Comments on: Thai 101 Learners Series: A Few Facts about Farang http://womenlearnthai.com/index.php/thai-101-learners-series-a-few-facts-about-farang/ Expat making her way through the Thai language and culture Tue, 22 May 2012 23:28:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Catherine http://womenlearnthai.com/index.php/thai-101-learners-series-a-few-facts-about-farang/#comment-20489 Catherine Sun, 11 Mar 2012 11:16:48 +0000 http://womenlearnthai.com/?p=6201#comment-20489 Bernard, Andrew Biggs has two recent articles on farang that are close to how I feel. Mostly, I don't care one way or the other, but there are rare times when it grates on me. <a href="http://www.bangkokpost.com/lifestyle/family/282745/you-re-a-farang-embrace-it" rel="nofollow">You're a farang, Embrace it</a> <a href="http://www.bangkokpost.com/lifestyle/family/283827/hey-you-farang-why-so-sensitive" rel="nofollow">Hey, you, farang! Why so sensitive?</a> Bernard, Andrew Biggs has two recent articles on farang that are close to how I feel. Mostly, I don’t care one way or the other, but there are rare times when it grates on me.

You’re a farang, Embrace it
Hey, you, farang! Why so sensitive?
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]]> By: Bernard http://womenlearnthai.com/index.php/thai-101-learners-series-a-few-facts-about-farang/#comment-20487 Bernard Sun, 11 Mar 2012 10:51:46 +0000 http://womenlearnthai.com/?p=6201#comment-20487 Hello, I never feel hurt by farang words. I use farang a lot myself to refer to euro-american-australian-UK-russian… style person when I speak with Thai people in English/French or with some sort of English speaking people. As I 'am french, when I was child and still living in France, I used to give an non-personal "name" to any english speaking people (well I presumed to) as I couldn't guess if they were coming from UK, USA, Australia… I was always some thing like "il parle anglais" (but there was also a less polite version "c'est un english", even less polite "c'est un englosh"). Now I still cannot guess which country an English speaking person is coming from and I still just say, "il parle anglais". Which is my personal "farang" word. Have a nice week. Hello, I never feel hurt by farang words. I use farang a lot myself to refer to euro-american-australian-UK-russian… style person when I speak with Thai people in English/French or with some sort of English speaking people.
As I ‘am french, when I was child and still living in France, I used to give an non-personal “name” to any english speaking people (well I presumed to) as I couldn’t guess if they were coming from UK, USA, Australia… I was always some thing like “il parle anglais” (but there was also a less polite version “c’est un english”, even less polite “c’est un englosh”). Now I still cannot guess which country an English speaking person is coming from and I still just say, “il parle anglais”. Which is my personal “farang” word. Have a nice week.

]]> By: Catherine Wentworth http://womenlearnthai.com/index.php/thai-101-learners-series-a-few-facts-about-farang/#comment-2726 Catherine Wentworth Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:06:56 +0000 http://womenlearnthai.com/?p=6201#comment-2726 Betti, I just read about the King's birthday speech today. And I am of the same opinion, that he would not use it in a demeaning way. Betti, I just read about the King’s birthday speech today. And I am of the same opinion, that he would not use it in a demeaning way.

]]> By: Betti http://womenlearnthai.com/index.php/thai-101-learners-series-a-few-facts-about-farang/#comment-2723 Betti Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:49:20 +0000 http://womenlearnthai.com/?p=6201#comment-2723 Whenever I hear newcomers at my school bitching about the word "farang", I tell them that HM the King used it to refer to farangs in this 80th birthday speech. And I cannot imagine HM using a word that has a derogatory meaning. It may be used by others in a very negative sense, but the word itself feels harmless to me. (Of course also because it is also the usual word at my school to refer to farang teachers, as opposed to Thai teachers, by parents, students, the uptight Thai principal, everyone.) Whenever I hear newcomers at my school bitching about the word “farang”, I tell them that HM the King used it to refer to farangs in this 80th birthday speech. And I cannot imagine HM using a word that has a derogatory meaning. It may be used by others in a very negative sense, but the word itself feels harmless to me. (Of course also because it is also the usual word at my school to refer to farang teachers, as opposed to Thai teachers, by parents, students, the uptight Thai principal, everyone.)

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