Does Being Called Farang Bother You?

[carmine]

Thais point at me and shout faranglaw...should i be taking grave offence to this too?

[Payboy]

Has anyone said "here we go again" yet?

So, why do you both feel the need to make such comments?

I do it to raise my post count without starting another sin sot thread.

[rijb]

Being called any name doesn't bother me. Unless it's true. Then it bothers me even less.

[daftpunker]

get called kee nok farang then you need to worry.

[HardenedSoul]

I'm mixed, African American (as brown as Obama) and I'm referred to as farang just as much as any fair skinned Swede or Brit. So it's not about color. And please educate me…when did "we" refer to Africans as n****rs?

Educate you about what, exactly?

He never said "we", did he? He said that once upon a time, black people were labeled using the N-word.

If you need verification of that, walk into a bar in the American deep south with the Confederate flag draped outside.

[skybluestu]

I'm mixed, African American (as brown as Obama) and I'm referred to as farang just as much as any fair skinned Swede or Brit. So it's not about color. And please educate mewhen did "we" refer to Africans as n****rs?

Educate you about what, exactly?

He never said "we", did he? He said that once upon a time, black people were labeled using the N-word.

If you need verification of that, walk into a bar in the American deep south with the Confederate flag draped outside.

And it is very surprising that he is referred to as a farang if he is as brown as Obama as, like I mentioned in a previous post, a good friend of mine from LA lived in Chiang Mai for a few years and was constantly called farang dum and that is quite normal.

And globerunner4, how can you say it isn't about colour? Farang is a name used only for caucasians! Thais address Korean, Japanese and Chinese people by their country specific name but group all caucasians together as 'farang'.

Sent from my GT-I9003 using Thaivisa Connect App

Edited September 8, 2012 by skybluestu

[marstons]

No it does not bother me and thats the same answer when it was asked before and before that

[canuckamuck]

I've been called worse things.

Edited September 8, 2012 by canuckamuck

[draftvader]

Somehow "Hey You!" bothers me a lot more. Not the fault of the person saying it, I was just raised to think calling somebody "you" is rude.

"Hey you" is rude/disrespectful, but likely that Thais will not expect you to understand the Thai word/s for addressing a stranger e.g. Pi (sister), Leung (uncle), etc

Understood, but on a hot day....

Sent using my handheld waste of time (no, the other one!!...perverts!!!)

[HardenedSoul]

And it is very surprising that he is referred to as a farang if he is as brown as Obama as, like I mentioned in a previous post, a good friend of mine from LA lived in Chiang Mai for a few years and was constantly called farang dum and that is quite normal.

Well, I've heard "falang", "falang dum", "brother" and, my favourite, "Chocolate Man" but as soon as my name is known, they use that.

[robblok]

Somehow "Hey You!" bothers me a lot more. Not the fault of the person saying it, I was just raised to think calling somebody "you" is rude.

"Hey you" is rude/disrespectful, but likely that Thais will not expect you to understand the Thai word/s for addressing a stranger e.g. Pi (sister), Leung (uncle), etc

Understood, but on a hot day....

Sent using my handheld waste of time (no, the other one!!...perverts!!!)

I also take much more offense to the Hey You comments. It sounds so wrong.

[Jayman]

Where's Martin Luther King when you need him?

Dreaming

[FrankieFourFingers]

slit eyed lor ling is not nice either

[Thongkorn]

Yes i do but I like calling the Thai ladies in the UK falangs, because they are foreigners in my County, we all have a good laugh about it.

[rsokolowski]

I am annoyed by foreigners who have gone so "Thai-ier than thou" that they argue that the f-rang name calling is a great thing and never insulting and/or racist. I also don't think WE as foreigners should use the word talking about each other. Like I said I consider it a negative thing about Thailand. We can't change that, so it's wise to ACCEPT it, but to PROMOTE is a step nobody needs to take!

JT, no one is "promoting" the use of the word....certainly not me. It is what it is. To me, farang is EXACTLY the same as the word Caucasian. Or Asian. Do you find those words offensive?

I have lived in Hawaii for the last 30 years. Here I am called a "haole" which originally meant foriegner, but it is now it is often used as a type of racial slur. Either was it does not bother me.

[Scottish Gary]

Im sure they have a lot worse names for us than farang

[Rob8891]

I read in a "Speak Thai " book that the author used to reply "sabparot" (sorry about spelling) whenever children called out " farang". I tried the idea, not just with children and now I have reached a certain level of distinction from all others....I am now "tingtong"....except to my gf, who calls me "farang moo", bless her. None of these are meant offensively, and no offense is taken.

I still find it amusing, if we go to eat somewhere new, and they ask my gf "Does your farang eat spicy?" . OK, so I can't speak thai yet, but usually manage "Pet? Aroy, aroy." It gets a (sympatheic?) smile and farang does seem to come up again.

Only once has "farang" been used offensively, but that poor guy was so whacked out on god knows what, that it doesn't count.

[Judecalling]

No not at all ... in fact i quite like the distinction, rather proud of it. I think it is all about your own self perception as to weather it means something insulting or not. I was referred to as a Guailo from birth - heard it all about me growing up ... i knew no different ... offensive or harmful never. It's a reference - that is all - i for one never ever felt bad about it ... quite the opposite. (Although i do appreciate that i am talking from one perspective and do have empathy with others.)

