F-Farang

Farang an f-word? The first time you were in Thailand and kids called you “farang!” you were smiling. How sweet they are! After a while you wondered why every foreigner is a farang. Or do you call all Asians back home “Chinese”? Or even worse by the name of a fruit?

Today I couldn’t care less. If someone calls me a farang I politely say “khor thod na krup, pom cheu Dan.” Smiles all over, and surprisingly Thais hardly ever forget one’s name once they know you. Whereas I still can’t figure out all those nicks.

Point being: for most Thais the word “farang” is hardly racist. That’s also the way Khun Nat sees it, a senior at Thammasat University’s Faculty of Liberal Arts. “I myself never realized that farang is a racist word,” she tells me. “That’s why I write about the ignorance of Thai people.”

Nat dedicates her final Intercultural Communication project to this ignorance. But collecting the data is not too easy she says. She went to Khao San, but didn’t really dare to disturb foreigners with her questionnaire which you’ll find below for download.

As she herself is not the only one who found the word farang to be neutral, her questionnaire is separated into two groups: one for Thai people and one for foreigners who are called farang.

First findings: 99% of Thai people who’ve done the questionnaire don’t feel that the word is offensive at all. So the question arises when you read the Bangkok Post’s forum thread Is Farang an F-Word?, is the issue at stake rather an issue among foreigners themselves?

So far Nat could question more than enough Thais, but not enough foreigners. And time is running out to submit the paper. Download the questionnaire here, fill it in and email it to Nat.

Even being a guava, Nat is looking for “jai dee farang.” Over to you.

I’m also pleased to include Nat’s preliminary paper on the topic. Gives a farang a broader idea who one really could be around here:

FARANG

Thailand nowadays has become a melting pot of races and cultures. Foreigners are easily found in almost every single part of Thailand. A large number of them are the first-time expatriates and visitors while some are the long-term foreign residents of the country. Noticeably, a majority of them are the Westerners or Caucasians, who are big, tall and have prominent noses, brown or blond hair and blue or green eyes. Instead of calling them kon tang chad or foreigner, the Thais have a special pronoun which is generally used among Thai people for calling this dominant appearance farang.

This essay will then examine the pronoun farang. It will first examine the negative point of view toward the pronoun farang of Eggmeng, the pseudonym of a forum writer “Is Farang an F-Word?” in the Bangkok Post’s website. After this, it will describe the origin and the common usage of this word among Thai society. Finally, there will be an analysis of the point of views toward farang of Thai and foreign interviewees who have been called farang during their stay in Thailand.

Eggmeng (…) is a Westerner of European descent. He married a Thai woman with a daughter who will soon be three years old. He has lived in Thailand for 16 years. Yet, he has never gotten used to the pronoun farang. His problem is that he is afraid that his step daughter will enculturate this standard usage of the term when she grows up. He points out that the pronoun farang is demeaning and racist word since he strongly believes that it is unnecessarily to remind foreigners that the Thais notice the differences. Besides, it has no need to draw attention to people’s appearances. He also feels as an outsider whenever he hears someone call him farang because deep within, he would also like to be a part of Thai society. His point of view toward the pronoun farang is quite negative.

However, the word farang has a long and interesting history. According to Welty, the word can extend further back than the Crusades, to the Franks of Northern France. The Arabs and Turks who fought the invasions of Palestine called the Franks ifrangi, and the Persians picked it up as farangi. These Muslim cultures had extensive trade relation with Siam, and the term thus became known in the Far East. (Welty, 2005)

Moreover, THolland, a commentator in the forum, also explains that the first time farang was used was about 400 years ago, to describe the fruit guava which was introduces to Siam by the Portuguese. Since then, farang has been used to describe anything that comes from foreign countries such as potato (man farang), coriander (pak chi farang), chewing gum (maak farang).

References:

Welty, Roger. “Understanding Your Hosts.” The Thai and I, Thai Culture and Society. 2005. (p.141)

The questions Nat outlines:

- Is farang a demeaning and racist word?
- Does it unnecessarily draw attention to people’s appearance?
- Does it unnecessarily remind foreigners that Thais notice the differences?
- Does the word make foreigners feel outsiders?

In opposition to:

- Is farang a harmless word with no inherent negative meaning?
- No one means to hurt foreigners when using the word?
- Is there no way to change Thais to not call foreigners farang?
- Do farangs make the pronoun offensive themselves?

Again, download the questionnaire, fill it out and email it back to Nat. Maybe she will share her final findings later on.

And maybe you can add in the comments below if you’re a happy guava or not.

I myself don’t see much negativity in it. But then again, in Western countries you could be taken to court for seemingly demeaning racist names.

My wife though, Thai-Chinese, also thinks that the word farang is commonly used in a more condescending than respectful way.

Unintentionally, maybe, but nevertheless never used between people who esteem each other.

Don’t recall that her family ever called me farang. Certainly wouldn’t have liked it, from in-laws.

Outside the house?

Only people you anyway don’t want to deal with call you a farang.

