Called A Farang

[kiakaha]

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.

[sendbaht]

Over the years I have always enjoyed being called a farang, for some reason I like it. I am a farang and proud of it.

[easyride]

and then I drive past a market named "Kad Farang," where you can buy farang fruit and Swiss chocolate.

Then of course there's man falang - potato.

[Dakhar]

Westerners or foreigners or non Thais who accept this racial slur are a disgrace to their own race. I accept that it can be used as purely descriptive but that is in itself potentially racially abusive and in its most common usage it is akin to "nigger" or "<deleted>", "paki", "coon" or other non acceptable word.

Sorry, I do not use the word and will not accept it. Now roll up all you "I know more than the Thais" westerners to tell me how it should be, how I know nothing and how I should be kissing their arse etc.

amen

[jubby]

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

[theoldgit]

Doesn't farang mean foreigner? I have pointed out that when we travel to Europe or indeed any other country that my gf is then a farang, she finds that quite amusing as well.

I don't care what I am called as long as it's not late for dinner.

[zzdocxx]

Just don't call me late for supper.

[kiakaha]

Doesn't farang mean foreigner? I have pointed out that when we travel to Europe or indeed any other country that my gf is then a farang, she finds that quite amusing as well.

I don't care what I am called as long as it's not late for dinner.

No it doesn't, see this post

[Heng]

It can be used in a derogatory way, but in general IMO it's just a descriptive.

If I were a farang, I'd be more concerned with the laws (and how to circumvent them) that keep farangs from working in hundreds of occupations, owning land, and handicapping the chances of them establishing any kind of permanent community here.

[dinthailand]

No day goes by without me waking up and praying, "Oh dear God, please do not let anybody call me a farang!" It nearly drives me insane, and then I drive past a market named "Kad Farang," where you can buy farang fruit and Swiss chocolate.

This is the mostest biggest problem in Tyeland, greater than coloured shirts or English teachers, beer bars or gay pride parades being violently broken up. Never mind that auto production is down by 50%. People are calling farangs, farangs! Oh, the horror, the shame, the shambala, the jambalaya and the crawfish pie......

you have a way with words, and in an amusing way put things in perspective

the op has made a serious point - worthy of forum discussion - but it is good to lighten up the thread

i suppose some would link the stockholm syndrome to the thai apologists that also post, and there is some relevance there.

but yes pb an amusing post.

[dinthailand]

Westerners or foreigners or non Thais who accept this racial slur are a disgrace to their own race. I accept that it can be used as purely descriptive but that is in itself potentially racially abusive and in its most common usage it is akin to "nigger" or "<deleted>", "paki", "coon" or other non acceptable word.

Sorry, I do not use the word and will not accept it. Now roll up all you "I know more than the Thais" westerners to tell me how it should be, how I know nothing and how I should be kissing their arse etc.

i don't believe in kissing their arse either and yes there are always the thai apologists who have gone more native than the native. those with no backbone develop what was called the stockholm syndrome. colloboration in vichy france is probably the best example.

best to accept it and walk on. sticks and stones may break my bones, names will never hurt me.

in some situations where walking away is not appropriate, calling them a thai makes them think of their rudeness. thais easily get embarassed and this sometimes works.

giving way to them all the time is not always the right way but you need to be selective.

[CrossBones]

I don't mind being called Farang - these days,it's just nice to be noticed

When I hear "Oooh, Farang" around the villages etc, I know that it is out of curiosity. Not once have I felt any resentment or disrespect in the use of the word.

My girlfriend, and her family, will use "Farang" when talking about me, or in the third person. It sounded odd at first but I quickly got over it, I suggest everyone else does otherwise you will become bitter like coventry clearly has. Many Thais may be uneducated but I have met more ignorant Farangs than Thais.

Im sorry to say it dude but if your girlfriend or her family refer to you as "farang" or "the farang" ALARM BELLS should be ringing! They certainly dont accept you as part of their family.

[Thai at Heart]

Depends on context.

Mostly I don't care but, it is obvious to me that it is often used in a derogatory manner which moves me to scowl back.

[edwardandtubs]

I don't mind being called Farang - these days,it's just nice to be noticed

When I hear "Oooh, Farang" around the villages etc, I know that it is out of curiosity. Not once have I felt any resentment or disrespect in the use of the word.

My girlfriend, and her family, will use "Farang" when talking about me, or in the third person. It sounded odd at first but I quickly got over it, I suggest everyone else does otherwise you will become bitter like coventry clearly has. Many Thais may be uneducated but I have met more ignorant Farangs than Thais.

Im sorry to say it dude but if your girlfriend or her family refer to you as "farang" or "the farang" ALARM BELLS should be ringing! They certainly dont accept you as part of their family.

