"look, Look At The Falang"

[Travel2003]

Maybe we should start a thread with pics of us, you can blank out the eyes or head so we can see what these web warriors look like?

Already have my pic there.

[scotwumman]

Please, if possible, not during lunchtime with the pics. Can't see everyone starting to tell the truth about themselves suddenly.

[gymshark]

Please, if possible, not during lunchtime with the pics. Can't see everyone starting to tell the truth about themselves suddenly.

Yeah, it probably would put paid to a lot of these "rich, handsome adonis types" to be unmasked.

[Travel2003]

Please, if possible, not during lunchtime with the pics. Can't see everyone starting to tell the truth about themselves suddenly.

Ouch.

That hurts.

It is really me.

Decades ago, but it really is me.

[scotwumman]

Didn't mean you Traveller -honestly, it's a good picture - just a thought occurred on what could happen next- should have quoted Gymshark

[Travel2003]

Didn't mean you Traveller -honestly, it's a good picture - just a thought occurred on what could happen next- should have quoted Gymshark

No worries.

I had a feeling it was the other picture you referred to, as I was, as you can see, quite a "handsum fellow" in my younger days.

[thesunset75]

Yesterday, I went to Chesters with my wife, and a young Thai couple came in to the restaraunt carrying their young girl. The girl looked to be about 2 years old. The child had a pair of glasses on that were the thickest I have ever seen in my life. The child had to have been essentially blind.

So the parents of the child see me, and began with the usual chant to their kid.... " Look, Look at the Falang."

I thought to myself.... I wish my son was here with me now, so I could say to him.... "Look, Look at the Blind kid."

I wonder how that would have gone over?

As I am Thai living in farang's country so I will say its normal that Thai people can say look , look at farang cuz some of them never seen farng before, and nothing wrong with the word "farang" I enjoy when farangs look at me here and i juz smile hehehe

Some children here even say my name as a song before they sleep, I'll take it as a good thing.

Enjoy Thailand,

Thesunset75

[Maigo6]

As I am Thai living in farang's country so I will say its normal that Thai people can say look , look at farang cuz some of them never seen farng before, and nothing wrong with the word "farang" I enjoy when farangs look at me here and i juz smile hehehe

Some children here even say my name as a song before they sleep, I'll take it as a good thing.

Enjoy Thailand,

Thesunset75

Thankyou Sunset,.........

It's a perfect example of the difference between the Thai and Farang way of thinking, ( In many Cases ).

[dingdongrb]

1) I resent the thought of making such a remark as my Mother was legally blind when she died.

2) I have no problems going 'upcountry' and hear the Thais say to their children, 'mong farang'... (It allowed me to learn what the word 'mong' meant.)

3) Living in China for a few years in a part of the country where there were rarely foreigners let alone a blonde haired, blue eyed, white skinned one, I actually liked it. I felt like a celebrity every day I went out. It allowed me to make many friends and learn the language a bit easier. (On occasions it even provided me the offers of free drinks, dinners, and an occasional picture taken. Of course with a smiling Chinese beside me displaying the 'peace sign'.)

[koheesti]

Although this is off topic; I have a t-shirt I made up which quotes the tag line from the 1999 movie titled The Sixth Sense. Instead of "I see dead people" which is the actual tag line, my shirt says, "I see thai people". Unfortunately it's such an obscure reference that it takes an explanation for people to get the meaning, so the shirt loses points in that regard.

As far as ฝรั่ง goes; it's the context in which it is used that denotes the real meaning of this word.

Thats funny. If I wore a shirt with Falang (in thai and english of course) in huge block letters on the front and back and walked down the street in BKK would it serve to bring attention to anything....or just be"lost in translation"??

How about a T-shirt based on those old "I'm with Stupid → " replacing "Stupid" with "Farang"?

[Birdman]

Best thing to do: smiling

Christ! Give me a break! Let's all stand around grinning like a bunch of retards. 

Nobody is standing around and grinning, that would be silly indeeed.

The proper way to handle that kind of situation with respect to Thai culture would be:

You walking, hearing "Look a Farang", seeing a Thai family, mother is pointing at you, a short friendly smile to them while you keep on walking and forget it.

Can't believe, I am explaining something absolut minor like that.

Of course you can behave like Bruce Willis punk neighbour in "The Five Element" with 2 middle fingers erected, shouting "SCREW YOU". They will never say that again...

[Maigo6]

Let's all stand around grinning like a bunch of retards. 

So it's business as usual.

[Dakhar]

Disregarding the insults, I was not out in the sticks, I was in BKK at a Chesters Grill. The family was dressed well, and they did not look as if they just got out of the rice field.

As others indicated, I should not get offended, for "they know not what they do." They essentially can not help themselves, right?

If one takes this mind set, isn't that rather condensending?

If they can help themselves, then it could be percieved as their actions as being just plain rude?

An enigma I guess.

