Flashermac Posted May 23, 2005 Report Share Posted May 23, 2005 They just take your for your money! :elephant: :elephant: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkey39 Posted May 23, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2005 Flashermac said:They just take your for your money! :elephant: :elephant: Well, they can have it, as long as I get a fair value in exchange! See, free trade ain't all bad.... :: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted May 23, 2005 Report Share Posted May 23, 2005 p.s. JAZZ is a Klingon. You should hear him with the girls. :: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattaya127 Posted May 23, 2005 Report Share Posted May 23, 2005 Jasmine has something to say about this, but since just about nothing is ever written in marble as concerns anything thai, I venture to say that this will be the opinion of ONE thai person, who actually does not reside a lot in Thailand. Thais, being pragmatist, do not stick always to the same definition, as we do or want them to. It starts with perception of what they might think someone is, and then, what is the most convenient way to define him, if he is kind of bi-cultural or bi-ethnic. Monkey might start the evening being perceived as non-farang, even simply yippon, even though he is ethnically korean, then after copiously showing he's got the same trademark behaviour as a white farang, especially if he repeats he is from the US, end up being a farang, for that circle he evolves in. Likewise, chocosteve can be indifferently called chocolate man, perceived as african (not that they are interested where he is from, non-army black is loosely african) and farang in the same breath, because he hangs out as a farang, talks farang and most likely has farang buddies around him. So, I am not sure all foreigners are dubbed farangs determiningly. Probably some are, again for convenience, but for example, are japanese as a group, in Thaniya St. called farangs? This, I bet Jas would not bet a bundle of bahts on her guess, er...answer :: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 23, 2005 Report Share Posted May 23, 2005 Putting aside the historical origins of this word, the term "farang" is reserved caucasians, but interestingly not everyone I would consider a caucasian is a farang. For example, Israelis are often referred to Khaek Khao. In other words, the term for white is added to same term that is applied to Indians and persons from the Middle East. In this case, the OP will not be considered a Farang since his appearance is Asian. Some BGs may also be skeptical about his claim that he is an American national. Older, more experienced BGs recognize from experience that Americans come in many races, shapes and forms, but most Thais really don't appreciate or understand the multi-racial character of the US. Unless a Thai has visited the US (few BGs have) or has substantial experience with Americans (more experienced BGs will), they generally assume that, like Thailand, every country is inhabited almost exclusively by members of a particular ethnic group. Most Thais I know, even some of the more educated Thais, seem to implicitly assume this is the natural order of things, and that all Farangs are really just visitors, even Farangs, like myself, who have been here over 10 years (and have PR status). I am constantly asked: "when will you go home?" They find it odd, and are sometimes obviously a bit uncomfortable with a Farang who has been here for so long, can speak, read and write Thai and appears to understand a bit about the local culture and politics. (To be fair, some Thais, particularly in Bangkok, seem to really appreciate this.) When I mention, for example, that there are hundreds of thousands of Thais living in Los Angeles alone (just one part of the larger Farangland), it doesn't seem to register or - particularly with less educated Thais - they don't believe it. This is why a Korean-America will be viewed first as a Korean and only second - and then, perhaps skeptically by some - as an American. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 23, 2005 Report Share Posted May 23, 2005 Indians are referred to as Kaek (which also means 'customer'). That word is more like "guest" in this context. I find it offensive, actually -- people could be in Thailand for 1000 generations and the ethnic Thais would still consider them outsiders in their own homes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattaya127 Posted May 23, 2005 Report Share Posted May 23, 2005 Interesting point. Another example, if some big manager, BKK/central thai, on a construction site is working with farang engineers, and Issan + burmese workers, most likely if talking about his operation, he will say he deals with farangs, thais and burmese. But in another type of conversation, he would maybe refer to the thais as Issan, or Lao, some like that, not thais. Just a mildly educated guess, but following the idea that someone is called so oR so, according to the purpose of the conversation. If monkey, who's been chumming up as a good old boy that evening, maybe with white friends (to make the case he is "american"), starts breaking things around, drunk, and the thais go get the police. What will be the quick way they refer about him to the cops to tell them what is happening in their joint? Inquiring minds.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 23, 2005 Report Share Posted May 23, 2005 If monkey, who's been chumming up as a good old boy that evening, maybe with white friends (to make the case he is "american"), starts breaking things around, drunk, and the thais go get the police. What will be the quick way they refer about him to the cops to tell them what is happening in their joint? LOL! The thought of someone struggling to categorize a foreigner in this kind of situation, due to his own prejudices and pathetic, narrow view of the world and its people, is actually somewhat amusing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattaya127 Posted May 23, 2005 Report Share Posted May 23, 2005 someone struggling to categorize ----------------------------------------- Well, i do not think they will struggle, they will use a word and i am just curious what it will be as they complain to the cops. Man, tourist (easiest, but i'd say that is the least probable word), farang, yellow man, yippon, american, drunk, khon passat?........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El_Tel Posted May 23, 2005 Report Share Posted May 23, 2005 monkey 39, ignore all of the above. This is the real origin of the word 'farang'. Back in the 1970's and 80's there was a british sitcom called 'Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em. The main character was called Frank Spencer and played by the actor Michael Crawford. This slapstick comedy was a big hit in Thailand and hence all white foreigners were known as Frank. Due to the Thai's inability to pronounce the last consonant of a word, the 'k' was omited and eventually 'Fran' became 'farang'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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