Accepting The Farang Status, And The Implications

[Chittychangchang]

ALL of the first gen Thais back home in California still refer to the caucasians around them as farang. And point out others based on their visual ethnicity. Never gonna change. And don't like to admit...but when in TL, you will always be a farang and not local. Simply put, the Thai paridym is not a blend of multi-ethnicity. Thai si Thai.

Sent from my PC36100 using Thaivisa Connect App

At Sattahip Naval base they only let Thais in. I was driving with a car full of people from 6 different countries outside of Thailand and the Thai guards let everyone in except one guy from Cuba. They can't tell the difference. Lao, Khmer, Filipino, Korean, Japanese and Chinese. They all look the same to the guards at Sattahip.

Cuba is on a Thai goverment "hot" list as is Peru, don't ask me why.

[David006]

Thai people can call me whatever...thinking of changing my name to "yu... yu".

Don't know as I have been addressed as farang except maybe yelled at by little kids in the village? Maybe referred to ?

............why does it concern you?.....you're tender feelings?

I must say that I quite like "hansum man" as a monika.....better than "papa" ......my first adventure in Thailand called me "dirty old sailing man"...worked for me..

[chiangmaikelly]

At Sattahip Naval base they only let Thais in. I was driving with a car full of people from 6 different countries outside of Thailand and the Thai guards let everyone in except one guy from Cuba. They can't tell the difference. Lao, Khmer, Filipino, Korean, Japanese and Chinese. They all look the same to the guards at Sattahip.

Think it says something about their guards.

Sent from my PC36100 using Thaivisa Connect App

Ya, it says they get paid to tell the difference and can't. The only people who can are posters on Thai Visa and only in their dreams.

Can't tell the difference? Guess you don't get out much. As for the guards, its called an id check.

Sent from my PC36100 using Thaivisa Connect App

Get out much; me? Don't know how old you are but if you're under 40 I got to Thailand before you were born. I have seen a few people in SEA. I have been into Sattahip a number of times and have never seen the guards do an ID check. Last time I saw a guard check an ID there was an American MP doing the checking.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

Well at least you agree it's inapropiate to be called Farang in your own Country,unless the speakers are speaking Thai.And other than that if speaking English should call us "white man" It's hard work but an improvement.

Actually I said nothing of the sort, simply that I concede it's valid for you to think that way.

As I though I've made clear wrt my own attitude personally I wouldn't consider the use of the term "inappropriate" in any context whatsoever.

[ayayay]

Don't know as I have been addressed as farang except maybe yelled at by little kids in the village? Maybe referred to ?

............why does it concern you?.....you're tender feelings?

Maybe read my initial post, and you will understand what I mean

[Naam]

The Thai people you know may learn to not call you f-rang to your face anyway, but the more interesting question is what are they THINKING ...

I think the OP is basically right. We that are seen as f-rangs are targets of a thing called OTHERIZATION and it makes it much easier morally/ethically to treat such others in shabby ways and sometimes (not even rarely in my view), not even as real human beings with real human feelings.

Yes, you are correct.

What everyone is discussing is just the fact that no one is calling them farang to their face, however, they are missing the point.

You understand exactly what I mean

Mayby things are different for people who speak Thai and don't behave like a complete stranger to Thai culture.

things are also different for people who think they can speak Thai and who think they are familiar with Thai culture.

[chiangmaikelly]

The Thai people you know may learn to not call you f-rang to your face anyway, but the more interesting question is what are they THINKING ...

I think the OP is basically right. We that are seen as f-rangs are targets of a thing called OTHERIZATION and it makes it much easier morally/ethically to treat such others in shabby ways and sometimes (not even rarely in my view), not even as real human beings with real human feelings.

Yes, you are correct.

What everyone is discussing is just the fact that no one is calling them farang to their face, however, they are missing the point.

You understand exactly what I mean

Mayby things are different for people who speak Thai and don't behave like a complete stranger to Thai culture.

things are also different for people who think they can speak Thai and who think they are familiar with Thai culture.

I also think things are different for people who start topics with, "If you don't agree with me you are ignorant."

