Strange Farang Phenomenon

[Berkshire]

I guess so. She can tell which baan people are from in our area with good results.

She can spot a Khmer out of the blue, but will speak Thai to the Mexican dude at sunrise. Funny.

As far as your test. Pm me when you get it set up.

Funny about the Mexican dude. I had a Thai friend who spent some time in southern California and he said that people there constantly mistake him for a Mexican. Even the Mexicans!

[Nawtier]

No wonder nobody wants to be your friend.

....

[appropriate]

I guess so. She can tell which baan people are from in our area with good results.

She can spot a Khmer out of the blue, but will speak Thai to the Mexican dude at sunrise. Funny.

As far as your test. Pm me when you get it set up.

Funny about the Mexican dude. I had a Thai friend who spent some time in southern California and he said that people there constantly mistake him for a Mexican. Even the Mexicans!

Many American porn producers used to use cheap mexicans with eye make up and pass them for Asians. Supply made them a lot cheaper than the real McHoi.

[Nawtier]

MrGuitarman..........would you be my friend ??

[dansat]

I guess so. She can tell which baan people are from in our area with good results.

She can spot a Khmer out of the blue, but will speak Thai to the Mexican dude at sunrise. Funny.

As far as your test. Pm me when you get it set up.

Funny about the Mexican dude. I had a Thai friend who spent some time in southern California and he said that people there constantly mistake him for a Mexican. Even the Mexicans!

Blaaa Blaaa blaaa . Berkshire talking rubbish again. Can you tell me Berkshire do you ever post anything ture or useful ?

[DP25]

Not sure about that. My wife, and this is only one Thai lady, not the entirety of Thailand, can ID most Asians nationality based upon their appearance and mannerisms.

She gets fooled by Koreans and Chinese at times.

I have NO doubt she could spot. Thai anywhere in the world.

Then they would soon be eating.

It's a bit easier in Thailand where it would be quickly obvious they can not speak Thai. I doubt she could do it in US. Thais are greatly outnumbered by other Asians including SEAsians in the US, Chinese 3.5 million, Filipinos 3 million, Vietnamese 1.6 million, Korean 1.6 million...Thais 150,000 and a some of those are mixed race and don't speak Thai fluently. Pretty hard to pick out the handful of Thais among the ocean of Asians

[appropriate]

This little nugget again is it. For the newbies; not all farang here are sound of mind, in fact there are some real screwballs knocking around and it may be in your interest to avoid being buddy-buddy with everyone.

Yes, I try to avoid those trying to be buddy buddy with me, for starters.

[Livinginexile]

I have a lot of expat friends!

The problem is I don't like any of them

[Berkshire]

I guess so. She can tell which baan people are from in our area with good results.

She can spot a Khmer out of the blue, but will speak Thai to the Mexican dude at sunrise. Funny.

As far as your test. Pm me when you get it set up.

Funny about the Mexican dude. I had a Thai friend who spent some time in southern California and he said that people there constantly mistake him for a Mexican. Even the Mexicans!

Blaaa Blaaa blaaa . Berkshire talking rubbish again. Can you tell me Berkshire do you ever post anything ture or useful ?

Dansat, I know I embarrassed you awhile back, causing you to lose serious face (such a Thai thing). And now, you're just following me around trying to get back at me because your feelings are hurt. Well shape up and be a man! This is an anonymous forum, so feel free to express your opinions. But do try to be a little more coherent because I still don't know what the heck you're talking about.

Edited January 27, 2011 by Berkshire

[mstribling]

OP- what are your thoughts now?

[WatUp]

I agree with OP also. I have only lived here for 18 months but have travelled here many times before. I find this a strange phenomenom. I live in an area of BKK with pretty much zero westerners. Maybe every month or so I see another white guy walking around. Now I agree that just because you are both the same race and probably have a common language doesn't mean you should be friends but I think it is weird to not even aknowledge the presence of a similar person. I mean people go way out of their way to avoid any kind of eye contact. I think living in a neighborhood like mine it would be normal to make a polite nod and carry on. Obviously I am not correct though because the normal thing is to avoid any chance of contact no matter what. So I guess I'm the strange one but by my perception it seems weird.

