Called A Farang

[mc2]

farang is an ugly sounding word, especially the way the thais spit it out. if they say it quickly and roughly enough, it has an offensive ring to it, almost venomous.

the word by itself is not used in a racist term by the Thais, from what I understand.

however the problem is, by lumping us all under one name based on racial features, it becomes too easy to turn the label from a relatively positive one to a negative one, a racist one.

If one day the perceptions of "farangs" turned negative, for whatever reason, "farang" would then become a racist term.

[Jingthing]

But I have never heard about a Thai saying "hello farang, how are you"?

Really? I hear that often.

[mc2]

when im on the motorbike, when children see me they often stop, point and shout "farang" with a smile or a laugh . the group then points and shouts farang to me. even though they have seen me before 100 times.

it makes me feel like an infamous celebrity.

Edited March 5, 2009 by mc2

[Moonrakers]

Did Sting not once refer to himself as "A legal Alien", (Englishman in New York)

[jubby]

I heard an owner of a popular restaurant call his physically-disabled (dwarf) staff TUA NOI (meaning small body)

ถั่ว or ตัว .... haha , my little peanut, oh, so sweet

Little peanut ! ..... thats got to be an effective counter for anyone offended by Farang. I might try it out next time

The Honky doth protest too mut me thinks. Thats a good one also. replace Honky with wigger for more effect maybe ;-)

[JSixpack]

I do find it helps to make the point however if I respond by calling the other person a Thai, most often it causes the other person to stop and think for a moment.

That really doesn't help too much, because Thais are so proud of themselves, being brainwashed and all.

What helps much more is to respond by calling them a Lao.

-Hallo, Farang!

-Hallo, Lao!

Quiet's 'em right down.

Sometimes they'll respond w/ "I'm not Lao." You can respond with

-Jing jing luh? [in disbelief]

-I'm not a farang, either, saparot! (plays on meaning of farang as guava, so they must be a pineapple).

-I'm not a farang either, but a khon American (get that khon in there for "person"; notice that other nationalities get the more respectful khon, like khon Jeepun, but farangs don't get that respect)

-So why are your manners Lao?

[Gary A]

Farang? Doesn't bother me, but then again I came to Thailand to get away from all that PC bullshit. Some people are too sensitive. Get over it or go back home.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Agreed.

(And honestly does nobody ever tire of redoing this topic every other month? )

[kiakaha]

I heard an owner of a popular restaurant call his physically-disabled (dwarf) staff TUA NOI (meaning small body)

ถั่ว or ตัว .... haha , my little peanut, oh, so sweet

Little peanut ! ..... thats got to be an effective counter for anyone offended by Farang. I might try it out next time

actually i was making a comment on the transliteration "TUA"....could mean one of several things in tonal thai script.

[Maigo6]

Agreed.

(And honestly does nobody ever tire of redoing this topic every other month? )

Winnie there will be another next month too, and another sin sot thread, another Thai women are evil thread, another Thai guys are drunks thread, aother why do you send money to Thai girls thread, another my wife is whiter skinned than your wife thread, another my wife had 65 Degrees from an overseas university thread, another..............................and so on and so on, some entertaining, some not, most a load of crap, but, thats internet forums.

[jubby]

I heard an owner of a popular restaurant call his physically-disabled (dwarf) staff TUA NOI (meaning small body)

ถั่ว or ตัว .... haha , my little peanut, oh, so sweet

Little peanut ! ..... thats got to be an effective counter for anyone offended by Farang. I might try it out next time

actually i was making a comment on the transliteration "TUA"....could mean one of several things in tonal thai script.

Your the genius mate. will 'Little peanut' cut it in my mono tone ? without causing too much offence

[teacup]

Agreed.

(And honestly does nobody ever tire of redoing this topic every other month? )

Seems apparently NOT!!!….sigh sigh

There must be ga-zi-lion posts on this same topic!

[kiakaha]

I heard an owner of a popular restaurant call his physically-disabled (dwarf) staff TUA NOI (meaning small body)

ถั่ว or ตัว .... haha , my little peanut, oh, so sweet

Little peanut ! ..... thats got to be an effective counter for anyone offended by Farang. I might try it out next time

actually i was making a comment on the transliteration "TUA"....could mean one of several things in tonal thai script.

Your the genius mate. will 'Little peanut' cut it in my mono tone ? without causing too much offence

ถั่ว เล็ก (tua lek) would be more grammatically accurate.

But it's a moot point really, the literal translation into english might seem like a funny / lighthearted jest, but in practicallity it means nothing and the thai recipient would just give you a blank stare

[barky]

Ok Mods merge this topic if you think it is not a new one.

I do not mind being called a farang,we all know what it means but one lady called me a farang and some of my friends, she is Thai, lived for many years in Swizerland can speak German, not to good. But I just wonder how can she call me a farang even so she lived outsite her country for many many years.