[cooked]

555.. I understand why Farnags don't like being called by a racial epithet now.

They are racial supremicists themselves and can't understand why they are being treated the way they themselves treated immigrants in their own country.

[Neeranam]

I think the born again Thais,should ask themselves "Would you allow a Thai to call you a Farang in your own Country" ? Which I have heard many times in the UK.

When I was last in the UK, I was shopping by myself in a large shop, forget the name but great for cheap clothes, sunglasses etc.There was a Thai woman walking around whilst talking on the phone. I over heard her saying that she was " glua farang,". She got the shock of her life when I told her there was no need, there was nothing to be afraid of. I used the pronoun "mun" that she had used, walking around this very large dept store speaking at the top of her voice. She almost ran away from me.

Think about it - Thais say ,talking about animals for example,

dogs, 'mun' .......

farang, 'mun'....... "mun' means they, BTW

Thais say

Khon Yeepoon, 'khao'........ 'khao' maens they BTW

Khon Jeen (Chinese) , 'khao'..........

Kaek, 'khao' ........

All other races/nationalities get 'khao' which is the proper pronoun for people.

Oh, I forgot, black people get 'mun' as well.

If you allow Thais to call you farang or worse call yourself farang you are condoning rascism.

If you don't believe me, go ask your girlfriend or wife the pronoun they use for different races.

[chiangmaikelly]

I think the born again Thais,should ask themselves "Would you allow a Thai to call you a Farang in your own Country" ? Which I have heard many times in the UK.

When I was last in the UK, I was shopping by myself in a large shop, forget the name but great for cheap clothes, sunglasses etc.There was a Thai woman walking around whilst talking on the phone. I over heard her saying that she was " glua farang,". She got the shock of her life when I told her there was no need, there was nothing to be afraid of. I used the pronoun "mun" that she had used, walking around this very large dept store speaking at the top of her voice. She almost ran away from me.

Think about it - Thais say ,talking about animals for example,

dogs, 'mun' .......

farang, 'mun'....... "mun' means they, BTW

Thais say

Khon Yeepoon, 'khao'........ 'khao' maens they BTW

Khon Jeen (Chinese) , 'khao'..........

Kaek, 'khao' ........

All other races/nationalities get 'khao' which is the proper pronoun for people.

Oh, I forgot, black people get 'mun' as well.

If you allow Thais to call you farang or worse call yourself farang you are condoning rascism.

If you don't believe me, go ask your girlfriend or wife the pronoun they use for different races.

Just a question or statement you can confirm or deny. I don't imagine you live with a Thai person full time. Or work with Thai people. If you do my mind is boggled.

[Neeranam]

I think the born again Thais,should ask themselves "Would you allow a Thai to call you a Farang in your own Country" ? Which I have heard many times in the UK.

When I was last in the UK, I was shopping by myself in a large shop, forget the name but great for cheap clothes, sunglasses etc.There was a Thai woman walking around whilst talking on the phone. I over heard her saying that she was " glua farang,". She got the shock of her life when I told her there was no need, there was nothing to be afraid of. I used the pronoun "mun" that she had used, walking around this very large dept store speaking at the top of her voice. She almost ran away from me.

Think about it - Thais say ,talking about animals for example,

dogs, 'mun' .......

farang, 'mun'....... "mun' means they, BTW

Thais say

Khon Yeepoon, 'khao'........ 'khao' maens they BTW

Khon Jeen (Chinese) , 'khao'..........

Kaek, 'khao' ........

All other races/nationalities get 'khao' which is the proper pronoun for people.

Oh, I forgot, black people get 'mun' as well.

If you allow Thais to call you farang or worse call yourself farang you are condoning rascism.

If you don't believe me, go ask your girlfriend or wife the pronoun they use for different races.

Just a question or statement you can confirm or deny. I don't imagine you live with a Thai person full time. Or work with Thai people. If you do my mind is boggled.

Your mind is boggled.

[chiangmaikelly]

I think the born again Thais,should ask themselves "Would you allow a Thai to call you a Farang in your own Country" ? Which I have heard many times in the UK.

