Thread: Can the word "farang" be context-neutral?

^^ not quite sure wot U mean matey...

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to November Rain again.

Farang (in Thai ), 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. For instance, the expression "farang ta nam khao" - which literally means farang with rice-milk-colored iris) would be considered an insult. It is common in Thai to just say "farang" to point out the presence of one, without making a whole sentence.


but then again is it considered an insult when a thai say, "farang eating farang" ?


"Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind."

Originally Posted by madjbs

You are a bit obsessive aren’t you smeg. Can you even speak Thai? Perhaps it insults you because it’s the only word you can understand therefore completely misunderstanding the context.

bloody Thaiophiles everywhere

damn, they are crawling up the walls, get them out, get them out!!

if u come far out in wery small wilages u hear even small children say falang a bit loud just so others can come and see for them selv i hav even seen children who was afreid of strangers (falang)

dont mind being called farang, been called a lot worse than that. compared with parts of england it comes across as quite harmless.

Originally Posted by November Rain

Smeg, I envy you. I really do.

I wish that my life was as simple and as easy that worrying about whether the word 'farang' was derogatory to me or not was my biggest, all-consuming problem.

You are a lucky (but strangely obsessive & bitter) man. I hope one day you realise that.

And I wish I had great exaggeration skills like you. I have spent a few hours out of the past few years thinking about the farang word. But of course, someone like you who knows fuck all about me thinks you know better, simply because it helps get your point across when you state that there must be something wrong with me.

Personally, I feel sorry for people like you who have nothing to contribute to the topic of threads other than to personally slate the OP for writing things you don't like. Sad as fuck.

Originally Posted by Smeg

I have spent a few hours out of the past few years thinking about the farang word

Even a cursory examination of your post history makes a lie out of that.

There is no difference in between the word farang and the word foreigner (or alien..) in English.
Not pejorative at all.
Just not one of us...

^^Go on then, quote every related post of mine! I want to see hundreds of hours worth of posts related to the word farang. Or, fuck off.

You are another exaggerating idiot, who recently came out with a line saying that my entire life seems to revolve around criticising thailand, when the fact is, you (and NR) know fuck all about what I do with 99% of my time. You just like to think you do because you need to twist things to being your way.

Originally Posted by Smeg

Go on then, quote every related post of mine!

For the love of all that is good and decent, why on earth would I want to do that man?? Once is plenty enough to be subjected to your posts!

Originally Posted by Smeg

I want to see hundreds of hours worth of posts related to the word farang

Who said anything about hundreds of hours? Gee, you don't half rely on the hyperbole do you.

Originally Posted by Smeg

the fact is, you (and NR) know fuck all about what I do with 99% of my time. You just like to think you do because you need to twist things to being your way.

Actually it would be more correct to say that I don't care what you do with your time. What I do know is that you spend all your time on here bitching about one thing or the other and I find you amusing (in a laugh-at-you-oh-look-Smeg's-getting-all-angry-again kinda way )

Originally Posted by Smeg

when the fact is, you (and NR) know fuck all about what I do with 99% of my time. You just like to think you do because you need to twist things to being your way.

As I don't know Ant personally, I'm a little uneasy about speaking for him, but I can certainly state that I don't give a flying fuck what you do with 99% of your time. No, make that 100% of your time. You are the self-confessed 'Thaiophile slayer'. You are the one coming on here slagging off Thailand, the Thais & their usage of language. I just live my life, don't care if someone calls me a farang or a Martian. You're the one professing a problem, but still living here & taking the paycheck. Up to you.

Originally Posted by AntRobertson

Originally Posted by Smeg

Go on then, quote every related post of mine!

For the love of all that is good and decent, why on earth would I want to do that man?? Once is plenty enough to be subjected to your posts!

Originally Posted by Smeg

I want to see hundreds of hours worth of posts related to the word farang

Who said anything about hundreds of hours? Gee, you don't half rely on the hyperbole do you.

You said that "a few hours" is a lie. So, show me different.

Originally Posted by AntRobertson

Originally Posted by Smeg

the fact is, you (and NR) know fuck all about what I do with 99% of my time. You just like to think you do because you need to twist things to being your way.

Actually it would be more correct to say that I don't care what you do with your time. What I do know is that you spend all your time on here bitching about one thing or the other and I find you amusing (in a laugh-at-you-oh-look-Smeg's-getting-all-angry-again kinda way )

Yes, you are another of these mr confident people who stalk other people on forums, usually making off-topic posts criticising the person you are stalking and trying to turn threads you don't like into flame wars, for no other reason than you have nothing better to do. I bet you are a real sad bag of shit in real life.

Originally Posted by Smeg

You said that "a few hours" is a lie. So, show me different.

Yes I did, so where did you get "hundreds of hours from". And your proof is in the threads you've posted in on this same topic (notice that's plural, not singular). Take a look at the dates/times you've posted. Heck, you've even just thread-bumped this one back so you've clearly been thinking about it all. Again.

Originally Posted by Smeg

Yes, you are another of these mr confident people who stalk other people on forums, usually making off-topic posts criticising the person you are stalking, for no other reason than you have nothing better to do. I bet you are a real sad bag of shit in real life.

