Ajarn Forum - Living and Teaching In Thailand - View Single Post

Santi · 5th October 2006, 20:31

Hi, to all of you Foreigners or Farangs,
It's my first time visiting here,
Heard so many times, many of you are quiet upset with this Thai word of "farang"
I have search many sources, plus my own observation and way-back study.
Farang is use to call, white Caucasian, from any countries.
Origin of word is, from the old days when we weren't yet accustomed to other languages and its pronunciations and strangers from other countries,
So our ancestors Thais, has made their own Thai version of words, as they have heard and integrated to their way of most accurate way to pronounce, or simplified, shorten.
(The same way, as many Thai call their friends, relatives with nickname, by shorten the names …Jaruwan = nickname “Wan”, Sutthikiet = nickname “Kiet”… etc)

Foreigner (Frank, French, Foreign = for-reine-ner = fa-reine = farang
Captain = ka-pi-tan,
Japan = Ja-pon = Yee –Poon,
(you have to read Thai language of history in related to the outside world to see how we call the name of foreigners in that period , some you may not be able to associate with the real names!)
So, originally and generally there is no after thought of the word, as far as I know, and as far as any educated people using it.
However, many of Thai may use the word Farang with contempt, to those associate with the images of bad manners, poorly educated tourisst, which has strange characters/ behaviours which not really please our way of life!
So, if you are nice and good manners farangs, the way we call you is no after thought.
But, if you are one of those, with bad manners, we might think of you like farang Baan Nok, like all those who come from BaanNok (up-country) and have quiet strange behaviours!

Now, “Farang Keenok” originally is related to a small Thai Guava, which has pink colour when you open it, but why, “kee-nok”?
Nok = Bird, kee = shit, kee-nok = bird-shit!
Because, this Thai guava is normally quiet small, compare to other type of guava,
But why we sometimes (jokingly!) relate to foreigners, is may be because, you have white skin which turned pink-red, after sun-burnt, like this Guava-keenok !
With contempt it may means, too small, nothing important!

Is this true…?
Baang-ma-kok (village which has lot of Maakok (kind of water-olive trees) = baang-kok = BANGKOK

See also…
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/9149/farang.html

5th October 2006, 20:31	#57 (permalink)
Santi Santi is..... New Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 9 vCash: 500 Rep Power: 0	Re: Foreigner vs. Farang Hi, to all of you Foreigners or Farangs, It's my first time visiting here, Heard so many times, many of you are quiet upset with this Thai word of "farang" I have search many sources, plus my own observation and way-back study. Farang is use to call, white Caucasian, from any countries. Origin of word is, from the old days when we weren't yet accustomed to other languages and its pronunciations and strangers from other countries, So our ancestors Thais, has made their own Thai version of words, as they have heard and integrated to their way of most accurate way to pronounce, or simplified, shorten. (The same way, as many Thai call their friends, relatives with nickname, by shorten the names …Jaruwan = nickname “Wan”, Sutthikiet = nickname “Kiet”… etc) Foreigner (Frank, French, Foreign = for-reine-ner = fa-reine = farang Captain = ka-pi-tan, Japan = Ja-pon = Yee –Poon, (you have to read Thai language of history in related to the outside world to see how we call the name of foreigners in that period , some you may not be able to associate with the real names!) So, originally and generally there is no after thought of the word, as far as I know, and as far as any educated people using it. However, many of Thai may use the word Farang with contempt, to those associate with the images of bad manners, poorly educated tourisst, which has strange characters/ behaviours which not really please our way of life! So, if you are nice and good manners farangs, the way we call you is no after thought. But, if you are one of those, with bad manners, we might think of you like farang Baan Nok, like all those who come from BaanNok (up-country) and have quiet strange behaviours! Now, “Farang Keenok” originally is related to a small Thai Guava, which has pink colour when you open it, but why, “kee-nok”? Nok = Bird, kee = shit, kee-nok = bird-shit! Because, this Thai guava is normally quiet small, compare to other type of guava, But why we sometimes (jokingly!) relate to foreigners, is may be because, you have white skin which turned pink-red, after sun-burnt, like this Guava-keenok ! With contempt it may means, too small, nothing important! Is this true…? Baang-ma-kok (village which has lot of Maakok (kind of water-olive trees) = baang-kok = BANGKOK See also… http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/9149/farang.html