Is "farang" Impolite?

[TopDogger]

In UK, how do UK people refer to Asians ?

I recall South Asians being referred to as Packies (as in Pakistanis) in the UK.

My understanding is that Farang is a derivative of Farancais (as in French). Calling a Brit Farang is as derogatory as calling a Thai a Packie. Hopefully, most people now know it is not correct to use Packie when referring to South Asians, this cannot be said of the use of Farang in Thailand.

When I lived in Hong Kong westerners were often referred to as Gweilho (translated from ghostly old man). However, most educated Chinese did realise that this was offensive, and its use often said much of the ignorance of the user.

You understand the origins of the word farang incorrectly

Not trying to get into an argument or anything, but the above it what I've been told by a number of Thai's also, care to enlighten us?

Also, what does "mun" mean?

[gymshark]

Mun means "It"

[onethailand]

When I lived in Hong Kong westerners were often referred to as Gweilho (translated from ghostly old man). However, most educated Chinese did realise that this was offensive, and its use often said much of the ignorance of the user.

Not quite. Gweilo is "ghost man" - nothing to do with age. And Cantonese, spoken by common people, is perhaps the most naturally vulgar language in the world, with every second reference to a third party involving your mother.

Thais cannot be compared to the Cantonese-speaking people in South China - there is a world of difference.

[TopDogger]

what are we then?

Foreigners?

Depends how the words used IMO, listening to other foreigners refering to themselves and other foreigners as farang's usually makes me laugh and is a sign of their ignorance...

The Thai's do it when they don't know u, and why not? Its pretty obvious if someone is trying to be rude/impolite just by their gestures, ususally its just the easiest way for them to distinguish you from others.. Most foreigners will have done the same in their own language also, how many times have you heard yourself saying "that thai guy/bird over there" when you don't know someone...

Learn their names and they'll learn yours and will not call you falang, simple as that...

Some of this just doesn't make sence. If you live in Thailand , almost everyone is Thai, so I just don't see anyone saying to themself "that Thai guy over there". I mean they're virtually all Thai.

Also, What do you mean "learn their names"? Like in every encounter: shops, restaurants, bars, department stores, busses, skytrain, taxi, street vendor etc. you are going to introduce yourself and ask for their name just to avoid getting called farang. Utter Rubbish!

You talk to yourself?

Who said every encounter? If you live in Thailand your going to have local bars/restaurants and would be on 1st name terms with a lot of the staff, you think the name cards employees pin to their chests are for fun?!?!? Why anyone in a department store / taxi, etc would have any need to call you farang is beyond me, the correspondance with them just does not go that far...

You seem like the type of person that should be refered to as a farang 24/7...

Oh dear, you almost hurt my feelings with that last clever and cutting comment. But, I still think much of what you say is rubbish. You think what you like and I'll think what I like .Bye!

Your barking up the wrong tree if you want an argument...

[kiakaha]

what are we then?

chao tang chat

ชาวต่างประเทศ to be more accurate

I call myself a pakeha.

Silly me I thought it was spellt PAKI!!

pakeha is a maori word. being a white skinned New Zealander, I am a pakeha.

ชาวต่างประเทศ is the correct thai word for foreigner (i know its confusing for some using thai script to spell a thai word )

[12DrinkMore]

This word will never be eliminated fromm the Thai vocabulary. I think we should just learn to accept it, and always write it with a capital letter, "Farang" and not farang.

Be Farang and be proud

[TopDogger]

pakeha is a maori word. being a white skinned New Zealander, I am a pakeha.

When was that changed from sheep shagger?

[pnustedt]

Not quite. Gweilo is "ghost man" - nothing to do with age. And Cantonese, spoken by common people, is perhaps the most naturally vulgar language in the world, with every second reference to a third party involving your mother.

Thais cannot be compared to the Cantonese-speaking people in South China - there is a world of difference.

I speak some Cantonese and my Thai wife is fluent and we lived in HK for many years - I find profound similarities between Thais and Hong Kong residents. Actually, about 50K residents of HK are Thais.

[bkkjames]

This word will never be eliminated fromm the Thai vocabulary. I think we should just learn to accept it, and always write it with a capital letter, "Farang" and not farang.

Be Farang and be proud

I disagree, this is the 21st century, because some languages fail to evolve, it's no wonder their value / use is always being questioned. (See recent articles by certain ministries about the need for using proper local language by youths).

New words for things as simple as blogging have been added to dictionaries on a regular basis. When was a new word added to the local dictionary? No, I can't remember either. So instead when something comes up that they can't explain or is not native to here, they refer to it as farang this or that.

Contrary to others that have said they like being referred to as a farang, most times over the years that I have listened to a local (in person, on the phone), referring to a farang person, it's usually been in a not nice way. Usually it's taking the pi*s out of a farang or blaming a farang boss / customer.

