Thai Family

[Geekfreaklover]

But if you assert yourself on that basis.....then don't spend.... rolleyes.gif

You are indeed correctly termed....farang kee nok... ohmy.gif

The insult here is farang kee NGOK

Also, 'kee' here does not mean 'shit'.

I think it does mean "shit", and not "person", in this instance - "bird shit foreigner" is, I believe, the lit translation - a metaphor for a badly dressed foreigner with little financial resources. Then again I may be misinformed by my Thai teacher.

Edited January 18, 2009 by Geekfreaklover

[Moonrakers]

"Kii Nok", as somebody has mentioned means Bird shit.

It is a metaphor used to represent airplanes (the bird) dropping it's passengers (the shit) over Thailand.

Of course Bird Shit tends to carry seeds, which when dropped on Earth can grow into a tree. As the tree (farang) grows (settles in) it branches out, and only those under the branches (family) are taken care off. Basically it is a form of resentment of farangs who come out here and build nice big houses for themselves and their families in a village whilst the rest of the villagers live in wooden shacks.

It has been adapted to suit some people as they see fit, such as to describe the not smart looking, those without much money and of course those who prefer not to hand out freebies from their hard earned cash.

If used to deliberately insult then it is a very very derogatory and ignorant term and probably one of the worst insults a farang can receive from a Thai. It was used on me once when I bought Beer Chang instead of Heineken, well I was sure to buy Heineken after that and I was also sure to not share a drop.

If meant in jest of course then it is just that, after all I can even call my friends the "C" word, which is likely the worst insult in the English language yet it is always taken as banter.

Edited January 18, 2009 by Moonrakers

[Geekfreaklover]

When I visit my wifes family one of the first things I do is when Mum is alone in the kitchen I quickly and discreetly go in and slip her a little baht in her hand ,, only about 3000 or 5000 ,, put my fingers to my lips as to indicate to her hush hush ,, she puts in away and there is never any mention of this between my wife and I or her. She is not rich but is not poor,,she does not need this money but loves the little bit of lovr they derive from this act in their culture.. Mabe if you have not tried this give it a go ,good luck ,, I know in the west this kind of behaviour would be seen as insulting ,,,,but we have to wear the other shoes in the far east to understand them.. Good luck mate

It is not a good idea to try and 'buy respect' anywhere in the world.

You may think that is cultural. It is not. If there is a problem in the family then by all means help out. Not a good idea to put money in the in laws hand everytime you visit her house. Gives the wrong impression, old boy.

And do you really think that your mrs has no idea about the money that you gave the in laws?

Edited January 18, 2009 by Geekfreaklover

[Xangsamhua]

It is not a good idea to try and 'buy respect' anywhere in the world.

You may think that is cultural. It is not. If there is a problem in the family then by all means help out. Not a good idea to put money in the in laws hand everytime you visit her house. Gives the wrong impression, old boy.[/color]

And do you really think that your mrs has no idea about the money that you gave the in laws?

Not sure I agree with you on this, geekfreaklover. I think little handouts here are not seen as mercenary, but a gesture of affection and/or valuing the recipient - assuming the recipient is not already flush with cash. Perhaps not every time, though, or the donor will be locked in to it. What happens if she doesn't get it one time? Will she think the son-in-law doesn't value her any more? Perhaps a good topic for a thread of its own.

[Jingthing]

Also, 'kee' here does not mean 'shit'.

Of course it does!

[Geekfreaklover]

"Kii Nok", as somebody has mentioned means Bird shit.

It is a metaphor used to represent airplanes (the bird) dropping it's passengers (the shit) over Thailand.

Of course Bird Shit tends to carry seeds, which when dropped on Earth can grow into a tree. As the tree (farang) grows (settles in) it branches out, and only those under the branches (family) are taken care off. Basically it is a form of resentment of farangs who come out here and build nice big houses for themselves and their families in a village whilst the rest of the villagers live in wooden shacks.

Nice explanation. But, hold on, I think that the 'farang kii ngok' is aimed at foreigners that come to thailand and don't build houses. At least, these are the foreginers that I have heard the remark aimed towards. Backpackers, cheep charlies etc.

[Moonrakers]

^^^

Absolutely, although as I explained many use it as it suits them. Like in scenarios when the farang doesn't give them 500 baht for absolutely nothing to buy beer with.

Edited January 18, 2009 by Moonrakers

[DivinGuy]

Just talked to my Thai gf about this. No question that "farang kee nok" is an insult, meaning a bad farang. But the actual meaning she gave it was interesting. "Farang" also means guava in Thai. She said there is a kind of guava that no one likes to eat and it's called "farang kee nok". She said she will show me a farang kee nok tree next time we're at her home in Ratchaburi.

There are a lot of friendly insults hurled around between her friends and family, and between us. For instance, she may call to me, "Hey, muu see kao", to which I'll respond, "Yes, madame" (mahdahm, a posh pronunciation). She just called me a white pig and if I got the tones right, I called her a black dog, leaving out "see", or color, which isn't absolutely necessary and would ruin the joke.