[appropriate]

Oh come on, has no one picked out this piece of genius.

Funny about the Mexican dude. I had a Thai friend who spent some time in southern California and he said that people there constantly mistake him for a Mexican. Even the Mexicans!

Many American porn producers used to use cheap mexicans with eye make up and pass them for Asians. Supply made them a lot cheaper than the real McHoi.

[iono]

Having asked a simple question, and watching the three ring circus assemble as the result, has been quite enjoyable. All manner of responses, from constructive and insightful to mean spirited to ridiculous to plain old asinine. The most anti social coming from long timers who I would have thought to have shown how living in this utopian environment, (thats why you all came in the first place, right?), calmed your raw western nerves, smoothed away all your jackarse edges, and turned you more like those around you in the land of smiles. But dam_n... If this is your happy place, some of you must have been the most miserable cusses on whatever continent you came from. Remarks made in jest are cool as hell. Remarks that are never constructive but rather cynical and abusive and derisive and just plain negative, perpetually flowing from the same individuals as their common mantras in response to all topics, all the while telling everyone to chill out cuz it's all in fun, are most likely the same dill weeds who do all the snubbery discussed here. Your unsavory attitudes about EVERYTHING are just a freakin bummer. I would suggest steering away from the alcohol for a while and maybe check out something in the opiate family. God help us all if you were nice guys before you came here and it is this place that does this to people.....

I've always asked my wife the same thing, what's up with these people...I don't see a lot of falangs and when I do pass by I give a smile or a nod or a how's it going, most of the time they are shocked as if they didn't think I could speak or that their cloak of invisibility slipped off...on that note, I have not live in Thailand that long, but I'm really becoming a bit of a prick.

I'm delighted you're doing your bit to fit in. For some of us, it comes naturally, and for some of us, its the main reason we are here (not me, obviously !).

Very often, when I see a farang in the supermarket, I'll let my eyes linger a moment longer, thinking "do I know him from the bairns' school, or a work or social chance meeting" and if our eyes catch, I'll smile and nod, and I'll say 'hello' in whatever is my native tongue, and, if he does the same, try to say thanks or hello or something in his native tongue out of politenessl and if he doesn't notice then probably its because he's worried about his mortgage, or his divorce, or some obscure but life-threatening disease affecting his children or parents, or the permutations in the Littlewoods Pools, or something else of importance to him (or her, as appropriate) and I let it go. And sometimes I get distracted from tring to remember if 7 score draws is better than a leaking cold water pipe, and whether I emailed my dear old mother last week, and realise someone has just said hello, but I can't recognise them from the back...

Anyway, I figure, if he was bothered about it he would post on TV. So I really am sorry. I was momentarily distracted by trying to compare the price of beans in bangkok with morning glory in the east end, and I regret any offence caused.

But this thread has got me really worried now - if some people worry so much about the thoughtlessness or downright rudeness of others - what about the other personal failings of sttangers? How many people have I offended by my slothfulness, or lack of commitment? My poor personal dishabilement, or wanton use of pompous foreign phrases whose meaning I can only guess at? My grandiloquency and pomposity. Oh my word, I am transfigured with guilt and insincerity.

Imagine how much worse life would be if you took it seriously?

SC

Funny, I think like the OP I'm not looking for a relationship, just polite acknowledgment, common courtesy from one Foreigner to another in a Foreign land...personally I have no friends here, I never will as drinking beer and whoring has lost its thrill, talking sports is like eating razor blades and actually sitting down to talk about the country we now reside in and how our wives love us is really a grinder...so all in all a polite hello won't hurt you and if you blow me off then I'll just sulk for a couple of days, pick myself up and drive on. by the way I am high speed and special

[Huey]

No, I have only met a hand full of other Black Americans here but all the ones I met were very friendly with me. Kinda how one would think Thais would react to each other when they meet in a foreign country.

