David48 Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 Give theslime a break ... he's just drumming up some business ... . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theslime Posted October 16, 2012 Author Share Posted October 16, 2012 They have words for 'tourist/foreigner' everywhere! In Spain it's guiri or giri.Even in Somerset,England they called people 'grokkles',my Auntie is from there! It's just a way to distinguish locals from non-locals.It's not just Thailand,in Cambodia it's 'barang' & Bali and Indonesia it's 'bule',which means 'white man'! Hardly an insult,just a description! Exactly. But try to explain this to the truly ignorant who populate this forum. This topic has been covered ad nauseam, yet, some still don't get it. There's absolutely nothing offensive about the word "farang." Sorry been out. I Feel it must be the Tone, cause some of the Thai men I know say Farang derisively when said Farang has done something to try and recoupe his scammed Money back. Funny that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theslime Posted October 16, 2012 Author Share Posted October 16, 2012 Give theslime a break ... he's just drumming up some business ... . Too True, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neeranam Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 (edited) They have words for 'tourist/foreigner' everywhere! In Spain it's guiri or giri.Even in Somerset,England they called people 'grokkles',my Auntie is from there! It's just a way to distinguish locals from non-locals.It's not just Thailand,in Cambodia it's 'barang' & Bali and Indonesia it's 'bule',which means 'white man'! Hardly an insult,just a description! Exactly. But try to explain this to the truly ignorant who populate this forum. This topic has been covered ad nauseam, yet, some still don't get it. There's absolutely nothing offensive about the word "farang." I assume you don't speak Thai? So what about the word for Indians - "kaek" - is that offensive? What about the word for Chinese - "jek" - is that offensive? Many years ago, these words were normal but became offensive, just like 'farang' a years back was not so offensive. The same in the West - certain words for groups of people that were once normal are now very offensive. Keep up with the times. Edited October 16, 2012 by Neeranam 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shotime Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 ?My only question is...retort for what?" I agree that it's the tone. If it's a group of Thais who say it and are laughing, I say "Mai chai. khun a leh." Sorry for the transliteration. It's supposed to mean "No, you are." It's the first thing I learned here. It usually draws a blank stare and the laughing stops immediately. Even so, it can get on your nerves to hear it all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theslime Posted October 16, 2012 Author Share Posted October 16, 2012 ?My only question is...retort for what?" I agree that it's the tone. If it's a group of Thais who say it and are laughing, I say "Mai chai. khun a leh." Sorry for the transliteration. It's supposed to mean "No, you are." It's the first thing I learned here. It usually draws a blank stare and the laughing stops immediately. Even so, it can get on your nerves to hear it all the time. I was hoping to counter answer the Derision, from Some Taxi /Bike /Tuk Tuk / Patpong Doormen Drunk Ladies /Tranies that one encounters in day to day living . Ergo Retort for hearing Farang spoken as if I was somehow just Caucasian. Look up Retort its in the Dictionary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Kilgore Trout Posted October 16, 2012 Popular Post Share Posted October 16, 2012 When they say 'Farang' you can say 'thank you' ... as it's purely a descriptive adjective and not a derogatory slur. If she is cute then please feel free to ask her phone number also ... Agreed, for Jewish people, non-jews are referred to as goy (male) and (shiksa) female. Purely descriptive terms. When I meet someone new I refer to them as "goy." Even if I know their name, it is easier for me to refer to them with this term. When a person enters a room I refer to them as goy or shiksa, not "someone has entered the room." German, Persian, Chinese or Thai, they are all goyim to me. Your partner, to me, is not a Thai woman, she is a shiksa (purely a descriptive term). If you accept this behavior from Thais, you must also accept it from Jewish people.... Right, right?? You wouldn't want to be a hipocrite now would you? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phuturatica Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 Why do people let something so small and petty get to them? I seriously wouldn't get your knickers in a twist over being called a farang. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilgore Trout Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 Why do people let something so small and petty get to them? I seriously wouldn't get your knickers in a twist over being called a farang. Agreed, can you believe the nerve of this Mexican guy who got mad at me cause I called him a "spic"? Hispanic=spic right? Can't believe he got his knickers in a twist over that 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussiebebe Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 A good answer is "Lucky, aren't I?" which is something like "Chok dee, na" where the 'na' is pronounced with an 'er' sort of sound, I'm sure someone will correct me, but if you say it with a wry smile and nod it'll generally get Thais smiling. It's a bit condescending but what can you do? Bearing the brunt of a Thai trying to win the Captain Obvious award for yelling 'Farang' at you really kills the vibe. