Why Do They Call Our Sweet Little Half Brown babies "Lhuk Krueng"?

[sirchai]

Sabai Dee,

If ferong have the feeling that there's something wrong when Thai people call us "Farlanf", I'd more interested to know why our kids, half Thai half farlang are called so.

Doesn't it mean "half breed", or so? Ferong mee Lhuk Krueng Song Dua?-

[GinBoy2]

I wouldn't overthink this one two much. It doesn't really translate exactly as 'half breed', that has some negative connotations for English speakers. The actual translation is more like half kid. To Thai ears thats not a bad thing. Hell, watch Thai TV on any given night and half the actors and singers are luk keung, the look is valued, whiter skin and big eyes

[barrybankruad]

It's simply descriptive - half child. Like the Thai for twins 'luek faaet' - double child.

[hansnl]

My wife explains to me that Luk Krueng means half Thai, half something else.

It does not have the more or less negative intention of the word farang.

The equivalent in feelings for the farang word to bring it out of the negative and bring it on the same level as Luk Krueng would be the word Chautangchaat.

You might say foreigner.

Even half Thai half Chinese are called Luk Krueng, so you might say us Chautangchaat are in elevated (?) company.

If a Thai call me farang I try to explain am not a farang, which means "Frank", but a chautangchaat.

Many times I see shame in the eyes of the farang caller.,

And many times a wai will be the answer.

A strange thing about the wife, she can always, I mean always, discern between Thai people and other Asians.

Vietnam people, Birma, Khmer, Indonesian, whatever, she sees it.

But with Lao people she makes mistakes, which is understandable.

Strange thing, when we are in Holland, many Indo's. the former Indonesian people, fully Asian and mixed, always start to talk in Malay to my wife.

Agreed, she looks more Asian as Sino Tai.

Luk Krueng, many parents whose children are married to westerners are absolutely bananas about grandchildren that are luk krueng.

The neighbours are mostly very jealous.

Luk Krueng?

Positive!

Farang?

Negative!!!!!

Chautangchaat?

Positive!!!!!!

[Water Buffalo]

I believe the literal translation is "half child". (leuk = child, kreung = half)

Culturally, however, i don't know if this is what they are trying to say. Just the literal translation says that.

My daughter doesn't get called "leuk krueng", since she doesn't even look half Thai. She looks 90% farang. Fair hair, white skin. She does have dark eyes, though, and the Isaan nose & cheeks (lol). She is big built and apparently acts like a farang and not Thai (so we are told).

Everyone just calls her "little farang" and outside family members she is somewhat of a "foreign attraction". Everyone comes round to see the "farang noi". I should really charge money for their visits, haha

Edited December 18, 2013 by Water Buffalo

[Water Buffalo]

My wife explains to me that Luk Krueng means half Thai, half something else.

It does not have the more or less negative intention of the word farang.

The equivalent in feelings for the farang word to bring it out of the negative and bring it on the same level as Luk Krueng would be the word Chautangchaat.

You might say foreigner.

Even half Thai half Chinese are called Luk Krueng, so you might say us Chautangchaat are in elevated (?) company.

If a Thai call me farang I try to explain am not a farang, which means "Frank", but a chautangchaat.

Many times I see shame in the eyes of the farang caller.,

And many times a wai will be the answer.

A strange thing about the wife, she can always, I mean always, discern between Thai people and other Asians.

Vietnam people, Birma, Khmer, Indonesian, whatever, she sees it.

But with Lao people she makes mistakes, which is understandable.

Strange thing, when we are in Holland, many Indo's. the former Indonesian people, fully Asian and mixed, always start to talk in Malay to my wife.

Agreed, she looks more Asian as Sino Tai.

Luk Krueng, many parents whose children are married to westerners are absolutely bananas about grandchildren that are luk krueng.

The neighbours are mostly very jealous.

Luk Krueng?

Positive!

Farang?

Negative!!!!!

Chautangchaat?

Positive!!!!!!

Chautangchaat, interesting. I have never heard this before.

In Thai it is like this ชาวต่างชาติ right?

I have to remember that one.

But i am still a bit confused with the exact difference between chautangchaat and farang. Can you explain more please?

[GinBoy2]

I don't even find farang negative. Where I live in Isaan you're just as likely to be called the Lao word, Baksida

[fishbone]

My wife explains to me that Luk Krueng means half Thai, half something else.

It does not have the more or less negative intention of the word farang.

The equivalent in feelings for the farang word to bring it out of the negative and bring it on the same level as Luk Krueng would be the word Chautangchaat.

You might say foreigner.

Even half Thai half Chinese are called Luk Krueng, so you might say us Chautangchaat are in elevated (?) company.

If a Thai call me farang I try to explain am not a farang, which means "Frank", but a chautangchaat.

