"Chocolate" People

[Exsexyman]

I did not ask these 2 questions to start an argument or to be verbally abused.

I have been accused of trolling, posting a rhetorical question and have been told I am as "thick as a post" and "stupid"

There are 2 questions in my original post. The second part of the question has been covered and most likely correctly answered. No surprise there, as it has been pointed out to me.

But to date, not one person has been able to answer the first and most difficult question. Nor can I.

The history or origin of the use of the term."Chocolate" has not been answered or even mentioned.

Perhaps the exact origin is not known and never will be. If that is the conclusion, fine, so be it.

But not knowing the answer and then abusing the person who asked the question... I will allow you to come to your own conclusions.

It's not rocket science. The

[Exsexyman]

I did not ask these 2 questions to start an argument or to be verbally abused.

I have been accused of trolling, posting a rhetorical question and have been told I am as "thick as a post" and "stupid"

There are 2 questions in my original post. The second part of the question has been covered and most likely correctly answered. No surprise there, as it has been pointed out to me.

But to date, not one person has been able to answer the first and most difficult question. Nor can I.

The history or origin of the use of the term."Chocolate" has not been answered or even mentioned.

Perhaps the exact origin is not known and never will be. If that is the conclusion, fine, so be it.

But not knowing the answer and then abusing the person who asked the question... I will allow you to come to your own conclusions.

It's not rocket science. They say chocolate man because they have dark skin. Is that so hard to grasp? Jeez! A difficult question? Take your medication and go and lie down in a darkened room for a few hours. You will feel so much better afterwards.

[Exsexyman]

A couple of questions to the OP. Are you black? I suspect not. Are you trying to show how politically correct you are? I suspect so. Believe me most black people hear far worse from their countries of origin.

[Exsexyman]

I've heard it several times. The reasons are pretty obvious, but now for the never discussed before question why are white folks called farangs ?

More to the point ive been building a house for 2 months and despite me telling the staff I have a name and telling them my name they keep saying farang .

I just gonna call em asians or summat

Why are you building a house that you never ever will own ?

Possibly.....maybe....like I did.....to sell and make 6mil on it.

6 mil? In your name? Sure, then you woke up and fell out of bed!

[Joymarie1994]

Because chocolate is dark in color and so are colored people? Also because chocolate taste good and just about everyone loves chocolate. lol

[ozzieovaseas]

The term has nothing to do with skin colour.

The history of the term comes from the US troops taking their R&R here during the Vietnam conflict.

The black soldiers would usually have their pockets full of chocolate to give to their Thai 'girlfriends'. Hence the phrase, "Here comes the chocolate man"

The white soldiers preferred to give fruit. Hence the phrase "Hello farang. Is that a banana in your pocket or are you just pleased to see me?".

I can not speak for these Thai "girlfriends" you mentioned above, however, I am very glad to hear from you.

Thank-you very much for giving me an intelligent answer to what I considered a reasonable question.

As I suggested earlier, there is in fact an "origin" for the use of this term. As there is for the majority of words and terms we use in every-day conversations.

Your answer makes complete fools of the arrogant, socially inept narcissists that made anonymous derogatory posts earlier in this topic.

I do not understand the motives of such people. Perhaps it is the anonymity that gives them the courage?

If you do not like a topic or have nothing constructive to add isn't it logical to move your mousse to the "next topic" icon, click on it, and simply move on?

Let me get this straight..you say the previous pasters are fools but you have taken chickenlegs post seriously

then you wonder why people accuse you of being as thick as a post

[Pseudolus]

Just out of interest, what was the proportion of black v non black in the US army in the Vietnam war? Were only the black soldiers given chocolate or are you saying that only the black dudes gave the chocolate out and the white guys snarfed it all themselves? OP You really are as think as the chocolatey centre of a well made fondant.

[Orac]

They were probably confused what term they should use and came up with their own name. I can hardly blame them as I do not know myself what the current politically correct term is.

[samsiam]

I always thought it was down to skin colour but I've seen quite a few Thais who are darker than I am so maybe chickenslegs' explanation is right.

Either way, I've always found the "Chocolate Man" greeting from many Thai girls to be highly amusing.

Thais do not see themselves as black same same as african or american or islander etc.

As for the chocolate in the pockets of american soldiers.....what a croc.....a pocket full of chocolate in the tropics.....yeah right.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

I always thought it was down to skin colour but I've seen quite a few Thais who are darker than I am so maybe chickenslegs' explanation is right.

