Farang Is A Word With Racial Connotations

[tijnebijn]

I'm a 'Jock' from Scotland. Sadly Thai people just see a white guy with a big nose. So categorise all white people with a big nose with the word Farrang (as stated before the name for the French) I am not French and so find the Farrang word slightly annoying. It is in no way like the "N" word. It is just the word for "white" foreigner. I asked Thais what they call foreigners from Japan or China or Vietnam....and I get blank stares followed by Yeepon, Pratet Cheen and Wee et nam.....If you point out these are not names for people but the country they come from. I get more blank stares. So why not call call me Scotland?

I have learned that 90% of Thai people have had very limited education of any form. Trying to teach them anything other than what they already know is very difficult. The education and "class / hierarchy" system does not allow people to question elders or others in positions of superiority.

All "western" educated "Farrangs" should bless and kiss the very mother land they come from for allowing them to have the opportunity to ask one little word. And be rewarded with a succint and detailed reply .....and that word is WHY?

Why do we do this? Why do we do that? Why can it not be different? Why am I here? Why do I have to do this?

Because dear reader this is not the case in this country. And maybe ? that is why there are so many people on the streets of Bangkok now. The world is changing and changing fast. MTV and Internet have a lot to answer for and Farrangs taking Thais out of the country and showing them the way of the rest of the world can only sow seeds that will hopefully grow to produce a better educated more worldy wise population that can ask questions and get the truth. Not a doctored, censored or brainwashing "this is how it is and do as I tell you not as I do" response.

A brief resume of what my GF thought...Eucalyptus trees are from Thailand.....Waterfalls are exclusive to Thailand....Concrete Giraffes and Zebras look good in a garden?...There are Chang in Scotland?....I could go on.

I have pointed out waterfalls in Scotland are "free to view' and Thai people do not have to pay Farrang prices to go and stand next to them.........

So in conclusion stop using the word FARRANG....cos you will be charged 5 times more to look at cascading water....

Sorry to say , but your behaviour communicating with Thai people in this way , you only make a fool of yourself .

I'm pretty sure they don't have a clue why you make yourself angry with this .

Its one of those things why Thai/ foreign relationships often won't work , because of miscommunication and misunderstanding ,

mostly because a different attitude and different way of handling something . Patience and willing to understand and not to

get angry is the clue to a happy Life in Thailand and get along with Thai people , and eventualy they also can understand your side of the story , its not nice sometimes but its the only way , or you have to prefer them calling you in a derogatory way because you are a farang ' mai rough ruang chin ' .

[tijnebijn]

<deleted> , what is it with this double posting today .

Edited April 27, 2010 by tijnebijn

[H2oDunc]

It's racial. Whether you like it or not. It's an insult and a great one. It's just that foreigners just don't know the background of it.

It's also incredibly stupid to use it as a foreigner yourself. If you are afro-american, you don't go around and say you are a (n-word here). Or if you are spanish, chinese do you use those racial words that exist to describe. If you go to spain or china on holidays you don't say you are foreigner. You say you are a tourist or visitor. Let alone borrow the spanish word for foreigner and use it to describe you. You can see it in the reaction of thai people that its in insult too. They assume you don't understand this word but if you do and if you look at them they are embarrassed and apologize. Why use the word farang? Even when talking to another foreigner you use this word. Why? Why not in the worst case just call it a foreigner?

This is my opinion and rant about it. It's racial and that is final. It's just that you guys don't know the true meaning and you use it happily like it's nothing.

You see the word as an insult as you seem to be see all things as racist insults. You see racism where there is none. It is a word and nothing else. It is YOU that makes it an insult. In the same way a black guy can call his friend a Ni%%er but that isn't an insult yet if a white guy did it it would be ?

It is how the word or any word is used. My In laws who speak very little English refer to me as farang in a good way. If they referred to me as that <deleted>$%$ing farang then it may be different.

Back home I would say " do you fancy going for a Chinky " In no way was this meant or intended as an insult. One of my favourite Chinese restaurants I went to had a big sign outside saying " The best Chinky in town "

In the UK we have a politically correct world where everyone is so scared to be labelled a racist it is used against the system time and time again. You here its " Only because I'm black, Asian, Muslim etc just add your own descriptive " It is normally nothing to do with their colour, ethnicity or sex but all to do with them. They tend to be rather obnoxious people to the extreme and are as such treated accordingly.

