Called A Farang

[bungy007]

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.

Disagree strongly. Farang is simply a Thai term for people of Caucasoid race. You are annoyed when called a farang simply becuase you do NOT understand the word like the Thais do. It's a culture-language thing rather than a racial issue. You can trust me on this as I am from Thailand, born and bred! You can read more about this in my other post above.

Kind Regards,

Tongfaafaasai

Interesting. How would Thais feel if I called them brown skinned asian monkey and said "well that's the sort of name we call you in our culture - especially when I was growing up in Birmingham." Would they understand and accept me calling them brown skinned asian monkies or would the feel a tad upset? I'd be very interested to know the answer from you as you obviously have a good command of English and

are Thai born and bred

[tongfaafaasai]

Tongfaafaasai speaks the truth , Although your not a Pakki which in my book simply is short for Pakistanni which is probably a derogatory remark also to some people . I am interested to know why you think your not Asian though

I was an Asian prior to learning English the British way. For some reason, British refer an Asian to a person who is from India, Bangaladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistani and some other countries from South Asia. Thailand is in Asia so yes I am an Asian and a Thai.

Your a 'South East Asian' in my book, probably been mistaken for allsorts in Britain though right

Chok Dee my little peanut Only joking , I miss the days when we could have a laugh about being different

the worse one was at Liverpool St station as i mentioned earlier the rest were college and uni jokes from friends.

[bungy007]

Tongfaafaasai speaks the truth , Although your not a Pakki which in my book simply is short for Pakistanni which is probably a derogatory remark also to some people . I am interested to know why you think your not Asian though

I was an Asian prior to learning English the British way. For some reason, British refer an Asian to a person who is from India, Bangaladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistani and some other countries from South Asia. Thailand is in Asia so yes I am an Asian and a Thai.

Yeah. You are a little confused. To us you aren't Asian you are Oriental - from the Orient. This is meant with all respect but just to clarify your position a little. We recognise that the world is diverse and therefore sub catagorise accordingly where as Thais don't think so deeply on this issue and call every white skinned person 'Farang' as opposed to Anglo-Saxon, Scandanavian or Slavic etc.

[jubby]

Tongfaafaasai speaks the truth , Although your not a Pakki which in my book simply is short for Pakistanni which is probably a derogatory remark also to some people . I am interested to know why you think your not Asian though

I was an Asian prior to learning English the British way. For some reason, British refer an Asian to a person who is from India, Bangaladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistani and some other countries from South Asia. Thailand is in Asia so yes I am an Asian and a Thai.

Your a 'South East Asian' in my book, probably been mistaken for allsorts in Britain though right

Chok Dee my little peanut Only joking , I miss the days when we could have a laugh about being different

the worse one was at Liverpool St station as i mentioned earlier the rest were college and uni jokes from friends.

Some of us Brits, even though we're one of the most mixed race, mixed blood people on Earth can use derogatory remarks like Paki occasionally and do occasionally get it wrong.

[unforgiven]

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

she's ignorant.An educated Thai wouldn't do it, unless to insult.

[alyx]

I don't like being called a "farang" and my close Thai friends, boyfriend, and his friends all know this and therefore refrain from referring to me as a "farang" when I am in their presence. I don't think that all of them understand why I do not like this word, but they are respectful enough not to call me that. (Who knows what they say when I'm not around though )

Well strange statement: I guess that they would call you by your name if they knew you and would certainly refrain from calling you a farang in your back unless one is upset. Thai people easily call one another by their first name, unless they name each other brother/sister. And calling you Pi Farang would be a good thing too.

I don't like being called a farang either, as I would not call anyone by one's race as it is higly disrespectful in Europe.

Some years ago it was systematic and most of the time kids, or adults for the matter didn't mean to be hurtful. And trust me I really used to get upset with the term but then again that takes its roots in my culture.

Nowadays I can notice quite a shift in attitude especially in the stores: the attendant would call you a client rather than a farang, but then again this is in Bangkok

In the streets too, I do not mean at Silom ot any other tourist's populated area, when I drive (byke) no one points at me anymore signaling the fact that there is a farang around. They tend to smile but do not get agitated anymore at the sight of a caucasian.

For those who are very proud of their origins, and sensitive about it, one should know that farang comes from the word "français" meaning French and dates back to the fist visits of French to Thailand and it was the Thai way to designate a foreigner. This "title" has stuck to caucasians ever since

As for the case which started this thread,whether she likes it or not, I would certainly not allow the Thai lady living in Switzerland call me be by anything else but my name and would clearly state it to her

[mrt273nva]

The only thing that bothers me about the word farang is that it's origins have to do with the French. I'm not French, and no matter how hard I try I never will be French. Other than that I have no problem with the word. In fact I use it now too. If you are offended by being called a foreigner then you have some issues, however it is perfectly normal to be offended by someone calling you French. "Farang" is just one of those words that has developed a broader definition over time. Today its meaning is if you are a white westerner then YOU ARE FARANG (so deal with it, or stop using language).