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Comments

22 Responses to “F-Farang”

Tweets that mention F-Farang -- Topsy.com on October 2nd, 2009 12.29 pm

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Jon Fernquest and BangkokDan. BangkokDan said: (BLOG) F-Farang http://bit.ly/2IXhFU [...]
bosunj on October 2nd, 2009 12.35 pm

In most of Duhmerica one can easily and often hear “If you don’t like it here why don’t you go back to wherever you came from!” Amazing how Duhmerican’ts can’t seem to remember that part of Duhmerica when they’re here. I realize there are farang here who aren’t Duhmerican’t. One would suppose the same would go for them too.
Talen on October 2nd, 2009 3.58 pm

I’ve never thought of the word as demeaning but I have noticed how some Thais use it in a dismissive sort of way.

My girl’s family on her father’s side doesn’t care for me much and will always call me falang. They know my name but choose to not use it. Her family on the mother’s side call me by my name but occasionally let falang slip when they are talking to someone else about me … habit I guess.

Interesting to see how the questionnaire works out. Off to download and fill it out now.
Jeff on October 2nd, 2009 4.24 pm

I think it is negative. It connotes an outsider, someone unlike “the group,” and somehow inferior or something to be wary of.

We would get in a lot of trouble back home calling people by their appearance (and some still do, thereby earning the description “racist”). Would calling Thais “Brownies” or “Coconuts” in our respective worlds be acceptable to them?
stefan on October 2nd, 2009 4.32 pm

Do insane people think they are insane?

Do Thai people think they are racist?
Andy on October 2nd, 2009 6.40 pm

I think it’s a different “use” of language compared to the West. The Japanese and Chinese also use a similar word “Gwailo” (Cantonese) and “Gaijin” for white people. Maybe other Asian countries do too?

I think we shouldn’t feel offended at all, even if we don’t understand this “culture shock” and different “usage.” Especially Thais use this word since decades without any racist meaning. As Dan points out, once you mention your name they will call you always by your name.

BTW: Nice new goldy oldy VID you got there Dan, enjoyed it! ;O) … we should connect again on FB, I just reposted it again and linked your nice website once again. Keep up the good work here and enjoy your weekend!
Nate on October 2nd, 2009 7.19 pm

We have some of the same idiocy surrounding the word “gaijin” here in Japan. Here’s my take:

1. Western colonial powers looked down on “foreigners” for a long time. They came up with racist names for most of them.

2. As a natural consequence of colonialism, even the home turf of the colonial powers were soon populated with “foreigners” including people mixed race and second / third / fourth generation residents.

3. As these Western societies liberalized, and granted equal rights and status to the “foreigners,” it was no longer appropriate to use the old derogatory language. You couldn’t tell by appearance anyway who was “foreign,” and we wind up with PC language galore.

4. In a country like Thailand or Japan, there were never de facto “inferior races” … or rather, the “inferior races” were nearby. Visually identifiable foreigners held a higher status, for the most part.

5. White folks who really don’t “get” racism want their share of the victimhood. Americans especially eat it up.

That said, some people certainly do use “farang” or “gaijin” with racist intent. However, I’ve known plenty of people who use “African American” with some pretty clear racist intent.

With the exception of clearly derogatory language, racism has more to do with perceived intent.
MongerSEA on October 2nd, 2009 7.33 pm

Whether or not it’s racist doesn’t much concern me, but what it does point to is a lack of intelligence and grace among those that use the word.

- Thai has several other words which are indisputably not racist or biased which can be used to indicate a foreigner.

- It’s rare that choosing to use one of those words would cause confusion, i.e. a farang and a khek in the same room and the speaker needing to indicate just one.

- It’s just as easy to refer to someone in the third person by another attribute: “the tall guy,” “the man in the blue shirt.”

But as Thailand operates on a virtual caste system where everyone needs to be sized up and put in his place (and looked down upon, if possible: see the psychological phenomenon “transference” for more), and as the herd mentality is so strong, we need not expect a great deal to change despite Khun Nat’s well-intentioned efforts.
Frank on October 3rd, 2009 6.14 am

Of course farang is not considered “racist by Thai standards” … because except for a relative few, educated abroad, there is no concept of racism in Thailand.

This does not mean that many (most) Thais do not judge people often primarily by their ethnicity, assuming a wide range of characteristics, faults, etc., solely on that basis. Anyone who has lived there knows that most Thais judge people exactly that way, and tend to refer to non-Thais by a variety of terms first, and as people second: khon phiw dam for African and African American blacks; khaek for Indians and Middle Easterners; jek for Chinese and farang for whites of European descent.

Is the practice of judging people primarily based on their ethnicity racist? Of course it is, as is the dismissive use of stock terms to refer to those people. The difference, however, between what we call racism in the West- which is otherwise exactly the same as what Thais do – is that many (though not all of us) view such behavior – racism – as negative. Thais have absolutely no apologies for racist behavior when they engage in it; they see nothing wrong with it. It’s simply part of how they see the world.