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Payboy Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 If a Chinese guy is thrown out of a pub, could we call him a Bounced Jek? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GarryP Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 If a Chinese guy is thrown out of a pub, could we call him a Bounced Jek? Wrong thread mate. That belongs on the Worst Joke thread. This thread is for those who believe "farang" is a word of abuse, those who don't, those who believe it depends on the context and place, those who try to come out with witty ripostes in the local language and get uspet when it falls flat, those who equate it with other racist terms and are ready to duke it out whenever they hear the term, those who have better things to worry about, and those who couldn't give toss. Me, I just like typing "those who" ad infinitum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berkshire Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 Hispanic=spic right? No. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Payboy Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 (edited) If a Chinese guy is thrown out of a pub, could we call him a Bounced Jek? Wrong thread mate. That belongs on the Worst Joke thread. This thread is for those who believe "farang" is a word of abuse, those who don't, those who believe it depends on the context and place, those who try to come out with witty ripostes in the local language and get uspet when it falls flat, those who equate it with other racist terms and are ready to duke it out whenever they hear the term, those who have better things to worry about, and those who couldn't give toss. Me, I just like typing "those who" ad infinitum. Let me put it another way, after eating in a Chinese restaurant owned by a guy called William, is it okay to ask for Jek Bill? Edited October 16, 2012 by Payboy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vale Tudo Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 They have words for 'tourist/foreigner' everywhere! In Spain it's guiri or giri.Even in Somerset,England they called people 'grokkles',my Auntie is from there! It's just a way to distinguish locals from non-locals.It's not just Thailand,in Cambodia it's 'barang' & Bali and Indonesia it's 'bule',which means 'white man'! Hardly an insult,just a description! Exactly. But try to explain this to the truly ignorant who populate this forum. This topic has been covered ad nauseam, yet, some still don't get it. There's absolutely nothing offensive about the word "farang." I assume you don't speak Thai? So what about the word for Indians - "kaek" - is that offensive? What about the word for Chinese - "jek" - is that offensive? Many years ago, these words were normal but became offensive, just like 'farang' a years back was not so offensive. The same in the West - certain words for groups of people that were once normal are now very offensive. Keep up with the times. I'll assume that you think that you know it all because you do,shall I?Can you read,write and speak Thai fluently? If not you don't have much to boast about,do you?If you do can you show us some of your posts in the Thai speaking forum please? In England people from Sunderland were called "Mackams" derogatively,they starting calling themselves it and it no longer is now. Why don't you keep up with the times? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vale Tudo Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 (edited) Why do people let something so small and petty get to them? I seriously wouldn't get your knickers in a twist over being called a farang. Agreed, can you believe the nerve of this Mexican guy who got mad at me cause I called him a "spic"? Hispanic=spic right? Can't believe he got his knickers in a twist over that No,'SPIC' stands for Spanish,Puerto Rican,Italian or Cuban and is a derogatory term! Edited October 16, 2012 by Vale Tudo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khunken Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 Personally I'm quite happy to be called Farang. I do object to 'You', usually shouted. Haven't yet found an appropriate response in Thai. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FritsSikkink Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 You could just tell them your name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Payboy Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 You could just tell them your name. Luckily they all know mine is Hansum Man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neeranam Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 They have words for 'tourist/foreigner' everywhere! In Spain it's guiri or giri.Even in Somerset,England they called people 'grokkles',my Auntie is from there! It's just a way to distinguish locals from non-locals.It's not just Thailand,in Cambodia it's 'barang' & Bali and Indonesia it's 'bule',which means 'white man'! Hardly an insult,just a description! Exactly. But try to explain this to the truly ignorant