Either way, I've always found the "Chocolate Man" greeting from many Thai girls to be highly amusing.

Thais do not see themselves as black same same as african or american or islander etc.

Dark-skinned (upcountry uneducated) Thais suffer from discrimination and harsh racist abuse from their more light-skinned (wealthier urban) compatriots every bit as much as in the US if not more, main difference being here it's mainstream acceptable even in the media and perfectly legal.

One of the reasons many Thais have no respect for farang is they have contempt for the fact that we don't mind pairing off with a dark-skinned girl. And this view is often internalized into self-loathing, dark girls often have a hard time believing anyone would find them attractive.

[AverageFarang]

I always thought it was down to skin colour but I've seen quite a few Thais who are darker than I am so maybe chickenslegs' explanation is right.

Either way, I've always found the "Chocolate Man" greeting from many Thai girls to be highly amusing.

Mate, that guy Chickenlegs is taking the PEE.

Black soldiers don't walk about with a pocket-load of chocolates. And white soldiers don't keep bananas in their trousers.

[Semper]

I've heard it several times. The reasons are pretty obvious, but now for the never discussed before question why are white folks called farangs ?

More to the point ive been building a house for 2 months and despite me telling the staff I have a name and telling them my name they keep saying farang .

I just gonna call em asians or summat

Get rid of the staff and hire a new crew. That should teach them to remember your name.

Edited May 14, 2012 by Semper

[Orac]

I've heard it several times. The reasons are pretty obvious, but now for the never discussed before question why are white folks called farangs ?

More to the point ive been building a house for 2 months and despite me telling the staff I have a name and telling them my name they keep saying farang .

I just gonna call em asians or summat

Get rid of the staff and hire a new crew. That should teach them to remember your name.

Sounds like a very thai solution - sod the work effort or quality, if they don't kow-tow enough get rid of them.

[doggie888888]

It started off with Thai girl saying to black man: Hello hansum man....is that chocolate bar in your pocket?

Edited May 14, 2012 by doggie888888

[ayayay]

It sounds just as stupid as the farang term

[ysamui]

I always thought it was down to skin colour but I've seen quite a few Thais who are darker than I am so maybe chickenslegs' explanation is right.

Either way, I've always found the "Chocolate Man" greeting from many Thai girls to be highly amusing.

Mate, that guy Chickenlegs is taking the PEE.

Black soldiers don't walk about with a pocket-load of chocolates. And white soldiers don't keep bananas in their trousers.

Maybe he is maybe he is not. But he is the only person who has actually understood and answered the question.

Every other person is stupid enough to think that every bar girl in Thailand had the same idea at the same about calling coloured people Chocolate. How the anonymous mass of bullies stick together. It's a shame they do not have the intelligence to think for themselves.

Do all topics eventually end up this farcical?

[ysamui]

Samsiam: "As for the chocolate in the pockets of american soldiers.....what a croc.....a pocket full of chocolate in the tropics.....yeah right."

You were at the war and witnessed that this did not happen?

Or do you simply "know everything"

[Tafia]

I've heard it several times. The reasons are pretty obvious, but now for the never discussed before question why are white folks called farangs ?

More to the point ive been building a house for 2 months and despite me telling the staff I have a name and telling them my name they keep saying farang .

I just gonna call em asians or summat

When I first met my GF (now wife) daughter she referred to me as farang. I told her my name again and referred to her as Kon Thai. She was taken aback at the time but it has since become our greeting to each other and now taken in good humour.

[Trembly]

Thais often just say khon piew dam (black skinned people / person) or Negro.

I like the word Negro. It has a certain euphony to it.

[bago]

most thais are chocolate people because of the colour but not so sweet

[mca]

I like the word Negro. It has a certain euphony to it.

Yes but only a select few can carry it off wouldn't you agree Trembly?

[canman]

I've heard it several times. The reasons are pretty obvious, but now for the never discussed before question why are white folks called farangs ?

Because the word "farang" comes from the Thai translation for French hence "European" but as we know not all of us hail from Europe but Thais generalise us all as "farangs" even if your from australia or England or Nigeria, we're all just "farangs" to Thais and it has nothing to do with the colour of our skin

Jake; I always understood that Falang was Thai for Guava?? There are several types of guava, one of which is the "Thai White" which has white flesh. Seems to be self evident then why caucasians might be called Falang.

