Called A Farang

[barky]

So for everyone who finds the term farang offensive, what would you like to be called?

Please keep in mind many of the thais that would be using the term are not world travellers and may not be familiar with world geography.

I propose 'paranoid whitey'

What about "Look Kha" for a bl**dy start. Whenever I'm a customer or potential customer inside their place of business. I would be satisfied with that to begin with.

What about when I'm sitting at the same food table with some Thais and the bill is requested some racist a*****e says "Oh, and how much for the farang?" What about poo chai or phuan, That would be a good seconder.

How about when I'm at an enquiry counter asking for information the staff member when calling out to fellow staff behind him regarding my query shouts out "The farang wants to know...such and such"

Don't tell me that most Thais don't know what they're doing I don't believe it for a minute.

What about when I'm walking along the footpath minding my own business and some street urchin (hawker, taxi diver, vendor) gets angry because I have ignored his offer of a taxi/new suit/sex CD/massage or whatever else I'm being urged to buy and in their anger they call out "farang kee nok" .

There are just far too many Thais that think this kind of foul mouth, disrespectful behaviour is OK.

If you, the westener, think this is OK and fully accept being called a farang in the kind of scenarios I have outlined above, then it says more about you than it does about the un-educated (and even too often the suposedly educated) Thai who is generally just following the social norm he/she has grown up with.

All Thais know the word "mister" This word would be acceptable in many circumstances and situations. But oh no, most can't do that can they, that's treating the white guy with some common respect.

just want to point out that a Farang Kee Nok is simply a Financialy Poor Farang.

I just want to point out that you are wrong again. It means "bird s**t" . But never mind you stay in your state of denial. Back to your comic book now.

[waikhru]

i am half thai,i was born and raise in thailand and i like all thais call everyone farang.

it is in no way insulting,not at all.

french were the first in thailand many years ago and people called them farang, as they pronounced the france name wrong,after that all foreighn people became farang.

how is it insulting if we say it with no anger or hate in our heart.

farang kee nok does translate as birdshit farang but is used to represent a poor farang,a bum.

[SNGLIFE]

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

Errr, ah...

No.

A non-white person could be referred to as a farang only in a very, very, general sense. Such as a Thai being unsure of the proper or polite way to refer to the non-white foreigner. For example, a Black person is commonly refered to as "khon-daam" (black person) or less commonly, but more properly, "neekho" (negro). However, the speaker may be unsure whether either would be considered offensive ("neekho" can sound an awful lot like the 'N word'), and would therefore default to the generic "farang" (properly pronounced more like "fahlaang").

Farang is the equivalent of "gringo", "white guy/gal", "gaijin", etc. It is not normally meant as an insult, however, it could be an insult depending upon the context and the way it is said. In normal situations it is meant in the same generic sense as when you say "Asian" in your own country - "the Asian guy over there", for example.

The proper Thai word for foreigner is "Taang-chaat" or "Taang-dow".

Edited March 16, 2009 by SNGLIFE

[SNGLIFE]

just want to point out that a Farang Kee Nok is simply a Financialy Poor Farang.

Almost. It actually means more like "piss-poor white guy/gal" or simply "white trash".

[Chaimai]

i am half thai,i was born and raise in thailand and i like all thais call everyone farang.

it is in no way insulting,not at all.

french were the first in thailand many years ago and people called them farang, as they pronounced the france name wrong,after that all foreighn people became farang.

how is it insulting if we say it with no anger or hate in our heart.

farang kee nok does translate as birdshit farang but is used to represent a poor farang,a bum.

Thank you waikhru for a well-balanced response. Hopefully 'barky', who clearly has a chip on his shoulder will either read this and learn or, change the places he frequents.

[tongfaafaasai]

just want to point out that a Farang Kee Nok is simply a Financialy Poor Farang.

I just want to point out that you are wrong again. It means "bird s**t" . But never mind you stay in your state of denial. Back to your comic book now.

Kee Nok is a slang term you numb nut. lol

I am 100% Thai as I mentioned ealier so I know my Thai language. And I am here not to argue but to educate certain farangs like yourself. Educate yourself before Barking, Barky.

tongfaafaasai

[Tinkelbell]

Well, I would like to share the experience about this particularly word ......farang kee-nok.

Any Thai over 50, must be familiar with this saying:

"Farang kee-nok, hok bai stang'. It means; for sale farang kee-nok, six for a stang.

Farang = native Thai guava which is very small in size,

but the whole thing filled

with seeds, not much meat.

(that's why it was sold cheap)

kee-nok = bird shit(as you all know already)

hok = six

bai = unit for fruits (3 mangos=mamuang sarm bai)

stang = smallest Thai currency unit, like a penny.

I don't quite get it, half a century later why this word being used by referring to a poor farang. The funny thing is I have never heard from any my Thai friends, only found out from reading from these forums.

'heng' very well put it ....." like all the language it can be and perhaps has evolved a bit. At one time was reltively neutral but over time has moved towards the negative side..".

Agree !

[Dakhar]

I would liken the above to racing scooters including the Honda CBR 150

[merck]

'heng' very well put it ....." like all the language it can be and perhaps has evolved a bit. At one time was reltively neutral but over time has moved towards the negative side..".

Agree !

Heng was referring to farang not farang khee nok.

[DaleBlue]

Most people call me "Mam", which is short for "Madam".