Reading these here pages on ThaiVisa, I've come across a few different spellings of the word "farang".

Falang, furlang, farlang and a couple of others. What would you say is the correct spelling?

i had an American friend who pronounced it "furlong" but he was never understood at the best of times.

Not that I'm bothered, just curious.

Pub.

Foreigner.

The correct spelling is <deleted>. Anything else is an approximation.

Exactly. Any argument about how to spell Thai words in English is a gray area and a matter of opinion with no correct spellings, just ones that are more common than others.

But here's the answer to your question

Farang is Thai

Falang is Lao (and Issan)

There will be someone along shortly to disagree.

Englsh farang thai pronouce it as falang.

The correct spelling is <deleted> Anything else is an approximation.

You are very helpful as usual.......

How on earth, and how many of us, mere mortals, can read Thai?

Thats how it sounds "correctly""

http://www.thai-language.com/mp3/E131256.mp3

http://www.thai-language.com/id/131256

Make up your own transcription (I am not a native English speaker).

The "r" would be correct, but as you know many Thais just don't get it over their tongue and babble "l" instead.

Your American friend is quite good.

But not the only example that correct Thai is not understood at the bar

How on earth, and how many of us, mere mortals, can read Thai?

Some can

The correct spelling is<deleted> Anything else is an approximation.

You are very helpful as usual.......

How on earth, and how many of us, mere mortals, can read Thai?

If you've lived here any length of time surely you'd have at least tried to learn?

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The correct spelling is <deleted>Anything else is an approximation.

You are very helpful as usual.......

How on earth, and how many of us, mere mortals, can read Thai?

If you've lived here any length of time surely you'd have at least tried to learn?

Yeah but that would require him to get off Thaivisa

Englsh farang thai pronouce it as falang.

There are Thais who can pronounce an "r"

Just listen to the evening news. A roaring "r" to be heard.

But here's the answer to your question

Farang is Thai

Falang is Lao (and Issan)

There will be someone along shortly to disagree.

Comes close. As far as I know there is no "r" in the Lao language.

Post containing Thai script has been edited to remove said script as per forum rules.

Thai script is only acceptable in the Thai language forum.

thank you for the responses. I knew the Thai but I never knew that "falang" could be considered more Laos so Ive learnt something today. cheers Mr Smokin.

i guess "baksidaa" is less ambiguous.

Pronouncing 'R' sounds as 'L' is also a Bangkok thing.

My Bangkok condo is in a resort called Klang Krung. I have tried every combination of the Thai r, l and even w that I can think of - but never yet managed to get a taxi driver to understand it. My Thai isn't fluent but I get by okay normally. Can any of you experts give me a good phonetic on how to properly pronounce this? Thanks in advance.

Farang just look on google

My Bangkok condo is in a resort called Klang Krung. I have tried every combination of the Thai r, l and even w that I can think of - but never yet managed to get a taxi driver to understand it. My Thai isn't fluent but I get by okay normally. Can any of you experts give me a good phonetic on how to properly pronounce this? Thanks in advance.

Oh mate, I bet you have fun getting home after a few beers. I have the same problem when I want to go to Central or the Nation building. "cenchun, censhan, centren etc etc.

For me I don't like being called a farang but some here like it .it is not a word to call a person a farang I just look on google it was made up to call people from the west farang .

Like back home did not like being called a &lt;deleted&gt; growing up and now the word &lt;deleted&gt; is not use so maybe one day thais could stop using the word .

thank you for the responses. I knew the Thai but I never knew that "falang" could be considered more Laos so Ive learnt something today. cheers Mr Smokin.

i guess "baksidaa" is less ambiguous.

Not less ambiguous, just a non sequitur.

Pronouncing 'R' sounds as 'L' is also a Bangkok thing.

It's actually a low class (rural agricultural background) thing.

Low class Thais all over say 'L' when they mean 'R'.

My Bangkok condo is in a resort called Klang Krung. I have tried every combination of the Thai r, l and even w that I can think of - but never yet managed to get a taxi driver to understand it. My Thai isn't fluent but I get by okay normally. Can any of you experts give me a good phonetic on how to properly pronounce this? Thanks in advance.

Nope. Have someone in the office write it down. Then have them help you repeatedly say it, correcting you each time. When you have it perfect taxi drivers still won't know it. You'll have to give them the intersection and guide them in.

Farang, but some speak it not clear Falang.

Many R will often spoken lazy as L. In the South it is more Rish, in the north/northeast more Lish

So real is Farang, in North/Northeast often just Falang.

In the South often just Rang. (While the speak the R correct they tend to remove parts to shorten things)

My Bangkok condo is in a resort called Klang Krung. I have tried every combination of the Thai r, l and even w that I can think of - but never yet managed to get a taxi driver to understand it. My Thai isn't fluent but I get by okay normally. Can any of you experts give me a good phonetic on how to properly pronounce this? Thanks in advance.

Nope. Have someone in the office write it down. Then have them help you repeatedly say it, correcting you each time. When you have it perfect taxi drivers still won't know it. You'll have to give them the intersection and guide them in.

That's exactly what I've done in the past and have to do now - after 5 bloomin' years!

Respect to all you folk who can speak Thai fluently - although I do often think that Thais see a farang and simply automatically know that they'll not understand what he's likely to say. How difficult can it be to get sanaam bin Don Muang Krap wrong? Seems like I never get it right

How on earth, and how many of us, mere mortals, can read Thai?

Have a look at " thai language forum "; many of us can read thai: no one can say he knows Thailand if he can't read thai : it's not so difficult

My Bangkok condo is in a resort called Klang Krung. I have tried every combination of the Thai r, l and even w that I can think of - but never yet managed to get a taxi driver to understand it. My Thai isn't fluent but I get by okay normally. Can any of you experts give me a good phonetic on how to properly pronounce this? Thanks in advance.

You need to get the tones and vowel lengths correct. Nobody can tell you these from a transliteration. Ask someone Thai to read it to you and listen carefully.

Or post the Thai version (in the Thai language forum).

My Bangkok condo is in a resort called Klang Krung. I have tried every combination of the Thai r, l and even w that I can think of - but never yet managed to get a taxi driver to understand it. My Thai isn't fluent but I get by okay normally. Can any of you experts give me a good phonetic on how to properly pronounce this? Thanks in advance.

Nope. Have someone in the office write it down. Then have them help you repeatedly say it, correcting you each time. When you have it perfect taxi drivers still won't know it. You'll have to give them the intersection and guide them in.

Big assumption that a taxi driver in Thailand can read (and write).

This is the royal Thai general system, one of the phonetic systems: faL rangL - the L means low tone, it's not a letter.

Pronunciation also varies, Thai vs Isaan

In English its pronouced : Gauva

I think 2 correct answers

Farang if writing

and falang if speaking

at least thats how I hear it walking around BKK in Thai areas

And I do not take it as an insult , same as Ausländer in Germany