Is Farang an f word?

[3rivers]

White people are still rare sights in rural Thailand. However, I think the Thai culture also greatly explains the use of this word. Because there are two classes of Thai in Thailand, those that are advantaged and those that are not; the public health system and the education system are divided and completely different. Not just a lot different, they are totally different. So...... to overcome and live in denial of this, the Thai call all Thai "Thai", whether they are from an advantaged or disadvantaged family. That way, by calling all of themselves "Thai" they can pretend that they share something in common, even if the schools they attend, the medical care they have access to and the accoutrements of life they have are not anything even close to being the same. And so if they must go along with that, it's like the religious fanatic that wants to make everyone believe in their god; if they are going to label themselves without any real thought, they might as well label those strange looking long nosed white people as "farlang".

[spurs78]

Hi all,

First post!

Firstly, can I just say that the word Farang doesn't mean any harm - if it did, my Thai friends wouldn't use it around me as you wouldn't use a racist term in front of any other potential victim (not that you'd use it, anyway!). Although it doesn't explicitly mean a colour, it's the equivalent to calling someone 'black', whether he's from the Caribbean, Africa, America, wherever. I have my own theory that it derives from the Thai word for 'French', which is 'Farang-set'. The majority of Westerners that Thais would have initially seen were the French during their expansion throughout Indo-China just over a hundred years ago. As a variety of different western countries appeared after that, anyone vaguely resembling a French person would be called a Farang. I might be wrong but it seems to make sense!

Secondly, of course it's different from the word 'n*gger' or whatever - we weren't slaves to the Thai's for hundreds of years! Can you remember any lynch mobs attacking farang? Do we have to sit at the back of the bus? The reason racism in the west is at the forefront of social issues is essentially because we're more multi-cultural and have to deal with the tensions that result - a lot of institutions in the west are still very conservative. Don't forget, either, there is an element of a guilty conscience that westerners carry with them which the Thai's don't have.

But, I do have a gripe with the 'f-word', and that is when strangers use it around you as if you were oblivious to the meaning of the word. Many a time my wife and I (both Caucasian) have been sitting in a restaurant and a table next to us would look at us and talk about us, using the 'f-word' multiple times. Surely they know we understand the word and therefore they are most probably discussing us! So it's not the actual word that bugs me, it's mostly the manner in how groups of Thais would discuss your presence - it's just rude. Even if they weren't insulting you. I wouldn't do it to anyone and if I did (and here's the key) at least I'd be subtle about it!

In the meantime, I feel totally blessed to be living here and appreciate the mostly welcoming attitude of all Thai's, no matter where I am.

Spurs78

[6m2g]

Hi all,

First post!

Firstly, can I just say that the word Farang doesn't mean any harm - if it did, my Thai friends wouldn't use it around me as you wouldn't use a racist term in front of any other potential victim (not that you'd use it, anyway!).

Hi, spurs78.

I do not agree with this quoted portion of your post. With respect, it's rather native. I, too, do not think/hope that most Thais who use the word to describe Whites in a way that is intended to cause harm, but the truth is that your friends simply may not know how the term affects you (and others) when it's used in any of the many forms it's used. For example, it can be used in a purely descriptive way, to identify a physical trait of a particular person, or it can be used (how I think it's used more often, in my experience) to express a division. There's US, and there's YOU. We are Thai, and you are a falang. Division.

But, at any rate, we have to always remember that Thailand is a very insular country. We cannot blame them for things they cannot understand. The overwhelming majority of Thais have never left Thailand. They do not speak or understand English sufficiently and in sufficient numbers to absorb knowledge from other parts of the world which are often in the universal language of English. Their education system stresses this 'us' vs. 'them' mentality. It's likely a throwback to the times throughout history fighting with their neighboring countries (esp Burma and Cambodia). Heck, they are STILL fighting a border war with Cambodia. I don't think many other countries in the world (other than some in Africa and perhaps Nepal and India) are fighting border wars. Everything here is old. Knowledge is old, mentalities are old, systems of governing are very old. These things are great in some ways, and that's what many foreigners in Thailand indeed appreciate about this beautiful country. However, we must take the good with the bad, and part of the bad of this ancient educational system and defense-minded culture of 'us' vs 'them' is that we non-Thais are perpetually treated as outsiders. It's not the worst thing in the world. You could be Black and live in Europe or the US where you're called AND TREATED much worse.

Peace

[drake]

Man, what a zombie of a thread.
This is turning out just as bad as peace in the Middle East issue with one side willing to make concession and the other side demanding nothing short of a total victory.

Here we have the local people and culturally literate foreigners on one side trying to explain the myth and the misconception while on the other side we have the politically correct wilting violets, the clueless, and the Cultural Colonialists insisting on remaking a culture to fit the mental image derived from their limited understanding (or lack thereof).

A much as I've seen the police society and service sector using the word "ต่างชาติ" (ThangCharrt) in a subtly derogatory manner (nudge-nudge, wink-wink, wiggle head, roll eyes, smile) to each other in front of the clueless farangs in the past couple of years, it's hilariously funny to see people continue to push this issue and think they are going to accomplish something/anything meaningful.

[hawaiiman]

It could be argued that any reference to any characteristic is racist, sexist, xenophobic, etc. ad nauseum. As with most any behavior, the motivation is more important than the action.

[jaguar]

I am a Thai who has been living in the US for the last 42 years. My wife is an American. I can assure you the word "Farang" by all means is not meant to be prejudice or racist. I don't know the history but I can assume that in the past the term is being used to identify the white skin person. Please remember this, in the past Thailand did not have a lot of interface with the "White" skin nations. There were a lot of contacts between Thailand, China, Japan, the asian countries. Peoples from China or Taiwan are being called as "Kun Jean" or Japanese as "Kun Yee Pune". In my personal opinion I rather being called as; "He is Thai"; instead of "He is a foreigner". It would be more fruitful if you encourage your wife to call you as "Kun An Krit" (an English person).

Again I can assure you that Thai does not want to offend you by calling you "Farang."

[heavyshift]

The late American comedian, Lenny Bruce, said that it is the suppression of the word that gives it its power.

[tamsin]

I agree with jaguar, I'd rather be called farang (depending on the tone than 'foreigner', which in my home country of the UK is deemed racist.

As to Lenny Bruce, when I was very young I remember reading his then, autobiography, many years ago and went along with what he said and started swearing quite freely as though I'd suddenly acquired Tourettes syndrome (cussing to those Americans here) but never used the 'n' word, and have to say, all these years later, agree with my mother, bad language is as ugly as racist epithets. But I don't find the word 'farang' offensive (and use it myself casually with Thais for convenience), as I once did. Perhaps I've been here too long

[Womble]

I spent 2 years of my life in Ubon Ratchathani and became well used to children pointing at me, telling their mothers about the Farang. I gave them a smile and they smiled back. When adults addressed me as Farang I just called them 'LAO'!

[mutley]

Many kids in my wife's village shout 'Yak" and run off crying when I appear. Suppose I am to them. Not worried what they call me personally. 'Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me.'