Can't say what it's like for other "farang" to me here seems no different than anywhere else in that regard.

[SteeleJoe]

This dam_n close to my own feelings in every way (except I do have some freinds):

Funny, I think like the OP I'm not looking for a relationship, just polite acknowledgment, common courtesy from one Foreigner to another in a Foreign land...personally I have no friends here, I never will as drinking beer and whoring has lost its thrill, talking sports is like eating razor blades and actually sitting down to talk about the country we now reside in and how our wives love us is really a grinder...so all in all a polite hello won't hurt you...

But this caught my eye:

...pick myself up and drive on. by the way I am high speed...

Gotta ask: US military by chance? (Ranger Regiment?)

[Berkshire]

Let me be as clear as I can possibly be: I simply noticed a phenomena and thought I would ask if anyone else ever noticed it as well.

Guitarman, you seem like a reasonable guy, so allow me to be civil about this whole thing. If you had just asked a simple question about your observations, that'd be one thing. But you didn't. You asked the question then gave an answer. Several answers, actually. And they were all negative, to wit:

[is it that these westerners came all this way in an attempt to lose their western identities? Are they ashamed of being seen talking to another farang? Do they somehow think that they should be the only farang in Thailand and therefore use the "If I ignore them, they will go away" methodology?]

Is it possible that you may be wrong? That there may be some other reasons that aren't so sinister? Maybe the person is shy. Maybe the person had other things on his/her mind and the slight wasn't intentional at all. Maybe the person is a tourist who's around farangs all the time and not used to acknowledging people they don't know. Or maybe the person just likes to mind his own business and not talk to strangers. What's the crime in that?

It just seems like you're trying to shame people into believing as you do. Or worse, trying to create this "us and them," mentality. And the "us" is a diversed group of people who may not even share a common language, culture, or values, but rather just skin color.

Anyways, just an observation. You seem pretty set in your believes, and that's fine. Just offering a perspective.

[dansat]

I guess so. She can tell which baan people are from in our area with good results.

She can spot a Khmer out of the blue, but will speak Thai to the Mexican dude at sunrise. Funny.

As far as your test. Pm me when you get it set up.

Funny about the Mexican dude. I had a Thai friend who spent some time in southern California and he said that people there constantly mistake him for a Mexican. Even the Mexicans!

Blaaa Blaaa blaaa . Berkshire talking rubbish again. Can you tell me Berkshire do you ever post anything ture or useful ?

Dansat, I know I embarrassed you awhile back, causing you to lose serious face (such a Thai thing). And now, you're just following me around trying to get back at me because your feelings are hurt. Well shape up and be a man! This is an anonymous forum, so feel free to express your opinions. But do try to be a little more coherent because I still don't know what the heck you're talking about.

Berkshire my uneducated american friend. You are claiming to have done something that can't happen to me in Thailand. There is no way on this earth that i could lose face in Thailand. Losing face means being embrassed in the real world. I cant get embrassed in Thailand becuase there is not one person in the whole country that i care what they think about me.

[NanLaew]

Dansat, I know I embarrassed you awhile back, causing you to lose serious face (such a Thai thing). And now, you're just following me around trying to get back at me because your feelings are hurt. Well shape up and be a man! This is an anonymous forum, so feel free to express your opinions. But do try to be a little more coherent because I still don't know what the heck you're talking about.

Berkshire my uneducated american friend. You are claiming to have done something that can't happen to me in Thailand. There is no way on this earth that i could lose face in Thailand. Losing face means being embrassed in the real world. I cant get embrassed in Thailand becuase there is not one person in the whole country that i care what they think about me.

OK you two! Headmaster's office... NOW!!!

[Chunky1]

i was exercising in california fitness, doing stretches, when a cute Thai girl, probably a movie star or super model passing by looks at me and then says to her friend "Farang Chang Yai". I don't know the second two words. Can anyone help? Was it derogatory?

