How Do You Spell Falang?

[Puccini]

There is a Thaivisa member who avoids the conundrum by writing farlang.

[dave2]

re.

When I'm in my BKK Hi-So mode, Farang, when doing the Isaan Lo-So thingy, Falang.

and thais spell it ... wat farung

just joshin .... dave2

ps ... its about twenty miles south of chiang mai on the

way to hot .. bkk

Edited November 5, 2012 by dave2

[nong38]

I suppose it depends if you a lisp or not, then the 'r' might become 'w' so we can have a farang, falang or fawang. I would call Thais farang but they dont have round eyes, so that scuppered that one!!

[nong38]

When I'm in my BKK Hi-So mode, Farang, when doing the Isaan Lo-So thingy, Falang.

I find I am in the So-hi position most of the time, if its better than the missionary is open for debate I guess.

[McMagus]

I heard somewhere (not sure if it is true or an urban myth) that in Laos, 'R' is correctly (according to their language) pronounced as 'L' and as a consequence the adoption of same by Issan people, where central Thai is more like a 2nd language. Sometime in the past Laos was banned from all schools in Issan etc. and today Bangkokians and 'educated' Thais see the use of 'L' instead of 'R' as lower class speech. Thais can and are quite capable of physically pronouncing 'R'. Not sure if it is laziness or just something that has grown up.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

I heard somewhere (not sure if it is true or an urban myth) that in Laos, 'R' is correctly (according to their language) pronounced as 'L' and as a consequence the adoption of same by Issan people, where central Thai is more like a 2nd language. Sometime in the past Laos was banned from all schools in Issan etc. and today Bangkokians and 'educated' Thais see the use of 'L' instead of 'R' as lower class speech. Thais can and are quite capable of physically pronouncing 'R'. Not sure if it is laziness or just something that has grown up.

My understanding is that this is traditionally one of the differences between the Bangkok dialect and the true "Central Thai" official dominant one, which distinction is of course mostly lost these days.

Even educated Thais slip into mixing L's and R's in casual speech, and only do the formally correct "rolling R" (as in Scots) when taking the trouble to enunciate carefully.

In other words they are linguistically interchangeable in many many subsets of the population, not in practice directly related to class/region/education etc.

But of course just as with Oxbridge accents, the socio-economically dominant classes will make use their superior education as a distinguishing factor and are thus able to speak more "correctly" when such extra attention is required.

[Naam]

this thread has deteriorated. let's go back to the opening post and the question how the Thai word for "caucasian foreigner" is spelled correctly.

checking various sources i conclude that the correct spelling is furlworng

source: http://www.naams-nonsense.org

Edited November 5, 2012 by Naam

[phuturatica]

Farang but pronounced as Falang as Thai people roll their R like an L

[IamNotaNumber]

"How Do You Spell Falang?"

It seems to be spelt "ATM" in both English and Thai.

[Trembly]

I heard somewhere (not sure if it is true or an urban myth) that in Laos, 'R' is correctly (according to their language) pronounced as 'L' and as a consequence the adoption of same by Issan people, where central Thai is more like a 2nd language. Sometime in the past Laos was banned from all schools in Issan etc. and today Bangkokians and 'educated' Thais see the use of 'L' instead of 'R' as lower class speech. Thais can and are quite capable of physically pronouncing 'R'. Not sure if it is laziness or just something that has grown up.

Upper class Thais convert Rs into Ls all the time when speaking informally, it's not a straightforward class thing. Some Thais can say Rs, some can't. Some can't even 'hear' themselves say or not say it.

"Derivery"

Nope. Delivery.

"Dervery"

Delivery.

"Drivelly"

"Derivery. There! I said it!"

No, delivery.

"That's what I just said"

No you didn't

D . . .

Edited November 21, 2012 by Trembly

[Stradavarius37]

A - T - M

[rct99q]

Try having the first name Ralph.

F - forever bitching about thailand, the people, drivers and how much better their "own" country is

A - always clever enough to use a cute pseudonym when having a go on web forums

L- limey bastards who sit and drink all day complaining how their "wife" is always ripping them off

A - australians who think taking their "bar girl/wife" to the outback will stop her from entertaining the "troops"

N - north americans whose families don't understand them when they run off with a bar girl who is younger then his own sweet sixteen daughter

G - golly gee that girl sure has big hands....and a deep voice...but a great ass and ta ta's

not judging, just saying.

[Theoutsider]

R.A.C.I.S.T.

[eeeya]

Potato

[rene123]

You spell it like it is printed in the Thai-English books: Farang.

You can pronounce it like: - fah-lang, or anything similar. Even the most simple minded people will understand you.

You certainly don't pronounce it like: fah-rang, but properly pronouced there is a rolling of the "r" so it almost sounds like an "L"

This topic is much to do about nothing. It was explained to me the first time I came to Thailand in 1998 and I haven't forgotten. And, only the paranoid think it is a derogatory term used by Thais to put down white people. There seems to be a lot of paranoid people on thaivisa.