A jumped up T@#t is a jumped up T@#t no matter what colour, ethnicity or sex.

You need to be asking your self is it my colour, ethnicity etc or is it just me ?

[PattayaParent]

Well lets do it again.

I come here once in 2 years or so. And I wanted to give my opinion about it and show people what I think about it. Bumping an old thread would get it locked anyway and wouldn't get much attention.

Beleive me, you're not going to get any new responses that have not already been posted on TV, just a rehash of the same tired BS.

See what I mean^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[sarahsbloke]

IMO it is the same as a western person referring to someone as Asian

Replace Asian with 'slope' or 'zipper-head', and I'll agree with you.

Ferrang is an insult, anyone says it to me and I correct them with 'kon angrit'

By the way ferrang most surely only applies to western people with white skin, there are different insults for people of other ethnic backgrounds.

Back home I would say " do you fancy going for a Chinky " In no way was this meant or intended as an insult.

And if a person of Chinese ethnic origin in the UK complained to the police you would be arrested.

(and I rather bet you wouldn't say that in front of such a person as you know well it is an insult.

Still here in non-politically correct Thailand you can say any racist thing you like (as long as the TVforum PC nazis don't get you)

What is wrong about describing a person by his race or optical appearance?

Well for a start, in the western world it is against the law.

A jumped up T@#t is a jumped up T@#t no matter what colour, ethnicity or sex.

Pretty much the same with a racist!

Edited April 27, 2010 by sarahsbloke

[H2oDunc]

It's racial. Whether you like it or not. It's an insult and a great one. It's just that foreigners just don't know the background of it.

It's also incredibly stupid to use it as a foreigner yourself. If you are afro-american, you don't go around and say you are a (n-word here). Or if you are spanish, chinese do you use those racial words that exist to describe. If you go to spain or china on holidays you don't say you are foreigner. You say you are a tourist or visitor. Let alone borrow the spanish word for foreigner and use it to describe you. You can see it in the reaction of thai people that its in insult too. They assume you don't understand this word but if you do and if you look at them they are embarrassed and apologize. Why use the word farang? Even when talking to another foreigner you use this word. Why? Why not in the worst case just call it a foreigner?

This is my opinion and rant about it. It's racial and that is final. It's just that you guys don't know the true meaning and you use it happily like it's nothing.

You see the word as an insult as you seem to be see all things as racist insults. You see racism where there is none. It is a word and nothing else. It is YOU that makes it an insult. In the same way a black guy can call his friend a Ni%%er but that isn't an insult yet if a white guy did it it would be ?

It is how the word or any word is used. My In laws who speak very little English refer to me as farang in a good way. If they referred to me as that <deleted>$%$ing farang then it may be different.

Back home I would say " do you fancy going for a Chinky " In no way was this meant or intended as an insult. One of my favourite Chinese restaurants I went to had a big sign outside saying " The best Chinky in town "

In the UK we have a politically correct world where everyone is so scared to be labelled a racist it is used against the system time and time again. You here its " Only because I'm black, Asian, Muslim etc just add your own descriptive " It is normally nothing to do with their colour, ethnicity or sex but all to do with them. They tend to be rather obnoxious people to the extreme and are as such treated accordingly.

A jumped up T@#t is a jumped up T@#t no matter what colour, ethnicity or sex.

You need to be asking your self is it my colour, ethnicity etc or is it just me ?

[conquest]

Hello mate, whats the weather like in lah lah land?

The same as it is for all the other people that agree with me on this thread so far

People who think it's a racial slur have more than likely only experienced it as such, directed at themselves.

It would be interesting to know how many people who are fluent Thai speakers (not me) still think the word is derogettory. Very few to none. That says it all.

When spoken in the vernacular the word Farang will be used by 99.9% of Thai people with no hint of a racisit slur. In media and television the term kon dtàang châat (คนต่างชาต) meaning foreigner will be used. The word Farang comes from the French and is used to describe many things that have been introduced to Thailand by the western world. i.e. Potato (Manfarang), Chewing Gum, (Manfarang), Parsley (Pakcheefarang), Guava (Farang).

While it is possible to use the word ฝรั่ง farang as an insult it is generally not the case. "I-Farang" or "E-farang" would be an obvious use of farang being used as an insult as would the amount of stress being used on the word. I think a big issue for many is being directly addressed by people as farang. i.e. "hey you farang!". Or when the Thais are talking about you while you are there using the word farang. I've been here for over 10 years and speak Thai fluently but it still irritates the hel_l out of me even though I know they are not being offensive. This is a classic case of a cross cultural misunderstanding.