Many times I see shame in the eyes of the farang caller.,

And many times a wai will be the answer.

A strange thing about the wife, she can always, I mean always, discern between Thai people and other Asians.

Vietnam people, Birma, Khmer, Indonesian, whatever, she sees it.

But with Lao people she makes mistakes, which is understandable.

Strange thing, when we are in Holland, many Indo's. the former Indonesian people, fully Asian and mixed, always start to talk in Malay to my wife.

Agreed, she looks more Asian as Sino Tai.

Luk Krueng, many parents whose children are married to westerners are absolutely bananas about grandchildren that are luk krueng.

The neighbours are mostly very jealous.

Luk Krueng?

Positive!

Farang?

Negative!!!!!

Chautangchaat?

Positive!!!!!!

Chautangchaat, interesting. I have never heard this before.

In Thai it is like this ชาวต่างชาติ right?

I have to remember that one.

But i am still a bit confused with the exact difference between chautangchaat and farang. Can you explain more please?

May the link will help : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farang

[KhunBENQ]

Just for completeness from the dictionary:

ลูกครึ่ง (luk khrueng) = person of mixed Thai and foreign blood

ลูก luk = child; offspring; son or daughter

ครึ่ง khrueng = half; midway; mid; ½

It seems to me that it does not have such a negative tone.

A vast part of the soap opera stars, TV hosts and other celebrities are "luk khrueng".

There might be some enviousness related to it.

Some Thais do not accept their racial attributes like brown skin, broad nose and do all kind of silly things to get close to the look of a luk khrueng.

Edited December 18, 2013 by KhunBENQ

[puchooay]

During a linguistics course I studied a while ago, I had to choose a word from another language and research it's back ground. I won't expect anyone here to want to research as much as I did, so I would like to advise anyone interested about the origins of "farang" to go to the wikipedia page showing that word. I helped to edit that page. It is quite accurate.

[SlyAnimal]

Farang doesn't have any negative connotations.

Farang = Caucasian

It's the equivalent of calling a black guy African, a tan guy Asian or a brown guy a Pacific Islander.

Leuk Kreung also doesn't have any negative connotations that I'm aware of.

[sirchai]

It's simply descriptive - half child. Like the Thai for twins 'luek faaet' - double child.

Isn't it called "Faa Fet"?-

Edited December 18, 2013 by sirchai

[sirchai]

I don't even find farang negative. Where I live in Isaan you're just as likely to be called the Lao word, Baksida

I agree with Sly that "farlang" isn't a bad word at all. What somebody else had written doesn't sound correct to me "Chauthangchat'??

A foreigner in Thai is usually a Khun Thang Chaat, being very polite. If people here call you Baksida, then they don't really like you.

I live in the Isaan for 11 years. Baksida should never be used for a foreigner, as it;s clear that it's a fruit, while farlang ( which is the same fruit a guava) is ok to me.

If somebody calls you Baksida, it's similar to asshol_e in Western countries.If somebody calls me Baksida, I just ask them if I look like a fruit to them and they usually never do that again. At least it works for me.

I'd think it's also the tone that makes the music.Considering that Miss Thailand is also a Lhuk Krueng, can't be that bad, or? I meant the one with the German daddy.

Thais just use farlang, as we're using the word foreigner. The first seen here were French and the German word for this country is Frankreich.

Most French people came from a place in so called Franconia, which is a part of Bavaria now.

Would Thais really say Khun Thang Chaat, instead of farlang, while we all try to be as short as possible as well? -

Edited December 18, 2013 by sirchai

[noikrit]

The word Farang doesn't bother me at all ..... At the moment the thais are calling our new 50/50 baby Farang Noi ......

[GinBoy2]

It's simply descriptive - half child. Like the Thai for twins 'luek faaet' - double child.

Isn't it called "Fai Fet"?-

The better expression is luk farfet...apologies for the transliteration

luk= child

farfet = twin

[sirchai]

The word Farang doesn't bother me at all ..... At the moment the thais are calling our new 50/50 baby Farang Noi ......

Congrats from lower northeast.-

[sirchai]

It's simply descriptive - half child. Like the Thai for twins 'luek faaet' - double child.

Isn't it called "Fai Fet"?-

The better expression is luk farfet...apologies for the transliteration

luk= child

farfet = twin

You can ask three different Thai and they give you five different names for twins. I know that luk, or luk means child, but some pronounce it Fa Fet, others Fai fet, etc..

I had my wife and 15 year old son to help me to translate 340 names of students into something that I could read. Son's reading's always different to my wife's pronunciation.