[Jingthing]

The proper central Thai pronunciation is: R sound in f-Rang is pronounced like an English R, not like an English L. Ask some proper central Thais. You'll see.

Edited November 22, 2012 by Jingthing

[TommoPhysicist]

Farang.

You hear Falang because there is a tendency for Thais to pronounce Rs as Ls out of laziness. They will revert back to pronouncing Rs properly when in a formal situation.

Its not exactly rude, but its not quite polite either. Its place is among friends, close associates and on the street. If you want to sound colloquial you can say Rs as Ls too.

It's just a Thai word for westerner, polite or the way it is said has nothing much to do with it, it's just a dialect thing.

As I understand the Bangkok educated southern bread Thai people pronounce the ' r ' and the further you go north of Thailand they pronounce as an ' l ' as in there dialect.

If I may dissent

Up North it's pronounced "Ba/Ma Gairw" or "Ba Guey Gar" (Lanna)

Out East it's pronounced "Baak See Daa" (Issan)

Only in Central or South is it "Farang"

[Semper]

I heard somewhere (not sure if it is true or an urban myth) that in Laos, 'R' is correctly (according to their language) pronounced as 'L' and as a consequence the adoption of same by Issan people, where central Thai is more like a 2nd language. Sometime in the past Laos was banned from all schools in Issan etc. and today Bangkokians and 'educated' Thais see the use of 'L' instead of 'R' as lower class speech. Thais can and are quite capable of physically pronouncing 'R'. Not sure if it is laziness or just something that has grown up.

Upper class Thais convert Rs into Ls all the time when speaking informally, it's not a straightforward class thing. Some Thais can say Rs, some can't. Some can't even 'hear' themselves say or not say it.

"Derivery"

Nope. Delivery.

"Dervery"

Delivery.

"Drivelly"

"Derivery. There! I said it!"

No, delivery.

"That's what I just said"

No you didn't

D . . .

Seven Ereven......? Of course everyone can pronounce "r" regardless of their "class", just think of rotfai, rot daeng (bahtbus in CM).

[TommoPhysicist]

Seven Ereven......? Of course everyone can pronounce "r" regardless of their "class", just think of rotfai, rot daeng (bahtbus in CM).

I drive a lot!

[rene123]

Farang.

You hear Falang because there is a tendency for Thais to pronounce Rs as Ls out of laziness. They will revert back to pronouncing Rs properly when in a formal situation.

Its not exactly rude, but its not quite polite either. Its place is among friends, close associates and on the street. If you want to sound colloquial you can say Rs as Ls too.

It's just a Thai word for westerner, polite or the way it is said has nothing much to do with it, it's just a dialect thing.

As I understand the Bangkok educated southern bread Thai people pronounce the ' r ' and the further you go north of Thailand they pronounce as an ' l ' as in there dialect.

If I may dissent

Up North it's pronounced "Ba/Ma Gairw" or "Ba Guey Gar" (Lanna)

Out East it's pronounced "Baak See Daa" (Issan)

Only in Central or South is it "Farang"

How far north or how far east are you talking about. In Nan I never heard anything but "fah-lang". The same with Sakhon Nakhon, it was always fah-lang. I heard the school kids saying it when pointing at me and my red hair. They weren't being derogatory. It is the same in Fang and MaeSai. Maybe in the rural villages they say Baak See Daa or Ba Guey Gar, but I've never heard it, and I listen closely.

[Trembly]

Farang.

You hear Falang because there is a tendency for Thais to pronounce Rs as Ls out of laziness. They will revert back to pronouncing Rs properly when in a formal situation.

Its not exactly rude, but its not quite polite either. Its place is among friends, close associates and on the street. If you want to sound colloquial you can say Rs as Ls too.

It's just a Thai word for westerner, polite or the way it is said has nothing much to do with it, it's just a dialect thing.

As I understand the Bangkok educated southern bread Thai people pronounce the ' r ' and the further you go north of Thailand they pronounce as an ' l ' as in there dialect.

If I may dissent

Up North it's pronounced "Ba/Ma Gairw" or "Ba Guey Gar" (Lanna)

Out East it's pronounced "Baak See Daa" (Issan)

Only in Central or South is it "Farang"

How far north or how far east are you talking about. In Nan I never heard anything but "fah-lang". The same with Sakhon Nakhon, it was always fah-lang. I heard the school kids saying it when pointing at me and my red hair. They weren't being derogatory. It is the same in Fang and MaeSai. Maybe in the rural villages they say Baak See Daa or Ba Guey Gar, but I've never heard it, and I listen closely.

Ba-guay-gaew and Bak-Sida are Northern and Isan for Guava, respectively. They're just word plays, often spoken in jest but common enough.

Edited November 23, 2012 by Trembly

[rene123]

Ba-guay-gaew and Bak-Sida are Northern and Isan for Guava, respectively. They're just word plays, often spoken in jest but common enough.

Thankyou, that is good to know.