That said : Business and workplace is a different thing ... and the times march on, weather misunderstood or otherwise. Making money will dictate that .. no need or room for sentiment or 'he said she said' crying.

Anyhow this Farang is sleepy now : ) ... so good night all.

[SandyGirl]

If you don't think it's in a derogatory way, then.... you are closing your eyes to Thai culture. But that's what we adjust to, right? After living in Thailand, I never got this silly Western "Thai people SO smiley SO SWEET" thing. You can't spend any significant amount of time there without seeing exactly what's going on. You are a big ape to them. Ask them about Laos people & extrapolate. But really, it's especially funny coming from men who are fixated on teeny Thai women.

[Chittychangchang]

If you don't think it's in a derogatory way, then.... you are closing your eyes to Thai culture. But that's what we adjust to, right? After living in Thailand, I never got this silly Western "Thai people SO smiley SO SWEET" thing. You can't spend any significant amount of time there without seeing exactly what's going on. You are a big ape to them. Ask them about Laos people & extrapolate. But really, it's especially funny coming from men who are fixated on teeny Thai women.

"Fixated on teeny thai women" Maybe this post should be moved to the Pattaya forum? Edited September 8, 2012 by Chittychangchang

[canuckamuck]

I get farang mostly from the kids going by our house on the way to school, what can I say, they're kids in a village. What bugs me is being treated differently when I get together with other people. Special chair, everyone watches what I eat and comments about whether or not I can eat it. It kind of ruins the experience. I have been here a long time and can eat what they do and sit on the floor the eat, but what is the point of trying when the make a fuss anyhow. I know they are doing their best to be hosts, but you get tired of being foreign.

[SiamSully]

Ya, sometimes. Thai people in the village will sometimes refer to me saying things like "Where farang?" "What farang do?" "Oh, Nit have farang." When they refer to me as "farang" I say, "My name is Kit. If you keep calling me "farang" I will start calling you "Asian". Where "Asian?" - What "Asian" do?"

[andre47]

Thai people in general are a bit lazy. If they talk to or about somebody they don't like to think a long time about his name. E,g. I go eat very often in one restaurant here in Pattaya. The waiter calls the cashier not with her name. Instead he calls her 'cashier'. This would be very inpolite in Europe, but here its ok. So what? Let them call you 'Farang', its better then they would call you 'ATM' or 'cash cow'

[spidermike007]

No, it doesn't bother me. But what bother me is people who continually have to ask this question.

Yes exactly. Grow a thick skin, an deal with it. This is not a foreign country. It is planet thailandia. Rules do not apply. They behave as they want. Like it or not. The Thai people are quite strong willed, so we are not going to change or influence much. It is their way of saying westerner. Who cares?

[transam]

If you don't think it's in a derogatory way, then.... you are closing your eyes to Thai culture. But that's what we adjust to, right? After living in Thailand, I never got this silly Western "Thai people SO smiley SO SWEET" thing. You can't spend any significant amount of time there without seeing exactly what's going on. You are a big ape to them. Ask them about Laos people & extrapolate. But really, it's especially funny coming from men who are fixated on teeny Thai women.

Eh , what a load of tosh. .

I had to read that three times. Mind you l am better at swinging through trees than reading.

[sangfroid]

The only people who call me farang are strangers or a couple of members of my gf's family who don't like me.

So, based on this, yes if somebody that should respect me and does know my name calls me Farang then I would object to it.

[a couple of members of my gf's family who don't like me.]

I'm betting you refused to lend them money.

[mikecwm]

How many times does this question need to be asked?

Get a life.

If being called Farang is a problem for you - presumably it is for the original poster, then you need to seriously do some growing up.

[cooked]

If you don't think it's in a derogatory way, then.... you are closing your eyes to Thai culture. But that's what we adjust to, right? After living in Thailand, I never got this silly Western "Thai people SO smiley SO SWEET" thing. You can't spend any significant amount of time there without seeing exactly what's going on. You are a big ape to them. Ask them about Laos people & extrapolate. But really, it's especially funny coming from men who are fixated on teeny Thai women.

This has to be one of the silliest posts I read on TV for some time. I enjoy going into a shop and hearing 'Farang... this and Farang... that', accompanied by giggling, I then enjoy working out what they are saying and give an answer in Thai at the end of the transaction. My wife is being asked all the time if she can get them a Farang, ape or not. Up here in Isaan, surrounded by people speaking Lao, I find the people incredibly open and frank, I like it. The Katoey next door confided to my wife that he had killed his Australian boyfriend some years ago and spent time in jail.... just an example of some of the amazing, naively truthful stuff she tells me.

In Mark Twain, people of african origins are referred to as 'nigger' - by them selves. (Latin Negra + black). They then went through, in my lifetime, being Negroes, coloured people, African extraction, Afro-american, and probably a few more. Ok, get an act through parliament forbidding the use of the word Farang and they will find something else.

I am the crazy M*F* Farang in the village that people come to when the boss lady isn't around, and I am proud of that.

Edited September 9, 2012 by cooked

[sikishrory]

i can't stand it. when i first came here it really bothered me a lot as the word farang is usually accompanied by laughs and giggles. i've come to accept it a bit though. nothing you can do about it

[MILT]

You can call me farang, assw@#$le, whatever just don't forget to call me for dinner