Farang

Farang is a word that you may well love to hate. It may sound more like "falang" to your western ears .. and because of problems most Thais have with "r's". Basically, farang means "white foreigner".

Some expats never get accustomed to hearing the word and consider it an insult. Normally, being referred to as farang in third-person is not an insult unless the speaker uses a derogatory tone of voice.

I don't object too much .. it wouldn't matter anyhow. The more you come to hate the word, the more you seem to hear it. If you're smart, you will learn to accept it for what it is .. part of day-to-day Thai vocabulary.

Thai people generally see all whites as "farangs" rather than Brits, Germans,or French. I'm not sure why, except that it may be a much simpler concept for them to deal with.

The only time I react negatively is when someone addresses me directly as "farang". My reactions vary depending on the situation and on my mood at the time. I usually say nothing .. and I ignore the speaker. If I hear it again I may ignore the speaker more blatantly by turning my back. If I really want to send a message, I just give them a brief cold glance. (It's never a good idea to stare at a Thai).

If I want to be direct and polite when someone nearby uses "farang" when speaking about me, I may interrupt with "Khon American" .. which means "American person". Some get the message that I prefer to be slightly more personalized rather than generalized. Some look at me quizzically.

Thais call French people "farangset", so many expats think that "farang" is simply a diminutive of "farangset". However, most scholars agree that "farang" was plucked from Farsi, which was the language used by Persian traders. It sounds a lot like the Persian word "farangi".

You will no doubt hear more than one expat who "really understands Thailand" expound on the subject. BTW, odds are that you will never understand Thailand.

Many expats feel they have it all figured out after a few years. The old timers who really try to understand the culture know they don't have a clue.