[StreetCowboy]

8>< SNIP NESTED QUOTES DELETED ><8

Funny, I think like the OP I'm not looking for a relationship, just polite acknowledgment, common courtesy from one Foreigner to another in a Foreign land...personally I have no friends here, I never will as drinking beer and whoring has lost its thrill, talking sports is like eating razor blades and actually sitting down to talk about the country we now reside in and how our wives love us is really a grinder...so all in all a polite hello won't hurt you and if you blow me off then I'll just sulk for a couple of days, pick myself up and drive on. by the way I am high speed and special

I'm really sorry that drinking and whoring has lost its thrill. But lucky that it did before the troubles started to pile up, as they did for my mates Scratch, Sniff and Skinflint.

You could talk to people about the impact of healthcare dynamics on actuarial statistics, or the relative merits of taxes and subsidies on fuel, or classical Greek literature, or anything else you chose to broach. So long as you could avoid your condescending and arrogant tone - perhaps if you affected a foreign accent, that would help hide it....

"I am high speed and special" - that sounds like one of my gallon non-sequitors, that does. I've got no idea what it means, especially coming after the burkha smiley. A female suicide bomber? If so, I would recommend writing your memoirs speculatively...

Don't worry, I won't blow you off, though there might be others here that would...

I'd recommend dusting yourself down between picking up and driving off or on (I suppose that's the difference between golf and rugby). You might also want to straighten out, and lock in.

Enjoy the driving

SC

[mark45y]

i was exercising in california fitness, doing stretches, when a cute Thai girl, probably a movie star or super model passing by looks at me and then says to her friend "Farang Chang Yai". I don't know the second two words. Can anyone help? Was it derogatory?

She said you are a big elephant.

[DP25]

i was exercising in california fitness, doing stretches, when a cute Thai girl, probably a movie star or super model passing by looks at me and then says to her friend "Farang Chang Yai". I don't know the second two words. Can anyone help? Was it derogatory?

She was admiring the size of the beer you were drinking while working out. If you really want to impress her bring a sangsom

[a51mas]

i was exercising in california fitness, doing stretches, when a cute Thai girl, probably a movie star or super model passing by looks at me and then says to her friend "Farang Chang Yai". I don't know the second two words. Can anyone help? Was it derogatory?

I think she said "farung muaen chang tua yai" meaning you are "as big as an elephant", as you know Thais loved elephant, so, it;s certainly not an insult, but rather an affectionate comment.

[rgs2001uk]

i was exercising in california fitness, doing stretches, when a cute Thai girl, probably a movie star or super model passing by looks at me and then says to her friend "Farang Chang Yai". I don't know the second two words. Can anyone help? Was it derogatory?

I think she said "farung muaen chang tua yai" meaning you are "as big as an elephant", as you know Thais loved elephant, so, it;s certainly not an insult, but rather an affectionate comment.

Ah, pasat farang plae wa, he is a fat knacker.

[rott]

Having asked a simple question, and watching the three ring circus assemble as the result, has been quite enjoyable. All manner of responses, from constructive and insightful to mean spirited to ridiculous to plain old asinine. The most anti social coming from long timers who I would have thought to have shown how living in this utopian environment, (thats why you all came in the first place, right?), calmed your raw western nerves, smoothed away all your jackarse edges, and turned you more like those around you in the land of smiles. But dam_n... If this is your happy place, some of you must have been the most miserable cusses on whatever continent you came from. Remarks made in jes ?t are cool as hell. Remarks that are never constructive but rather cynical and abusive and derisive and just plain negative, perpetually flowing from the same individuals as their common mantras in response to all topics, all the while telling everyone to chill out cuz it's all in fun, are most likely the same dill weeds who do all the snubbery discussed here. Your unsavory attitudes about EVERYTHING are just a freakin bummer. I would suggest steering away from the alcohol for a while and maybe check out something in the opiate family. God help us all if you were nice guys before you came here and it is this place that does this to people.....

What was I then? Contructive? Insightful? Mean Spirited? Ridiculous? Asinine? Anti-Social? Cynical? Abusive? Cool as hell (please say this one)? Unsavory? Derisive? Negative?

