Is Farang an f word?

[thinkabaht]

Hypersensitivity or Righteous indignation?

This has, for many years, been a much debated topic and with over 230 posts on this forum alone it shows (sadly) no signs of changing. When I first came to Thaliand I was called Farang, and now, many years later I am still called Farang. Why is this? It’s because I am still and always will be a Farang. This 'F' word is just that! A word! The etymology of which is relatively easy to trace. It is wrongly assumed that it comes from the name given to the French (Farangset) who were the first white people that Thais ever saw. However, the first westerners to come into contact with and establish diplomatic relations with Siam were the Portuguese in the 16th century who also secured early trade agreements with China and Japan the same century.

The name ‘Farang' actually pre-dates the arrival of white folk in Thailand and was almost certainly passed on by Persian traders in the 15th/16th century who came to buy silks and spices and brought with them 'faranji' wares to trade. It is generally believed that the word farang originated with the Indo-Persian word farangi, meaning foreigner. This in turn comes from the word Frank via the Arabic word firinjia, which was used refer to the Franks, a West Germanic tribe that became the biggest political power in Western Europe during the early Middle Ages and from which France derives its name. Due to the fact that the Frankish Empire ruled Western Europe for centuries, the word "Frank" became deeply associated, by the Eastern Europeans and Middle-easterners, with Latin folk who professed the Roman Catholic faith. By another account the word comes through Arabic ("Afrandj"), and there are quite a few articles about this. One of the most detailed treatments of the subject is by Rashid al-din Fazl Allâh.

In either case the original word was pronounced firangi in North India or parangiar in Tamil, and entered Khmer as barang and Malay as ferenggi.

And here we are in the 21st century and Thai people are still using this "word", this word that has been ingrained in their culture and language for over 400 years. This innocuous word that is merely used to describe somebody who is white/western/foreign, somehow offends us white/western/foreign folk so much. Why don’t they change it, the Thais, our hosts? Why do they keep using this word when we tourists, we visitors, we non Thais, we non Asians, we white/western/foreigners do not like it? I don’t know the answer to this question but I have noticed one thing in my studies of South East Asia which relates to this subject:

South East Asian people on the whole are not as sensitive to names or labels as we westerners. If you were to call a Thai/Chinese or Vietnamese (or indeed anyone from Indochina) 'Fat' they would shrug it off, smile and probably say "yes, I am". The same would happen if you said " hey, your very short" or "you are not good looking". In this culture people call a 'spade a spade' and most of the time mean no harm by their comments, the exception to this rule comes when dealing with people who have had extensive contact with westerners. These people have learned, through us, that we are sensitive to names, that they can cause offence and upset us and, just as our own people do to us, they use them to hurt or ridicule us.

'Farang kee Nok'(bird \\ ////), 'Farang kee neow'(stingy) and ‘Farang ben Kwai’ are stereotypes given to Westerners by indidual Thai people or certain social groups ( e.g. bar girls) who have had negative experiences with tourists in the past, just as many of the people who post on this forum like to stereotype or generalise Thai behaviour based on their limited (subjective) experience. Some Farang do resemble water buffalo it seems.

If the point of this post is lost on any of you, my distinguished farang brothers and sisters, and you still take offence at the 'F' word just remember that old adage told to us by out parents............

"Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me"

[drake]

Hypersensitivity or Righteous indignation?

I think the word you are looking for is NEUROTIC.

[sibley]

I do not mind being called Farang, Maybe it would be better if Thais said hey look there's a kon kao !!!! the only time the word farang bother's me is when it = ATM

[Ramet in Dallas]

rac·ism   /ˈreɪsɪzəm/
[rey-siz-uhm]

–noun
1. a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others.
IMHO The only people more racist than Thais are the Japanese, not that I care as I am racist also. Anyone who says otherwise is ///// either to others, to themselves, or both. Everybody thinks their s**t don't stink, It's only a matter of degree. I grew up in the segregated South of the U.S. and the 'N' word was the only word in our vocabulary to refer to people of color. For some there was an underlying hatred for anyone different than themselves but for most, it was just an adjective with no malice intended. If a Thai wants to call me farang, I have no problem. It a Thai wants to hurt me, I have a problem. Most Thais were raised to use this word as a matter of course and no malice intended. The hateful, resentful Thais use it to put down someone they feel threatened by.

