The Word Farang

[Nip]

Many of my friends who like myself have been living in Thailand for many years find the word Farang to be at times offensive perhaps even racist?

Farang supposedly refers to a foreigner but when I look up the Thai dictionary I find the following;

ชาวต่างชาติ

chaao dtàang châat

foreigner ; alien

ฮวน

huan

alien ; foreigner

ชาวต่างประเทศ

chaao dtàang bprà-têt

foreigner ; alien

ต่างแดน

dtàang daen

exotic ; alien ; foreign ; remote

foreigner ; alien ; immigrant ; non-native

คนต่างชาติ

kon dtàang châat

foreigner ; alien

คนต่างด้าว

kon dtàang dâao

alien ; foreigner

คนต่างแดน

kon dtàang daen

foreigner ; alien

ต่างชาติต่างภาษา

dtàang châat dtàang paa-săa

foreign ; alien ; outlandish ; another nationalist or race foreigner ; alien

ต่างด้าว

dtàang dâao

alien ; foreigner ; outsider ; stranger foreign ; alien

นักเทศ

nák-têt

foreigner working in the ;

คนจร

kon jon

stranger ; alien ; foreigner

Call me tetchy if you wish but the word Farang from lips of many Thai's to me has the essence of a derogatory curse word and I think we demean one another from using the expression amongst ourselves and that we should find another word that expresses our status more eloquently! Anybody any suggestions?

[Tod Daniels]

I don't think this falls under anything resembling "Thai visas, residency and work permits".

My suggestion to you is; perhaps you should post this in the appropriate section of the T/V Forum.

Maybe the “I have way too much time on my hands” section would be a better place for it.

[Jingthing]

Been there.

Done that.

A trip down memory lane:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?s=...t&p=1680166

[Groongthep]

Many of my friends who like myself have been living in Thailand for many years find the word Farang to be at times offensive perhaps even racist?............................................

Call me tetchy if you wish but the word Farang from lips of many Thai's to me has the essence of a derogatory curse word and I think we demean one another from using the expression amongst ourselves and that we should find another word that expresses our status more eloquently! Anybody any suggestions?

Please use the search function on this forum and type in "farang' or 'falang" and you will find that this subject has been discussed many times before. Whether it be a derogatory term or simply a harmless adjective the fact is that the word farang is a very common part of the Thai vocabulary and it's not going away anytime soon. If you don't like being called farang I suggest you politely tell the Thais who use it that you prefer not being called this.

On a more pragmatic level it's much easier to just except it and not let it upset you. In Thai culture referring to people by race is not nearly such a taboo practice as it is in western cultures. That's just the way it is. No group of people from an internet forum is ever going to be able to organise a successful effort to change that.

Relax and enjoy your time in Thailand.

Edited September 1, 2009 by Groongthep

[Geekfreaklover]

It's a two syllable word much like a word starting with N. That's the reason most foreigners find it offensive. And to be honest most of the time the word is used in a degarading way by locals here.

[Geekfreaklover]

Many of my friends who like myself have been living in Thailand for many years find the word Farang to be at times offensive perhaps even racist?............................................

Call me tetchy if you wish but the word Farang from lips of many Thai's to me has the essence of a derogatory curse word and I think we demean one another from using the expression amongst ourselves and that we should find another word that expresses our status more eloquently! Anybody any suggestions?

Please use the search function on this forum and type in "farang' or 'falang" and you will find that this subject has been discussed many times before. Whether it be a derogatory term or simply a harmless adjective the fact is that the word farang is a very common part of Thai vocabulary and it's not going away anytime soon. If you don't like being called farang I suggest you politely tell the Thais who use it that you prefer not being called this.

On a more pragmatic level it's much easier to just except it and not let it upset you. In Thai culture referring to people by race is not nearly such a taboo practice as it is in western cultures. That's just the way it is. No group of people from an internet forum is ever going to be able to organise a successful effort to change that.

Relax and enjoy your time in Thailand.

Would you give the same advice to blacks in the states 60 years ago - just accept being called names because that's the way it works here? And you can't change it?

[dontheturner]

Many of my friends who like myself have been living in Thailand for many years find the word Farang to be at times offensive perhaps even racist?