So when people refer to you in front of your face as “the farang,” sure they are being racist. I don’t let it get to me, though, because they don’t know any better. If you’re going to spend time around Thais in Thailand, you just have to get used to this, the same way you must get used to their racism toward other non-Thai peoples, their gross and blatant sexism, etc. You don’t have to participate in it yourself, but you do need to accept it in them. You’re not going to change them, nor is it your business to try.
Tao on October 6th, 2009 2.22 am

As a Thai person, I would to share my two cents here and obviously this by no means represent the view of other Thais.

From a Western point of view (especially a politically correct one), the term “farang” necessarily connotes a somewhat discriminatory undertone, racist or not. And for Thais, yes, it indeed does discriminate you White people from us Thai people. However, this type of “discrimination” is registered only for categorical reasons, for literally distinguishing them from us, not for derogatory reasons. After all, as some of you may aware, lots of Thai people in fact look up to farangs and think farang ways of doing things are “cooler” or “more civilized.”

Of course, I can imagine it sounding and being offensive. But, as with other Thai forms of social etiquette and discourse, until the Thais have become more PC (which is not necessarily a 100% desirable thing), it’s going to stick around for a while.

In a country where newpapers call Koreans ginseng, Italy boots, France perfume, and Cameroon wizard, calling White people “farang” should in fact be the least racist of things …
Fred on October 6th, 2009 4.43 pm

“… what a person says to you is their karma. How you react to it … is your karma.”

What’s up folks? Take it from an old ex-GI from the early 70’s … don’t sweat the small stuff. You’re in paradise … ‘cept life on this planet ain’t never going to be perfect. SO WHAT??

Enjoy yourself. You’ll be old before you know it. I was once told: “You can look at the weeds, or look at the flowers.”

I advise you keep focused on the flowers.

(Oh … amid all that sex, TRY HARD to create some love. And drink and drug as little as possible … ‘cuz, NOBODY escapes their karma.)

Peace and love … or as meditators say,

Namesta
chdarat on October 7th, 2009 10.27 am

MongerSEA and Nate are spot on!

But is this only a Thai thing: to classify, categorisz and then distinguish one from another, putting oneself as the superior and those of the same kind to be equal but anything that is not the same, inferior. Sounds so familiar all the world over.

If you see that the word “farang” is just group of alphabetic characters, inertly devoid of meaning, and only become something when use. Then it’s the intention of the articulator that matters.

I agree with Nate in that when victimizers becomes victims, they tend to be over-sensitive!

On the ideal plane, this should not be tolerated but at the end of the day we are no angles!

Equality can only be achieved when we do not use characteristics to distinguish each other!
bosunj on October 7th, 2009 10.45 am

Indeed Chdarat! Words that farang like to throw around are wetback, towel head, kafir, monkey and others. They throw them around amongst themselves here sometimes in the very act of complaining about being called farang.

Fred has the right idea.
Jon on October 7th, 2009 2.21 pm

There’s no doubt it is often used in a negative way but, if you plan on staying a while, you need to deal with it or it will drive you insane.

This is particularly true if, like me, you live outside of Bangkok where we foreigners are a novelty for the locals, many of whom are less “culturally rounded.”

An African guy who teaches in Saraburi once told me of two Thai teachers referring to him as “falang dum” during a discussion in front of students.

Now that is far worse.

What an example that sets the next generation.
Oneditorial on October 8th, 2009 7.58 pm

The word should be used sparingly. I could go on to clarify when it is deemed appropriate to use it and when it is not. But then again, it always amuses me to see “some farangs” become touchy regarding this issue for no particular reason. Well, sometimes it is best to leave people in a quandary.
eman on October 8th, 2009 10.36 pm

The only quandary about this thread is that many Thais don’t know they are being racist, that it is “normal.” Another quandary might be the obsequious stance that foreigners choose to adopt when they decide to not take offence.
Oneditorial on October 9th, 2009 1.19 am

Thank you for letting me know. I truly appreciate it. From now on I will tell my friends that if they want to see “some farangs” being obsessively paranoid, or feeling persecuted they should use the word more often when they chance upon foreigners.
BangkokDan on October 9th, 2009 8.18 am

Please go on Oneditorial!

I could go on to clarify when it is deemed appropriate to use it and when it is not.

BangkokDan
Scientifically Proven: The Good Farang on October 12th, 2009 9.19 am

[...] a fast worker. The results of Thammasat University’s Khun Nat’s survey are in if Farang is an F-Word. If you haven’t read her outlining paper do so here. You’re a Westerner and hate to be [...]
Chart on October 29th, 2009 8.36 am

I can appreciate the spin, but behind the smile sleeps the truth: farang means kee nok … ask any school kid.
gary fouse on December 26th, 2009 4.18 am

I never considered the word farang to be an insult when I lived in Bangkok 1975-1978. Of course, it depends how it is used. Quite a coincidence that chart mentioned the word, kee nok or khee nok (birdshit). I remember hearing a Thai kid say once “farang khee nok.” Apparently, the term was used with some regularity, which I didn’t know.

I forgive them anyway. I love the Thais.
Rich on December 26th, 2009 5.02 pm

Pollyanna

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