[bigtimeali]

i can equate it with being called ginger!!! its all discriptive.... words

[tongfaafaasai]

Interesting. How would Thais feel if I called them brown skinned asian monkey and said "well that's the sort of name we call you in our culture - especially when I was growing up in Birmingham." Would they understand and accept me calling them brown skinned asian monkies or would the feel a tad upset? I'd be very interested to know the answer from you as you obviously have a good command of English and

are Thai born and bred

If you have been in Thailand for long or mixed with Thais a lot you will notice that we hardly talk about racism as it is not an issue in Thailand nor an interesting subject for us to talk about. In fact, our knowledge of racism is so poor that if you call us a brown skinned asian monkey, we wouldn't be upset at all. However, whereas in Birmingham, people are well aware of racism so it is normal for Asian people to be upset when called by certain words. To be honest, I am really glad that Thais are very neutral towards racial issue hence we have many tourists in our country. The only thing I don't like about my country is its Politics - and not the corruptions!

Kind Regards

Tongfaafaasai

[jubby]

i can equate it with being called ginger!!! its all discriptive.... words

Thanks for turning off the Lights you Norvern Ginger Caucasiod person you

[poothai]

The only thing that bothers me about the word farang is that it's origins have to do with the French. I'm not French, and no matter how hard I try I never will be French. Other than that I have no problem with the word. In fact I use it now too. If you are offended by being called a foreigner then you have some issues, however it is perfectly normal to be offended by someone calling you French. "Farang" is just one of those words that has developed a broader definition over time. Today its meaning is if you are a white westerner then YOU ARE FARANG (so deal with it, or stop using language).

Farang word doesn't come origins from French.

In Thailand history said Farang is origins word from "Frank".

[edwardandtubs]

Some of us Brits, even though we're one of the most mixed race, mixed blood people on Earth can use derogatory remarks like Paki occasionally and do occasionally get it wrong.

Modern genetic studies reveal the Brits as being one of the least mixed race peoples on Earth. Obviously the Celts, Saxons and Vikings belonged to the same race.

Edited March 6, 2009 by edwardandtubs

[jubby]

Some of us Brits, even though we're one of the most mixed race, mixed blood people on Earth can use derogatory remarks like Paki occasionally and do occasionally get it wrong.

Modern genetic studies reveal the Brits as being one of the least mixed race peoples on Earth. Obviously the Celts, Saxons and Vikings belonged to the same race.

Obviously, sorry my mistake. Just white people in britain then

I'm outta here now to see if any of these yellow little buggers have torched anymore of our land. Deja Vu .. Did I say that already.

[edwardandtubs]

The only thing that bothers me about the word farang is that it's origins have to do with the French. I'm not French, and no matter how hard I try I never will be French. Other than that I have no problem with the word. In fact I use it now too. If you are offended by being called a foreigner then you have some issues, however it is perfectly normal to be offended by someone calling you French. "Farang" is just one of those words that has developed a broader definition over time. Today its meaning is if you are a white westerner then YOU ARE FARANG (so deal with it, or stop using language).

Russians are not westerners so they're not farangs?

[Maigo6]

In my own country I was called a <deleted>.

Being called a Farang ain't so bad..

Being called a Farang <deleted> may be an insult.......

Edited March 6, 2009 by Maigo6

[jubby]

In my own country I was called a <deleted>.

Being called a Farang ain't so bad..

Being called a Farang <deleted> may be an insult.......

You had your own Country Maigo6 ? . That doesn't suprise me I suppose.

Must have been called King <deleted> right

[BigSnake]

I don't mine one bit, I like most Farangs have been call much worse. To be honest most Thai people perfer to call you by your first name, Khun Bob, Khun John, etc, on some occassion if they don't know you, you will be address as "Hey You"

[freddiefunk]

The only thing that bothers me about the word farang is that it's origins have to do with the French. I'm not French, and no matter how hard I try I never will be French. Other than that I have no problem with the word. In fact I use it now too. If you are offended by being called a foreigner then you have some issues, however it is perfectly normal to be offended by someone calling you French. "Farang" is just one of those words that has developed a broader definition over time. Today its meaning is if you are a white westerner then YOU ARE FARANG (so deal with it, or stop using language).