No one ever would call her an asian or some thing else in Switzerland.

I just don't get it.

I am lost

Here we go again. OK I took the bait. In the main, many Thais are racist, xenophobic, nationalistic, narrow-minded, poorly educated and smug people who don't care less that they often offend foreingners (usually white westener) . But you had better not under any circumstance call them Asian you racist.

[mrcree007]

Can you have a black or Asian ferang? if yes then there is nothing wrong with being called a ferang it simply means foreigner.

wrong.

ชาวต่างประเทศ means foriegner.

ฝรั่ง means caucasian.

simple really.

read any thai script documents /signs in a bank, immigration laws, police notices, pricing signs at national parks, airport etc.., and you'll only see the term ชาวต่างประเทศ used.

so it would seem that farang is a dirrogetry term here in thailand for white/caucasian people.

in that case i think that only whites/caucasian should be able to use the word farang when speaking to each other or about each other.

rather like back at home (england) where some of the minorty races call each other things like nigger and paki. but should a white/caucasian use these names all hel_l would break loose!

so from now on only us whitetys, honkeys can call ourselves farang. ok?!!!!

[polecat]

Winnie there will be another next month too, and another sin sot thread, another Thai women are evil thread, another Thai guys are drunks thread, aother why do you send money to Thai girls thread, another my wife is whiter skinned than your wife thread, another my wife had 65 Degrees from an overseas university thread, another..............................and so on and so on, some entertaining, some not, most a load of crap, but, thats internet forums.

But burgers, Maigo6, what about burgers? And Mexican food?

Only joking, I'd never be that tedious.

By the way, can anyone suggest a good tailor?

[Maigo6]

Here we go again. OK I took the bait. In the main, many Thais are racist, xenophobic, nationalistic, narrow-minded, poorly educated and smug people who don't care less that they often offend foreingners

So Thais are getting more and more westernized..........

With some of the rubbish that gets washed up on the shores of The Kingdom are a fair few Farangs that wouldn't be welcome in my house or yours, unfortunately, these dregs of humanity mar most of us in the eyes of some Thai people.

Just as a passing Farang may have his views of Thai people altered by reading so many of the ' Thais are bad and Farangs are good ' threads on the various Thai related forums, unless of course the views about the people are the very type of people he associates with.

I seldom see all these horror stories that so many of the posters here seem to witness daily, I've only been in Thailand since 1990 so maybe I'm not experienced in the ways of Thai people yet. Maybe I should hang around with Farangs more, learn about how Thailand really is, from the experts.

[Gary A]

Once in a while some word smith genius writes an article saying the farang is a derogatory word. At that point some thin skinned PC person feels compelled to tell the rest of us that we are being insulted.

[Maigo6]

Once in a while some word smith genius writes an article saying the farang is a derogatory word. At that point some thin skinned PC person feels compelled to tell the rest of us that we are being insulted.

Mr Farang G, are you still up North ?

I'm back on Saturday, I'll be down my other place for maybe a week, or until I'm driven crazy with the traffic, then I'm back up home for a while.

If you're at home in NH we'll have to meet up for a few, you me and the other Farang and his dog.

[Chaimai]

Once in a while some word smith genius writes an article saying the farang is a derogatory word. At that point some thin skinned PC person feels compelled to tell the rest of us that we are being insulted.

Mr Farang G, are you still up North ?

I'm back on Saturday, I'll be down my other place for maybe a week, or until I'm driven crazy with the traffic, then I'm back up home for a while.

If you're at home in NH we'll have to meet up for a few, you me and the other Farang and his dog.

That's if he has recovered from his celebrations -Happy Birthday Gary A

[barky]

Here we go again. OK I took the bait. In the main, many Thais are racist, xenophobic, nationalistic, narrow-minded, poorly educated and smug people who don't care less that they often offend foreingners

So Thais are getting more and more westernized..........

With some of the rubbish that gets washed up on the shores of The Kingdom are a fair few Farangs that wouldn't be welcome in my house or yours, unfortunately, these dregs of humanity mar most of us in the eyes of some Thai people.

Just as a passing Farang may have his views of Thai people altered by reading so many of the ' Thais are bad and Farangs are good ' threads on the various Thai related forums, unless of course the views about the people are the very type of people he associates with.

I seldom see all these horror stories that so many of the posters here seem to witness daily, I've only been in Thailand since 1990 so maybe I'm not experienced in the ways of Thai people yet. Maybe I should hang around with Farangs more, learn about how Thailand really is, from the experts.

