What does being called a Farang mean to you? Good or bad?

[transam]

Farang is a great word only a bunch of P.C. wackos would think its racist

Who said the word itself is racist? The point is in real life it's often used rudely, crudely, and sometimes hatefully. So the context matters.

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So are many words ''used'' in a particular context.............

[scotsman]

I would say that I don't care about Thai people calling me a Farang if they don't know my name that's normal but I don't let any people that know my name call me a Farang I correct them because that is not polite or respectful. I always talk to my Thai family members & Friends by there first name or short name.

Regards

Scotsman

[Jingthing]

Farang is a great word only a bunch of P.C. wackos would think its racist

Who said the word itself is racist? The point is in real life it's often used rudely, crudely, and sometimes hatefully. So the context matters.

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So are many words ''used'' in a particular context.............

The word does refer to an artificial racial construct -- the very simplistic Thai worldview of white people, putting them all into one bucket. So when this racial term is used rudely it does become a racist usage in a way that wouldn't happen with a word not based on racial perception.

In my view it is very naive to think this word is not used in a racist way and indeed frequently.

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Edited January 25, 2014 by Jingthing

[wym]

The word does refer to an artificial racial construct -- the very simplistic Thai worldview of white people, putting them all into one bucket.

As is the case with all racial classifiers. For example you used the term "white people", obviously not referring (only) to skin tone, but equivalent to Caucasian, as if it had an objective meaning.

And it is true that Thais don't usually care too much about the language/cultural differences between all the countries in which we honkies reside.

Just like the average person from farang-majority countries don't know or care about those differences wrt Asian or African or Arab countries.

It seems that whiteys actually get offended by this, as if the European countries are just so inherently important that it's "rude" for brown people to just not care whether a given tourist is Belgian or Dutch or Danish.

You yourself just used the term "white people" - are you being rude or racist? No.

So when this racial term is used rudely it does become a racist usage in a way that wouldn't happen with a word not based on racial perception.

In my view it is very naive to think this word is not used in a racist way and indeed frequently.

Yes, if you live in a place or situation where the Thais around you have a poor opinion about us.

However, that is a tiny tiny proportion of the Thai population.

If this is a real problem in one's life I would suggest they move to another location and/or start associating with Thais that don't despise us, and/or start conducting your life in a way more worthy of respect.

At least it seems we have (finally) come to a consensus that the word itself is not derogatory. . .

Big win AFAIC!!

[DocN]

Acceptance of the overuse of this word that dumbs down the complexity of Pan European cultures is not the same thing as liking it, endorsing it, internalizing it.

Overuse? The only ones "overusing" this word is farangs, mostly to complain about use of the word "farang." I'm certain the Thais don't even spend a nanosecond thinking about it.

Imagine, say, Koreans in the USA, complaining amongst themselves about use of the word "Asian" to describe all Asians in America. Meanwhile, the rest of America doesn't even know about it/don't care. It's very much like that in Thailand.

I'm thinking very few Asians are calling each other gooks.

But plenty of white Thai apologists calling other white guys, and themselves, farangs.

It's really weird. Like naughty schoolboys learning a new swear word, they have to use it all the time.

I'm thinking very few Asians are calling each other gooks.

Come down to Bkk and hear the terms used by Thais for other Thais, not exactly complimentary, then we can move onto the terms for Lao, Cambodian, and Burmese used by most Thais,just for starters.

But plenty of white Thai apologists calling other white guys, and themselves, farangs.

An apologist of what, I didnt write the language, all I do is use it, FARANG doesnt offend me in the least.

Personally I love living here in the "land of the free", none of your western PC BS washed up on these shores yet no matter how hard the PC brigade try to import their own phobias and inadequancies to these shores.

Try Kalifornia in the in the good ole USSA if Thailand offends.

Ooooooh yeah...the land of the free!

Where you can simply say whatever you want about whoever you want, without any consequences!

...

...

...oh...wait...

[Trembly]

Yes is it an innocent descriptor of race, equivalent in every way to "caucasian", which is used by police and officialdom every day in farangland.

If you associate with disrespectful people in geographic areas and industries that make their living catering to foreigners, especially those in the business of scamming them, you may well hear people use the term with tones and facial expression implying contempt.

Just like angry poor people will use "rich folk" as a pejorative.

However both from a pure linguistic POV and 99.99% of the time in Thailand, it is used meaning no disrespect at all.

Note that Thais often use such "objectifying" labels rather than names when talking about people, even in their presence and in some cases when addressing them directly - we are all familiar with "pi" and "nong", "uncle" "fat guy", "old guy" etc used in place of names.

Again this is a feature of the Thai grammar, not an indicator of disrespect. If your family members referring to you as "the farang" in their conversations bothers you, politely ask them to use their name instead. They will think you're weird, but this is only one of hundreds of ways we're weird and they're used to us being weird, but if you remind them a gazillion times, those that are invested in your not getting irritated at them may well comply with your weird wishes.