But that's also in our countries, I'd assume. Same same, but different. -

[Naam]

If ferong have the feeling that there's something wrong when Thai people call us "Farlanf", I'd more interested to know why our kids, half Thai half farlang are called so.

that's #15 and #16 in my precious Thaivisa "farang" collection.

farang
falang
farlang
farung
farong
ferong
ferang
ferung
furung
furlong
furlung
forong
folong
forlong
pharung
felang

[sirchai]

If ferong have the feeling that there's something wrong when Thai people call us "Farlanf", I'd more interested to know why our kids, half Thai half farlang are called so.

that's #15 and #16 in my precious Thaivisa "farang" collection.

farang

falang

farlang

farung

farong

ferong

ferang

ferung

furung

furlong

furlung

forong

folong

forlong

pharung

felang

But you know where i came from.-Lol-

[Hoven]

Half Fhilang kids look cute, even more so in the eyes of a Thai.

It means half-child, the same as half-caste in the UK means half white half black, and Eurasian half white half Asian.

[WitawatWatawit]

19 posts and everything is still civil. Nice.

My daughter was doted on as a child by Thai friends and family who always called her a leuk krung. So I presumed it was not offensive. As for falang - I'm so used to it that it doesn't even register anymore. I couldn't give a monkey's about it. But baksidah - my ex and her family were all indignant about that. My 2 cents worth. Thanks.

[Michael Hare]

Having lived in Thailand since 1974 and in Ubon since 1994, I have no problems with "Luk Krueng" or "Farang".

But what I really do not like is when we "farang" are referred to as "it". Like as in "See the farang. It is crossing the road". I have discussed this in length with Thai academics and most of them say that is the way the Thai language is used. No offence is intended. But when I reply saying " See that Thai person. It is crossing the road" they are offended.

Edited December 18, 2013 by Michael Hare

[Hoven]

Having lived in Thailand since 1974 and in Ubon since 1994, I have no problems with "Luk Krueng" or "Farang".

But what I really do not like is when we "farang" are referred to as "it". Like as in "See the farang. It is crossing the road". I have discussed this in length with Thai academics and most of them say that is the way the Thai language is used. No offence is intended. But when I reply saying " See that Thai person. It is crossing the road" they are offended.

Yes, this is the truth about how Thais really view us Fillaang.

[SlyAnimal]

Having lived in Thailand since 1974 and in Ubon since 1994, I have no problems with "Luk Krueng" or "Farang".

But what I really do not like is when we "farang" are referred to as "it". Like as in "See the farang. It is crossing the road". I have discussed this in length with Thai academics and most of them say that is the way the Thai language is used. No offence is intended. But when I reply saying " See that Thai person. It is crossing the road" they are offended.

Do you mean if they refer to you as mun?

As that's not really polite unless they know you well. But referring to you as Farang is fine.

[rgs2001uk]

Having lived in Thailand since 1974 and in Ubon since 1994, I have no problems with "Luk Krueng" or "Farang".

But what I really do not like is when we "farang" are referred to as "it". Like as in "See the farang. It is crossing the road". I have discussed this in length with Thai academics and most of them say that is the way the Thai language is used. No offence is intended. But when I reply saying " See that Thai person. It is crossing the road" they are offended.

Do you mean if they refer to you as mun?

As that's not really polite unless they know you well. But referring to you as Farang is fine.

Not only is it impolite, its downright rude, yes amongst close family and friends acceptable.

To total strangers its referring to them as an animal, to be avoided at all costs.

Hen farang, man khaam tanon is totally unacceptable, as mentioned above, hen khon Thai man khaam soi, your error would be pointed out to you PDQ.

As for the bit about how the language is used, what more needs to be said.

[sustento]

Having lived in Thailand since 1974 and in Ubon since 1994, I have no problems with "Luk Krueng" or "Farang".

But what I really do not like is when we "farang" are referred to as "it". Like as in "See the farang. It is crossing the road". I have discussed this in length with Thai academics and most of them say that is the way the Thai language is used. No offence is intended. But when I reply saying " See that Thai person. It is crossing the road" they are offended.

Yes, this is the truth about how Thais really view us Fillaang.

Where's Naam? Fillang must be number 17

[Costas2008]

Hoven, on 18 Dec 2013 - 19:23, said:

Half Fhilang kids look cute, even more so in the eyes of a Thai.

It means half-child, the same as half-caste in the UK means half white half black, and Eurasian half white half Asian.

Which half is black and which one white? the top or the bottom?

[Jay Sata]

It quite common now to see mixed race children but my wife was on her own in school back in the early 70's. In those days the kids just called her farang. We're not talking in the sticks here but a major city.

[barrybankruad]

I have always called twins 'luhk faaet' never had any problem except for the time I asked the Thai wife of a farang friend who was very heavy with child whether she was expecting twins. My friend got quite indignant saying "of course she looks fat, she's eight months pregnant!'. Much laughter when explanations were given.

[Hoven]

I have always called twins 'luhk faaet'

Also it's Scandinavian for what happens after you eat too many beans.