When I got to a certain age, I realized the 'N' word bothered many people of color so now I will refer to someone's race, ethnicity, color, country, height, weight, hair color, etc. only if it is necessary to convey specific identifying features of a person. I learned long ago not to lump people into categories e.g. Americans, French, Republicans, Red Shirts, short people, because it is does nothing to define the individual and we are all individuals. Thais are nowhere near that level of consciousness and may never be. Nevermind. I think most Thais don't even consider the impact of words that other cultures may define as racial slurs. They are not the other cultures and should not be judged by the values of your own cultures. Be yourself and relax and maybe you will be seen as an individual and not some category; or not. In any case, whether you mind or don't mind, Thais will continue to refer to white-skinned foreigners as farang. You can go around offended all the time or live with it or say as the Thais say, 'Mai pben rai'. Peace.

[drake]

Practically everyone on earth is simply offended by something, real or imaginary....
These days I have friends who goes shrieking ballistic at the sight of Fox News

[thinkabaht]

the only people more racist than Thais are the Japanese

You have never been to Australia then, I take it!?

In all seriousness though, It is incorrect to believe that because you are racist everybody else is too. This is a psychological phenomenon called "false consensus effect (Dawes and Mulford, 1996).

I'm not a racist, I'm an idiotist!

"The biggest threat to the future of the human race..........stupid people"
-Prof. B Cox-

[psarit]

I'm Thai.

Dont be serious!

i accept that some bad Thais use the word " Farang" for insulting. i'm sory about that!

However, I insist that most of us (Thais) dont mean any offense. it just a word referring to Caucasian foreigners.
I believe that most of uneducated Thais or those who live in countryside dont even recognize that some foreigners dont like this word. For them, Farang just means Caucasian foreigners. That's it.

Farang = normal conversation in daily life.
Chao/Kon tang chat = formal conversation and it is in formal written documents

How can foreigners understand Thai language better than me.

believe me and be positive man . Then u will be happy in this country

[chazthai]

For me, "farang" in Thailand is the equivalent of "gringo" in Mexico, although I admit that sometimes "gringo" is used with a somewhat more sinister connotation. I don't mind being referred to as "farang" when the occasion demands it: (Shopkeeper to clerk): "Farang wants his glasses adjusted; please help him." But why do total strangers whisper "farang" to one another when they pass me on the street? Am I that remarkable? Am I the first farang they have ever seen? Why does it matter to them? I would rather they say "Hello, where you come from?". That at least establishes a friendly intent from the beginning.
I now make a point of listening for the word and showing that I have heard it and understand. A glance and a little smile usually acts as a gentle reprimand that one should not talk about another person who is within earshot.

A point of etymology: I had assumed that "farang" was a garbled pronunciation for "foreign(er)"; but a recent post explaining that it really comes from "francais" (French(man)) makes perfect historical sense, given the French influence in Thailand and other parts of East Asia in the late 18th and 19th centuries.

[MTT]

Here we go again. The full circle has closed for about the 10th time. Who will be the first to post the word comes from the Persian word. hmmmmmmmmmm?

[MonkeyP]

Quite bracing to be called 'farang'. If we feel offended, we should remind ourselves of a time when the shoe was on the other foot, and our forbears used reductionist language of 'the yellow races'. Besides, there is something almost charming in being singled out in this manner, even, or especially, by loved ones, when we can carry the cachet of being white in a predominantly white world (think Nivea here, too), and no amount of finger-pointing or giggling is ever going to tar and feather us.