Guest Posted February 13, 2003 Report Share Posted February 13, 2003 OK in a crew, or in the hood, but you don't say that to a waiter, clerk or someone you're not really tight with. Or I'm losing this generational gap altogether. Quite possibly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khunsanuk Posted February 13, 2003 Report Share Posted February 13, 2003 Hi, "Not this time KS" Ah, I get it. I was not refering to the English word 'man', but the Thai one (i.e. Thai : 'man' = English : 'it') I have no problem being refered to as 'man' (English), but take offense to being refered to as 'man' (Thai). Does this clear things up? Sanuk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 13, 2003 Report Share Posted February 13, 2003 Thought at the beginning, that this is possible, but fortunately my ear for Thai is so poor, I'd probably reply something like, "Thanks bro!" Another mystery cleared up by KS and the board. :bow: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StoneSoup Posted February 13, 2003 Report Share Posted February 13, 2003 This thread has me somewhat puzzled. If I am trying to find my tall New Zealand or German friend, and I know he just went one way or the other through a hallway of Thai shops (or just went one way or the other from a corner populated with Thai motorcycle taxi drivers), if I want to ask them if they saw my friend, or ask which way my friend went, I know of no other way but to ask if the tall "farang" who just past through went this way or that way. I've never even given it a second thought - "khon Thai", or "khon farang." Or "poo-ying, khon Thai" vs. "poo-ying, khon farang." As far as I know, that's just common speech here, and not derogatory. Maybe the subtle difference is the inclusion of the word "khon" - Thai person vs. western person. Used as a noun, maybe it's bad. As an adjective, I think it's almost universal. I'm certainly no expert. The Fighting Fish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
limbo Posted February 13, 2003 Report Share Posted February 13, 2003 Hi KS, just wanted to clarify the issue, since there was a misunderstanding. The Thai 'man' is not pronounced the same way as the English word 'man'. Phonetically in English it probably would sound more like mun, like in nut. Cheers, Limbo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bibblies Posted February 13, 2003 Report Share Posted February 13, 2003 That's what I was trying to say to jitagawn. I always get referred to as 'khon law' :: Forgot another annoying one - "Hey you!". I just ignore that completely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gummigut Posted February 13, 2003 Report Share Posted February 13, 2003 You, you, ohhhh, you pooying you!!!! Dooh <<burp>> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 13, 2003 Report Share Posted February 13, 2003 I generally don't like the use of the word "farang" because most times it's use in a given context feels belittling and almost derogatory, especially because you hear Thais using it in the third person. Having said that, it isn't so different from the way Westerners might refer to minorities or immigrants in Western countries. For example, two white people refering to a Vietnamese guy as a "Vietnamese guy" or a Mexican as a "Mexican". Depending on the context the recipient of these references (ie., the Vietnamese or Mexican) may certainly feel he is not getting the same respect he would in his home country. In a word, we (Westerners) are outsiders in Thailand and it seems only when you are "accepted" (whatever that means in Thailand) into a family or local community (in which you have some stake) do people begin to use more respectful forms of address. Another observation I read from the book "Tea Money" by Jake Needham on page 47 he points out: "Foreigners in general made Thais a little uneasy. It wasn't that Thais had anything against foreigners, at least not on the whole, but they simply had no idea how to fit us into their rigidly structured, almost feudal social order. Foreigners were, well, different. All those complex rules that Thais learned from birth, formulas for interpreting their position in the universe relative to everyone else, made no provisions at all for foreigners." He goes on with some other witty(and I believe accurate) insights, but I don't feel like typing it all in. Maybe if the Thais had been colonized by somebody they might refer to "foreigners" differently (maybe "assholes"!) I'm not sure how the Indians refer to foreigners in India. When I was there I just remember "Sir" or "Mister" or "My Good Man" etc. But then again I don't know a word of Hindi. Overall, the use of the word "farang" is just another reminder that Westerners are outsiders in the best of circumstances and that Thailand is a relatively closed society to non-natives. To quote "Tea Money" again p. 233 he writes: "Still, I would always be a foreigner here, I knew, and was constantly reminded of it. SometimesI felt like a man at a dinner party hosted by a secret lodge that didn't want him for a member. Every word included a nuance he couldn't decode; every look contained social commentary worthy of a Dickens novel; every silence concealed an entire conversation." He goes on to say: "Why, I questioned myself at such times, would any man voluntarily chose to live in a country that was not ones place of birth, one in which he would always be an outsider...." Well, I know the answer: PUSSY! Just like immigrants who come to the West for fame and fortune, some Westerners come to a place like Thailand for... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chilli13 Posted February 13, 2003 Report Share Posted February 13, 2003 man, thanks for clearing that one up once & for all & yeah that tea money novel was a good read. admittedly I occasionally pop in as an outsider for a bit of pussy, but mostly for the food & cultural experience - if anyone asks at least... :hubba: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 13, 2003 Report Share Posted February 13, 2003 ib12, I'm glad it's helpful to you... not really trying to clear anything up though, just throwing out my 2 sataangs worth... if that's OK with you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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