Ahh so here we go, 'Smeg Logic'. I don't know you and what you do, but you know me and what I do. My, my you're just a bag full of contradictions, hypocrisy and self-importance aren't you. Mr Angry.

Originally Posted by AntRobertson

Originally Posted by Smeg

You said that "a few hours" is a lie. So, show me different.

Yes I did, so where did you get "hundreds of hours from". And your proof is in the threads you've posted in on this same topic (notice that's plural, not singular). Take a look at the dates/times you've posted. Heck, you've even just thread-bumped this one back so you've clearly been thinking about it all. Again.

Proof? You are stabbing in the dark, as per most of the bull you come out with.

And you think I "bumped this thread"?? This is the first time I've been online since I started it, hence it is hardly a "bump". I have a life away from forums, unlike you. What a strange little retard you are.

Originally Posted by AntRobertson

[

Originally Posted by Smeg

Yes, you are another of these mr confident people who stalk other people on forums, usually making off-topic posts criticising the person you are stalking, for no other reason than you have nothing better to do. I bet you are a real sad bag of shit in real life.

Ahh so here we go, 'Smeg Logic'. I don't know you and what you do, but you know me and what I do. My, my you're just a bag full of contradictions, hypocrisy and self-importance aren't you. Mr Angry.

Ahhh, here we go, the retard likes to dish out his opinion of what other members must be like, but if they give him a taste of his own medicine, he tries to brush it off.

Do you have a life, whatsoever, at all? I see no opinion of any depth in your posts, just stalking and bullshit = the biggest loser billy-no-mates on the forum. Bye!

Originally Posted by November Rain

I can certainly state that I don't give a flying fuck what you do with 99% of your time. No, make that 100% of your time

Originally Posted by November Rain

Smeg, I envy you. I really do.

I wish that my life was as simple and as easy that worrying about whether the word 'farang' was derogatory to me or not was my biggest, all-consuming problem.

You are a lucky (but strangely obsessive & bitter) man. I hope one day you realise that.

Contradiction of the week award

Originally Posted by Smeg

"Context-neutral" is how I usually here the word "farang" described by people attempting to play down its significance.

However, I and every expat I spend time with hears this word used often to label them, whether they are in a shop as a customer (where they could just as easily be described as a "customer" thus not differentiated from the other customers in the shop who are thais) or in a whole range of other situations where the thai words for "person" "man" "client" "employee" etc. However, the preferred method for thais is to highlight the ethnic differences of the person they are referring to, hence "This farang wants to buy a light bulb. Do we have any?" is the preferred choice of words.

Why? Why is ethnicity important to the question being asked about availability of light bulbs? Why build the context of the question by adding an ethnic label to it? Actually, from that, I can see that it actually adds nothing to the context of the question, hence it is either pleasure/reassurance-seeking or pure thickness and bad habits that force thais to use ethnic labelling in this way. They are brought up to do it, as thailand is a place with many laws (restricted trades, business ownership, and land ownership) to limit opportunities for expats, so the use of a word to label and differentiate them probably makes sense too, and there is nobody with any power to be able to do anything about it, since it doesn't adversely affect thais at all (apart from being thought of as pig-ignorant or xenophobic by some).

I've had a six year old call me "kun kru teacher farang" Thais generally aren't trying be rude but it does piss me off sometimes.

it gets old.

You should tell him your name...

Originally Posted by Smeg

Originally Posted by November Rain

I can certainly state that I don't give a flying fuck what you do with 99% of your time. No, make that 100% of your time

Originally Posted by November Rain

Smeg, I envy you. I really do.

I wish that my life was as simple and as easy that worrying about whether the word 'farang' was derogatory to me or not was my biggest, all-consuming problem.

You are a lucky (but strangely obsessive & bitter) man. I hope one day you realise that.

Contradiction of the week award

Sorry, Smeg. Even by your standards, you're reaching.

How (this'll give you a chance to show off your exemplary English/teaching skills) do you find a contradiction between those two quotes?

Originally Posted by mad_dog

Thais generally aren't trying be rude but it does piss me off sometimes.

That is the point. They don't use it in an offensive way, normally, but the whole fact that they make a big deal of it comes across, to me at least, as thoughtless, ethnocentric, and primitive. I believe that starting this thread is a far smaller deal than they make of it. It needs to be thought about though. Too many people put up with it due to their rose-tinted specs.

It is weird though that whereas some members of the forum want to discuss this, there are a few oddballs who, rather than having something better to do, either on or off the forum, instead are spending their time trying to derail the thread with flames and shite. Funny little fuckers they are too. But anyway, they have pulled me off topic for long enough (for whatever oddball reasons they have for trying to do so) and are best ignored.

Well, next time make your first post KISS (keep it short and simple).
You're inviting derailing...

Originally Posted by Smeg

But anyway, they have pulled me off topic for long enough (for whatever oddball reasons they have for trying to do so) and are best ignored.

Think that's you & I, Ant. Again, I'm not sure how we were off-topic, but perhaps my rose-tinted specs need a bit of a clean.