Why Do We Write Farang

[dr_Pat_Pong]

And the other place down south with the B I G bridge and the opera house is called Sinnee.

[Axel]

And the other place down south with the B I G bridge and the opera house is called Sinnee.

Is this Sinnee like receiver of sin? Na than I stay in Bangers and know what to get

BTW, just got some greeting from a chilly morning in " Brissie."

Pass it in to you "Flangs".

[Richard Hall]

Looking at it the other way around, we know how to pronounce the names of the places in our countries of birth, but tourists and the like sometimes get it wrong, how does that makes you feel?

I hate the way our American friends pronounce Melbourne.

Its not Mell Born, its Melbun.

Most likely, it'll get even worse and the catholic church is gonna call it "Mel - burn!" from now on. Be prepared!

[Richard Hall]

You'll need to learn that Thai pronounce ROR as LOR and LOR as ROR Bronco.

Actually Dr PP, Southern Thais can pronounce the rolled r correctly. Apparently (according to dear hubby), the proper pronunciation is a rolled r and it is all those northerners who can't pronounce it correctly, and so, instead say L.

If you came south, the word would, indeed, be pronounced, farang. Or, in southern Thai (why say it long when you can make it short?) Rang.

Guess, the actually "problem" is that Thai or better say Asian tonal languages do not roll the "r" in the throad (like in Spanish language or also done by Indians or Cambodians ) but rather speak the "r" in the mouth. That way the difference between "l" and "r" starts to fade away making the sound much more similar. Give it a try. Don't roll the "r" in your throad but speak as a "r" in your mouth. Nevertheless, the "l" sound is just easier to bring out because of a little less tongue twirling. Well, and the rest is certainly kind of the same laid back attitude ("mahg ngai") in Bangkok like you find in the Thai "khrab". Bangkonian speaking "khab". Also applies for just dumping an "l" occasionally making "plah" to "pah" and "gluay" to "guay".

To hear proper Thai listen to the news on TV or if HS the king speaks. Heaps of mouth spoken unrolled "r"'s and no neglected "l"'s. Now we "looh", whoops living in Bangkok starts rubbing off - gotta say "rooh".