[RBJamez]

Or many have nothing else better to do than sitting around and dwelling into some imaginary meanings based on their own western’s political correctness ideology. And they think they know its meaning better than the thais or many well known thai scholars out there, despite for having been here only a short while ago.

[chppjdf]

sorry but for those of you that think the sound of the word farang makes can have a similar tone to the F**** word you really need to get out a little more and remember you are not thai and stop being offended about being thought of as a tourist! even though you might live in Thailand.

[Hamucevasiop]

Do we really want to change the word 'farang'?.
Any suggestion?.
Or I proposed we change to 'for man-my sweet fat bald man' or for women 'my darling old fat lady'. Can someone translate to thai as it may sound better than 'farang'. Any idea

[cemDrymnVem]

Farang is simply the Thai equivalent to Caucasian. Farang having its origins in Persian/Arabic, the word can be found in many similar forms in many different countries/languages (farangi/barang etc...)

Thats interesting. The word or its derivitives seems to be quite widespread. In some of the south Pacific Islands (Samoa, Tonga etc) the word for Caucasion is "Palangi".

[JacomoR]

"Old Fat Bald Farang" beats the Western term, "old fat bald loser"!

Wow, it is a good thing I still have some hair. Otherwise, I might fit the category 555

[Zarekylin75]

dosent bother me in the least....

[JacomoR]

99% of the Pattaya expat community?
.
.

Ah, but there you are still "hansum man" LOL

[NumsAmenniams]

Farang is simply the Thai equivalent to Caucasian. Farang having its origins in Persian/Arabic, the word can be found in many similar forms in many different countries/languages (farangi/barang etc...)
When in countries where the word Caucasian crops up a lot instead, like in Singapore, you don't see the white-folk there throwing a frenzy.

The theory i would like to put forward on why many Caucasians feel the word Farang is offensive, is: The word starts with the letter 'f' and it has two syllables (Think about: derogatory/swear words that begin with f and/or have two syllables)
Thus, I believe it isn't really the word itself which many Caucasians dislike, it is the sound of it.

Even though HM the King does not use very formal language in his b-day speeches, as Betti said earlier - if the word 'farang' really was derogatory as in Paki, it is doubtful HM would use it in his speeches.

[Bejemoelemymn]

"Old Fat Bald Farang" beats the Western term, "old fat bald loser"!

[chppjdf]

I have a farang husband and for any of you who have a thai wife. Can you ask her opinion, how does she feel if some ppl called her Mea-farng (àÁÕ½ÃÑè§)?? I think its offensive some time.

[L8fGLM4d]

Steve is right about the sounds - I think the tone may have something to do with it as well. in English, the low tone goes with contempt, that kind of thing. just say aloud something like "you idiot!" - not shouting, but with contempt, with that little twist of the nose. it is low tone.

once a guest asked me why the taxi drivers were yelling at us so angrily. they were merely offering to go to "Doi Suthep". the tone on the last syllable makes it sound angry if said loud / shouted, I think. rhymes a little with "go to hell!".

[Centurnion]

Does not bother me. In fact I enjoy it.

[aburva.org]

When Tiger Woods was asked what he considered himself to be, he quite rightly said "American"

[cemDrymnVem]

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" - ¤¹µèÒ§ªÒµÔ). And her word for "European" is Chowyoorop - ªÒÇÂØâû). Which does make you wonder whether there might be a slightly negative connotation with the word "Farang".

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"!). And up in Isaan little kids used to run alongside my Landrover excitedly shouting out "Farang Dung dong! Farang Dung dong"!! (not sure what that means - anyone know?). But in all cases I think it was just kids being kids and having michievious fun.

On the very few occasions when I have been in a serious confontation with an adult Thai, (I used to work in their Dept of Public Welfare where even Mother Theresa would have been driven to expletives - and besides I was very young at the time) the word "Farang" was only one of very many other words that were spoken at me with intent to insult. So context and body language are probably the best indicators.

[VIAGRA-]

I identify myself as a farong and use the word myself. I think that Americans are too hung up about these words. They pretend they are "color blind" and don't notice a persons apparent ethnicity. Of course they notice. In the U.S. you are never supposed to mention race. If you are going to point someone out in a crowd, you are supposed to avoid saying "they are Black" or "they are White" or "they are Asian." You are supposed to say, "They have a striped shirt" or something. It strikes me as very silly, especially after having experienced a different attitude in Thailand. My children are half-black and half white and identify that way. If this makes people uncomfortable, oh well! I don't care. I never agreed to these American "rules." I'm not ashamed of being a farong in Thailand and I'm not ashamed of being white in the United States and I'm not ashamed of my kids being half black and half white, for as long as all these labels still mean something. For right now, they DO still mean something. (Maybe one day we will all be so multiracial it won't matter.) I was always treated nicely by the people calling me "farong" so what is the problem?

[Borzopayn]

I like it, but possibly due to it being a visually oriented term, I rarely hear it.

[VIAGRA-]

I remember a few years back US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited the UK and gave a speech in the Blackburn constituency of Jack Straw MP. She kept refering to the 'coloured' locals as African Americans when they were neither African nor American - they were British Asians...

David

Oh my! She did that? That's embarassing, but I believe it. You should see how anxious people here in the US get when I say that someone is "African." They will try to gently correct me: "Don't you mean, "African American?" I have to say,"No, I mean they (or their parents) are recently from Africa." *sigh* People also get very anxious when I object that my biracial boys are not African American, and that the correct term is "African European American." They look scared and then wonder if it is OK to laugh, lol . . . IT IS!

Oh, I have a question? Do Thais claim Tiger Woods, who identifies as "Cablasian"? He is Thai, white, and black, I believe.

[Hamucevasiop]

Thai call European 'farang' as for white people almost similar to the Malay's that use the term 'mat salih' which is quite soft. But normally if you speaks English the kids will also call you 'farang' either you are black or white. Even if the late MJ come to Thailand he is still call 'farang'. cosmetics technology can change anything

[pertikuss]

I do

To be honest we are foreigners in their country but still i think its disrespectful to call us this. i would never dream of calling anyone in England a foreigner when they are on holiday or living here. Being called European or Western would be better and far more efficient.


any other thoughts on this matter?


kind regards
jay

[VoriEremiagem]

While the word Farang is not offensive to me, I do find it a little ill-mannered when people refer to you in the third person right in front of you, eg. to some other Thai person, "What does the farang want to drink?"