The Term "Farang"

[JPPR2]

I am new to this forum, or shall I say been using it for Visa info and motorcycle searches. It has been a wealth of information once you filter that information appropriately. I only recently ventured into the "General" Forum to see what folks talked about in open discussions. It has been interesting to say the least but typical forum bantering, flaming and I have enjoyed the opinions of most. But it has begged me to ask a question, exactly what do you folks think is the official description of a "Farang"?

I have been in and out of Thailand a lot over the past 3 years. Up until essentially now I had not heard this name or term used with any sort of frequency. In fact I have heard it used maybe half a dozen times at most. I had a hunch because it was a very derogatory term and like a few we have in the US was cautiously used and in all honesty really should not be used at all. So I asked some of my very close Thai friends about it and the feedback was interesting yet disturbing. I have never considered myself a Farang, nor have I been referenced as one( at least in the circle of folks I work or associate with). After the feedback from my Thai friends and colleagues about how they view a "Farang" I would think this word would not be used a lot based on that and yet it is used in almost every thread in the forum at some point.

So how do you view a "Farang?" And for reference, the folks I spoke with across a wide cross section( Assemblers to Executive level) do not view a "Farang" as a simple "Foreigner". You can be a viewed as a "Tourist", "Foreigner" and a "Farang" and being called a "Farang" is not a good thing.

[Jingthing]

Not again. God help us all ...

[bangkockney]

'farang' by itself has no negative connotations. It's essentially slang.

Case in point: do you fancy farang food tonight?

[Jingthing]

Case in point, bring the fat hairy farang his plate of tasteless farang food that he ordered off the farang menu with the farang price. Bloody lovely.

Edited July 28, 2010 by Jingthing

[bangkockney]

Case in point, bring the fat hairy farang his plate of tasteless farang food that he ordered off the farang menu with the farang price. Bloody lovely.

Shut up you farang with a rice-milk-colored iris.

Edited July 28, 2010 by bangkockney

[473geo]

Okay OP you have totally skirted around the issue!!!!

What exactly did your cross section of Thai friends/aquaintances say.....perhaps you would be so kind as to quote a couple or three exact statements.......

Perhaps 'not a good thing' is by default perhaps ''not a bad thing........so let's be having it...... exactly what do your friends feel they are calling a foreigner when the call him Farang?????

Then perhaps we can all make a final call on the label.....

[Beetlejuice]

This topic has been recently covered.

Is here:

[JPPR2]

Beetle Juice, I searched the forum before I asked my question as I did not want to waste peoples time and that thread was about pronunciation and not the definition.

473Geo: As derogatory as I am comfortable going "Farangs" are viewed as "Low life dirty pigs that exploit Thai women and/or people". A few even stated being called a "Farang" it is like being called "N" word in the US, or "S" word in Mexico etc. The word sounds insulting just as it is said so their definition or comments were not surprising to me at all. Again I only ask this question as it seems people routinely call themselves this and rather than be ignorant about it and assume it is OK I thought I'd ask. I checked Wikipedia prior to my post and this is what it stated;

Farang (faraŋ or falaŋ Thai: ฝรั่ง) is the generic Thai word for a Westerner. A general term for foreigners is "khon tahng prateht (Thai: คนต่างประเทศ)" ('people from other countries'). There is no negative implication in the word itself. However when it is used along with other words, it can bring a negative meaning depending on the context. For instance, "farang keenok (Thai:ฝรั่งขี้นก)" could mean a Westerner who is not trustworthy or reliable. The expression farang ta nam khao ( listen (help·info); Thai: ฝรั่งตาน้ำข้าว literally means "farang with a rice-milk-colored iris"). It is common in Thai to just say "farang" to point out the presence of one, without making a whole sentence. People of African descent from the Western hemisphere have been occasionally referred to as farang dam Thai: ฝรั่งดำ (black farang).^[1] Although, Thai people who have not been in Westerner countries nor exposed to their cultures may still refer to all African descents as Negro (Thai: นิโกร) without negative meanings.

Now I can believe that over the years this term started out as generic as mentioned but has sense been narroed to have a specific reference. Its like a African/American calling them self the "N" word or a Caucasian calling them self "Whitey or Honkey" it can depict of a level of ignorance.

As for me personally , I will not use it as I have no need. I was simply curious.

[Jangot]

For once I agree with Jingthing

[dmax]

we call them thai,s thay call us farangs so what ? just pressed my wife on the subject and she told me that there was nothing derogatory meant by the word "farang"

[Jingthing]

we call them thai,s thay call us farangs so what ? just pressed my wife on the subject and she told me that there was nothing derogatory meant by the word "farang"

Is your wife a scholar. Of course farang can and is quite often used in a derogatory way and often it is not. Americans, do you still call Asian people Orientals? I didn't think so.