Then we come to the topic of racism. Some people feel that there shouldn't be ANY acknowledgement of race in day-to-day conversations. Well, sorry Thais are very racist as a culture, not much can be done about that. In the case of us honkeys however, we BENEFIT from that racism much more than suffer from it, often being accorded a much higher class/status than we should get in reality. Petty overcharging issues certainly pale in comparison to the general contempt offered to African/middle-Eastern/Indian people here, so stop whingeing and suck it up, that's not RACISM. Plus most of us being males are also taking advantage of their ingrained patriarchal patterns, so stop whingeing and suck it up!

Guava were apparently brought to Thailand by European traders in the 16th-17th centuries, most likely the Portuguese, so just like we call little oranges "mandarins", Thais named the fruit after us, not vice-versa.

The word itself is most likely derived from the Franks, who dominated Europe from the 6th century on - you've probably heard of Charlemagne? This of course is not equivalent to "French", but definitely related, there was no "French" language or nation until many centuries later, long after the Franks were involved in conquest and crusades stretching into the territories where Pali and Sanskrit developed, and many many languages in the regions between there and here use this word to label white people of European descent.

Of course all this is just scholarly opinion and theory, no one really knows.

But it remains a fact that linguistically the word "farang" is in itself not pejorative, any more than the word "prostitute" is. Some people may dislike the class of people labeled with the term and therefore they USE it pejoratively, but the word itself has no such meaning, the emotional connotations must be inferred by context.

This. This this this this this!

If only more f........oreigners would understand this!

[MantisMan]

If I came from the USA , I would rather be addressed as a "septic" ,by someone with a grin on their face , than as an " American " by someone with a sneer on their face.

I've heard the word "seppo" from Aussie friends for us Americkanos. Is that the same, as in septic tank?

If so, why you Aussies so mean to us ~mercanos?

[Trembly]

If I came from the USA , I would rather be addressed as a "septic" ,by someone with a grin on their face , than as an " American " by someone with a sneer on their face.

I've heard the word "seppo" from Aussie friends for us Americkanos. Is that the same, as in septic tank?

If so, why you Aussies so mean to us ~mercanos?

It's Cockney rhyming slang.

Septic tank = yank.

[wym]

If I came from the USA , I would rather be addressed as a "septic" ,by someone with a grin on their face , than as an " American " by someone with a sneer on their face.

I've heard the word "seppo" from Aussie friends for us Americkanos. Is that the same, as in septic tank?

If so, why you Aussies so mean to us ~mercanos?

maybe because while the Aussies were overseas fighting in the trenches, Australia was the main R&R base for the SU Pacific theater forces, and our soldiers had plenty of ready cash, chocolate, stockings etc and they had their way with Aussies lovely girlfriends, wives, sisters. . .

maybe because our heavy-handed foreign policy since then has bullied the politicians in to letting their territory be secretly used for military/intelligence purposes without considering the feelings of the voters, and their intelligence services to be treated as a satellite of the 800 lb gorilla

maybe because the average Australian has a bit more of a clue about social justice and geopolitics and realizes just how justified Iran is in calling our government "the great Satan"?

and just generally they're a rough lot, their sense of humour usually does feel cruel to thin-skinned newbies. only solution is to give it back just as hard and never show any weakness

[Kilgore Trout]

If I came from the USA , I would rather be addressed as a "septic" ,by someone with a grin on their face , than as an " American " by someone with a sneer on their face.

I've heard the word "seppo" from Aussie friends for us Americkanos. Is that the same, as in septic tank?

If so, why you Aussies so mean to us ~mercanos?

maybe because while the Aussies were overseas fighting in the trenches, Australia was the main R&R base for the SU Pacific theater forces, and our soldiers had plenty of ready cash, chocolate, stockings etc and they had their way with Aussies lovely girlfriends, wives, sisters. . .

maybe because our heavy-handed foreign policy since then has bullied the politicians in to letting their territory be secretly used for military/intelligence purposes without considering the feelings of the voters, and their intelligence services to be treated as a satellite of the 800 lb gorilla

maybe because the average Australian has a bit more of a clue about social justice and geopolitics and realizes just how justified Iran is in calling our government "the great Satan"?

and just generally they're a rough lot, their sense of humour usually does feel cruel to thin-skinned newbies. only solution is to give it back just as hard and never show any weakness

That is pretty funny. Australia is not far off from a complete racist and fascist state. The way they have treated and still treat the indigenous population is shameful.

The way they have treated refugees escaping persocution trying to enter is equally shamefull.

I have seen the way australians act abroad and I would be very very embarrassed if I were Australian.

They seem to want to be like the USA in every respect but unfortunately have neither the political power or ingenuity to do so; hence the jealousy and spite they exhibit toward Americans.

Although I know a bit about Australian history etc., as an American all I care to know about them or think about is that Crocodile Dundee and Yahoo Serious are slightly amusing, especially when they speak that nonsense language......

[BlackArtemis]

It means:

Lots of new friends

Lots of dates

Easy discounts

Sometimes even free stuff

Funny interactions

Random conversations

and lots of surprised faces

Learn the language and everything changes.