Farang supposedly refers to a foreigner but when I look up the Thai dictionary I find the following;

ชาวต่างชาติ

chaao dtàang châat

foreigner ; alien

ฮวน

huan

alien ; foreigner

ชาวต่างประเทศ

chaao dtàang bprà-têt

foreigner ; alien

ต่างแดน

dtàang daen

exotic ; alien ; foreign ; remote

foreigner ; alien ; immigrant ; non-native

คนต่างชาติ

kon dtàang châat

foreigner ; alien

คนต่างด้าว

kon dtàang dâao

alien ; foreigner

คนต่างแดน

kon dtàang daen

foreigner ; alien

ต่างชาติต่างภาษา

dtàang châat dtàang paa-săa

foreign ; alien ; outlandish ; another nationalist or race foreigner ; alien

ต่างด้าว

dtàang dâao

alien ; foreigner ; outsider ; stranger foreign ; alien

นักเทศ

nák-têt

foreigner working in the ;

คนจร

kon jon

stranger ; alien ; foreigner

Call me tetchy if you wish but the word Farang from lips of many Thai's to me has the essence of a derogatory curse word and I think we demean one another from using the expression amongst ourselves and that we should find another word that expresses our status more eloquently! Anybody any suggestions?

Funny you should say that! I tell My thai Wife, that anyone who asks her, she should tell them, ''My husband Don is, an old English gentleman.''

[Groongthep]

It's a two syllable word much like a word starting with N. That's the reason most foreigners find it offensive. And to be honest most of the time the word is used in a degarading way by locals here.

Would you give the same advice to blacks in the states 60 years ago - just accept being called names because that's the way it works here? And you can't change it?

The assertion that the word "farang" and "n199er" are in any way synonymous is absurd. The former might be used as a mildly negative descriptive term for Caucasion people whereas the latter is a strong emotionally charged epithet intended to insult. They are hardly in the same category.

Edited September 1, 2009 by Groongthep

[Neeranam]

คนจร

kon jon

stranger ; alien ; foreigner

I like this one!

[rgs2001uk]

คนจร

kon jon

stranger ; alien ; foreigner

I like this one!

I know we shouldnt judge others by appearance, however based on some of the farang I have seen recently, I would say rather apt.

[hhgz]

"...the word Farang to be at times offensive perhaps even racist..."

You have very thin skin.

[anothertorres]

chalk the word "farang" up to patriotism and extreme xenophobia. they don't know any better. all i ask is, if you know my name, use it. if not, farang is just fine. you are nothing but another wonderful thai individual until otherwise noted...

[bikerman]

"...the word Farang to be at times offensive perhaps even racist..."

You have very thin skin.

Agreed,

Stop and think of all the names you use for immigrants in your own country first, many spring to mind.

OP Nip, now that’s funny........

[britmaveric]

Who cares? Farang is rather benign - far worse things to be called. If you have an issue, just start calling every thai person - "thai". Hey you Thai come here.

[sanook2me]

I prefer farang at least Thais can pronounce this correctly and I understand when someone is addressing me or talking about me!

Now my name can come as Lick Hard or lychee for short..... never mind my last name which is always pronounced Bits but is not Bits in farangland..

So farang suits me fine as i never get called by my real name.....

How about these names do you think they prefer their Thai name or farang?

Stan = Satan

Chris = Klit

[bangon04]

The assertion that the word "farang" and "n199er" are in any way synonymous is absurd. The former might be used as a mildly negative descriptive term for Caucasion people whereas the latter is a strong emotionally charged epithet intended to insult. They are hardly in the same category.

Depends how far back you go - at some time it was a matter-of-fact term not intended to insult, just stating the obvious. At that time it was probably not considered an insult because the "superior" user of the term felt no obligation to consider the feelings of the other race. So there is indeed a parallel...

And skin colour is a matter of fact for many Thais, who compare skin tone in relative terms - this one is darker than that one etc..

[pkspeaker]

It's not farang it's falung, most thai's call us falung, falungs call each other 'farangs' but you never hear a Thai person say 'farang' it's always falung..

.. and an indian or a pakistani is a caak..

and no they are not the same thing as ni66er, traditionall Thai's call the living room in their house "hon kap caak"; in America you wouldn't call the nicest room in your house "room with ni66er"

ni66er is an offensive word in America because blacks used to have the status of livestock there up until 1865 they were not considered humans they were an animal called a ni66er .. to be bought and sold .. it's a term synonymous with oppression - there is no such history here .. instead the Thais treat falungs better than their own people.. thats how I have always felt anyways, as a white person or falung i always feel that they are being soft on me or expect that I will complain more than a Thai person, and many falungs whine like baby's i see them do it all the time..just today I was at mailboxes and there were at least 2 Thais ahead of me,the lady behind the counter called on me to hand over my mail and I put it on the counter while she continued to do whatever she was doing; I did not show impatience , I even went and started browsing through the postcards jst to show I was not rushed; yet she still interrupted the task she was doing for the Thai person , did my letters and gave me the total so I could pay and be on my way.. and the Thai people don't even get annoyed that she does this for me! it's just what they do here.. can you imagine if they did that with Blacks in the US! tell them to wait so a white guy can do his stuff first- there would be a riot!