When I was last in the UK, I was shopping by myself in a large shop, forget the name but great for cheap clothes, sunglasses etc.There was a Thai woman walking around whilst talking on the phone. I over heard her saying that she was " glua farang,". She got the shock of her life when I told her there was no need, there was nothing to be afraid of. I used the pronoun "mun" that she had used, walking around this very large dept store speaking at the top of her voice. She almost ran away from me.

Think about it - Thais say ,talking about animals for example,

dogs, 'mun' .......

farang, 'mun'....... "mun' means they, BTW

Thais say

Khon Yeepoon, 'khao'........ 'khao' maens they BTW

Khon Jeen (Chinese) , 'khao'..........

Kaek, 'khao' ........

All other races/nationalities get 'khao' which is the proper pronoun for people.

Oh, I forgot, black people get 'mun' as well.

If you allow Thais to call you farang or worse call yourself farang you are condoning rascism.

If you don't believe me, go ask your girlfriend or wife the pronoun they use for different races.

Just a question or statement you can confirm or deny. I don't imagine you live with a Thai person full time. Or work with Thai people. If you do my mind is boggled.

Your mind is boggled.

You mean you live with a Thai person full time?

[BigJohnnyBKK]

Your mind is boggled.

Yes it is.

The pronoun issue is completely separate from the use of the word "farang".

There are many other context clues as to the feeling of the people using the term as to their feelings about us.

Just because the term is used in the context of disparaging us, doesn't mean the term itself has negative connotations.

Many PC-wannabees think the word "cripple" or "spastic" or "retard" is in itself disparaging, so they try to get people to use a "better" term, like handicapped.

Then that's not considered sensitive enough, so laughable terms like "special needs".

It's rude to call someone "fat" or "old", short people should be called "vertically challenged".

That's where I see this whole idea coming from, and it's complete <deleted>.

Here's an extract of some of this PC BS that I'm sure you'd agree with Neeranam

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

A persistently disturbing aspect of attitudes toward disability concerns the use of adjectives as nouns. Many people refer to disabled individuals as the deaf, the blind, etc. That more than a mere quirk of language is involved may be seen in the fact that the adjective as noun usage conspicuously deletes the humanizing people, person, individual and the like. The practice sets disabled people apart from nondisabled individuals and cannot be discounted as of negligible importance. (Bowe, 1978, 127) While Longmore made no attempt to quantify the frequency of usage of any terms in 1985, he noted that the most common terms used to identify persons with disabilities are the handicapped, the disabled, the deaf, the blind, the mentally retarded, and the developmentally disabled.

All of these adjectives used as abstract nouns contribute to the process of stigmatization by reinforcing the tendency to "see" persons with disabilities only in terms of those disabilities. These labels rivet attention on what is usually the most visible or apparent characteristic of the person. They obscure all other characteristics behind that one and swallow up the social identity of the individual within that restrictive category. Such terminological usages also illustrate another pattern typical of the linguistic reinforcement of prejudice by lumping all of the members of the stigmatized group into a uniform category, robbing them of an individuality. (Longmore, 1985, 419)

All of the terms mentioned thus far imply a notion of social incapacitation which shows the disability as engulfing a person's social identity. Several terms referring to specific disabilities also contain the assumption that the physical or sensory condition taints the whole person. Words used to describe the appearance of a physically disabled person sometimes connote that the individual has lost some part of his or her humanity; for example, deformed or misshapen.

This stigmatizing language has evoked a reaction from persons with disabilities and their advocates, who include professionals who work with handicapped people, and parents of children with disabilities. These groups have propagated an array of substitutes for older, prejudicial terms. Among the euphemisms that try to get around the effects of prejudicial labeling are special, special needs, atypical, exceptional, and persons with exceptionalities. Yet even these terms continue to reinforce the perception of the essential differentness of disabled people and continue to put people with disabilities in a separate category from "normal" people. While these euphemisms may inadvertently reiterate the perception of disabled persons as a stigmatized minority, other euphemisms seem to avoid confronting that. For example, school children with disabilities are placed in special education or are mainstreamed. Yet another group of disability civil rights activists have attempted to deal with the issues of prejudice in language directly by giving a name to prejudice against disabled persons. The terms handicapism, physicalism, and normalism have been proposed. None of these terms has yet been widely accepted.