who populate this forum. This topic has been covered ad nauseam, yet, some still don't get it. There's absolutely nothing offensive about the word "farang." I assume you don't speak Thai? So what about the word for Indians - "kaek" - is that offensive? What about the word for Chinese - "jek" - is that offensive? Many years ago, these words were normal but became offensive, just like 'farang' a years back was not so offensive. The same in the West - certain words for groups of people that were once normal are now very offensive. Keep up with the times. I'll assume that you think that you know it all because you do,shall I?Can you read,write and speak Thai fluently? If not you don't have much to boast about,do you?If you do can you show us some of your posts in the Thai speaking forum please? In England people from Sunderland were called "Mackams" derogatively,they starting calling themselves it and it no longer is now. Why don't you keep up with the times? Wow, Mr. Know-it-all! I'll answer your questions even though you didn't answer mine. Yes, I can speak and read Thai fluently. My 10 year old daughter can write better than I but she couldn't about a year ago. I'm not boasting at all - it should be better considering the time I've been here. Can't be arsed posting any of my posts but in the Thai forum I have a topic pinned from a few years back. I could care less about people in Sunderland and what they call themselves. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilgore Trout Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 Why do people let something so small and petty get to them? I seriously wouldn't get your knickers in a twist over being called a farang. Agreed, can you believe the nerve of this Mexican guy who got mad at me cause I called him a "spic"? Hispanic=spic right? Can't believe he got his knickers in a twist over that No,'SPIC' stands for Spanish,Puerto Rican,Italian or Cuban and is a derogatory term! Please explain how it is different from "falang," which is also a dubious racial term (lumping together all white people). If I use "spic" in a non-deragatory way; the same way "falang" is used as some would put it, in a non-offensive way, how is that different? Please elaborate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naam Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 When they say 'Farang' you can say 'thank you' ... as it's purely a descriptive adjective and not a derogatory slur. If she is cute then please feel free to ask her phone number also ... only if she has big boobs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinot Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 Why do people let something so small and petty get to them? I seriously wouldn't get your knickers in a twist over being called a farang. Just ridiculous...some people think way to mush. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vale Tudo Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 Exactly. But try to explain this to the truly ignorant who populate this forum. This topic has been covered ad nauseam, yet, some still don't get it. There's absolutely nothing offensive about the word "farang." I assume you don't speak Thai? So what about the word for Indians - "kaek" - is that offensive? What about the word for Chinese - "jek" - is that offensive? Many years ago, these words were normal but became offensive, just like 'farang' a years back was not so offensive. The same in the West - certain words for groups of people that were once normal are now very offensive. Keep up with the times. I'll assume that you think that you know it all because you do,shall I?Can you read,write and speak Thai fluently? If not you don't have much to boast about,do you?If you do can you show us some of your posts in the Thai speaking forum please? In England people from Sunderland were called "Mackams" derogatively,they starting calling themselves it and it no longer is now. Why don't you keep up with the times? Wow, Mr. Know-it-all! I'll answer your questions even though you didn't answer mine. Yes, I can speak and read Thai fluently. My 10 year old daughter can write better than I but she couldn't about a year ago. I'm not boasting at all - it should be better considering the time I've been here. Can't be arsed posting any of my posts but in the Thai forum I have a topic pinned from a few years back. I could care less about people in Sunderland and what they call themselves. Actually the phrase is 'I COULDN'T/COULD NOT' care less in English.'Could care less' is illogical and makes no sense! Let's hope that your Thai is measurably better than your English then,shall we? What a suprise you can't show us any of your posts in the Thai-speaking forum either,what are the chances of that? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vale Tudo Posted October 16, 2012 Share Posted October 16, 2012 "I'll assume that you think that you know it all because you do,shall I?Can you read,write and speak Thai fluently? If not you don't have much to boast about,do you?If you do can you show us some of your posts in the Thai speaking forum please? In England people from Sunderland were called "Mackams" derogatively,they starting calling themselves it and it no longer is now. Why don't you keep up with the times?" "Wow, Mr. Know-it-all!" I'll answer your questions even though you didn't answer mine." No,you see I called you a know-it-all,do you not even have the imagination to post a different reply?Yet you claim to be bilingual,although you've failed to prove it...interesting! As for answering your questions,didn't you see that you'd already established the fact that I don't speak Thai? You're not very good at this,are you? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berkshire Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 Agreed, can you believe the nerve of this Mexican guy who got mad at me cause I called him a "spic"? Hispanic=spic right? Can't believe he got his knickers in a twist over that No,'SPIC' stands for Spanish,Puerto Rican,Italian or Cuban and is a derogatory term! Please explain how it is different from "falang," which is also a dubious racial term (lumping together all white people). If I use "spic" in a non-deragatory way; the same way "falang" is used as some would put it, in a non-offensive way, how is that different? Please elaborate. As usual, Kilgore, you're wrong again. "Falang" (or farang) is more similar to "Hispanic." It's not the same as "spic," which is clearly a derogatory term for Latin Americans. So replace the word "spic" with "Hispanic," and your example would be more accurate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morakot Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 (edited) When they say 'Farang' you can say 'thank you' ... as it's purely a descriptive adjective and not a derogatory slur. If she is cute then please feel free to ask her phone number also ... Agreed, for Jewish people, non-jews are referred to as goy (male) and (shiksa) female. Purely descriptive terms. When I meet someone new I refer to them as "goy." Even if I know their name, it is easier for me to refer to them with this term. When a person enters a room I refer to them as goy or shiksa, not "someone has entered the room." German, Persian, Chinese or Thai, they are all goyim to me. Your partner, to me, is not a Thai woman, she is a shiksa (purely a descriptive term). If you accept this behavior from Thais, you must also accept it from Jewish people.... Right, right?? You wouldn't want to be a hipocrite now would you? I always refer to people who are not from my nation as gentiles. Edited October 17, 2012 by Morakot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewlyMintedThai Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 "Shiksa" and "goy" are both derogatory terms. Gentile is neutral. My grandfather was Jewish and my grandmother Catholic. The only time I ever saw her seething mad was when someone referred to her as a "shiksa". 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackes Posted October 17, 2012 Share Posted October 17, 2012 The world farang (falang) derivates from the Thai word for French people which sounds farangses. So the expression just means "westerner". Why be upset about being called what you are? The negative impression is from people who don't like westerners, that doesn't change by changing the word. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post richard_smith237 Posted October 17, 2012 Popular Post Share Posted October 17, 2012 (edited) IMO Farang is used both negatively and innocently. Some use it in a derogatory sense, for others its simply an innocent descriptor. There is no hard and fast rule in the way Thai's use the word Farang. In the same manner there is no hard and fast rule regarding whether or not we should be upset by its use. Each individual situation should be evaluated on its own merit... When I hear Thai's refer to Farang Music or Farang food etc... use of the word can hardly be upsetting. When I hear someone call across the street.."Hey you, Farang" it gets up my nose a little. I rarely hear the word out of context I'm comfortable with amongst friends and family. I'm never referred to as farang, but they might talk about that nice farang restaurant they went to last week, or the good farang guy who helped them pick up their bag, or even the nasty farang guy who swore at them... When I do hear the Farang word out of a contact I'm comfortable with its usually in a tourist area and is being used by people with no intent on showing respect. This is where some people get upset by its use. Its not a big issue, but for some it can be annoying. Some have been moulded by a politically correct society and spend much time in a mental quandary over which word is acceptable and which isn't... Is it Black these days or Coloured??... it could also be said that for some the 'Farang' word is the thin end of the wedge with regards to racist terminology. If I talk about that cool black dude over there, is that acceptable ? If I call a guy a stupid black tosser... Is it racist ??? Or is it just offensive because I used 'stupid' and 'tosser' ? After all using Black as a descriptor is acceptable no ?... I think 'Farang' is in a similar league to 'black' - its not whether the term is used, but purely how its used and depending on our exposure to Thailand whether or not we interpret and judge its use correctly and from that choose to get upset or not, or we can fall foul and misjudge its use sometimes being oversensitive and get upset when its not necessary or look like a smiling bumbling idiot when someone is being disrespectful to us. Edited October 17, 2012 by richard_smith237 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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