It shows they don't even recognise him as an individual.

[Thai at Heart]

I don't mind being called Farang - these days,it's just nice to be noticed

When I hear "Oooh, Farang" around the villages etc, I know that it is out of curiosity. Not once have I felt any resentment or disrespect in the use of the word.

My girlfriend, and her family, will use "Farang" when talking about me, or in the third person. It sounded odd at first but I quickly got over it, I suggest everyone else does otherwise you will become bitter like coventry clearly has. Many Thais may be uneducated but I have met more ignorant Farangs than Thais.

Im sorry to say it dude but if your girlfriend or her family refer to you as "farang" or "the farang" ALARM BELLS should be ringing! They certainly dont accept you as part of their family.

It shows they don't even recognise him as an individual.

I would tend to agree.

You are part of the family and not some farang that just washed up on the beach.

[edwardandtubs]

If during a conversation in English a Thai calls me a farang, I point out that farang is not an English word and the correct English term is "white person". With their obsession with skin whitening, Thais hate being caught out like this.

Unfortunately, many white people are too brainwashed with "white guilt" to call themselves what they are.

[thaimiller]

Done quite a bit of Diving off South Shields years ago. Wreck diving, maybe a Submarine or something. Could never see my hand in front of my mask.

Still don't know why . Lovely Place

Rotherham . .............. Its always a conversation Killer

Jubby you've just made my day, theres now 2 of us from the little town 6 miles from Shrffield. Where abouts ya from? Im a Brinsworth Lad.

[toybits]

I heard an owner of a popular restaurant call his physically-disabled (dwarf) staff TUA NOI (meaning small body) and felt really bad about it. Perhaps, there is something I don't understand about Thais. I related my observation to my kids and they - who grew up here felt exactly like me. To them, the restaurant owner insulted his staff by referring to her as TUA NOI - instead of calling her by her proper name.

My Thai wife, however, felt it was perfectly alright.

[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

[polecat]

Where can I get a good burger?

[t.s]

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

Most of the time I grin and bare when called a farang. 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.

oh do you? how does that go over?

[Cuban]

I agree with some of the comments above - I think it depends on context and I too use it a negative sense when incountering some stupid non-Thais just as I would a word when remarking on stupid Thais. Those that are closer to me family members and staff use my name, those that I overhear refering to me as the F word will normally get refered to as Somchai - when pointed out this is not 'her' name I explain its a general term for "Thai" like farang is - they give a 'oh' expression.

Thais use the word to span a number of different issues and not all are negative, so it is all to be understood in context. My Thai social circle refer to me as Pee-Cuban which is respectful and staff wai at the beginning and end of day so it's not all bad.

[Travel2003]

Back home we call the foreigners.......ehm......yes, foreigners.

One bigger country over the Atlantic calls them Aliens.

[t.s]

good god, who gives a sh_t.

It is the tone not the term that matters.

save your indignation for moments the offense is intentional.

methinks the honky doth protest too much

[Jingthing]

Back home we call the foreigners.......ehm......yes, foreigners.

One bigger country over the Atlantic calls them Aliens.

In the US, illegal immigrants are indeed often called aliens, but usually not to their face.

Legal immigrants are called immigrants. They are not called foreigners.

Foreign tourists are called foreign tourists or foreigners.

There are derogatory words for immigrants from south of the border, Asians, and South Asians, but they are not said to the faces of the people unless looking for violence.

[Underbelly]

I have no idea why a farang would be offended being called a farang.It sounds silly to me

[Travel2003]

Back home we call the foreigners.......ehm......yes, foreigners.

One bigger country over the Atlantic calls them Aliens.

In the US, illegal immigrants are indeed often called aliens, but usually not to their face.

Legal immigrants are called immigrants. They are not called foreigners.

Foreign tourists are called foreign tourists or foreigners.

Not that long ago I stood in the immigration there, the signs said Aliens.

Anyhow, that a discussion for another day.

Cheers mate

[asiancup2007]

I call a Farang a Farang, I'm Farang too.

Yes you're a fruit right enough.

[Jingthing]

Not that long ago I stood in the immigration there, the signs said Aliens.

Fair point, but everyday usage on the street and the press, the word aliens is usually applied to illegals. There is no way a waiter greeting a French tourist in a restaurant would call him an alien, to his face or friends. He would say French tourist or foreigner.

[Travel2003]

Not that long ago I stood in the immigration there, the signs said Aliens.

Fair point, but everyday usage on the street and the press, the word aliens is usually applied to illegals. There is no way a waiter greeting a French tourist in a restaurant would call him an alien, to his face or friends. He would say French tourist or foreigner.

True.

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

What would the farang like to eat?

Is the farang thirsty?