Perhaps the most interesting and significant aspect of the language of disability is the continuing debate and discussion among persons with disabilities themselves regarding preferable terms of identification. (Longmore, 1985, 422)

etc etc blah blah

IMO total <deleted>

But that's just me.

[StreetCowboy]

Your mind is boggled.

Yes it is.

The pronoun issue is completely separate from the use of the word "farang".

There are many other context clues as to the feeling of the people using the term as to their feelings about us.

Just because the term is used in the context of disparaging us, doesn't mean the term itself has negative connotations.

Many PC-wannabees think the word "cripple" or "spastic" or "retard" is in itself disparaging, so they try to get people to use a "better" term, like handicapped.

Then that's not considered sensitive enough, so laughable terms like "special needs".

It's rude to call someone "fat" or "old", short people should be called "vertically challenged".

That's where I see this whole idea coming from, and it's complete <deleted>.

Here's an extract of some of this PC BS that I'm sure you'd agree with Neeranam

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

A persistently disturbing aspect of attitudes toward disability concerns the use of adjectives as nouns. Many people refer to disabled individuals as the deaf, the blind, etc. That more than a mere quirk of language is involved may be seen in the fact that the adjective as noun usage conspicuously deletes the humanizing people, person, individual and the like. The practice sets disabled people apart from nondisabled individuals and cannot be discounted as of negligible importance. (Bowe, 1978, 127) While Longmore made no attempt to quantify the frequency of usage of any terms in 1985, he noted that the most common terms used to identify persons with disabilities are the handicapped, the disabled, the deaf, the blind, the mentally retarded, and the developmentally disabled.

All of these adjectives used as abstract nouns contribute to the process of stigmatization by reinforcing the tendency to "see" persons with disabilities only in terms of those disabilities. These labels rivet attention on what is usually the most visible or apparent characteristic of the person. They obscure all other characteristics behind that one and swallow up the social identity of the individual within that restrictive category. Such terminological usages also illustrate another pattern typical of the linguistic reinforcement of prejudice by lumping all of the members of the stigmatized group into a uniform category, robbing them of an individuality. (Longmore, 1985, 419)

All of the terms mentioned thus far imply a notion of social incapacitation which shows the disability as engulfing a person's social identity. Several terms referring to specific disabilities also contain the assumption that the physical or sensory condition taints the whole person. Words used to describe the appearance of a physically disabled person sometimes connote that the individual has lost some part of his or her humanity; for example, deformed or misshapen.

This stigmatizing language has evoked a reaction from persons with disabilities and their advocates, who include professionals who work with handicapped people, and parents of children with disabilities. These groups have propagated an array of substitutes for older, prejudicial terms. Among the euphemisms that try to get around the effects of prejudicial labeling are special, special needs, atypical, exceptional, and persons with exceptionalities. Yet even these terms continue to reinforce the perception of the essential differentness of disabled people and continue to put people with disabilities in a separate category from "normal" people. While these euphemisms may inadvertently reiterate the perception of disabled persons as a stigmatized minority, other euphemisms seem to avoid confronting that. For example, school children with disabilities are placed in special education or are mainstreamed. Yet another group of disability civil rights activists have attempted to deal with the issues of prejudice in language directly by giving a name to prejudice against disabled persons. The terms handicapism, physicalism, and normalism have been proposed. None of these terms has yet been widely accepted.

Perhaps the most interesting and significant aspect of the language of disability is the continuing debate and discussion among persons with disabilities themselves regarding preferable terms of identification. (Longmore, 1985, 422)

etc etc blah blah

IMO total <deleted>

But that's just me.