In the end, I don't believe the locals would appreciate being call the same thing as a potato or fruit so I hope they appreciate that some of us take exeption to being called the same as well.

[Jingthing]

We can't change this. It will only cause frustration to try. We don't have real status in this xenophobic society. Any change would have to be a grassroots Thai effort, and why would they care? I can think of 100 other things they should try to address first, and won't, so why this?

Edited August 26, 2008 by Jingthing

[onethailand]

Not quite. Gweilo is "ghost man" - nothing to do with age. And Cantonese, spoken by common people, is perhaps the most naturally vulgar language in the world, with every second reference to a third party involving your mother.

Thais cannot be compared to the Cantonese-speaking people in South China - there is a world of difference.

I speak some Cantonese and my Thai wife is fluent and we lived in HK for many years - I find profound similarities between Thais and Hong Kong residents. Actually, about 50K residents of HK are Thais.

I lived there for 14 years. And there are not 50K Thais in Hong Kong - you are way, way off the mark - and most of those who are there are domestic servants. Perhaps you were thinking of Filipinos.

I would like to know what you find similar in the language or the people - I find very little, other than the fact that some prominent Thais are actually prominent in Hong Kong as well (as Chinese, of course). And I've lived here for 15 years now.

[greenmember]

Actually, nearly ALL Thai say "mun" when referring to farang behind their backs.

True.

[huggybear]

what are we then?

This thread has been done a billion times, more importantly I just figured out your avatar..........it's a lamp ! All this time I thought it was a lady's crotch ! Man, that's a funny halucination......

The thread, as I understand it the first whites here were French, "Farangset' in Thai, morphed to cover all foreigners to "Farang". Impliteness I think would have to be taken in context, otherwise NOT.

[barky]

We can't change this. It will only cause frustration to try. We don't have real status in this xenophobic society. Any change would have to be a grassroots Thai effort, and why would they care? I can think of 100 other things they should try to address first, and won't, so why this?

I basically said the same thing in my post number #14 jingthing. I think its time to get out of this thread when some members think it's OK to call Kiwi members sheep shagers.

[Jeddah Jo]

Actually, nearly ALL Thai say "mun" when referring to farang behind their backs.

True.

Low class ones may do, but then they also refer to their close friends as 'Mun' as well.

I will never understand how many farangs can not get over themselves.

You are manifestly a 'Farang', you look totally weird to the Thais. Thais use vivid words to describe everyone. If you look like a pig you will be called piggie, if you are fat you are called fatty, if you are a square head you will be called square head. That is just how it is here, no offence intended, just an easy way to refer to people.

JJ.

[ade100]

In Singapore we get called Ang Mos. But its not quite as all pervasive as the F word in Thailand. Educated people use words like "Westerner", "Caucasian" or "Ex-pat".

I don't think "Farang" is particularly offensive but I just think it's a bit rude to refer to people by their race:

"Look at the Jew over there"

"Does Mr Arab want a cup of Coffee?"

"Shall we invite the African for drinks?"

Just seems like poor manners to speak like that.

[sanchez]

If it is so impolite (as many claim) WHY would they name the place this when all Seatran buses stop off here with thousands of foreign tourists?

Money.. Pure and simple..

They forgot the last word, it should have read 'We heart farang dollars'

LOL ... very true

I refer to Caucasians as "farangs" to my Thai co-workers in Bangkok, they always reply "foreigner" in English & imply "farang" is not a polite word, frankly i don't really care either way, there's far bigger things to be concerned about that this word!

[sanchez]

In Singapore we get called Ang Mos. But its not quite as all pervasive as the F word in Thailand. Educated people use words like "Westerner", "Caucasian" or "Ex-pat".

I don't think "Farang" is particularly offensive but I just think it's a bit rude to refer to people by their race:

"Look at the Jew over there"

"Does Mr Arab want a cup of Coffee?"

"Shall we invite the African for drinks?"

Just seems like poor manners to speak like that.

Singaporean's named a bridge & then a whole district Ang Mo Kio

I've never been called Ang Mo in Singapore, unlike in Thailand where i would hear Farang almost every day useage.

[G54]

So what shall we call the French if we cannot say falang sait.

I thought it had almost done a full circle and is now back along the lines of "farancais"..

Frogs? Crapaud?

[Sabum]

It is a bit impolite but I refuse to jump on the political correct band wagon that drove me nuts in Canada... always having to remember everyones proper descriptive word and it always seems to be changing.

[Sabum]

So what shall we call the French if we cannot say falang sait.

I thought it had almost done a full circle and is now back along the lines of "farancais"..

Frogs? Crapaud?