Also in my apartment building, if another falung come to visit me, they let him come right up without asking questions, but if it's a Thai-he/she has to leave ther ID card and tell which room they're visiting, THEN, they even call me first to announce that person is coming up.. Can you imagine if they did that with Blacks in the US!

[Geekfreaklover]

The assertion that the word "farang" and "n199er" are in any way synonymous is absurd. The former might be used as a mildly negative descriptive term for Caucasion people whereas the latter is a strong emotionally charged epithet intended to insult. They are hardly in the same category.

Depends how far back you go - at some time it was a matter-of-fact term not intended to insult, just stating the obvious. At that time it was probably not considered an insult because the "superior" user of the term felt no obligation to consider the feelings of the other race. So there is indeed a parallel...

And skin colour is a matter of fact for many Thais, who compare skin tone in relative terms - this one is darker than that one etc..

If you look at litreature, Mark Twain and Enid Blighton both used the word and they were both mainstream writers on either side of the Atlantic.

foreigners that have lived here a while do see a parallel in the terms. Most Thais wouldn't as they do not understand the concept of racism. It's something they do without thinking about it.

Edited September 1, 2009 by Geekfreaklover

[Geekfreaklover]

It's not farang it's falung, most thai's call us falung, falungs call each other 'farangs' but you never hear a Thai person say 'farang' it's always falung..

Some Thais do role their Ror rua 'R's' - but it is generally pronounced as ' farang '

[clausewitz]

Farang can have a positive meaning as in 'exotic person'. There is nothing inherently derogatory when Thais use it in daily speech.

[Gary A]

If the word farang is all I have to worry about, I consider myself VERY lucky.

[Geekfreaklover]

Farang can have a positive meaning as in 'exotic person'. There is nothing inherently derogatory when Thais use it in daily speech.

Not normally. But if you happen to over-hear a few conversations the word does on occasion have derogatory conatations. That said, the Thais gossip about each other much more than they gossip about farangs.

[Neeranam]

It's not farang it's falung, most thai's call us falung, falungs call each other 'farangs' but you never hear a Thai person say 'farang' it's always falung..

.. and an indian or a pakistani is a caak..

Rubbish - you must live in rural Isarn.

"caak"? I hear and write it as 'kaek' which incidentally has also become derogatory, like farang is quickly becomingand 'jaek' for Chinaman became years ago.

[Dakhar]

It's not farang it's falung, most thai's call us falung, falungs call each other 'farangs' but you never hear a Thai person say 'farang' it's always falung..

Some Thais do role their Ror rua 'R's' - but it is generally pronounced as ' farang '

As far as I know, there is NO official Romanization used to represent Thai phonemes.... so I could spell "Falang" as Phalung as far as I am concerned, and that would be correct. Dumb argument really.

[Jingthing]

The correct standard central Thai pronunciation uses an r sound, not an l sound. We can spell the romanization of the word anyway we like, as there is no standard romanization of Thai.

Writing from Chumpteayen Beyatch

Edited September 1, 2009 by Jingthing

[Dakhar]

The correct standard central Thai pronunciation uses an r sound, not an l sound.

The average person loses the ability to hear slight nuances made in other languages besides their native tongue at about age 7. That is why my wife can hear absolutley no difference between the "CH" in Chip and the "SH" in ship, and another reason why accents are not easily lost or picked up for that matter in latter adult years.

So you say tomato I say tomater... doesn't really matter much in the long run

[mauGR1]

I love to be called "farang",this word has a beautiful sound And the fruit is just lovely

Well,if they called me "kebab" that would make me really angry

[Dakhar]

If Falang means, I was not educated in Thailand....

Well if the shoe fits....

[Geekfreaklover]

I love to be called "farang",this word has a beautiful sound And the fruit is just lovely

Well,if they called me "kebab" that would make me really angry

What's wrong with kebabs?

[mauGR1]

I love to be called "farang",this word has a beautiful sound And the fruit is just lovely

Well,if they called me "kebab" that would make me really angry

What's wrong with kebabs?

Apart from the fact that i am vegetarian,i don't like the sound of the word(which IMO is important)now this is not a racist thread isn'it?