I guess it's possible the OP's wife's family was just joking with her about her "useless farang husband" in a friendly way and had no idea he would recognize the phrase.

Edited January 18, 2009 by DivinGuy

[Geekfreaklover]

Not sure I agree with you on this, geekfreaklover. I think little handouts here are not seen as mercenary, but a gesture of affection and/or valuing the recipient - assuming the recipient is not already flush with cash. Perhaps not every time, though, or the donor will be locked in to it. What happens if she doesn't get it one time? Will she think the son-in-law doesn't value her any more? Perhaps a good topic for a thread of its own.

Yep, good topic.

I think that if there is a family concern, a real problem that you can help towards, whether it be cash or any other form of assistance then by all means help as you would do with your family back home. If any of my Thai friends have a death in the family (road accidents a lot of the time) or some friends are getting married and then of course we are more than happy to put some cash towards that. I've helped out Thai friends in debt before, which was in hindsight prob not a good idea!

I think that just giving money, for no reason, to the in laws is not the way to go. Of course the isaan social model is that the children must take care of the family, but this is changing, even in the rural provinces.

My gfs mother often looks after my kids for a few days whilst we are in Bangkok. I tried to hand her money once, and she refused to take the money as she felt insulted and embarassed. No she is not hiso or chinese. Just a woman that still works, enjoys spending time with children, and doesn't need to take handouts from some 'farang kii nok'.

Edited January 18, 2009 by Geekfreaklover

[Neeranam]

"farang kee ngok" is what people hear and is the Thai for "stingy" and this is nothing to do with birdshit.

[Geekfreaklover]

"farang kee ngok" is what people hear and is the Thai for "stingy" and this is nothing to do with birdshit.

Maybe you are thinking of 'kin -yiil'

[Heng]

I think it does mean "shit", and not "person", in this instance - "bird shit foreigner" is, I believe, the lit translation - a metaphor for a badly dressed foreigner with little financial resources. Then again I may be misinformed by my Thai teacher.

It also includes those who behave poorly or don't have manners. Plenty of well to do folks who are loud get the ki nok label all the time, despite their financial status. No different from Thais who are well off but do bumpkin type things like paint their buildings light blue, pink, and orange (like the Saha Farms folks) and would get the bumpkin "baan nok" label.

Not that they would care. Which is the whole point when it comes to labels for those who are secure and not super sensitive.

p.s. there is BOTH ki nok AND ki ngok....

Edited January 18, 2009 by Heng

[Birdman]

^^^

Absolutely, although as I explained many use it as it suits them. Like in scenarios when the farang doesn't give them 500 baht for absolutely nothing to buy beer with.

So, according to the thesis a "farang kee nok" must be superior to a "farang lao". Why? Because no one expects a "farang lao" to buy a beer for others.

[473geo]

Ever been called 'mate' - were you offended??? Animal sexual partner.....????? FKN...nothing to worry about!!!

the officer below the master on a commercial ship

teammate: a fellow member of a team; "it was his first start against his former teammates"

<LI>the partner of an animal (especially a sexual partner); "he loved the mare and all her mates"; "camels hate leaving their mates"

<LI>spouse: a person's partner in marriage

<LI>match: an exact duplicate; "when a match is found an entry is made in the notebook"

<LI>one of a pair; "he lost the mate to his shoe"; "one eye was blue but its fellow was brown"

<LI>South American holly; leaves used in making a drink like tea

[Birdman]

It also includes those who behave poorly or don't have manners. Plenty of well to do folks who are loud get the ki nok label all the time, despite their financial status.

Small correction: Nok huh is the term for loud people, Heng.

[Neeranam]

It also includes those who behave poorly or don't have manners. Plenty of well to do folks who are loud get the ki nok label all the time, despite their financial status.

Small correction: Nok huh is the term for loud people, Heng.

Heng doesnt speak Thai very well

[Heng]

It also includes those who behave poorly or don't have manners. Plenty of well to do folks who are loud get the ki nok label all the time, despite their financial status.

Small correction: Nok huh is the term for loud people, Heng.

Loud as in behaving loudly. Like yelling at a waitress for bringing a regular Beer Chang instead of a Beer Chang with a lime, or yelling at the Tesco Lotus security guard for not saluting despite saluting the car in front of them. They'd be just as likely to get the ki nok label regardless of financial status. True, for those taking elementary Thai, one might describe the scene as nok huh. LOLZ.

Edited January 18, 2009 by Heng

[OxfordWill]

Jingthing please consider these words:

"translation"

&

"transliteration"

Edited January 18, 2009 by OxfordWill

[Birdman]

It also includes those who behave poorly or don't have manners. Plenty of well to do folks who are loud get the ki nok label all the time, despite their financial status.

Small correction: Nok huh is the term for loud people, Heng.

