Is it ok for your girlfriend to call you farang to her friends?

[villagefarang]

Thais typically prefer titles or nick names over proper names in normal conversation. Some wives refer to their husbands as uncle or father out of deference to their age. I think it is up to us to adjust to the norms of Thai society and recognize the different uses of language depending on situation and class. Obscure foreign rules don’t necessarily apply.

[Rykbanlor]

Being able to speak the language here, and understand the culture helps a lot, some folks should try a little harder in that respect.

Someone ea;lier posted: Theres nothing wrong with being called Farang, its no worse than calling a Thai an Asian.

Well, yes, If you point to someone in a crowd and say: See that asian guy? Thats ok, but do you refer to your wife/GF as that, with your family?

Hi mum, the asian is just out shopping.

No, thats retarded.

Most well mannered, or enlightened Thais will not use Farang in this respect. Its particularly insulting if you have a name, they know it and they still refer to you as such.

There are times when it is ok: My very close friends - very close, will sometimes use it - and you know from your own cultures, what kind of things you can say to close friends, which you couldn't to others.

The fact is, take your advice with a pinch of salt, because as I have read this thread, there are (1) some guys who seem to have a balanced understanding of the cultural and linguistic nuances here, and they probably also speak Thai somewhat, and have normal thai friends,

and (2) there have been a lot of posters that are obviously clueless but think they know everything about thai culture (these will be the guys that think every girl has a price, and they are all out to rob you and take away your savings).

If you mix with the right people you will get the right treatment. If your g/f tells you - "yeah him farang, me say him farang is ok, everyone say" then you are on your way to being in the second group.

Sorry if I generalise a little, but he who get it get it, he who don't get it ain't s'pose ta get it.

[LukKrueng]

I would say that it was not correct.

Surely you have a name.

I would be looking for a new girlfriend.

Seems like you'd probably look for a new GF if the current 1 would put too much sugar in your tea as well... Couples argue, fight, have misunderstandings. First thing would be to talk to each other and try to understand better what's going on. especially in cross culture relationships. Don't you think??

[green job]

There are people around here that are referred to by different terms: Isaan, (Lao), Cambodia, Thai, Chinese and at the bottom, Farang. In order of occurrence. It doesn't matter. You aren't being called the equivalent of a nigger.

It is,its the same,but we can do F all about it.

So calling someone a Cambodian (even though his family has been here for 200 years) is the same? Give me a break.

What the Fxxx are you on about? Farang is a slang word,same as nigger I am not talking about fxxxxxx Isaan etc

[SOTIRIOS]

...that is correct...you are in a very impersonal relationship....'being taken for a ride'.....

....we only delude ourselves to think that it is anything more.....

...they know that...they lead us on....it is a 'skill' they have developed...

..does not take much skill or talent actually....just insincerity....

[brewsterbudgen]

Why would you get upset? You are a farang - as am I!

[derator01]

An inappropriate post has been removed from view.

[abhaya]

"No its rude and ignorant and racist". Looking at the average post on TV this could describe anyone of us.

[NanLaew]

My wife refers To me as leung X . Same as the other viĺlager that i am close. But her father Who kind of like me use farang in front of me To talk about me. As well as many Kids of the village.

And when m'y wife upset you can be sûre à one moment or other se Will blatter farang farang

Just thai style nothing To worry about for me i am farang and kind of proud

Really?, I wouldnt be impressed if my wife called me "Uncle", unless of course she was talking to one of the nieces at the time.

Gerascophobia is a b!tch isn't it?

[weegee]

And still no resolution to this being called a "Farang" thing....after episode 655 -1B...

[Rykbanlor]

If the old market ladies call you a farang I wouldn't get too worried about it though.

There are times when it's ok, there are times when it's inappropriate, learn the difference.

Edited September 1, 2015 by Rykbanlor

[Berkshire]

What context did she say it in - what was the sentence she said?

No reply back indicates that he hasn't the foggiest notion as it is the only word he understood in the whole conversation.

The OP hasn't returned because this is the classic troll thread. He knows how to mobilize the crazies, those nutbags who are still offended by the word Caucasian. Or farang, which is the same thing.

