]

when you speak to them - refer to yourself as farang....

ie...'farang gep-tang kop'

it is enough to sufficiently embarrass them and by doing so actually raises yourself up because you insulted their insult by insulting yourself with it first, thus nullifying its powers.

[guyshown]

I can relate to this story so much... Most of the time i write it off as not educated or lacking manners. But my son which is now three and is a non stop talking machine and very inocent. Shocked an older lady at BIG C one day. walking down the eisle of Big C an older lady said to her group look at the little Farang boy(we were walking hand in hand and he is half thai but looks rather western) my Son spoke up and replied "You Nye" she was a little shocked and speachless my Son then replied" U Sye" she still could not respond it was rather funny Yai deck farang u nie ? I have discovered that this is a little game with him.. he encounters this so much that it is fun for him now.. he is just 3 i can't imagine his games when he is older...

[Pushit]

when you speak to them - refer to yourself as farang....

ie...'farang gep-tang kop'

it is enough to sufficiently embarrass them and by doing so actually raises yourself up because you insulted their insult by insulting yourself with it first, thus nullifying its powers.

Agree, and make sure you do this while they are trimming the hair around your ears and neck with a Straight Razor, another "happy ending"

[stress]

BIG tone "yes"

normal tone "maybe not"

[percy2]

when you speak to them - refer to yourself as farang....

ie...'farang gep-tang kop'

it is enough to sufficiently embarrass them and by doing so actually raises yourself up because you insulted their insult by insulting yourself with it first, thus nullifying its powers.

Agree, and make sure you do this while they are trimming the hair around your ears and neck with a Straight Razor, another "happy ending"

tut,tut

I think Shah is spot on.

[jdinasia]

I think his hairdresser actually reads ThaiVisa ...knows about the 'airport' problem and the sister problem ... and the dog problem etc!

If you are dealing with a person and they suddenly change how their part of the relationship dynamic works, then it is probably about you and not at all innocent

[Scott]

I know it's used quite frequently, but I seldom hear it. I can see the lips moving as they say "farang", but it's only because they don't know my name at various places, but at least they are quiet and polite about. I wouldn't tolerate that sort of stuff from a service staff person and I would change hairdressers.

[jackyseymour]

This word 'farang' (fulung), it's such an ugly sounding word. When I was first here in Thailand, I didn't mind so much, it all depended upon the tone in which it was said. But the longer I've been here, the more I've grown to actively dislike it. A lot of the time, it's spoken by Thais who have known me being about the parish, so to speak, market stallholders and the like mostly, and so, I respond, in Thai, by saying, 'Look, I don't call you 'gook' do I?' Then I ask that they call me pee, as do the local people I know. And, after looking a tad nonplussed, do you know, they get it and call me by Pee. Which is much more respectful.

Unfortunately, to speak the word 'farang', it's still so much ingrained in Thai culture amongst the uneducated. I hear little kids saying the word 'farang' something sometimes. But I just smile and politely tell them that in my country they would be called 'gooks' or sometimes, especially while referring to the 'bought/brought over brides, 'pets', by the ignorant and it is very disrespectful, and to ask someone in their family what those words mean and how they would feel if they had been referred to it thus in a western country. Education is the key, but I feel it will be an uphill battle. By the way, for the originaly poster, if I was referred to as 'fulung' whilst in the presence of someone so intimately engaged as cutting my hair, after the first time, I would never go back.

[DP25]

Just use 'mung' with her instead of her name. And stop patronizing people who are disrespectful to you. They know its rude, and they probably think you're a chump for putting up with it. Stop giving them your money.

[meadish_sweetball]

One can always use the old theatrical (I think somebody else here mentioned it in a similar thread)

ฝรั่งเหลอ ไหนๆ (farang ler?? Nai?? Nai??) and look around oneself in excited bewilderment trying to spot the Westerner they are referring to.

[ade100]

Yes it is rude. The equivalent would be in the UK, calling someone from any South East Asian country "Mr Chinky", or "Mr Slant Eyes"

But Thailand is not a country noted for its politeness not its respect of other cultures.

Also so many Westerners refer to themselves as "farangs" so we are not doing much to educate the Thais.

[meadish_sweetball]

Yeah right, ade.

[percy2]

Yeah right, ade.

Whats your point?

[khunandy]

If my wife, her family or a close friend called me a farang then I would see it as disrespectful. If somebody is only an acquaintance or a stranger then I don't mind. I do find it odd when other westerners refer to me as a farang, but I don't lose any sleep over it.

Sums it up for me. As far as other Westerners refering to farangs shows how easy it is to slip into..I have been guilty of it myself.

Sort of depends how easy your name rolls off the Thai tongue as well.

[traveller5000]

If you are dealing with a person and they suddenly change how their part of the relationship dynamic works, then it is probably about you and not at all innocent

oh you again. 555.

I have no reason to believe the cause was justified for her rude behavior.

Anyhow there are a few more hairdressers in my soi. I will be visiting them in the future. The way gossip travels in my soi, she will know quick enough

[traveller5000]

One can always use the old theatrical (I think somebody else here mentioned it in a similar thread)

ฝรั่งเหลอ ไหนๆ (farang ler?? Nai?? Nai??) and look around oneself in excited bewilderment trying to spot the Westerner they are referring to.

Thats a good one. I'm not a good actor but I would like to give it a go.