[thaikid]

We don't call asians orientals because that word is just old. If someone was called oriental they would just think "hmm never been called that before well whatever" Asians are called asians. So in thailand they call whites FARANGS. What the hel_l is the big deal? Even if your a thai/lao in the states they refer to other white people as "FARANGS" It's not different then referring to someone as Caucasian when they are white. What the hel_l else are they suppose to call, if not farang?

Reason farang has a derogatory term is because so many farangs are giving a bad reputation to that name, you guys do it to yourselves. It's like the laos people in the states will say they are Thai, because saying their Laos is has a different meaning to it. They are just labels, not slurs, and the people themselves determine what kind of connotations the word will bring.

[nellyp]

I thought the term farang came from the word french or france? Can't remember who told me this but pretty sure i got it from a book. I don't think it is derogatory unless used in a derogatory sentence. Stinking farang stole my wife as compared to That lovely farang just gave me a tip equal to 3 days wages

[nellyp]

we call them thai,s thay call us farangs so what ? just pressed my wife on the subject and she told me that there was nothing derogatory meant by the word "farang"

Is your wife a scholar. Of course farang can and is quite often used in a derogatory way and often it is not. Americans, do you still call Asian people Orientals? I didn't think so.

You wouldn't call them orientals the same as you wouldn't say you were going to the orient

[endure]

[bifftastic]

[JPPR2]

Thanks for the varying responses. I did not post this to start any bashing. I am in total agreement with THAI KID.. Farang was probably never meant to be derogatory but due to the behavior of a great majority of Caucasians it is now just that, hence why people like to generalize to makes it easy.

With that said I will not use nor support. Names are used to chastise. Being I live here, I am a resident and I do not frequent the high traffic areas where most the "Tourists/Foreigners" hang out that support what the Thai people believe the "Farangs" do.

Thanks all

[songhklasid]

I always get called falang bar which is crazy foriegher, I'ts all fun

regards songhklasidB)

[473geo]

Beetle Juice, I searched the forum before I asked my question as I did not want to waste peoples time and that thread was about pronunciation and not the definition.

473Geo: As derogatory as I am comfortable going "Farangs" are viewed as "Low life dirty pigs that exploit Thai women and/or people". A few even stated being called a "Farang" it is like being called "N" word in the US, or "S" word in Mexico etc. The word sounds insulting just as it is said so their definition or comments were not surprising to me at all. Again I only ask this question as it seems people routinely call themselves this and rather than be ignorant about it and assume it is OK I thought I'd ask. I checked Wikipedia prior to my post and this is what it stated;

Farang (faraŋ or falaŋ Thai: ฝรั่ง) is the generic Thai word for a Westerner. A general term for foreigners is "khon tahng prateht (Thai: คนต่างประเทศ)" ('people from other countries'). There is no negative implication in the word itself. However when it is used along with other words, it can bring a negative meaning depending on the context. For instance, "farang keenok (Thai:ฝรั่งขี้นก)" could mean a Westerner who is not trustworthy or reliable. The expression farang ta nam khao ( listen (help·info); Thai: ฝรั่งตาน้ำข้าว literally means "farang with a rice-milk-colored iris"). It is common in Thai to just say "farang" to point out the presence of one, without making a whole sentence. People of African descent from the Western hemisphere have been occasionally referred to as farang dam Thai: ฝรั่งดำ (black farang).^[1] Although, Thai people who have not been in Westerner countries nor exposed to their cultures may still refer to all African descents as Negro (Thai: นิโกร) without negative meanings.

Now I can believe that over the years this term started out as generic as mentioned but has sense been narroed to have a specific reference. Its like a African/American calling them self the "N" word or a Caucasian calling them self "Whitey or Honkey" it can depict of a level of ignorance.

As for me personally , I will not use it as I have no need. I was simply curious.

I think the confusion arises from differing environments, in the cities for instance, the term farang may be used to distinquish between a foreign businessman and a sex tourist, the latter being more often labelled a 'farang'. However out in the rural areas where foreign visitors were relatively rare, until a few years ago, the term 'farang', in my view is probably nearer to the original use of foreigner.

[Ulysses G.]

Farang was probably never meant to be derogatory but due to the behavior of a great majority of Caucasians it is now just that

Sounds like a convoluted PC delusion, made up by those that suffer from Western guilt. It is not derogatory and never was. It means white foreigner.

[JPPR2]

Ulysses,

Not in the eye of the Thai people.......Believe as you wish.

