A Quest For Identity

[BKK90210]

Should we be known to the thais more than just simply “FARANG”?

After all there are many groups of us “farang” such as:

Long terms – short terms – tourists

Good farangs – bad farangs

Bangkok farangs – issaan farangs – northern farangs - southern farangs

Or…. even beer bench potato farangs, the sun spots Pattaya farangs, , the soccer dad / dirt bike isaan farangs, and that island hopper southern schooners.

How should we call or separate ourselves?

Is labeling a good thing or bad thing? After all if you look at most products at the supermarkets today, you could see that the marketing using labels to brand products worked mostly very well indeed.

For example

Some bland name are suck big time!

but for

Campble soup bland – you know if you picked the wrong soup, chance is – it’s going to be o.k.

Or

Sony or Sanyo bland – known generally as good reliable products, good designs, and upper end price range, etc.

I don’t know…. the term just “FARANG” called by the thais seems monoculture and homogeneous to me, after all we are not the same. We do things differently, we live in different places - cities/regions, we even have different life styles, etc. Should we be able to label among ourselves so the Thais would be able to distinguish the differences when encounter one?...or it’s doesn’t matter!

What do you think?

Edited December 16, 2005 by BKK90210

[h90]

my wife is from the south so she call them Rang instead of Far-ang.

So she call me Rang-bah

Should we be known to the thais more than just simply “FARANG”? 

After all there are many groups of  us “farang” such as:

Long terms – short terms – tourists

Good farangs – bad farangs

Bangkok farangs – issaan farangs – northern farangs - southern farangs

Or…. even beer bench potato farangs, the sun spots Pattaya farangs, , the soccer dad / dirt bike isaan farangs, and that island hopper southern schooners.

How should we call or separate ourselves?

Is labeling a good thing or bad thing? After all if you look at most products at the supermarkets today, you could see that the marketing using labels to brand products worked mostly very well indeed.

For example

Some bland name  are suck big time!

but for

Campble soup bland – you know if you picked the wrong soup, chance is – it’s going to be o.k.

Or

Sony or Sanyo bland  – known generally as good reliable products, good designs, and upper end price range, etc.

I don’t know…. the term just “FARANG” called by the thais seems monoculture and homogeneous to me, after all we are not the same.  We do things differently, we live in different places - cities/regions, we even have different life styles, etc.  Should we be able to label among ourselves so the Thais would be able to distinguish the differences when encounter one?...or it’s doesn’t matter!  What do you think?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[BambinA]

So she call me Rang-bah   

[Glauka]

Should we be known to the thais more than just simply “FARANG”? 

After all there are many groups of  us “farang” such as:

Long terms – short terms – tourists

Good farangs – bad farangs

Bangkok farangs – issaan farangs – northern farangs - southern farangs

Or…. even beer bench potato farangs, the sun spots Pattaya farangs, , the soccer dad / dirt bike isaan farangs, and that island hopper southern schooners.

How should we call or separate ourselves?

Is labeling a good thing or bad thing? After all if you look at most products at the supermarkets today, you could see that the marketing using labels to brand products worked mostly very well indeed.

For example

Some bland name  are suck big time!

but for

Campble soup bland – you know if you picked the wrong soup, chance is – it’s going to be o.k.

Or

Sony or Sanyo bland  – known generally as good reliable products, good designs, and upper end price range, etc.

I don’t know…. the term just “FARANG” called by the thais seems monoculture and homogeneous to me, after all we are not the same.  We do things differently, we live in different places - cities/regions, we even have different life styles, etc.  Should we be able to label among ourselves so the Thais would be able to distinguish the differences when encounter one?...or it’s doesn’t matter! 

What do you think?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I personally don´t mind how they call me...

I know who I am and I know that everybody is different and the people who is interested in knowing me better will appreciate that.

I have not problem with being called farang really....it´s just a way of talking...

[LadyinRed]

I am not Thai and I am not a Farang either.. at least you guys can still call yourself Farangs.

[tuky]

My wife says there are two types of farang...

farang and Pattaya farang

[sonthaya]

Call me what ever you like, doesn't make any difference to me

[Tippaporn]

My wife says there are two types of farang...

farang and Pattaya farang 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Which one are you, Tuky?

[Loaded]

I think the Pattaya farang is often called KeyNok (bird shit) by the locals. It's quite insulting but is used to describe the old, fat, poor and drunk farang walking proudly with a young Issan woman on his arm.

Edited December 16, 2005 by Loaded

[BambinA]

I am not Thai and I am not a Farang either..    at least you guys can still call yourself Farangs.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

emmm...you'd be 2 kinds of mix fruity "farang banana"

[Ijustwannateach]

How about "pink pasty people?"