Regardless, they will continue on with their remarks, in the future when they see other falangs, because I stood there "like a retard." (as usual)

I know my parents would never ever, point at a black person and say look son a black person, and I grew up in an all white city. But I guess my parents just concentrated on raising their children differently.

[RakJungTorlae]

Disregarding the insults, I was not out in the sticks, I was in BKK at a Chesters Grill. The family was dressed well, and they did not look as if they just got out of the rice field.

As others indicated, I should not get offended, for "they know not what they do." They essentially can not help themselves, right?

If one takes this mind set, isn't that rather condensending?

If they can help themselves, then it could be percieved as their actions as being just plain rude?

An enigma I guess.

Regardless, they will continue on with their remarks, in the future when they see other falangs, because I stood there "like a retard." (as usual)

I know my parents would never ever, point at a black person and say look son a black person, and I grew up in an all white city. But I guess my parents just concentrated on raising their children differently.

[Maigo6]

I know my parents would never ever, point at a black person and say look son a black person, and I grew up in an all white city. But I guess my parents just concentrated on raising their children differently.

Well, when I was a kid I was always told by my Mother the black man would come to get me if I wasn't good. ( I never realised it was her lover ).

That's cos in the early 60's there wasn't that many non white people around in my neck of the woods, maybe it's the same in Thailand now. How do you know that this Family hadn't come from deepest darkest Isaan and had never seen a Farang before. ?

It must be quite a shock to the system, I'm a Farang too, but the state of many Farangs I come across in Thailand sends me into shock also.

Edited August 27, 2008 by Maigo6

[RakJungTorlae]

Didn't mean you Traveller -honestly, it's a good picture - just a thought occurred on what could happen next- should have quoted Gymshark

No worries.

I had a feeling it was the other picture you referred to, as I was, as you can see, quite a "handsum fellow" in my younger days.

You look kind of stoned.

[Dakhar]

Disregarding the insults, I was not out in the sticks, I was in BKK at a Chesters Grill. The family was dressed well, and they did not look as if they just got out of the rice field.

As others indicated, I should not get offended, for "they know not what they do." They essentially can not help themselves, right?

If one takes this mind set, isn't that rather condensending?

If they can help themselves, then it could be percieved as their actions as being just plain rude?

An enigma I guess.

Regardless, they will continue on with their remarks, in the future when they see other falangs, because I stood there "like a retard." (as usual)

I know my parents would never ever, point at a black person and say look son a black person, and I grew up in an all white city. But I guess my parents just concentrated on raising their children differently.

I have to agree, I am not a fan of Chesters either. My wife and the sister-in-law wanted to go, so I went with the flow...

[Bangyai]

The OPs post also remind me of a post I did some time back (a year or two), decribing I was so tired of being harrased by this drunk guy that I wanted to smash my bottle in his head.

The usual lynch mob here attacked me instantly asking why I wanted to do this horrible thing.

I actually had to explain the obvious that it was just a silly though. Same angry and silly thoughts one sometimes have when one want to kill someone, but would of course never ever do it.

I find the similarities in the OP's post, where he used words like I thought, I wonder.

I choose to believe that he would actually not do this if he had his kid there.

But for the regular mob here, they will always choose to believe the worst, so they can launch their attacks.

Spot on. As other posters have said, 99 % of the time we are all used to it and as it is just idle curiousity it does not offend. Its only when it is persistant and aggressive that it gets up your nose.

[qwertz]

Was it Oscar Wilde who said: "The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about"

[CarlBkk]

When they start saying "oh no, not another farang...let's go somewhere else" then get the bad attitude.

If someone finds you a novelty and appears to like your look, smile back and show them that farangs are a pleasant race.

[Maigo6]

If someone finds you a novelty and appears to like your look, smile back and show them that farangs are a pleasant race.

..............And hope to Christ they don't log in to a Thai related forum and realise that we ain't very pleasant at all.

[wolf5370]

Although this is off topic; I have a t-shirt I made up which quotes the tag line from the 1999 movie titled The Sixth Sense. Instead of "I see dead people" which is the actual tag line, my shirt says, "I see thai people". Unfortunately it's such an obscure reference that it takes an explanation for people to get the meaning, so the shirt loses points in that regard.

As far as ฝรั่ง goes; it's the context in which it is used that denotes the real meaning of this word.

Thats funny. If I wore a shirt with Falang (in thai and english of course) in huge block letters on the front and back and walked down the street in BKK would it serve to bring attention to anything....or just be"lost in translation"??

I still got a couple of T-Shirts somewhere that I bought from this very site with "Farang" in Thai and English in bold white stenciling (on black cloth) - also had the TV Logo. Too small now though

I always thought of having one printed saying "No I'm not a farang, I'm an albino Thai" in Thai script, but figured no one would get the joke.

I think the "Tee Nai?" is the best response - or do what I do and point back saying 'Thai, Thai' (but maybe not in this situation).