[NanLaew]

My wife has never used Farang to refer to me, except jokingly in private.

"...never ... except..." Do you lose sleep wondering if she ever uses it when are not around to hear?

She has also made it clear to relatives that I have a name that is to be used when addressing/referring to me.

I guess she wants to save the embarrassment of her farang going postal on the rels. That's YOUR embarrassment BTW.

We were once stopped at a checkpoint on the way to Ubon and her nephew told the policeman that he was taking the Farang to the airport. He will never make that mistake again.

Priceless! What did you do? Have the nephew struck off the Will? Capped and dropped in the roadside ditch?

What if the cop had asked, "Who's the farang?"

[oxo1947]

The farang did it

The Farang made me do it............................

----------------

People get a little hung up on the farang term--its grammar, & for sure-the Thais are not so good at grammar--- in the 50s at school (UK) you could not use the word She ......referring to a person, it was as impolite as saying farang---(She said it Sir, not me) .... a slap round the head with the retort, who is she---The Cats mother ?

A person had to be a addressed by name or stature......(That Lady---This Girl etc....

etc.....) how things have changed.

I have to ask people what my Oz daughter is saying when I get a TXT from her.

but insult ...no.....people really are so thin skinned about the farang word...IMO..........

Edited September 1, 2015 by oxo1947

[Rykbanlor]

Context.

[Farang99]

I would say that it was not correct.

Surely you have a name.

I would be looking for a new girlfriend.

Thais rarely use proper names when talking with friends. Farang is not that encouraging but it could be worse if she preceded it with some uncomplimentary adjective. If she were keen I would expect her to refer to you as her fen. Ti-ruk is hoping for a bit more commitment.

[nithisa78]

very girly waisted. . .wasted.

[HLover]

Brilliant troll by the OP, excellent arousal of the TV crowd today. (morning applause)

[fang37]

I would say that it was not correct.

Surely you have a name.

I would be looking for a new girlfriend.

Thais rarely use proper names when talking with friends. Farang is not that encouraging but it could be worse if she preceded it with some uncomplimentary adjective. If she were keen I would expect her to refer to you as her fen. Ti-ruk is hoping for a bit more commitment.

It took me awhile to get used to the term.

As mentioned above, I have a name. Just as I have difficulty remembering & pronouncing Thai names, I assume they to have a similar problem.

Provided it is not used in an offensive, nasty way, it is now OK by me.

[nithisa78]

" If you want the comforts, service, and experience of home ... then stay home. Travel is about opening yourself up to new experiences. You will encounter different ways of living, of eating, of serving. Advice? "Go with the flow and don't get your undies bunched up. It's part of the travel experience."

[nithisa78]

I would say that it was not correct.

Surely you have a name.

I would be looking for a new girlfriend. -You'll always be the one looking. Nobody looking for you.

Thais rarely use proper names when talking with friends. Farang is not that encouraging but it could be worse if she preceded it with some uncomplimentary adjective. If she were keen I would expect her to refer to you as her fen. Ti-ruk is hoping for a bit more commitment.

It took me awhile to get used to the term.

As mentioned above, I have a name. Just as I have difficulty remembering & pronouncing Thai names, I assume they to have a similar problem.

Provided it is not used in an offensive, nasty way, it is now OK by me.

My Sainted wife called me by name once. Otherwise we stick with terms of endearment. When the word foreigner comes up, she is generally talking with someone else and it may not even be about me. They all want a man like me.

Edited September 1, 2015 by nithisa78

[HLover]

" If you want the comforts, service, and experience of home ... then stay home. Travel is about opening yourself up to new experiences. You will encounter different ways of living, of eating, of serving. Advice? "Go with the flow and don't get your undies bunched up. It's part of the travel experience."

Yes, and marry her and buy a nice upcountry house and car. Then enjoy the good life, who cares what she calls you - it's blissfully dreamy here.

[chrissables]

My girlfriend and I had a little agruement and her friend phoned her and she mentioned me as farang not her boyfriend? Do u think I'm over reacting by going over the top about this?