[h90]

I am not Thai and I am not a Farang either..    at least you guys can still call yourself Farangs.

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emmm...you'd be 2 kinds of mix fruity "farang banana"

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[tuky]

My wife says there are two types of farang...

farang and Pattaya farang 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Which one are you, Tuky?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't live in Pattaya Tippaporn

But it is a lighthearted comment on her behalf, she does love to tease.

[Butterfly]

I think the Pattaya farang is often called KeyNok (bird shit) by the locals. It's quite insulting but is used to describe the old, fat, poor and drunk farang walking proudly with a young Issan woman on his arm.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

actually more like young Kho San road type with no money living long time without Visa in Thailand

The old, fat, bald farang in Pattaya is simply called ATM

Nothing wrong with that

[Tippaporn]

Most Thais call me farang. My Thai wife, though, calls me teehrak. In any case, it's better than what the folks call me back in the States!

[britmaveric]

Hmmm my gf calls me thai lao farang!!!

[h90]

whats that???

from my southern wife "lao" is the ugliest word she can use.

Hmmm my gf calls me thai lao farang!!! 

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[Cpt_M0ney_Sh0t]

Funny, they never call me farang

[thaivisitor]

Should we be known to the thais more than just simply “FARANG”? 

You can't change that even if you want to.

It's just an expression with no harm intented just as people says Honkies for people from Hong Kong, Aussies for Australian, Negros, Chinks, etc, etc.

[britmaveric]

whats that???

from my southern wife "lao" is the ugliest word she can use.

Hmmm my gf calls me thai lao farang!!! 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Uhhh smth to do with my tanning.....

[Cpt_M0ney_Sh0t]

Should we be known to the thais more than just simply “FARANG”? 

You can't change that even if you want to.

It's just an expression with no harm intented just as people says Honkies for people from Hong Kong, Aussies for Australian, Negros, Chinks, etc, etc.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Heh, calling someone a "Chink" or a "Honky" in the States could cost you your job depending on were ya worked.

But your right about how they use the word farang, kinda generic with little or no malice intended.... when they wanna insult a white they would call ya that "kee nok"

[h90]

are you brown???

I always get the worst complains (like to walk, yes for thai people, that is what you can do with your legs, for some hours) but than I get called A-Dum (means black one in a rassistic way)

whats that???

from my southern wife "lao" is the ugliest word she can use.

Hmmm my gf calls me thai lao farang!!! 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Uhhh smth to do with my tanning.....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[britmaveric]

I'm not pasty white stay brn most of year - mind you if I get heaps of sun I can get quite dark. She laffs when she says it, so not serious least I hope.

[Cpt_M0ney_Sh0t]

Hahah, h90, yeah my ex girl would call me that all the time when she was mad, "Ken Ee Dum!" heh, funny thing was she was as dark as I am and I'm Black!

[Boggers]

I actually grew to resent being called farang after staying a week at my girlfriend's village. Even after I had been introduced to the entire community and everyone knew my name, they still called me farang when speaking to me and when I could tell they were speaking about me. I thought it was rather dehumanizing. I was as if I was not an individual, just an "it".

[Boon Mee]

I actually grew to resent being called farang after staying a week at my girlfriend's village. Even after I had been introduced to the entire community and everyone knew my name, they still called me farang when speaking to me and when I could tell they were speaking about me. I thought it was rather dehumanizing. I was as if I was not an individual, just an "it".

Doesn't mean anything Boggers.

Jing jing...

[chonabot]

whats that???

from my southern wife "lao" is the ugliest word she can use.

Hmmm my gf calls me thai lao farang!!! 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

For my Isaan wife , "Southern" is the ugliest word she can use...

[Boggers]

Doesn't mean anything Boggers.

Jing jing...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Cultural difference. But I am sure if my friends and family insisited on refering to my girlfriend as just "Thai girl" instead of by her name, she would find it upsetting as well.

[KhunMarco]

I remember a guy who was really upset for the same reason. The whole family kept calling him farang, even after months they lived together.

So he started to call them Thai," HeY Thai can you please.." , "where are you going thai?". The family asked his wife (a Thai) why he was not using their name. He understood what they were asking and promptly explained that he felt a strong lack of respect, so he was treating them the same way.

Well it seems they got the point

I think he was a Stickman's poster.

Edited December 16, 2005 by KhunMarco

[bkkmadness]

whats that???

from my southern wife "lao" is the ugliest word she can use.

Hmmm my gf calls me thai lao farang!!! 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Uhhh smth to do with my tanning.....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thats what she tells you dude.