I view and hear this often. One foreign devil is a Farang {singular}. But multiple blue-eyed types are referred to as Farangs {plural}. Linguistically, is not the usage Farang considered to be applied for both singular and plural? Farangs sounds {and reads} embarrassingly wrong. :jap:

You are correct. Farang is both singular and plural. (and is spelled with an "r")

Yes, I have had many sleepless nights thinking about this.

Yes, I have had many sleepless nights thinking about this.

Sorry {not really} to hear. I sleep well and sound, thanks.

Everybody who is not Thai is a foreigner,

Embarrassingly incorrect rather than wrong.

But who gives a flying duck anyway

Ah, just go with "falong" the way the Thai pronounce it.

Everybody who is not Thai is a foreigner,

Not necessarily. Thais don't consider Japanese folk as Farang....nor Chinese. What about black folk? Farang?

Everybody who is not Thai is a foreigner,

Not necessarily. Thais don't consider Japanese folk as Farang....nor Chinese. What about black folk? Farang?

Quite correct; in no way, shape or form does "falang" (or however you spell it) mean foreigner.

A white westerner with Thai citizenship is still a farang, Chinese, Thai, Laotian, Indian, African etc. are NOT Falang.

Anyone who doubts me, just ask these questions to a thai person and you will see. Falang means white person, plain and simple.

One could ask inquisitively, what Thai is? Two-thirds of the Thai population are only Thai by default. This universal Thainess is a relatively new aspect born of forced upon nationalism of the last several decades. Everything considered Thai isn't endemic to Thailand.

I thought the plural was farangi in the same way that the plural for rabbits is rabbi .

Ah, just go with "falong" the way the Thai pronounce it.

Either I've been mispronouncing it all my life (in Thai), or you've got it wrong.

I suspect the latter.

phonetically:

Fah-rung (rolling that 'r' of course). Fah-lung (if you aren't so posh). F'lung (said quickly and as if you are asking a question, if you are from down south)

Nary an 'o' within earshot I'm afraid.

"falong" = an addition to my Thaivisa collection:

farang

falang

farlang

farung

farlung

falung

furung

p.s. any kind soul willing to add to my collection? perhaps furlong? farunk? farong? fallang?

Farangs sounds {and reads} embarrassingly wrong

When you are speaking in English about more than one person, it sounds better than the alternative.

Farangs sounds {and reads} embarrassingly wrong

When you are speaking in English about more than one person, it sounds better than the alternative.

Don't know about that. Farang (pl.) sounds right to me.

Bit like sheep & sheeps.

Thais really don't do plurals so I think farang would be correct since it's a Thai word.

Ah, just go with "falong" the way the Thai pronounce it.

Either I've been mispronouncing it all my life (in Thai), or you've got it wrong.

I suspect the latter.

phonetically:

Fah-rung (rolling that 'r' of course). Fah-lung (if you aren't so posh). F'lung (said quickly and as if you are asking a question, if you are from down south)

Nary an 'o' within earshot I'm afraid.

I understand what you are saying, and I've listened to Thai language phonetic CDs where the "R" is like a rolling R and not a harsh R. However, that is not what I hear when I listen to the average Thai speak. It is similar to the way Thais say "Krap". It never sounds like "crap". It sounds more like "cup". The R is almost silent.

We've gone over this same issue time and time again on thaivisa and there still seems to be the two polarized points of view. All I know is when I say "cup" or falong the Thais know what I mean. Usually when I say thank you it comes out like... Krap poon cup... and I always get a friendly nod in reply.

It's like asking for stir fry noodles with chicken. I'll say Padt Thai Gai. I don't say Pad and I don't say Pat. There seems to be a combination of D and T. I've seen official written English translated documents that come in many variations.

We can argue all day about semantics, but I don't think we will prove anything in every day speaking.

What's a Nubian?

Ah, just go with "falong" the way the Thai pronounce it.

Either I've been mispronouncing it all my life (in Thai), or you've got it wrong.

I suspect the latter.

phonetically:

Fah-rung (rolling that 'r' of course). Fah-lung (if you aren't so posh). F'lung (said quickly and as if you are asking a question, if you are from down south)

Nary an 'o' within earshot I'm afraid.

I understand what you are saying, and I've listened to Thai language phonetic CDs where the "R" is like a rolling R and not a harsh R. However, that is not what I hear when I listen to the average Thai speak. It is similar to the way Thais say "Krap". It never sounds like "crap". It sounds more like "cup". The R is almost silent.

We've gone over this same issue time and time again on thaivisa and there still seems to be the two polarized points of view. All I know is when I say "cup" or falong the Thais know what I mean. Usually when I say thank you it comes out like... Krap poon cup... and I always get a friendly nod in reply.

It's like asking for stir fry noodles with chicken. I'll say Padt Thai Gai. I don't say Pad and I don't say Pat. There seems to be a combination of D and T. I've seen official written English translated documents that come in many variations.