Carry on

[Birdman]

The overwhelmingly majority of Thai people don't know, that the F-word is used by some Thai people in certain situations as an insult. For them it is a neutral term for any Caucasian.

[PattayaParent]

As a newbie you've probably never tried the search function.

This question comes up once a week so UTFSE and you'll find the same tired arguments for and against that are just going to be posted here again.

[Berkshire]

Ulysses,

Not in the eye of the Thai people.......Believe as you wish.

Carry on

You are wrong. I've spoken to a gazillion Thai's in Thailand and none have ever indicated that the word "farang" was considered derogatory. "Farang" simply means Caucasian person. That's it. Nothing more, nothing less. It is not the same as the "N" word in America. It is similar to the word "Asian" used in America to describe those of Asiatic descent. Any farang that takes offense to this word needs to get a grip. Because the Thai's will not stop using it. I will not stop using it. Nor will my circle of farang friends and acquaintances. You're barking up the wrong tree.

[Familyonthemove]

My experience is the same as Berkshire .... it's just a term for e Caucasian person .... and there seem to be sub-divisions - 'Farang-sed' is French. As is mentioned above, I also heard that Farang was originally derived from the word 'French'?

I've also heard 'Yee-pun' for Japanese .... and 'Kon Thai' for Thai people used in the same sentence with no values being placed on any word.

These words are simple descriptions in a culture with less political correctness than we're used to in the West. In the UK it's quite funny to hear people stumbling over trying to find the right word to describe someone who does not happen to have white skin.

Also - what's with the 'hear we go again' comments .... this is a forum for discussion .... could you imagine walking into your local to meet your mates and saying 'what about that match last night' and they all groan and say 'we discussed footy last week, can't you use the search function??'

[Jingthing]

Farang -- nothing to do with French.

[phutoie2]

I find it amusing that some folk still use the term 'caucasian', let alone 'farang'. It may still be in use in American English, I recollect hearing it said frequently on episodes of Columbo or Hawaii 5 -0.

Secondly, to refer to friends and colleagues as 'farangs' is certainly a bit strange.

I have Swiss and Dutch neighbours in the Moo, I would not dream of referring to them as the 'farangs' next door.

[Familyonthemove]

You sound so sure .... but it could be from the Arabic word 'Frang' which is from Franks which is related to French?

[MrJohnson]

Oh Christ. Here we go again. Have a look at Google lad. If you choose to find it 'insulting' ort 'offensive' then you'd better toughen up if you want to live in Thailand. There's lots of worse things to be called!

[MrJohnson]

Beetle Juice, I searched the forum before I asked my question as I did not want to waste peoples time and that thread was about pronunciation and not the definition.

473Geo: As derogatory as I am comfortable going "Farangs" are viewed as "Low life dirty pigs that exploit Thai women and/or people". A few even stated being called a "Farang" it is like being called "N" word in the US, or "S" word in Mexico etc. The word sounds insulting just as it is said so their definition or comments were not surprising to me at all. Again I only ask this question as it seems people routinely call themselves this and rather than be ignorant about it and assume it is OK I thought I'd ask. I checked Wikipedia prior to my post and this is what it stated;

Farang (faraŋ or falaŋ Thai: ฝรั่ง) is the generic Thai word for a Westerner. A general term for foreigners is "khon tahng prateht (Thai: คนต่างประเทศ)" ('people from other countries'). There is no negative implication in the word itself. However when it is used along with other words, it can bring a negative meaning depending on the context. For instance, "farang keenok (Thai:ฝรั่งขี้นก)" could mean a Westerner who is not trustworthy or reliable. The expression farang ta nam khao ( listen (help·info); Thai: ฝรั่งตาน้ำข้าว literally means "farang with a rice-milk-colored iris"). It is common in Thai to just say "farang" to point out the presence of one, without making a whole sentence. People of African descent from the Western hemisphere have been occasionally referred to as farang dam Thai: ฝรั่งดำ (black farang).^[1] Although, Thai people who have not been in Westerner countries nor exposed to their cultures may still refer to all African descents as Negro (Thai: นิโกร) without negative meanings.

Now I can believe that over the years this term started out as generic as mentioned but has sense been narroed to have a specific reference. Its like a African/American calling them self the "N" word or a Caucasian calling them self "Whitey or Honkey" it can depict of a level of ignorance.

As for me personally , I will not use it as I have no need. I was simply curious.

oops, sorry. didn't see this post before I posted the above. However, that said, I have never heard Farang defined as ""Low life dirty pigs that exploit Thai women and/or people". I think you must have got a Pattaya Bhat bus driver on a bad day to have heard that one. Previous post applies. If you choose to be offended or insulted by the term that is your choice but a bit of an overreaction I believe.