Edited April 27, 2010 by conquest

[wintermute]

Still here in non-politically correct Thailand you can say any racist thing you like (as long as the TVforum PC nazis don't get you)

Wait a minute..in one post you're crying about being called a farang (which several people with an understanding of Thai language have said isn't offensive) and then a few replies later you're railing on people being too PC? What a hypocrite you are. Let me guess, you only find it offensive when perceived slurs are directed at you but when it's at other ethnicities it's just jolly good times.

This is precisely why I don't take the whining from westerners being called "farang" too seriously.

[StreetCowboy]

This is my final rant. I think it's incredibly stupid to use this word. Especially if you use it in conversations with other foreigners and especially if you pronounce it the american way. God it's so humiliating.

Like I said before do you go to China or Japan or South-Africa and use their specific word for foreigner? Or do you just say I am a tourist. I am from Italy. I am an German. The word foreign by itself is in many cases already an insult in the west. How many people complain about those "foreigners" stealing jobs, working illegal etc

I am a Farang and proud of it.

A racial slur is only a racial slur if you want to take it that way. Once peopleralise you cannot be offended by words (meant or otherwise) then the racial side of it disappears.

There are a lot more important things in life to worry abut

Get a life

edit

Also I am in HK I am a Gweilo. Same Same but different

I think entymologically, gweilo and farang are probably more like nigger, but are used more like black.

We could hype the words up so that they became as offensive as nigger, but I don't particularly want to do that, and I don't want to be offended by other people's turn of phrase.

Regardless of whether they are offensive or not, I don't think that any of the three terms is polite, and I have chided an estate agent for using one of those words when describing me over the phone to a colleague. However, I think he was using it as a useful stereotype to describe in one word what might have taken several, since he knew his colleague shared the same sterotypical views

Certainly nothing to take offence at.

For all I know, gweilo could mean expensive person and farang a fruit - which I could take offense at!

SC

[somtampet]

Well lets do it again.

I come here once in 2 years or so. And I wanted to give my opinion about it and show people what I think about it. Bumping an old thread would get it locked anyway and wouldn't get much attention.

Get a life or come here more often.

One day you will get over it

[carmine]

Still here in non-politically correct Thailand you can say any racist thing you like (as long as the TVforum PC nazis don't get you)

Wait a minute..in one post you're crying about being called a farang (which several people with an understanding of Thai language have said isn't offensive) and then a few replies later you're railing on people being too PC? What a hypocrite you are. Let me guess, you only find it offensive when perceived slurs are directed at you but when it's at other ethnicities it's just jolly good times.

This is precisely why I don't take the whining from westerners being called "farang" too seriously.

What makes you think you know so much about the Thai language?

[carmine]

This is my final rant. I think it's incredibly stupid to use this word. Especially if you use it in conversations with other foreigners and especially if you pronounce it the american way. God it's so humiliating.

Like I said before do you go to China or Japan or South-Africa and use their specific word for foreigner? Or do you just say I am a tourist. I am from Italy. I am an German. The word foreign by itself is in many cases already an insult in the west. How many people complain about those "foreigners" stealing jobs, working illegal etc

I am a Farang and proud of it.

A racial slur is only a racial slur if you want to take it that way. Once peopleralise you cannot be offended by words (meant or otherwise) then the racial side of it disappears.

There are a lot more important things in life to worry abut

Get a life

edit

Also I am in HK I am a Gweilo. Same Same but different

I think entymologically, gweilo and farang are probably more like nigger, but are used more like black.

We could hype the words up so that they became as offensive as nigger, but I don't particularly want to do that, and I don't want to be offended by other people's turn of phrase.

Regardless of whether they are offensive or not, I don't think that any of the three terms is polite, and I have chided an estate agent for using one of those words when describing me over the phone to a colleague. However, I think he was using it as a useful stereotype to describe in one word what might have taken several, since he knew his colleague shared the same sterotypical views

Certainly nothing to take offence at.

For all I know, gweilo could mean expensive person and farang a fruit - which I could take offense at!

