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Old 09-21-2012, 09:25 PM   #34
77Dinaartickire

Join Date
Oct 2005
Posts
513
Senior Member
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Farang is the Thai word for foreigner and thats what we are - foreigners. I suggest you don't take offence where none is intended.

However I have to admit that Benjawan Becker's dictionery does not give "Farang" as the word for foreigner (she says foreigner is "Khon dtaang chaat" - คนต่างชาติ). And her word for "European" is Chowyoorop - ชาวยุโรป). Which does make you wonder whether there might be a slightly negative connotation with the word "Farang".
But if you look up fà ràng in section two of Becker you find the correct translation of Caucasian.

I have seen a few situations where it was definitely meant to be insulting, usually from children not accompanied by their parents. Last time I went on a boat trip upriver from BK some kids were diving off a pier into the river and as we passed they laughingly called out "Farang khi nok" (Farang bird shit"!).
The word ขี้ here just means just means a bad or negative characer trait. ขี้นก = Khee nok = fake; phoney; bogus; spurious; pretended; feigned; sham; low-class; inferior; insignificant; meaningless; worthless

David
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