[h90]

I've heard it several times. The reasons are pretty obvious, but now for the never discussed before question why are white folks called farangs ?

More to the point ive been building a house for 2 months and despite me telling the staff I have a name and telling them my name they keep saying farang .

I just gonna call em asians or summat

When I first met my GF (now wife) daughter she referred to me as farang. I told her my name again and referred to her as Kon Thai. She was taken aback at the time but it has since become our greeting to each other and now taken in good humour.

My wife continue to explain our staff what Farangs do and not do.....

I often point out that there are some differences between north finnland and south italy and between madrid and novosibirsk.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

I think it's true that the post about Vietnam-era black soldiers with chocolate in their pockets was just joking.

However since the widespread exposure of ordinary Thais to both "farang dam" **and** western sweets like chocolate would have happened at that time and for that reason, it's not that far off IMO as to how that slang became widespread, if not actually invented then.

==========================

I did not ask these 2 questions to start an argument or to be verbally abused.

I have been accused of trolling, posting a rhetorical question and have been told I am as "thick as a post" and "stupid"

That's not very nice is it.

Have you never seen white chocolate?

An abomination and IMO total misuse of the term. But then so is most such manufactured in hot climates, nothing like the real thing even if it's brown.

Because the word "farang" comes from the Thai translation for French hence "European" but as we know not all of us hail from Europe but Thais generalise us all as "farangs" even if your from australia or England or Nigeria, we're all just "farangs" to Thais and it has nothing to do with the colour of our skin

False. Thais will say that a black brit or yank isn't really a farang because it specifically means caucasian. They do get confused by things like this since they believe Thais are all one "race". But the Thai word farang means white person of European descent.

And the etymology of the term is much more likely via ancient India/Persia when they had contact with the Franks, nothing to do with just the past couple hundred years' contact with the modern French.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

My wife continue to explain our staff what Farangs do and not do.....

I often point out that there are some differences between north finnland and south italy and between madrid and novosibirsk.

And or course we educated sophisticated people would never over-generalize about people based on their nationality or ethnic origin.

Edited May 14, 2012 by BigJohnnyBKK

[smokie36]

Stupid bloody question and there is nothing racist in answering it either. Some Thais call Black people Chocolates due to the colour of their skin which can resemble chocolate in colour. So, assuming you already knew or might have guessed it, what is the point of your stupid question or are you really so stupid that this passed you by?

Exactly. This happened to a friend travelling with me once. He didn't like it at all and has never returned to Thailand.

I've had a think about this incident as, to be honest, at the time he mentioned it I thought it was quite funny.

But its all about the reaction of the person such comments are addressed to. Perhaps if he had spoken up he might have received an apology.

I suspect a blank stare might have been more forthcoming. I doubt there is any racist intent there.

The term used in any case was "chocolate farang".

[Kilgore Trout]

I have heard some Thai people say it and I asked my boyfriend as to why they refer black people to chocolate and his reply was "The same reason we refer to you as farang. You are farang and black people have the same colour skin as chocolate." - Quite a simple and logical answer really.

Someone I know calls S.E Asians "zipperheads." I asked him why and he said because their face looks like someone fastened a zipper on top of their head too tight.

I guess according to your logic that's ok...simple and logical, right?

[necronx99]

Thais, unlike westerners have no cultural hang ups about referring to a persons physical characteristics.

How many leks and dangs and dums and ooans do you come across?

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa app

[BigJohnnyBKK]

Someone I know calls S.E Asians "zipperheads." I asked him why and he said because their face looks like someone fastened a zipper on top of their head too tight.

I guess according to your logic that's ok...simple and logical, right?

No because the feeling behind his words was contempt and the intent was to insult.

It's true that Thais generally think white skin is more attractive, but that's a personal preference. Many of them over-generalize about Indians and Arabs being smelly, Burmese and Khmer being dishonest, farang being stupid, but this is just ignorance.

When girls call out "hey pompui" or oowan, they don't realize that some people would be hurt by that, if you're fat you're fat don't be so sensitive no harm meant.

Same with chocolate.

Mate, that guy Chickenlegs is taking the PEE.

Yes I think so, funny how the OP was grateful for the abuse 8-)

Do all topics eventually end up this farcical?

We do our best, thanks for doing your part!

Edited May 14, 2012 by BigJohnnyBKK

[elliss]

also , heard it numerous times ,

some of you guys need to go out and about in thailand .