"FARANG"

[pattaya127]

I find it interesting that when a LT GF could easily say "he/name" or "my friend", to ask something for you in a store, restaurant, or just mentionning you to others, she may well use the impersonal F word. Not that i paid that much attention to it, but i think it does happen, and definitely noticed it when we just had an argument. How much do you see in it? Another case of thais being so culturally "insular", that even a lover of 3 years will still be reverted to outsider status when 2 thais are in presence? Or does it say something about the relationship itself? Or it is not very important and one would be wrong to see too much in it? Discuss....

[khunsanuk]

Hi,

 

 

 

I think it depends a lot on the situation and the tone in which the word is used. If someone refers to me as 'ay farang', I will have a problem with this person, but I think that more often than not it is not meant in a negative way.

 

 

 

Sanuk!

 

 

[markle]

I don't know you or your GF so I'm just going to take this a face value so don't take it personally.

 

 

 

If my GF called me 'the falang' I'd kick her ass out on the street. It suggests to me that she sees you than less than a BF. I mean I expect, 'fan chan' or 'Mark' or even 'ai moo' because she is talking about me, I have a name and an ideentity. I would say to her in no uncertain terms that she change the attitude or look for another 'falang'

[Zaad]

I think there should be a little bit more respect for the person called "farang".

 

Because "farang" has a name and feelings like any Thai.

 

Being called "farang" remembers me that I'm different.

 

There's nothing wrong with being different, but there's no need to be remebered to that (like I mentioned in the Poll "being called farang").

 

Unfortunately I'm getting used to it, but still annoying from time to time.

[check_bin_krap]

It annoyed the hell out of me when my ex's sisters continued to refer to me as the farang although I had been family for years. True, I could not communicate with them as I did not speak Thai and they did not speak English. For me it classified me as a "it".

 

 

 

I don't react to it at all if its from strangers. My Thai friends do not refer to me as "the farang" and I would be upset if they did.

[Guest]

My wife, her family and my/our Thai friends will never refer to me a "farang".

 

 

 

Funny enough I do use the word when referring to a (group of) foreigner(s) I/we don't know.

 

 

[Guest]

When I'm referred to as "farang" by someone unknown I perceive it as completely neutral.

 

 

 

When I'm referred to as "farang" by someone who knows me and my first name, I see it as a big insult.

 

 

 

Were GF's sister refer to me as 'farang' I would refer to her as 'hee'.

[Brink15]

The last time I heard my wife refer to me as "farang" was in Thailand when we had only known each other for about a month and were still doing the team dating thing. She used it in a joking way such as when I would eat only the clear white meat on a chicken wing. "Tii nii aroy, farang mai rue rueng."

 

 

 

I get the same feeling as some of the other posters when a Thai calls me farang but with a slight difference. If a Thai refers to me in the third person as a farang, and doesn't know me, I don't mind. It kind of like someone here saying, "who's the Asian guy?"

 

 

 

If some Thai calls me farang directly, like "hello farang, you need taxi?" It pisses me off. My name isn't f'ng farang. That would be like me going up to some Asian guy and saying "Hey, Asian, what do you want?" It's just ignorant. Why not sat "Hey you" or "poo-chai" or "khun?" If I don't know someone I'll say "hey man" or "Hey bud." Something I hope comes off as friendly.

 

 

 

When a Thai refers to me here as a farang it really, really pisses me off. This is my f'ng country a'hole. Here you are the f'ng foreigner. I have the courtesy to accept you and make you feel welcome. I go out of my way to make sure you feel comfortable in my country because I know not everyone will. Don't call me farang in my own f'ng country or I WILL make you feel like an outsider. That really pisses me off. This ain't f'ng Thailand. Usually I will say. "Tii nii mai chai Muang Thai, tii nii America, tii nii ter bpen farang." And yes I use "ter" to get the point across.

 

 

 

OK, that was my vent for the evening; please return the thread to its regularly scheduled postings.

 

 

[khunsanuk]

Hi,

 

 

 

"When I'm referred to as "farang" by someone unknown I perceive it as completely neutral.

 

When I'm referred to as "farang" by someone who knows me and my first name, I see it as a big insult."

 

 

 

I guess this pretty much sums it up.

 

 

 

Sanuk!

 

 

[Guest]

I wouldn?t necessarily kick her out on the street although it was very impolite.

 

 

 

Ό (fan) is a good general purpose word when referring to a wife/gf, husband/bf. I never hear anyone that is at all familiar with me refer to me as farang. Usually it?s my name or fan (fan Noi for example), when they are talking about me in my presence (and when I?m not present I hope).

 

 

 

I use Ό (fan) all the time myself when asking or talking about someone else?s ?other half? be it with friends or shopkeepers I?m familiar with.

 

 

 

Initially I thought this word was used only for boyfriend/girlfriend but found that it is used for married couples as well.

 

 

 

I just looked it up in my dictionary to be sure my Thai spelling was correct and was surprised to find it is from the English word ?fan? for devotee, admirer etc.