Loud as in behaving loudly. Like yelling at a waitress for bringing a regular Beer Chang instead of a Beer Chang with a lime, or yelling at the Tesco Lotus security guard for not saluting despite saluting the car in front of them. They'd be just as likely to get the ki nok label regardless of financial status. True, for those taking elementary Thai, one might describe the scene as nok huh. LOLZ.

actually it could be. Nok huh means someone's yelling or an unpleasant noise get on my nerves

[Shotime]

Cultural? That's the best. I agree, it must go back thousands of years, or, at least, decades. Some people like to throw money around. It makes them feel good. I wish I had enough money to do that. At least, maybe, they'd only make fun of me behind my back. However, it's not a good idea to be seen as a walking ATM. I was in a situation where the girl's Mother had to tell her to quit fuc_king with my money. Her Mother.

[desi]

When I visit my wife's family one of the first things I do is when Mum is alone in the kitchen I quickly and discreetly go in and slip her a little baht in her hand,, only about 3000 or 5000,, put my fingers to my lips as to indicate to her hush hush, she puts in away and there is never any mention of this between my wife and I or her. She is not rich but is not poor, she does not need this money but loves the little bit of love they derive from this act in their culture... Maybe if you have not tried this give it a go, good luck. I know in the west this kind of behaviour would be seen as insulting, but we have to wear the other shoes in the far east to understand them... Good luck mate

After being here for awhile, I know to appreciate the kindness of your gesture. It carries the sort of sense of humour I could easily find myself being tempted into :-)

[Heng]

It also includes those who behave poorly or don't have manners. Plenty of well to do folks who are loud get the ki nok label all the time, despite their financial status.

Small correction: Nok huh is the term for loud people, Heng.

Loud as in behaving loudly. Like yelling at a waitress for bringing a regular Beer Chang instead of a Beer Chang with a lime, or yelling at the Tesco Lotus security guard for not saluting despite saluting the car in front of them. They'd be just as likely to get the ki nok label regardless of financial status. True, for those taking elementary Thai, one might describe the scene as nok huh. LOLZ.

actually it could be. Nok huh means someone's yelling or an unpleasant noise get on my nerves

Uh yeah, and I wasn't explaining the meaning of "loud." I was giving an example of when someone might get the falang "ki nok" label.

[tmd5855]

Of course alot of thais dont like farang.

A lot of Farangs don't like Farangs also.

I Know, they do smell somewhat

[Shotime]

That's not nice, but how would you know?

[BygonKeaw]

lightweight? even if i said i spent the 2000 baht on beer chang and local thai whiskey and consumed it all in 48 hours to myself?

I think not, alcholic maybe but not lightweight mate

.... .but if you did drink Chang and local thai whiskey, I reckon you'd be struggling to post on here for a few days.

I do drink chang and local whiskey but never mix them. Thats why i always 5 times worse than i should do after a session.

[BygonKeaw]

Also, 'kee' here does not mean 'shit'.

Of course it does!

Yeah were did you get that one from? kee doesnt mean shit??

Everytime a baby is around me and starts to smell i hear the word "baby kee baby kee"

[BygonKeaw]

Of course alot of thais dont like farang.

A lot of Farangs don't like Farangs also.

I Know, they do smell somewhat

Sunset put these stupid farangs who think they know more about thailand than all the other farangs.

Please explain to them what "farang kee nok" means as YOU are thai.

[Neeranam]

Also, 'kee' here does not mean 'shit'.

Of course it does!

Yeah were did you get that one from? kee doesnt mean shit??

Everytime a baby is around me and starts to smell i hear the word "baby kee baby kee"

Taken from a previous thread -

ขี้ . . . ว. [วิเศษณ์] ใช้ประกอบหน้าคําที่แสดงความหมายในทางที่ไม่ดี เช่น ขี้เกียจ ขี้เหนียว, หรือมักเป็นเช่นนั้น เช่น ขี้หัวเราะ ขี้ขอ.

"khee . . . a modifier used as a combining element in front of another word to indicate a meaning which is not good, for example, "to be lazy", "to be stingy" or some similar usage, for example, "to laugh too often", "to be constantly asking for things".

[BygonKeaw]

Also, 'kee' here does not mean 'shit'.

Of course it does!

Yeah were did you get that one from? kee doesnt mean shit??

Everytime a baby is around me and starts to smell i hear the word "baby kee baby kee"

Taken from a previous thread -

ขี้ . . . ว. [วิเศษณ์] ใช้ประกอบหน้าคําที่แสดงความหมายในทางที่ไม่ดี เช่น ขี้เกียจ ขี้เหนียว, หรือมักเป็นเช่นนั้น เช่น ขี้หัวเราะ ขี้ขอ.

"khee . . . a modifier used as a combining element in front of another word to indicate a meaning which is not good, for example, "to be lazy", "to be stingy" or some similar usage, for example, "to laugh too often", "to be constantly asking for things".

LOL so whats the thai word for shit/poo???? not kee no???

[BygonKeaw]

come on lets have a thai person to tell everyone what "farang kee nok" really means not a member who has apparently asked his or her other half.