[kiakaha]

hmmm..a bunch of people debating the semantics and etymology of a word that most of them could not even read in its native form...haha , kinda like a bunch of chimpanzees debating Shakespeare ... ใช่ไหม ?

Edited March 6, 2009 by kiakaha

[bkkjames]

hmmm..a bunch of people debating the semantics and etymology of a word that most of them could not even read in its native form...haha , kinda like a bunch of chimpanzees debating Shakespeare ... ใช่ไหม ?

impressive, your knowledge of the word $#^&(#A (* makes me want to run out and get lessons. Do you and Mr. Daniels study together?

[freddiefunk]

hmmm..a bunch of people debating the semantics and etymology of a word that most of them could not even read in its native form...haha , kinda like a bunch of chimpanzees debating Shakespeare ... ใช่ไหม ?

I smell a "I know more Thai language than you!" pissing match brewing...

[kiakaha]

hmmm..a bunch of people debating the semantics and etymology of a word that most of them could not even read in its native form...haha , kinda like a bunch of chimpanzees debating Shakespeare ... ใช่ไหม ?

impressive, your knowledge of the word $#^&(#A (* makes me want to run out and get lessons. Do you and Mr. Daniels study together?

To answer your question, since one was posed, no, i don't study anymore and I don't know anyone who goes by Mr. Daniels.

[midasthailand]

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.

Sorry, I must be a disgrace! I kind of liked things before all this political correctness BS came in, in the old days it was a level playing field and caucasians could call other races any nickname they liked and they could do likewise to us.

Now because western governments are enforcing all these racial vilification laws I have to call a person from the gulf area a Middle Eastern gentleman, whereas he can still refer to me as Infidel, white prick, Aussie racist etc...without fear of prosecution.

As for Farang, whenever I hear the word used as a slur I respond in Thai, this usually causes the offender to lose face and gives his/her friends a good laugh. I have met many new friends as a result of someone talking about the Farang sitting nearby minding his own business. LOL. When the word is used in general conversation to describe me in a non offensive way, I have no problem with it. If I were home in Australia and wished to point out an Asian sitting nearby, I would say "the Asian guy/chick over there". Nothing wrong or offensive about that, is there?

[bkkjames]

hmmm..a bunch of people debating the semantics and etymology of a word that most of them could not even read in its native form...haha , kinda like a bunch of chimpanzees debating Shakespeare ... ใช่ไหม ?

impressive, your knowledge of the word $#^&(#A (* makes me want to run out and get lessons. Do you and Mr. Daniels study together?

To answer your question, since one was posed, no, i don't study anymore and I don't know anyone who goes by Mr. Daniels.

actually KK, I was taken the piss at your self imposed superiority complex and demeaning comment regarding those on here debating the use of the word farang.

now that you have shown us you know how to write Thai, can you explain to us why then you bother to tread on such a meaningless thread - other than to re-assure your own insecurities?

[kiakaha]

hmmm..a bunch of people debating the semantics and etymology of a word that most of them could not even read in its native form...haha , kinda like a bunch of chimpanzees debating Shakespeare ... ใช่ไหม ?

impressive, your knowledge of the word $#^&(#A (* makes me want to run out and get lessons. Do you and Mr. Daniels study together?

To answer your question, since one was posed, no, i don't study anymore and I don't know anyone who goes by Mr. Daniels.

actually KK, I was taken the piss

and so was i with my deliberate response.

call or raise

[bkkjames]

hmmm..a bunch of people debating the semantics and etymology of a word that most of them could not even read in its native form...haha , kinda like a bunch of chimpanzees debating Shakespeare ... ใช่ไหม ?

impressive, your knowledge of the word $#^&(#A (* makes me want to run out and get lessons. Do you and Mr. Daniels study together?

To answer your question, since one was posed, no, i don't study anymore and I don't know anyone who goes by Mr. Daniels.

actually KK, I was taken the piss

and so was i with my deliberate response.

call or raise

I will raise you one piss, and two farang.

[GrahamF]

hmmm..a bunch of people debating the semantics and etymology of a word that most of them could not even read in its native form...haha , kinda like a bunch of chimpanzees debating Shakespeare ... ใช่ไหม ?

How can we be a bunch of dark little monkeys/apes, we are farang?

[freddiefunk]

... ใช่ไหม ?

Can you do us all a favor and break it down? What does it mean?

[Birdman]

... ใช่ไหม ?

Can you do us all a favor and break it down? What does it mean?

http://www.thai2english.com/dictionary/382.html

[kiakaha]

... ใช่ไหม ?

Can you do us all a favor and break it down? What does it mean?

isn't it (stuff you learn on day 1 of thai 101 )

Edited March 6, 2009 by kiakaha