Once on a Baht bus I had two girls siting opposit me - they stared at me for the longest time, with not a word (this was BKK) - So I blew them a kiss. They turned away very quickly then and blushed. The schoolboy hanging on the back of the bus saw it and laughed - I smiled at him and we shared the private joke.

Edited August 27, 2008 by wolf5370

[pwills]

In this day and age when we are bombarded by eletronic images of every type and description of person, to hear Thai people make comments about or point out the simple presence of a foreign white-skinned person (farang, if you must) seems very childish and silly, but TIT.

Besides, look at most advertisements in Thailand where a person is used to promote a product, and you'll see that the people in those ads rarely look Thai -- they are usually white skinned and very foreign looking, so if they want to see what foreigners look like they only need to look at the products on the shelves of their stores or the advertisements where models are used. This has always seemed very strange to me considering Thais will tell you that they are extremely proud people.

But anyway, when the situation arises where a parent points me out to his or her child and says, "Look, a farang." I usually look at them with a shocked and worried expression then quickly look behind me while saying, "Tee-nai?" Occasionally, the parent sees the humour in what I'm doing and has a chuckle, but usually they just looked confused. Oh well!

I do the same thing though I say yuu nai ? and usually get the same responce as you, here in the sticks or at least where I am they look at me as if they have just heard a talking dog !!!

[AmeriThai]

I do the same thing though I say yuu nai ? and usually get the same responce as you, here in the sticks or at least where I am they look at me as if they have just heard a talking dog !!!

[RusticCharm]

Appears 'neion2000', our resident 'Internet Tough Guy' appears to be currently residing in the 'Where are they now' column'.

[Acomes2Siam]

You should probably take it as a compliment. If you cannot do that then you should have a look at your insecurities.

[Dakhar]

You should probably take it as a compliment. If you cannot do that then you should have a look at your insecurities.

Why should the fact that I am white be taken as a compliment? Does this mean that non-white is a bad thing?

Folks just want to blow off rude behavior, re-box it, re-label it and call it a compliment....

Living in La La land. but I guess if it works... keep it up.

As the post indicated, I found it ironic, that some one would care to point out that I am a falang, as if this is abnormal, strange or "different." Mean while they are holding a child in there arms wearing glasses that could give most people the ability to count fleas on a camel locatedl in Dhubai while swinging from their porch hamock in Sisaket. (That occurance I would consider abnormal, strange or "different."

The whole situation I thought was strange, abnormal, comical, or ironic for a lack of a better term.

[mgjackson69]

So its OK for one person to be an exhibit, but not another?!

Yes

Life is not fair...get used to it.

[joskydive]

Yesterday, I went to Chesters with my wife, and a young Thai couple came in to the restaraunt carrying their young girl. The girl looked to be about 2 years old. The child had a pair of glasses on that were the thickest I have ever seen in my life. The child had to have been essentially blind.

So the parents of the child see me, and began with the usual chant to their kid.... " Look, Look at the Falang."

I thought to myself.... I wish my son was here with me now, so I could say to him.... "Look, Look at the Blind kid."

I wonder how that would have gone over?

Probably not too well, but we've all been in this situation at one time or another and it can be frustrating or comical depending on where it happens.

Even here in Pattaya I still get it and when I asked my friends why the kids get so upset when they see a foreigner they tell me that the parents threaten them that if they are not good they will give them to the foreigner to eat. Charming I must say!

I've used the responses of Tee Nai? Yuu Nai? and looked around and got loads of giggles, which is nice because everyone has gone away happy and they've recognised that it's not the ideal thing to do really.

I guess, if you get really frustrated at this sort of happening you can just turn around, smile and drop your false teeth out at them. My guess is they will just run for the hills!

[PhilHarries]

LITTLEGOATCHEESE.

You are the most horrible,despicable,disgusting creature i have ever seen on this mesage board.Why dont you do us all a favour and go back to where you belong,the cess pit.

You got your threads mixed up poshthai? Petitechevre has not contributed to this thread. Or I couldn't find the post.

Which is exactly why follow those morals makes you a chicken sh*t.

Sorry but if you wronged "turning the other cheek" is a sheepls way of exposing the other cheek of a smacking.

If you've been wronged, your dam_n right you have every right to do what you fell is warranted to avange yourself.

Its this namby pamby whiney cry baby stuff being tought in schools that only serves to promote the whimpification of societies sheeple.

So by your macho cyberspace warrior logic if anyone hurts or insults you the response should be to attack an innocent bystander. The remark was made by the mother, any retort should be directed to her and centered on her. The response should be proportionate to the insult, so following your tough guy attitude he should have ripped her head off.

To those who replied that the OP had only thought about the remark and should be commended for having the self control not to actually make it I say okay we may have over reacted. However if I ever had such a thought, and I have, I would have been a little more circumspect owning up to it on a public forum. He could have still posted the topic but just said "I was tempted to make an inapropriate response" and then go on and ask what the forum thought the correct response should be.