I'd have thought that referring to people using the same vocabulary as one uses for livestock may reflect one's opinion of them. The issue, in this thread, is not whether the term 'farang' is derogatory, or not, but rather the hypothesis that Thais think of us as farang, rather than as individual people, and by thus isolating us into a separate group, treat us with less sympathy than if we were considered part of their own society, no matter how closely we may be related to them.

SC

[BigJohnnyBKK]

I'd have thought that referring to people using the same vocabulary as one uses for livestock may reflect one's opinion of them. The issue, in this thread, is not whether the term 'farang' is derogatory, or not, but rather the hypothesis that Thais think of us as farang, rather than as individual people, and by thus isolating us into a separate group, treat us with less sympathy than if we were considered part of their own society, no matter how closely we may be related to them.

No idea as to what you mean wrt to the livestock issue - if you mean pronouns, yes use of the non-human pronouns is most likely intended to be derogatory.

OK, setting aside the language issue completely, you're completely right, many Thais look at us as a group with disgust. In many cases that is a result of the behavior that they see from many of us.

And I see many honkies here doing exactly the same thing wrt to Thais, either as a nationality, or to subsets, such as "peasants" or "bargirls" or whatever.

A bad practice I agree, but pretty well hard-coded into the human thought process and very hard to overcome even by someone (like myself) who really cares about the problem and works at it in their day-to-day life.

My main point here is that trying to tell other people how to think and speak is a waste of time and not really anyone else's business. In specific cases when such group-prejudice attitudes actually result in behaviour that then causes harm to me or those I care about, then I will seek to address the issue in a way that's appropriate to that particular situation.

And of course we will never be seen as part of their society no matter what any of us would like.

Thank God AFAIC

PS Of course if you want to eliminate the "bad parts" of being a farang in Thailand you should be willing to give up the unfair advantages as well.

[ayayay]

Some people are apparently overly sensitive. The people who know my name call me by my name. The people who don't know my name call me the farang. I don't care and it doesn't bother me one way or another. The people who I care about call me by my name.

When you go out to eat with your family, and your wife is talkin to a friend of her who does not know you, your wife will say "we are going out to eat with my family and my husband, he farang."

If you would go out with your wife, and you told someone about it, would you say, "we are going out me and my wife, she i dark skinned"?

[StreetCowboy]

Some people are apparently overly sensitive. The people who know my name call me by my name. The people who don't know my name call me the farang. I don't care and it doesn't bother me one way or another. The people who I care about call me by my name.

When you go out to eat with your family, and your wife is talkin to a friend of her who does not know you, your wife will say "we are going out to eat with my family and my husband, he farang."

If you would go out with your wife, and you told someone about it, would you say, "we are going out me and my wife, she i dark skinned"?

When you talk about going out for dinner, perhaps they are concerned whether you, as a farang, can eat spicey food, or whatever.

SC

[ayayay]

Some people are apparently overly sensitive. The people who know my name call me by my name. The people who don't know my name call me the farang. I don't care and it doesn't bother me one way or another. The people who I care about call me by my name.

When you go out to eat with your family, and your wife is talkin to a friend of her who does not know you, your wife will say "we are going out to eat with my family and my husband, he farang."

If you would go out with your wife, and you told someone about it, would you say, "we are going out me and my wife, she i dark skinned"?

When you talk about going out for dinner, perhaps they are concerned whether you, as a farang, can eat spicey food, or whatever.

SC

That was just an example, it can be whatever, we are going on holiday, going to shop, going to visit her momin another province

[endure]

I'd have thought that referring to people using the same vocabulary as one uses for livestock may reflect one's opinion of them. The issue, in this thread, is not whether the term 'farang' is derogatory, or not, but rather the hypothesis that Thais think of us as farang, rather than as individual people, and by thus isolating us into a separate group, treat us with less sympathy than if we were considered part of their own society, no matter how closely we may be related to them.

Sounds pretty much how a large chunk of the UK population regard 'Asians' or 'Muslims' especially bearing in mind that many (most?) of the Asians are British citizens. Not much difference around the world regarding people considered to be 'other' I wouldn't imagine.