It's not the word farang that's offensive, that's normal

Listen in hard and if you hear the word muang (don't know spelling) then that's offensive as its only used for animals & if use for a person it's the lowest of low.

The word is something like "MEUNG".

Isaan Thais often use this word when referring to their western boyfriends / husbands.

You can only pick up these (and other) insults if you speak reasonably good Thai.

The word is i believe "man" มัน. It means "it", not polite to use with people.

Maybe the above is wrong and this is it:

แม่ง maaengF [one of the worst insults to give to another person], a shortening of เย็ดแม่ Edited September 1, 2015 by chrissables

[bazza40]

Farang/falang is not a pejorative term. It's simply saying you are not Thai. If you want degrading Asian terms, gweiloh ( Chinese ) or gaijin

( Japanese ) are right up there.

Of course, if an adjective such as keenok or kiniow is used in conjunction, it's a different story. I heard it once in Khon Kaen, when I didn't tip after an indifferent Thai massage. I responded by telling them they'd get a tip if they did their massage better and weren't lazy. Still treasure the looks on their faces when they realised I could understand them.

[TheKnave]

I think you are being deliberately obtuse. The answer to either of those questions is not "the farang"

I also cannot recall my wife or her family ever referring to me as "the farang". Neither have my colleagues.

As mentioned above it's about context. Describing someone as farang, like describing someone as Asian is different to referring to them as "the Asian."

OB

You are taking a tour to a place that only lets in Thai people. The person on the phone asks your wife/GF is your husband Thai or Farang.

Where is this place that only lets in Thai people?

Why do you want to know? I asked Soutpeel.

Thread hijack for a battle of nitwits. Give it a rest...

The thread is about the Thai way of referring to someone they know well as 'farang' instead of by their name.

I've seen it many times, don't think it's intended as an insult, but is just a part of Thai insensitivity to, and ignorance of, other cultures.

They often blurt out things like, "Why are you fat?"

Among friends, I would just laugh it off. From a wife or lover, I would make my displeasure known, whatever good that might do..probably met with,"farang think too mutt"...

A keeper would understand; the average slapper wouldn't care.

I married a Filipina.

[Lex Talionis]

I love it when my GF calls me farang. Especially when she's slapping that swagger stick against her thigh. Ah...

Edited September 1, 2015 by Lex Talionis

[janpharma]

When I first came to Thailand, about 8 years ago, I didn't feel comfortable when they called me farang....Now I 'm proud if they do...

[cooked]

There are people around here that are referred to by different terms: Isaan, (Lao), Cambodia, Thai, Chinese and at the bottom, Farang. In order of occurrence. It doesn't matter. You aren't being called the equivalent of a nigger.

It is,its the same,but we can do F all about it.

So calling someone a Cambodian (even though his family has been here for 200 years) is the same? Give me a break.

What the Fxxx are you on about? Farang is a slang word,same as nigger I am not talking about fxxxxxx Isaan etc

... apparently I am talking about something that you are unable to grasp.Farang is not slang and it has been around for hundreds of years. It is not an insult (doubtless you come from some politically correct ivory tower where even vaguely racist epithets are 'slurs') it is a noun, sometimes an adjective. Same as are the words Cambodian, Lao, Chinese , Isaan, Doi. I eat Farang food, read Farang nespapers and talk to Farangs in various languages. Look the word up on Wikipedia or here: http://baheyeldin.com/linguistics/thai-word-farang-variations-in-other-languages-arabic-origin.html

[Rykbanlor]

When I first came to Thailand, about 8 years ago, I didn't feel comfortable when they called me farang....Now I 'm proud if they do...

As I recall I was "affectionately" called farang Trans, when they got used to the Trans name they then all called me Trans...or hansum Trans.....

"His name's Transam, green eggs and ham" the villagers cried.

[CapeThai]

I tell you one thing, if my GF refer to me as farang with her friends I will kick her ass out the door as your then only good as a ATM.

My GF understand the negative logic around it and will never dare to do this. This is why every single person on earth have a birth name.....and farang is just not one of them.