Yes OK Maigo6. I am fair minded enough to lean your way a bit on some of your thoughts. But just a few points:

My social circle (friends, relatives, colleagues) in the west were decent, hard-working open-minded, fair, courteous, thoughtful, caring, generous and honourable people by any standard. Maybe you are using your own previous social circle as a yard stick. Maybe my standards are too high.

I agree with your next paragraph re: the washed up dregs.

Your next point on a passing westener viewing some of the posts here. Well what do you expect on an expat forum? Do you think for one minute that Thais don't vent their spleen on their forums right here in Thailand and overseas. And it also depends what the issue/topic is. Thais are good and bad just as westeners are good and bad. However, once again, I can only measure what I experience and observe here against the up-bringing that I had and the people I associated with in the west. And often I find that Thais score poorly in what I would call socially (taking a wholistic world human view) acceptable behaviour towards peoples of other races/nationalities. Again maybe my standards are too high.

As for your last paragraph. I too don't have any major horror stories, mainly because I tend to keep my wits about me and my guard up at all times especially with those I don't know well. And I tend to be very observant of people: character, guestures, tone, posture, general body language etc. I also keep my ears open.

I may just finish by saying that there have been many many occasions over the years where I have been spoken too, or treated poorly, or rudely, disrepectfully, or insulted for absolutely no reason at all. It's something that I would never be the initiator of in dealing with Thais or others for that matter, and it is this low class behaviour that many Thais have towards foreigners that I will not allow myself to succum too and turn a blind eye too no matter how long I live here. Once again maybe it was my decent up-bringing and the wonderful social circle that I moved in previously that have caused me to expect not to be treated/spoken too (or about) in a derogitory, racist mannar. If there is any problem that I have had with a Thai in this regard it is always because they were the antagonist, the aggressor the disrespectful fowl mouth in the first place. Why? It seems to be their national past-time. And because they can!

Yet, to put some balance in place it would only be fair of me to say that I have met and been associated with a number of Thais who are or at least seem to be good and fine decent people, but unfortunately for me anyway I haven't met enough of them.

[sanmiguel]

I do not mind being called a farang,

Farang is fine, but i dont like being call a falong/ falang or any other bad pronunciations of the word.

Edited March 5, 2009 by sanmiguel

[Cuban]

The other evening I stopped for a beer on the way home while walking my two large dogs, a Thai lady was asking me if the dogs were Thai or farang while she petted and stroked them, she was a little suprised when I said that were Thai but understood English well enough but moved futher away when I said they were part rotweiller, otherwise she was happy to stoke them. :-)

One of the local kids points to my dogs and says 'Ma farang' when she comes out to play, I'm sure she doesn't mean me.

[sanmiguel]

The other evening I stopped for a beer on the way home while walking my two large dogs, a Thai lady was asking me if the dogs were Thai or farang while she petted and stroked them, she was a little suprised when I said that were Thai but understood English well enough but moved futher away when I said they were part rotweiller.

Unless the other part is Chihuahua she is bright enough to get away from the vile aggressive animals.

[Travel2003]

The other evening I stopped for a beer on the way home while walking my two large dogs, a Thai lady was asking me if the dogs were Thai or farang while she petted and stroked them, she was a little suprised when I said that were Thai but understood English well enough but moved futher away when I said they were part rotweiller.

Unless the other part is Chihuahua she is bright enough to get away from the vile aggressive animals.

Still talk about the dogs, right?

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Sorry Cuban, just had to.

[bigtimeali]

hi all

i always found that when somebody calls you farang, just say....... mai chi farang, pom ben buxidar!!! normally puts a smile on thier faces. people shouldn't be offended by a word, i get called a hel_l of a lot worse everyday in europe everyday and i just treat it like water of a ducks back!!!!! chill out people and wear a smile through life and stop moaning about nothing. its only name calling at its very worst!!!!!

p.s. not sure about correct spelling, but i'm sure you get the jist

[scottyd]

Call me an ambulance your avatar just made me have a fit.

[dave9988]

the funny thing is when one of those lifers looks at his Thai wife and mumbles 'falang' at your presence.

[Gary A]

Once in a while some word smith genius writes an article saying the farang is a derogatory word. At that point some thin skinned PC person feels compelled to tell the rest of us that we are being insulted.

Mr Farang G, are you still up North ?

I'm back on Saturday, I'll be down my other place for maybe a week, or until I'm driven crazy with the traffic, then I'm back up home for a while.

If you're at home in NH we'll have to meet up for a few, you me and the other Farang and his dog.

That's if he has recovered from his celebrations -Happy Birthday Gary A

Thanks for the happy birthday. I have had so many birthdays that I no longer celebrate them. Maigo6, check your messages.

[popmybubble]

forget this thread,have you seen popmybubble,very nice.Now i could go off thai women now lol.

Yeah she's a babe allright but so is our little Darling Midoriapple

In my dreams Right ladies

Umm... how do you know?