Where are you from? No. Where are your REALLY from?

[Jingthing]

In the Thailand context, the question in the O.P. is really largely about people that don't present as fitting common stereotypes of their nationality.

 

Like an Italian national that doesn't look like just another Guido.

 

If you say I'm from Italy and you look like this, no stranger is going to be curious about your further back origin.

 

Or from a nation of immigrants like Australia where the international stereotype is that it's mostly a nation of white Anglo types and you're in some way clearly NOT that.

 

Y'all get that, right? (Doesn't seem so.)

[tutsiwarrior]

when I got to England in 1988 I still had mosta my dark features...but they had never seen no mezcans: 'looks like a paki...'

 

and, in Derby in the east midlands they hadn't seen many yanks either so when I opened my mouth: 'an irish paki?' folks there couldn't get their heids around a California accent so irish was the next presumable thing...

 

it was amusing but the wages and the food were fer shit and things cost twice as much as back home...but you could still get a pint of good Burton on Trent bitter for less than 2 quid which helped to redeem an otherwise harsh existence...

 

 

[amykat]

On 10/25/2016 at 7:23 AM, Strange said:

I always get mistaken for Australian for some reason. Gotta right that wrong real quick. 

 

Ill say A-meh-li-ka, and when they want more, Ill tell them florida, but get blank-stare from that point. 

 

You probably look like a young Hugh Jackman??  Can you give me your phone number in Florida??  (Oh, I forgot, you're married, right?)

[473geo]

At many events it is possible to come across students with a simple questionnaire, the Questions are along the lines of

 

Where are you from? How old are you? How long do you stay in Thailand? Do you like Thai food? What is your favourite Thai food? What do you like most about Thailand?

 

Not really too much of a stretch to expect this carried into introductory conversation in later life

 

I still appreciate and give great credit to Thai people who make an effort to speak English, especially if they do not really have the opportunity to use English every day, much better than my Thai by far!!!

[Falconator]

I tell them the first time - I'm from the USA, but my parents were born in X.

[Saastrajaa]

On 10/22/2016 at 6:42 PM, tutsiwarrior said:

when asked I always say California, never USA...then folks usually immediately understand...

 

I hear you...I always tell other farangs I would meet in Thailand that I'm from California.  While it's true, that's where I live now, I've only lived there for 8 years out of my 57.  

 

I used to foolishly give the *real* answer: I'm not really "from" anywhere; I've lived in 10 different US states, and the one I was born in, I only lived in until age 6, and have almost no ties there now.  My parents are long passed away, and I've never lived where my siblings lived now.  So where am I from, indeed?  Kind of a typical American story.  But when I used to explain this to our friends from the British Isles, especially the ones of the, er, class one tends me to run into the bars in BKK, they would actually get angry at me, thinking I was--what is it they say?--"Taking the piss?"  One drunken Scottish fellow was ready to fight me over it, can you believe?  So yeah, now I just say "California."

[marko kok prong]

where do i come from,? The end of my dick,where else?

[tutsiwarrior]

On 12/7/2016 at 8:18 AM, Saastrajaa said:

 

I hear you...I always tell other farangs I would meet in Thailand that I'm from California.  While it's true, that's where I live now, I've only lived there for 8 years out of my 57.  

 

I used to foolishly give the *real* answer: I'm not really "from" anywhere; I've lived in 10 different US states, and the one I was born in, I only lived in until age 6, and have almost no ties there now.  My parents are long passed away, and I've never lived where my siblings lived now.  So where am I from, indeed?  Kind of a typical American story.  But when I used to explain this to our friends from the British Isles, especially the ones of the, er, class one tends me to run into the bars in BKK, they would actually get angry at me, thinking I was--what is it they say?--"Taking the piss?"  One drunken Scottish fellow was ready to fight me over it, can you believe?  So yeah, now I just say "California."

 

yeah...I was born in Nashville but we moved to Pasadena when I was 5 and I only lived there for 8 years but I still call it the place where I come from...

 

all the old associations are hard to overcome...my sister whose married to my best friend since primary school still live there...and they both can't believe that I never wanted to 'come home'...the last time I visited was 25 years ago...

 

an' ye gots to watch them drunken scots...sweet as pie one minute and then 'duke city' the next, always hadta watch meself in Glasgow...

 

I stay outta bars these days...and we ain't got none where I live in suphan anyway...