We can argue all day about semantics, but I don't think we will prove anything in every day speaking.

Excellent Ian, I am sure Samran as a native Thai speaker appreciates your hackneyed explanation and butchered pronunciation tips.

Krap poon cup indeed.

White person = falang

East Asian looking person = con Nipon, con Chin, con Phillipine etc

Middle Eastern looking person = con Isreal

Black person = Dam (or sometimes chocolate)

Just my observation

Classic TV.

Bunch of white dudes, living amongst 65 million Thais, arguing on the internet about how to pronounce a Thai word.

When a Thai is speaking, it's not an "s", not plural.

They're hissing.

And with a room full of farang...would it then be -

a mob of farang

a herd of farang

a flock of farang

a murder of farang

a pack of farang

Or...

Excellent Ian, I am sure Samran as a native Thai speaker appreciates your hackneyed explanation and butchered pronunciation tips.

Krap poon cup indeed.

I'm not trying to correct anyone, and certainly not a Thai. I'm just saying what I hear. But please explain why I have seen the same Thai address translated into English in 3 different spellings. The same bank will spell someone's name differently on separate documents.

Yes, I know the topic is about the plural of the word farang, but who really gives a shit so long as everyone understands? A northern Thai person and a southern Thai person might understand each other, but they will pronounce the same Thai word differently and nobody cares. Why should us farangs care? Or, should I say... Why should us farang care?

Classic TV.

Bunch of white dudes, living amongst 65 million Thais, arguing on the internet about how to pronounce a Thai word.

True! :jap:

We've gone over this same issue time and time again on thaivisa and there still seems to be the two polarized points of view. All I know is when I say "cup" or falong the Thais know what I mean. Usually when I say thank you it comes out like... Krap poon cup... and I always get a friendly nod in reply.

We can argue all day about semantics, but I don't think we will prove anything in every day speaking.

Understand your points. A couple of observations:

- The 'friendly nod' you describe is often followed by a though in the head of the recipient along the lines of "I don't have a f**king clue what that bloke just said to me...sounds like 'with cement please'...but I just can't be sure. I'll just nod anyway and smile just to humour him"

- When you are around the corner, said recipient is probably rolling on the ground in laughter.

Anyway, just looking out for your interest here.

Excellent Ian, I am sure Samran as a native Thai speaker appreciates your hackneyed explanation and butchered pronunciation tips.

Krap poon cup indeed.

I'm not trying to correct anyone, and certainly not a Thai. I'm just saying what I hear. But please explain why I have seen the same Thai address translated into English in 3 different spellings. The same bank will spell someone's name differently on separate documents.

That's because the standards for romanization of thai language is really poorly thought out. Just like how the airport Suvarnabhumi is technically "correct" but not really based on phonetics of the native language.

Understand your points. A couple of observations:

- The 'friendly nod' you describe is often followed by a though in the head of the recipient along the lines of "I don't have a f**king clue what that bloke just said to me...sounds like 'with cement please'...but I just can't be sure. I'll just nod anyway and smile just to humour him"

- When you are around the corner, said recipient is probably rolling on the ground in laughter.

Anyway, just looking out for your interest here.

:lol:

Well there are times when I need a little cement. I never try to pass myself off as someone fluent in Thai, but I can usually make myself understood... even if it takes drawing pictures. Fortunately, I'm pretty good with a pen and paper.

Understand your points. A couple of observations:

- The 'friendly nod' you describe is often followed by a though in the head of the recipient along the lines of "I don't have a f**king clue what that bloke just said to me...sounds like 'with cement please'...but I just can't be sure. I'll just nod anyway and smile just to humour him"

- When you are around the corner, said recipient is probably rolling on the ground in laughter.

Anyway, just looking out for your interest here.

:lol:

Well there are times when I need a little cement. I never try to pass myself off as someone fluent in Thai, but I can usually make myself understood... even if it takes drawing pictures. Fortunately, I'm pretty good with a pen and paper.

Based on your pronunciation of "Krap poon cup." You can draw a stick figure of a man taking a crap, a woman's "no" spot, and a coffee cup.

Understand your points. A couple of observations:

- The 'friendly nod' you describe is often followed by a though in the head of the recipient along the lines of "I don't have a f**king clue what that bloke just said to me...sounds like 'with cement please'...but I just can't be sure. I'll just nod anyway and smile just to humour him"

- When you are around the corner, said recipient is probably rolling on the ground in laughter.

Anyway, just looking out for your interest here.

:lol:

Well there are times when I need a little cement. I never try to pass myself off as someone fluent in Thai, but I can usually make myself understood... even if it takes drawing pictures. Fortunately, I'm pretty good with a pen and paper.

Based on your pronunciation of "Krap poon cup." You can draw a stick figure of a man taking a crap, a woman's "no" spot, and a coffee cup.

And there was some tang in that poon cup