So, am I a "farang" or what?

[drogon]

 

I agree the term farang comes from "frangset" which means frenchman, try to pronounce "Français" and then compare with frangset and you have it.

 

As a korean born I am always mistaken for a japanese

(yes i am hansum man.....would like to have the wallet of a big japanese)

 

 

::

[limbo]

TypicalAnonym said:

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.

 

Hi TA,

 

Not sure if it means guest, maybe. A lot of times BG's will refer to punters as kaek. Same as in the business I work in, the Thai staff will call customers (punters) kaek as well. Could be either in that POV. I always thought it meant customer, in the context described by me it makes more sense. Correct me if I'm wrong tho.

[limbo]

khunsanuk said:

Hi,

 

"Farang originates from "frangset" which means Frenchman."

 

No, it originates from the word 'Frank' (i.e. the early Germans), which became 'ferengi' to the Persians (?) who brought the word to Thailand where it changed to 'farang'.

 

Sanuk!

 

Hi KS,

 

That's the first time I hear of this explanation. Anyone (besides El Tel) knows about this?

[MisterBlonde]

limbo said:

khunsanuk said:

Hi,

 

"Farang originates from "frangset" which means Frenchman."

 

No, it originates from the word 'Frank' (i.e. the early Germans), which became 'ferengi' to the Persians (?) who brought the word to Thailand where it changed to 'farang'.

 

Sanuk!

 

Hi KS,

 

That's the first time I hear of this explanation.

 

 

 

I've heard of this explanantion also,but i'm beginning to think i heard it on this board a while back.

[Straycat]

That's the explanation I've read too. It was done by some linguist or language expert of sorts, and seemed highly credible. Google it!

[jitagawn]

HA HA!!! :)

Took dang na kap.

[jitagawn]

Not to derail the topoc but here is a good one for you!!. A

LADY taxi driver picks me up and looks over her shoulder with fear as I get in the cab( last week) I may be born on the 4th of JUly (ching ching)and carry a blue passport but they say I speak Thai like flowing water. She relaxes and goes into a Sat. nite live monologue about how I speak correct Thai and better than most Issan people who she does NOT consider to be Thai :: ::."Kon bap nee mai chai kon Thai ka...mai supharp ka" with a smile.. Not polite etc etc dark skinned etc etc.Stunned I sit in defiant silence of my Issan Non Thai friends) friends.

 

Man and I thought Americans were rascist. If we think they are unkind to us and rascist to us; never forget how they treat their own.Life gets weirder and weirder:: ::

[redwood13]

Googled into Newsgroups and came across the following lengthy article written by Gwyn Williams of Thammasat University.

FARANG

 

He summarizes:

 

So, to put it in a nutshell, when Thais say *farang* or Khmers say

*barang*, they unwittingly use the name of a bunch of tribes who used to

live in central Germany about 2000 years ago, a word of which nobody knows

the original meaning. It is lost in the dark forests of the past. It has

been said that the word originally meant 'free' (Thais also entertain the

myth that the word *Thai* means 'free', a pure invention). An earlier

source (*Historia Francorum*) says in 660 A.D. that it means 'ferocious'

but both are late mythological rationalizations. It has meant 'free' much

later because of the privileges of power. Is not the history of words

sometimes strange?"

 

So, what was the ultimate source of "farang"? Western Europe. What was

the route? Via the Crusades to Jerusalem and the Arab nations, hence along

trade routes into Africa and Asia. And, maybe, even into Polynesia.

"Farang" in Thai is not derived from "franc'ais". Rather, both are

derived from the same source, but by very different routes.

 

-redwood

[Mentors]

monkey39,

you are not a farang (maybe in your heart). Farangs are white skinned people with long nosese (Europe/Nord America/Aussies/Kiwis).

[jasmine]

[color:"blue"] But maybe someone, a certain Thai lady present here, (Jasmine where are you?) can illuminate this some more for us. She should be able to settle this and tell us what other Asians are considered by the Thais. I myself have heard Chinese tourists usually referred to by Thais as "Chinee", but have heard of Japn. tourists/punters referred to as farang before by BG's. So Jas, what's the scoop on this?

 

[/color]

 

A friend of mine who is around BGs (social workers) said that many BGs refer to anyone as "farangs". However, for most of Thais, "farang" is a Caucasian and the rest are "Chow TakChart"="foreingners-non-Thai". I also have heard specifics such as "YiiPoon=Japanese, ChowAmericanPhewDam=Black American, ChowAsianAmerican=Asian American, "Khaek Khao=Middle Eastern" from more educated Thais. However, most people consider "farang" as a caucasian, IMO, of course.

 

Jasmine