SC

I would'nt want to be called a fruit either

[wintermute]

Regardless of whether they are offensive or not, I don't think that any of the three terms is polite, and I have chided an estate agent for using one of those words when describing me over the phone to a colleague.

They probably all thought you were an imbecile after that too.

[wintermute]

Still here in non-politically correct Thailand you can say any racist thing you like (as long as the TVforum PC nazis don't get you)

Wait a minute..in one post you're crying about being called a farang (which several people with an understanding of Thai language have said isn't offensive) and then a few replies later you're railing on people being too PC? What a hypocrite you are. Let me guess, you only find it offensive when perceived slurs are directed at you but when it's at other ethnicities it's just jolly good times.

This is precisely why I don't take the whining from westerners being called "farang" too seriously.

What makes you think you know so much about the Thai language?

I speak it, do you?

[carmine]

Still here in non-politically correct Thailand you can say any racist thing you like (as long as the TVforum PC nazis don't get you)

Wait a minute..in one post you're crying about being called a farang (which several people with an understanding of Thai language have said isn't offensive) and then a few replies later you're railing on people being too PC? What a hypocrite you are. Let me guess, you only find it offensive when perceived slurs are directed at you but when it's at other ethnicities it's just jolly good times.

This is precisely why I don't take the whining from westerners being called "farang" too seriously.

What makes you think you know so much about the Thai language?

I speak it, do you?

Yes, thats why i find so much of what you say so confused but anyways bored with this done to death thread

[wintermute]

Yes, thats why i find so much of what you say so confused but anyways bored with this done to death thread

If you think farang is offensive somehow I doubt you speak it or if you do not at any level of fluency. Try getting out of the beer bar sometime, champ.

[StreetCowboy]

Regardless of whether they are offensive or not, I don't think that any of the three terms is polite, and I have chided an estate agent for using one of those words when describing me over the phone to a colleague.

They probably all thought you were an imbecile after that too.

The estate agent was too polite to show it, and the colleague was at the other end of a phone line, so I couldn't tell.

Out of interest, maybe some other posters could give us a concise and accurate term to use for negros that is not offensive. Similarly, people from the Indian sub-continent of unknown nationality

Thanks v much

SC

[centrico]

When I go out somewhere, say to Makro, as I did over the weekend and a six year old girl pipes up "Look, a Farang!!" she is being racist?? Get a life, man.

[sarahsbloke]

Wait a minute..in one post you're crying about being called a ferang (which several people with an understanding of Thai language have said isn't offensive)

My understanding of Thai language and culture is better than theirs (I also read and write Thai to some extent but rarely speak Thai)

Next, I don't care about racists, if I did I wouldn't be living in Thailand, but I choose not to associate with blatent racists.

A Thai person gets to call me 'ferrang' once or twice ...... then either they or I am gone.

Try to read the words actually written then use logic to come to a conclusion, it often helps.

There are two ways to handle insults from those who don't like you.

1) Pretend there was no insult in the first place.

2) Choose not to be in the presence of the insulter again.

I respect your wish to live your life by 1), please respect my wish to live by 2)

The ignore list is easy to use, people on this forum only get 1 free chance before I use it.

Edited April 27, 2010 by sarahsbloke

[wintermute]

Wait a minute..in one post you're crying about being called a ferang (which several people with an understanding of Thai language have said isn't offensive)

My understanding of Thai language and culture is better than theirs (I also read and write Thai to some extent but rarely speak Thai)

Next, I don't care about racists, if I did I wouldn't be living in Thailand, but I choose not to associate with racists.

I Thai person gets to call me 'ferrang' once or twice ...... then either they or I am gone.

Try to read the words actually written then use logic to come to a conclusion, it often helps.

Your previous posts were dripping with hypocrisy. Go cry about people being PC while getting all weepy over innocuous terms like "farang" some more.

[SomTumTiger]

Troll

[Jingthing]

Of course it is a RACIAL term. It CAN be a racist term depending on the context of how it is used. It can also be a neutral racial term. Here is another perspective. Here in Thailand, I get called farang quite a lot, and sometimes in a derogatory context, but here at least, Thais have NEVER called me a dirty Jew!

It could always be worse!

[carmine]

Yes, thats why i find so much of what you say so confused but anyways bored with this done to death thread

If you think farang is offensive somehow I doubt you speak it or if you do not at any level of fluency. Try getting out of the beer bar sometime, champ.