Falang sait? No you misheard, they are trying to say FRANCAIS (french for french) which with thai accent comes out farancais

[Neeranam]

To My Darling Children,

I know you are as proud to be half-Farang as you are to be half-Thai. Rightfully so. But you will discover that many fellow "full" farang are confused by the very term, and (crazy as this may sound) are even threatened by it. They tend to be a little "khriat" and maybe a little paranoid. Or, perhaps they are always on the wrong end of "farang" being used pejoratively. I have heard occassional rumors that this actually happens here in Thailand. I suspect backpackers [and other inappropriately-dressed pinkish-white people] get this sort of undeserved verbal treatment from time to time, with a resentful "khee-nok" added on for good measure. (Especially the obese ones!) Please don't join your miscreant school friends when (or if) they do this. "Mai-dee-leuy!"

You can learn more about these confused farang by reading some posts at Thaivisa.com when you get older.

Oh, well. As for me, I tend to capitalize the word "Farang" when not intending to write about fruit.

Love,

Paw

Are you serious? My kids are proud to be half Scottish and half Thai. My eldest came home from school the other day in tears, saying that someone is picking on her by shouting "farang". Even kids don't try to upset other kids by shouting polite words. It sounds like you are being brainwashed Nai Greg - do you say "na" at the end of your sentences in English?

[12DrinkMore]

be called piggie, if you are fat you are called fatty, if you are a square head you will be called square head.

Blimey, I didn't realsie the Thais referred to Frank as "Square Head" too.

[jdinasia]

To My Darling Children,

I know you are as proud to be half-Farang as you are to be half-Thai. Rightfully so. But you will discover that many fellow "full" farang are confused by the very term, and (crazy as this may sound) are even threatened by it. They tend to be a little "khriat" and maybe a little paranoid. Or, perhaps they are always on the wrong end of "farang" being used pejoratively. I have heard occassional rumors that this actually happens here in Thailand. I suspect backpackers [and other inappropriately-dressed pinkish-white people] get this sort of undeserved verbal treatment from time to time, with a resentful "khee-nok" added on for good measure. (Especially the obese ones!) Please don't join your miscreant school friends when (or if) they do this. "Mai-dee-leuy!"

You can learn more about these confused farang by reading some posts at Thaivisa.com when you get older.

Oh, well. As for me, I tend to capitalize the word "Farang" when not intending to write about fruit.

Love,

Paw

Are you serious? My kids are proud to be half Scottish and half Thai. My eldest came home from school the other day in tears, saying that someone is picking on her by shouting "farang". Even kids don't try to upset other kids by shouting polite words. It sounds like you are being brainwashed Nai Greg - do you say "na" at the end of your sentences in English?

so THAT is what this is about ......

Kids can make kids cry by shouting ANYTHING at other kids ... skinny fatso black etc etc etc etc etc

Farang in and of itself is NOT offensive, however context does matter

[jdinasia]

So what shall we call the French if we cannot say falang sait.

I thought it had almost done a full circle and is now back along the lines of "farancais"..

Frogs? Crapaud?

Falang sait? No you misheard, they are trying to say FRANCAIS (french for french) which with thai accent comes out farancais

I think you mean "comes out farangset" and no that still is not the origin of the word farang

[kiakaha]

for christs sake, who gives a faaaarck what you are called. its only words, funny sounds that our throats make that we attach some lame meaning to that evokes or not a feeble emotive response.

its the people who walk the walk not talk the talk that matter in my book.

[a2396]

my more educated and polite Thai friends never use the word farang. They usually call a non-Thai a foreigner. The high school drop-outs of Issan know of any other owrd except "Farang" to describe a non-Thai & care nought if such may have a negative connotation.

[sabaijai]

what are we then?

chao tang chat

'Chao Tang Chat' is different from 'Farang'. Chao Tang Chat meaning foreigner, can be used for anyone who isn't Thai. Burmese, Malays and Laotians are also Chao Tang Chat.

Farang = Caucasian

Correct.

[onethailand]

Are you serious? My kids are proud to be half Scottish and half Thai. My eldest came home from school the other day in tears, saying that someone is picking on her by shouting "farang". Even kids don't try to upset other kids by shouting polite words. It sounds like you are being brainwashed Nai Greg - do you say "na" at the end of your sentences in English?

I thought Greg's post was quite funny - but I sympathize with your children. Farang can definitely be used an an offensive manner.

[Sabum]

So what shall we call the French if we cannot say falang sait.

I thought it had almost done a full circle and is now back along the lines of "farancais"..

Frogs? Crapaud?

Falang sait? No you misheard, they are trying to say FRANCAIS (french for french) which with thai accent comes out farancais

I think you mean "comes out farangset" and no that still is not the origin of the word farang

Nobody said that was the origin of falang, its not the same word, they are trying to say FRENCH the way the french taught them to say it. But the extra vowel after f is common with Thai accent (smart = SAmart, stupid = SAtupid etc..) I dont know what you mean comes out farangSET? With a hard T? Ive never heard that, its always been said FA-RuN(g)-SAY (cais = say in french)