[ayayay]

The issue, in this thread, is not whether the term 'farang' is derogatory, or not, but rather the hypothesis that Thais think of us as farang, rather than as individual people, and by thus isolating us into a separate group, treat us with less sympathy than if we were considered part of their own society, no matter how closely we may be related to them.

SC

Thanks for helping me explain this thread, so many people fail to see what it is all about.

Probably because they have never thought about the deeper meaning and results of the extensive use of "other", in this case farang

[ayayay]

Sounds pretty much how a large chunk of the UK population regard 'Asians' or 'Muslims' especially bearing in mind that many (most?) of the Asians are British citizens. Not much difference around the world regarding people considered to be 'other' I wouldn't imagine.

And once again, if you were to marry one of these asians, you would refer to her as yellow skin/dark skin, when you told your friend, you are about to go out with her. Would you say, me and my wife, she is dark skinned, are going out?

[BigJohnnyBKK]

Thanks for helping me explain this thread, so many people fail to see what it is all about.

Probably because they have never thought about the deeper meaning and results of the extensive use of "other", in this case farang

Personally I'm very happy to be considered "other" and to in fact be very "other". Feel free to consider me "other" as much as you like - me not same-same you, no problem.

Deep down of course we are all the same, in fact I believe at a higher level of reality the belief that we're separate individual people is just a myth.

But I will continue to use "you" and "I" as valid conveyors of meaning until I dwell on that nirvanic plane in lives to come. . .

[StreetCowboy]

I'd have thought that referring to people using the same vocabulary as one uses for livestock may reflect one's opinion of them. The issue, in this thread, is not whether the term 'farang' is derogatory, or not, but rather the hypothesis that Thais think of us as farang, rather than as individual people, and by thus isolating us into a separate group, treat us with less sympathy than if we were considered part of their own society, no matter how closely we may be related to them.

Sounds pretty much how a large chunk of the UK population regard 'Asians' or 'Muslims' especially bearing in mind that many (most?) of the Asians are British citizens. Not much difference around the world regarding people considered to be 'other' I wouldn't imagine.

(ay)³claims that Thais will persist in labelling individuals, even though they have extensive interaction with them as an individual outside of a stereotyped scenario - for example, as a son-in-law, rather than as a potential customer. I don't know about your family, but we don't refer to our relevant cousin as "the paki"; we refer to him by name only, and his nationality is pretty irrelevant - although the specific details of his birth give him some administrative inconvenience (no more than many of the rest of us, I suppose).

And if I were to refer to someone by their diversity, I would probably refer to their country of origin (meaning where they grew up, bearing in mind that, like some amongst us, they may have been born while expatrate), not the specific hue of their skin; though that is influenced by my being colour-blind, as well.

SC

[Naam]

Gary A, on 2012-11-02 21:38:16, said:

Some people are apparently overly sensitive. The people who know my name call me by my name. The people who don't know my name call me the farang. I don't care and it doesn't bother me one way or another. The people who I care about call me by my name.

i wouldn't call it "overly sensitive" and use a different diction, such as "insecure" or even "suffering from an inferiority complex".

that applies especially to those who perceive the expression "Farang" only in context with "racism... they don't like us, even hate us... they want us to leave..." et al.

oh well... where's my flak jacket?

[Naam]

(ay)³claims that Thais will persist in labelling individuals, even though they have extensive interaction with them as an individual outside of a stereotyped scenario - for example, as a son-in-law, rather than as a potential customer. I don't know about your family, but we don't refer to our relevant cousin as "the paki"; we refer to him by name only, and his nationality is pretty irrelevant - although the specific details of his birth give him some administrative inconvenience (no more than many of the rest of us, I suppose).

And if I were to refer to someone by their diversity, I would probably refer to their country of origin (meaning where they grew up, bearing in mind that, like some amongst us, they may have been born while expatrate), not the specific hue of their skin; though that is influenced by my being colour-blind, as well.

SC

my understanding is that "Paki" is a derogatory expression in UK. having grown up in a multinational European family it was normal for my parents, my brother and me to refer to relatives as "Austrian Auntie, Swiss Grannie or French cousin".