If you wish to refer to others as imbeciles best not post like one. Oh, and i'd stop refering to people as champ

Judging by your grasp of English why should i believe your Thai has any greater level of fluency.

[Chaimai]

Blimey, Thailand is going to rat sh!t and we have ANOTHER Farang thread !

My menus have 3 pages headed "Farang Menu 1" etc.

Nobody has complained yet.

[Jingthing]

This is a rather trivial issue these days considering political events.

[wintermute]

Yes, thats why i find so much of what you say so confused but anyways bored with this done to death thread

If you think farang is offensive somehow I doubt you speak it or if you do not at any level of fluency. Try getting out of the beer bar sometime, champ.

If you wish to refer to others as imbeciles best not post like one. Oh, and i'd stop refering to people as champ

Judging by your grasp of English why should i believe your Thai has any greater level of fluency.

Pot calling the kettle black as usual. "Carmine" go masturbate to your Tony Soprano fantasy big boy because you'll get bounced out of everywhere else in the real world. Toss-pot.

[carmine]

Yes, thats why i find so much of what you say so confused but anyways bored with this done to death thread

If you think farang is offensive somehow I doubt you speak it or if you do not at any level of fluency. Try getting out of the beer bar sometime, champ.

If you wish to refer to others as imbeciles best not post like one. Oh, and i'd stop refering to people as champ

Judging by your grasp of English why should i believe your Thai has any greater level of fluency.

Pot calling the kettle black as usual. "Carmine" go masturbate to your Tony Soprano fantasy big boy because you'll get bounced out of everywhere else in the real world. Toss-pot.

How easy was that

[canuckamuck]

Wait a minute..in one post you're crying about being called a ferang (which several people with an understanding of Thai language have said isn't offensive)

My understanding of Thai language and culture is better than theirs (I also read and write Thai to some extent but rarely speak Thai)

Next, I don't care about racists, if I did I wouldn't be living in Thailand, but I choose not to associate with racists.

A Thai person gets to call me 'ferrang' once or twice ...... then either they or I am gone.

Try to read the words actually written then use logic to come to a conclusion, it often helps.

There are two ways to handle insults from those who don't like you.

1) Pretend there was no insult in the first place.

2) Choose not to be in the presence of the insulter again.

I respect your wish to live your life by 1), please respect my wish to live by 2)

The ignore list is easy to use, people on this forum only get 1 free chance before I use it.

I can read French, German, Italian, and Spanish too, but at least I admit I don't understand most of the words.

[StreetCowboy]

Yes, thats why i find so much of what you say so confused but anyways bored with this done to death thread

If you think farang is offensive somehow I doubt you speak it or if you do not at any level of fluency. Try getting out of the beer bar sometime, champ.

If you wish to refer to others as imbeciles best not post like one. Oh, and i'd stop refering to people as champ

Judging by your grasp of English why should i believe your Thai has any greater level of fluency.

Pot calling the kettle black as usual. "Carmine" go masturbate to your Tony Soprano fantasy big boy because you'll get bounced out of everywhere else in the real world. Toss-pot.

Top abuse! It does make you look big and clever, and certainly enhances your Thai credentials.

I recommend putting in something vaguely related to the topic...even just as a sort of aside at the end.

I think that the original poster meant "with negative racial (or maybe racist)" connotations, implying that it was a term used to engender ill-fealing or show contempt. Clearly, that's the case amongst foreigners, since there's plenty of ill-feeling here, and you can see why others might hold us in contempt, though I'm not sure that Thais see the word that way.

Luckily we can all take a joke without throwing our toys out the pram

SC

[jombom]

The word Farang has its origins from about 1150 AD, at the time of the early crusades.

Christian nobility in Italy was designated to Southern Italy and Sicily, which were controlled by Islam at that time. Spanish nobility was directed against the Moors in Southern Spain.

The Franks (french) became the dominant European force used in crusades against Islam in the Holy Land.

The word Faranji (describing white europeans) appears in Arab writings about 1150 AD.

The word spread throughout Asia (probably by arab traders), and variations of the word appear in many languages, including Persian, Khmer, Farsi, etc.

The word was in common usage, long before any French involvement in Indochina.

In a book written in 1603 by Gabriel Quiroga the word is described as Franguis, and attributed to 1250 AD and the seventh crusade by St Louis.

The word describes white Europeans and people descended from these, such as Americans, Australians etc.

It does not mean foreigner.