Chalerm: Immigration Bureau Needs To Implement Tougher Screening On Foreign Arrivals

[SteeleJoe]

History lesson concluded except to say that, as many of us know, we are called "fahlang" from the French word "farang." I'm not French (to the great relief of all of France) but I know the word farang is a French word from the French language vocabulary. It means French or France depending on contextual use. But it primarily means French.

Sorry. Although it's a commonly held belief "Farang" almost certainly does not come the French language )and they don't as far as I know have such a word). The first foriegners here were primarily Portuguese. They were Farang - a word which (like the word France) comes from "frank" ie outliers. It exists (with slight variation) in many languages in the Indo-European language group and always means essentially "foreigner".

No, it does NOT mean French or France regardless of context.

If you are going to call it a history lesson and speak with such a tone of authority and in such absolute terms, you might want to check on your facts!

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Although I agree with you to an extent, there is an argument for both:

1) 'Francais' in Thai is Farang-set. These aggressive (at the time) war makers were taking what ever they wanted on and around Thailand's borders so a fear of these white 'farang-sets' was a natural response. This being Thailand, any man with white skin was also labelled 'farang'.

2) There is a story of Arabic traders bringing a fruit, 'Farangi' (Guava) to Thailand to trade. These foreigners were also called 'Farang'.

So whatever the story, it stuck!

I'm aware of how Thais pronounce France and that they use the same word for French. The word Farang shares the same root as France. The Portuguese preceded the French in these parts.

There is also a story of Portuguese bringing Guava from Brazil. Hence the name for the fruit being the same for the people. Arabs on the on the other hand are not thought of as Farang.

But I like your last line the best. And this issue is one I studied at length decades ago and have discussed or debated to many times. I also know it's off topic and been done to death on this forum.

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[youngXpat]

History lesson concluded except to say that, as many of us know, we are called "fahlang" from the French word "farang." I'm not French (to the great relief of all of France) but I know the word farang is a French word from the French language vocabulary. It means French or France depending on contextual use. But it primarily means French.

Sorry. Although it's a commonly held belief "Farang" almost certainly does not come the French language )and they don't as far as I know have such a word). The first foriegners here were primarily Portuguese. They were Farang - a word which (like the word France) comes from "frank" ie outliers. It exists (with slight variation) in many languages in the Indo-European language group and always means essentially "foreigner".

No, it does NOT mean French or France regardless of context.

If you are going to call it a history lesson and speak with such a tone of authority and in such absolute terms, you might want to check on your facts!

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa ap

Although I agree with you to an extent, there is an argument for both:

1) 'Francais' in Thai is Farang-set. These aggressive (at the time) war makers were taking what ever they wanted on and around Thailand's borders so a fear of these white 'farang-sets' was a natural response. This being Thailand, any man with white skin was also labelled 'farang'.

2) There is a story of Arabic traders bringing a fruit, 'Farangi' (Guava) to Thailand to trade. These foreigners were also called 'Farang'.

So whatever the story, it stuck!

I'm aware of how Thais pronounce France and that they use the same word for French. The word Farang shares the same root as France. The Portuguese preceded the French in these parts.

There is also a story of Portuguese bringing Guava from Brazil. Hence the name for the fruit being the same for the people. Arabs on the on the other hand are not thought of as Farang.

But I like your last line the best. And this issue is one I studied at length decades ago and have discussed or debated to many times. I also know it's off topic and been done to death on this forum.

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa ap

Yes this is off topic but I would like to say that I have also had this 'discussion' many, many times with all different demo-graphs of Thai's over the last 15 years or so, from Thai uni professors and teachers, to people from 'bahn nok'. And guess what? They seem to all agree, with EVERY argument put forward!

[Publicus]

History lesson concluded except to say that, as many of us know, we are called "fahlang" from the French word "farang." I'm not French (to the great relief of all of France) but I know the word farang is a French word from the French language vocabulary. It means French or France depending on contextual use. But it primarily means French.

Sorry. Although it's a commonly held belief "Farang" almost certainly does not come the French language )and they don't as far as I know have such a word). The first foriegners here were primarily Portuguese. They were Farang - a word which (like the word France) comes from "frank" ie outliers. It exists (with slight variation) in many languages in the Indo-European language group and always means essentially "foreigner".

No, it does NOT mean French or France regardless of context.

If you are going to call it a history lesson and speak with such a tone of authority and in such absolute terms, you might want to check on your facts!

