Just to express my feeling.

[AD]

MJ 21st .........It appears that you have been lucky first up. But many more have not been so fortunate as you, so do'nt think that its so easy for everybody.

[Ian]

Colin - these laws were originally brought in by Thailand's military dictatorships to prevent, or circumscribe, take-over by the Chinese.
This was not such a paranoid fear, as the Chinese have largely suceeded in dong this - despite the laws.
In other words, these laws have not worked.
They simply keep Thailand poorer than it would otherwise be, while Chinese control 60% of the economy.
It was always a pretty ridiculous idea that the farang were going to take-over Thailand's economy, though the British did try immediately after WW2, when they were blocked by America's Congress.
There again - these laws had nothing to do with preventing that.
Anyhow Japan is currently Thailand's biggest foreign investor.
Are the Japanese "farang" ?
Not according to strict definition of the term.
But no-one talks about Japan "taking over". If they did they would be laughed at - and that, among much else, shows how ridiculously silly these laws are.

[Leum Laaou]

You are right MJ, a good middle class Thai is a delight, and often VERY generous. The trick is finding ways to repay such kindness, which is often done by, well, being kind and considerate.

But the expectation that many visitors have of walking in and scooping up a 'respectable' Thai woman is misplaced. It can take more time than they normally have.

[MJ]

AD,
That's true. I guess i have been blessed by the big man above, who gave me good looks and charming personality.....but seriously, i have met many single middle class girls looking for a decent farang. Maybe some guys are looking in all the wrong places.

[Thai Lady]

Hi Leum,

I just would like to confirm what you wrote. It's totally true. It seams like you can read our mind.. haha..

[AD]

MJ 28th ................why don't you introduce them to your farang friends then.

[Leum Laaou]

Hi Ian, no Japanese are not farang. Sorry I don't yet know the connection between the west German 'Franks' and the crusades, or why the term 'Franks' should feature so prominently; we can presume that the Franks were a willing and numerically dominant tribe during the crusades.

Perhaps it is because Farang/ji seems to be used widely to denote westerners or things of western origin? Kabinet faranji being being used in Egypt to describe a western toilet. In Malaysia the term for westerner is feringhi.

The etymology of the word goes something like this:

'French' is a cognate (relative/derivative) of 'Frank'

3rd-4th century AD the 'Franks' are a west German tribal diaspora.

Fast forward to the Crusades - 11-13th centuries - where European christian knights, fighting men and conscripts go to war against Islam.

Fighting spreads to north Africa, Spain, Turkey, Iran, India, Burma, S.E. Asia et al.

The Aramaic word is faranji, used in Ethiopia and other variants in north African countries.

From Wikipedia: Farang (in Thai: ½ÃÑè§), sometimes pronounced falang, is the generic Thai word for a foreigner of European ancestry. While generally farang is a neutral word, it can be used in a mocking manner, or even as an insult depending on context.

[awatcher]

Whenever listening to new theory of Farang origin (word), it reminds me of my children's talkies.
Brother "Look, the elephant, dropping, walks !"
Sister " It looks like, Pen cakes are following the elephant !".

Hellow Leum Lao,
before forgetting, let me correct you some.
The European crusaders had never spilled over the Persian and its east !!!.
Why ?, then the powerful Genghis Khan settled down in Persia. As the history says, the last pitching Franks crusaders asked Genghis to lead against then powerful Egyptian Lamluke force but Genghis refused after checking the Egyptian force was rather naval force than land infantry (Just they were failed by 'Gamigaze' in Japan monsoon wild sea).
The Frankos thought the earlier ethnic cleansing of Bagdad by Ghengis would be religion hatred. In fact, it was long overdue, sweat revenge to those bagdad merchants who abducted Mongloian children to China slave market.
Also the Frank misunderstood of real political doctrine of Ghenis, who in fact aimed to unify all Mongolian stocks under his control.
His east Europe campaign was to connect, the lost link of Tungus who were believed settle down around Baltic sea.
This doctrine was supported by the fact that, they invaded only northern vietnam who are regarded a mongoloid, Not absolutely tai, siam, khmere or bramin.

Egyption navy and Europeans was on show down around cyprus island and both were annihilated.
Anyhow, the Mongol's east Europe invasion was the primary, the last cause to stop the long crusade campaign and europeans quickly returned to house and mended the fence.

[Thai Lady]

When we call "Farang", we mean Caucasian. So, it's not included Japanese.

If i'm not mistaken, the first western country we had a relationship with is France.

"France" in Thai language means "Fa-Rang-Set'. We called them, French, as 'Farang' After that, other western countries came to Thailand, we still called everyone as 'Farang' because we couldn't differentiate them from French. That's the story..

Until now, we get used to calling all caucasian as farang.

remark: If I'm mistaken something, dear Thai do not hesitate to help me correct it.