27 replies to this topic

[dixon cox]

Nip, Chink, Gook..... Farang!

I'm sure the vast majority, if not all, of the people here would consider the above words to be rude, disrespectful, extremely derogatory or even racist. At least the first three anyway.

But in Thailand have you ever been called or referred to as a farang? - I bet you have.

How do you feel about hearing the word farang?

[Drift Spunk]

Isn't the word farang meaning tourist :?: It isn't a racial slur right :?:

[PP]

.....

[Onebadindan]

I am Indian.. But I been called farang plenty of times.. It does not offend me..but its quite amusing...I believe Farang word come from Vietnam... they use to call French Folks Farang and it kinda stuck.. In India English Folks they use to call them as Fernigie.. If you have seen Movie "Lagaan" it will make sense to you..

[RobiSLO]

I wasn't called Farang for 3/4 of my LOS trip but then on train to Ajuthaja lady on the train who sold drinks called me Farang and told me this is the right station for me to leave train. I didn’t felt upset I was kind of proud since I was the only non-Thai passenger and all were so nice to me chatting, explaining... Maybe I’m odd but really this word didn't bother me at all.

BR

[drhoneytongue]

Falang/ farang - mai pen rai khrap - it's better than being called a Non-Thai!
Really what else can they call people who are not Thai? Well.....the formal expression for foreigner in Thai is 'chao taang prahteht', whilst farang is reserved for fair-skinned.

In the UK or US, they use the word foreigner....

It's the same to be called gaijin in Japan, though the correct version is gai-koku-jin ( lit. outside country person). Some foreigners here get upset about gaijin, and insist it should be gaikokujin.

Often it's used respectfully as gaijin-san - Mr. Foreigner or even gaikokujin-sama - Honorable Foreigner - though that sound more like a Charlie Chan movie line.

Danes call non-Danes 'udlaendinger' (outland person)

It's just a point of reference...

[drhoneytongue]

Farang; Is the Thai word for a foreigner of European ancestry, therefore the Blacks, Japs, Chinese and other Asians are not

I'd suggest that Japs is also considered abusive - use Japanese.

[batman4ever]

Falang/ farang - mai pen rai khrap - it's better than being called a Non-Thai!
Really what else can they call people who are not Thai? Well.....the formal expression for foreigner in Thai is 'chao taang prahteht', whilst farang is reserved for fair-skinned.

In the UK or US, they use the word foreigner....

It's the same to be called gaijin in Japan, though the correct version is gai-koku-jin ( lit. outside country person). Some foreigners here get upset about gaijin, and insist it should be gaikokujin.

Often it's used respectfully as gaijin-san - Mr. Foreigner or even gaikokujin-sama - Honorable Foreigner - though that sound more like a Charlie Chan movie line.

Danes call non-Danes 'udlaendinger' (outland person)

It's just a point of reference...

youre quite good at Danish... :wink:

[drhoneytongue]

youre quite good at Danish... :wink:

tak for meget! mange aar siden, det boede jeg om koebenhavn!

[kliome]

It' s not an insult to be called farang unless done so in a tone that suggests otherwise, it's all about context. I think dtahng dao or den means alien/foreigner, but farang is the adopted and acceptable slang.

Farang is simply the Thai abbreviation for French (farang-say). Even though some of us may find this in itself insulting :? It's believed to have come into place as France were once of the first European countries to forge strong ties with Thailand and South East Asia 300 odd years ago.

So during the Vietnam war Farang became the slang for European man and more recently became slang for all non-Thai foreigners. Although I think farang as a term for all non-Thais is lower class slang and more prominent in the bar scene.

[Brit]

My understanding is that is their word for "Caucasian"

It is not their word for tourist because you can be a resident and still be referred to as farang. You can even be born in Thailand - but of white parentage and still be referred to as farang.

And it doesnt relate to other races of ethnic origin - Thai's have words for those also - and farang is specifically for whites.
And is often mistranslated by the bargirls as foreigner as the sounding is the same - but actually not.

In reference to this translation i'm not bothered by this categorisation.