Sent from my iPad using ThaiVisa ap

Your reference to the Indo-European language group is correct. However, because the Indo-European language group consists of a broad variety of languages, let's get more specific about the word "farang" in specific languages within the group. The consensus of philologists is that the word farang is of ancient Arabic origin, also specifically connected to the word "Frank," which we know to be a reference to the French people. The word farang and its many Indo-European variations extended far enough that the Portuguese were also given the descriptive name "farang" by the locals when when they sailed and made landfall several times in the place they called Malacca and which the Malays and Indonesians alike called Melaka. Check it out while you're killing an hour standing in one of Chalerm's long immigration lines, or is it a queque - or simply a que?:

http://baheyeldin.com/linguistics/thai-word-farang-variations-in-other-languages-arabic-origin.html

You've done some research since your last post! Good. But you need to do some more maybe.

1) I'm aware of all of that. None of it contradicts what I said but it directly contradicts what you said previously. Most of that confirms what I said - or simply repeats it. I've known about those various words for over 20 years.

2) "Frank" is not " a reference to the French people". The Franks came before there was a France or French people. You've got cause and effect confused.

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Now your advise me of your prior knowledge, so now I know. Thx.

[rubberduck]

All sexterrorists be warned !

[jamhar]

as for the clowns who say, "if you don't like it here leave" guess what? I can leave! can you? you are stuck in this hole for livfe! I am free to go anywhere I want anytime I want!

Protesting a bit too excessively i think

PS if you are serious,

its time to walk the walk my friend.

Whining doesn't become you.

Watch the door on your way out

[pitrevie]

Just returned to thailand from an eight day visit to Cambodia, what a joy pleased to see you anxious to grant on arrival visa ASAP welcomed by immigration oh so different, return to thailand with proper marriage visa extension and greeted like we really are not welcome hvae to renew later this year expect again more hasstle, I support about ten people in thailand and still not welcome not complaining because if you do not like it leave as I was told by one immigration official, I choose to live here and most of the time so long as I satay away from immigration I am very happy

is this the same cambodia where you have to queue and pay 20 bucks for that visa you are "granted" on arrival, or the one you have to pay again to leave, or both?

I have visited Cambodia twice recently, the visa is the easiest I have ever applied for. The whole thing can be done on the internet prior to arriving in Cambodia including uploading the picture and the complete visa comes back within 24 hours. Then it is only matter of presenting the visa with your passport at passport control no waits for a visa to be processed and no payment to be made in or out once you have paid your $25 for your visa on the internet. First rate service.

as for the clowns who say, "if you don't like it here leave" guess what? I can leave! can you? you are stuck in this hole for livfe! I am free to go anywhere I want anytime I want!

Not quite sure who or what you were replying to but I disagree with those that often use that phrase, "if you don't like it here leave". However having said that, no I am not stuck here and indeed could leave any time.

[BahBahBoBo]

yes for those who live here and contribute and support & pay taxes, the yearly hassle to beg for an extention for the right to stay with your own wife and family + the 90 day report hassle...

and before i tought i was an international human right, to stay with your family, wife and children... but hey, we are only guests here, i mean, we are treathed like guests and not residents

I was given nothing but grief from several govt. departments in the UK because my wife is Thai. Also, it appears from the story its not actually a Thai initiative, but a directive from the 'World Police' Team America.

[Thai at Heart]

They can't even stop their own fugitives exiting. What hope identifying the 0.01% of fishy ones coming in

[maidu]

I thought farang meant: 'He who frequents ATM machine.'

[Pimay1]

I thought farang meant: 'He who frequents ATM machine.'

I thought it meant "walking ATM machine".

[gemini81]

yes for those who live here and contribute and support & pay taxes, the yearly hassle to beg for an extention for the right to stay with your own wife and family + the 90 day report hassle...

and before i tought i was an international human right, to stay with your family, wife and children... but hey, we are only guests here, i mean, we are treathed like guests and not residents

I was given nothing but grief from several govt. departments in the UK because my wife is Thai. Also, it appears from the story its not actually a Thai initiative, but a directive from the 'World Police' Team America.

Rather have China, another superpower, in control as world police? Then you couldn't moan in a public forum without being arrested. UK were the world police for years; were not for yanks, would speak german.

[saakura]

Just returned to thailand from an eight day visit to Cambodia, what a joy pleased to see you anxious to grant on arrival visa ASAP welcomed by immigration oh so different, return to thailand with proper marriage visa extension and greeted like we really are not welcome hvae to renew later this year expect again more hasstle, I support about ten people in thailand and still not welcome not complaining because if you do not like it leave as I was told by one immigration official, I choose to live here and most of the time so long as I satay away from immigration I am very happy

You support ten people and they hold you in high esteem, worship the ground you tread on, call you handsome & young. A terrific boost to your ego. Then you go to immigration where you get treated like a normal person or a little lesser if they resent your god-like status.