&lt;deleted&gt; 61 you certainly know your adjectives.

[glomp]

How many times do we need this thread.

the cause of me not saying/nodding hello:

1. You look like you are mentally ill. A common trait among expats roaming tesco hitting on anything with a hole.

2. You look like a total pedo with possible mental illness.

3. You look like you are a scumbag criminal that has done time more than once or are running

from the law.

If the farang thinks this might be the case they will not wish to be asociated with you.

[bermondburi]

It's quite funny after all the people saying stuff on this thread but it actually happened to me yesterday. I went swimming yesterday afternoon in a village quite near to where I live and work. I live right on the outskirts of Bangkok and there really aren't that many other foreigners around. There was another guy there with his wife and two children by the pool. On arrival I was trying to get eye contact to just sort of say hello / acknowledge each other and the guy totally blanked me and ignored me like I wasn't even there. I go to this pool all the time, at least three or four times a week so if this guy is going to be going there again the chances are I could well run into him again. I was just trying to be nice. I don't really give a fuc_k but like people have said it would have been good to show that you have noticed the other person. It's not like I'm some pissed up idiot, I'm just going to my regular swimming pool and we do have something in common. Anyway, fuc_k him and his family because I'm not going to bother now. I'll just stick to my regular six front crawl, two back stroke, two butterfly and ignore them. That will show him.

[61guitarman61]

Having asked a simple question, and watching the three ring circus assemble as the result, has been quite enjoyable. All manner of responses, from constructive and insightful to mean spirited to ridiculous to plain old asinine. The most anti social coming from long timers who I would have thought to have shown how living in this utopian environment, (thats why you all came in the first place, right?), calmed your raw western nerves, smoothed away all your jackarse edges, and turned you more like those around you in the land of smiles. But dam_n... If this is your happy place, some of you must have been the most miserable cusses on whatever continent you came from. Remarks made in jes ?t are cool as hell. Remarks that are never constructive but rather cynical and abusive and derisive and just plain negative, perpetually flowing from the same individuals as their common mantras in response to all topics, all the while telling everyone to chill out cuz it's all in fun, are most likely the same dill weeds who do all the snubbery discussed here. Your unsavory attitudes about EVERYTHING are just a freakin bummer. I would suggest steering away from the alcohol for a while and maybe check out something in the opiate family. God help us all if you were nice guys before you came here and it is this place that does this to people.....

What was I then? Contructive? Insightful? Mean Spirited? Ridiculous? Asinine? Anti-Social? Cynical? Abusive? Cool as hell (please say this one)? Unsavory? Derisive? Negative?

&lt;deleted&gt; 61 you certainly know your adjectives.

I'm really not a stick-up-the-tucas humorless stiff, and your response was of course taken in the spirit intended. I can laugh at myself just fine also but some members here are more like the school yard bullies at a primary school with the same taunts and mean-spirited quips they were using umpteen years ago when they were all of 10 years of age. Not humor, not good advice, just worthless blatherings better never to have been conceived, written, and certainly better to have never been read. In answer to you, sure, cool as hell.

I'm practicing my use of as many words as possible to bolster my English skills as I have started tutoring as a TEFL teacher. So sorry if I sometimes put in a few too many words. And no, I do not type with the thesaurus open.............

[Nawtier]

i was exercising in california fitness, doing stretches, when a cute Thai girl, probably a movie star or super model passing by looks at me and then says to her friend "Farang Chang Yai". I don't know the second two words. Can anyone help? Was it derogatory?

Not 100%....but she either thinks you have a nose the size of an elephant....or a penis the size of an elephants nose....

[bermondburi]

i was exercising in california fitness, doing stretches, when a cute Thai girl, probably a movie star or super model passing by looks at me and then says to her friend "Farang Chang Yai". I don't know the second two words. Can anyone help? Was it derogatory?

Not 100%....but she either thinks you have a nose the size of an elephant....or a penis the size of an elephants nose....

She was probably asking her mate to get her a beer !