[TukTukDodger]

ALL of the first gen Thais back home in California still refer to the caucasians around them as farang. And point out others based on their visual ethnicity. Never gonna change. And don't like to admit...but when in TL, you will always be a farang and not local. Simply put, the Thai paridym is not a blend of multi-ethnicity. Thai si Thai.

Sent from my PC36100 using Thaivisa Connect App

At Sattahip Naval base they only let Thais in. I was driving with a car full of people from 6 different countries outside of Thailand and the Thai guards let everyone in except one guy from Cuba. They can't tell the difference. Lao, Khmer, Filipino, Korean, Japanese and Chinese. They all look the same to the guards at Sattahip.

Cuba is on a Thai goverment "hot" list as is Peru, don't ask me why.

So is Nepal - I believe it is because of the communist/Maoist movements in these countries. My husband has a Nepali passport and we are going to BKK in 2 months - to get a tourist visa with a Nepali passport(even if you have a US green card) you practically need to submit a DNA sample and promise them your firstborn son. It's worse than applying for a Chinese or Indian visa(which are no picnic either) because you need to have shelled out for your flight and hotel before you even have the visa in hand.

[endure]

Sounds pretty much how a large chunk of the UK population regard 'Asians' or 'Muslims' especially bearing in mind that many (most?) of the Asians are British citizens. Not much difference around the world regarding people considered to be 'other' I wouldn't imagine.

And once again, if you were to marry one of these asians, you would refer to her as yellow skin/dark skin, when you told your friend, you are about to go out with her. Would you say, me and my wife, she is dark skinned, are going out?

Why would I mention the colour of her skin? Depending on the circumstances I might mention the fact the she's Asian or Muslim.

Actually I'm gay so I've always been 'other'. I must say I find it enormously entertaining watching the discomfiture of those who have previously lived snugly in the bosom of the majority when they find themselves as part of that 'other' minority

[BigJohnnyBKK]

And once again, if you were to marry one of these asians, you would refer to her as yellow skin/dark skin, when you told your friend, you are about to go out with her. Would you say, me and my wife, she is dark skinned, are going out?

Why would I mention the colour of her skin?

Because the word farang is only used for those of us with Caucasoid appearance, his/her whole point is that such skin color should not be used as the basis for a classification used in conversation in polite society.

Maybe s/he thinks that Thais should actually be aware enough of the fine distinctions like we come from different countries with different cultures and languages rather than lumping us all together, using silly terms like "pasat farang" etc.

All quite valid observations, but as much value and interest as any others that start with Thais should do this or Thai's shouldn't do that, or honkies should do this and shouldn't do that.

Or telling you off if you were to self-identify as a "poof" or "queer" or other less-PC term than the currently acceptable gay.

In this case a waste of oxygen, s/he's sticking to her guns despite all signs that few agree. . .

[ayayay]

Sounds pretty much how a large chunk of the UK population regard 'Asians' or 'Muslims' especially bearing in mind that many (most?) of the Asians are British citizens. Not much difference around the world regarding people considered to be 'other' I wouldn't imagine.

And once again, if you were to marry one of these asians, you would refer to her as yellow skin/dark skin, when you told your friend, you are about to go out with her. Would you say, me and my wife, she is dark skinned, are going out?

Why would I mention the colour of her skin?

That is exactly my point, you would not do that.

But thais would do that, even if you have been with your partner for 10 years, your thai partner would still always think about the fact that you are farang. Meaning, you are different from her and the rest of the thai family.

Once again, if you had a thai wife, and you lived in a western country, the fact that she was dark skinned, would probably be less and less important (if it even was something of importance in the first place), the more the years would pass by.

Not the case for thais...

[BigJohnnyBKK]

Not sure why this came to mind, nor if this resonates with everyone here, but back in New York it's a running gag how Jewish parents all want their sons to be doctors. Jokes like "Help! My son the doctor is drowning"

Might just be wishful thinking, but maybe the lady on the phone's actually bragging?

Relevant link

Check out the "surprise me" button on their home page, maybe I'm weird (OK I know I am) but I find this stuff ROFL funny.