What does farang mean?

Question

I am planning a trip to Thailand and my guide book keeps talking about farang in bars. What do they mean?

Answer 1

White folk !! And farang are all over the place... they are the tourists who help the economy churn... If you are a white person, you will hear it spoken behind your back wherever you go - - they don't really mean it as a racial slur or anything, just a fact - - and you might enjoy getting out of some of the farang areas too during your visit here.. best of luck

Answer 2

Farang Meaning

Answer 3

I quite like Darwin's answer, maybe it does come from Farangset, the Thai for France, but the theory relies on the idea that the first Europeans to come to what is now Thailand were the French. This is not correct. The Dutch arrived long before the French. Incidentally the Dutch caused a lot less disruption to Thailand than the French who in the seventeenth century attempted to convert the King of Ayutthaya (what is now central Thailand) to Catholicism which went down very badly and ended up with the French being kicked out of the country. In the nineteenth century the French made a notable impression by sailing a war ship down the Chao Phraya river (there was shooting on both sides) as a threat to Thailand to surrender land in the east part of its territory so France could build up its Indo-Chinese Empire (Vietnam, Loas and Cambodia). That empire ended in a mess too. its probably fair to say that the French involvement in SE Asia was not an overwhelming success.

Incidentally, Siam was not the name of Thailand when the French (or even the Dutch) arrived. What is now Thailand was then several different kingdoms, the most powerful of which was Ayutthaya. Lanna, the kingdom north, was independent up to about 500 years ago but then the Burmese annexed it and it remained under Burmese control until Ayutthaya kicked them out at the end of the eighteenth century. This final part is just my understanding, maybe someone from Lanna sees the history differently?

As for The_Mouse's assertion that Farang is not a racial insult, its a nice attempt to smooth relations between thai people and tourists but I can't really agree. Sometimes it is and sometimes it isn't. Its all in how its said. It a bit like if a white person said "He is black". You have to look at the context and the way its said to get the meaning. If a Thai person says as you walk past - "do si farang owen. farang farang." or "do farang, do ting tong rou pow?" They probably aren't being altogther positive about you and the way you look. "Do farang" means "look at the (white) foreigner." You might hear it a lot.

Bizarrely you'll hear it more in the cities (where the people are meant to be cosmopolitan and sophisticated and have seen a lot of tourists before) that you would in the farming areas where maybe people have never, or at least rarely, met a white person. The latter are very traditional/conservative and far too polite to comment on your appearance (within your hearing anyway).

Answer 4

Everyone seem to have covered the answer well enough. Just a note - it is NOT a derogatory term. It is NOT a racist term. It is used as an everyday word when Thai people talk about westerners (mostly white people)

Enjoy your trip. You will love Thailand.

Answer 5

The word farang comes from the word for France, Farangseht. It seems the French were the first caucasians seen in Thailand which at the time was Siam. So now the word is used to refer to caucasians. If you visit Thailand you will be refered to as farang. Farang is also used in the words for potatoes and chewing gum. Farangs in bars are caucasian tourists or expats, generally male, who spend time in bars socializing and enjoying entertainment which Thailand it reknowned for. The most famous places are districts in Bangkok such as Soi Cowboy, Nana Plaza and Patpong and Pattaya which is 2 hours southeast of Bangkok. I hope this answers your question.

Answer 6

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
What does farang mean?
I am planning a trip to Thailand and my guide book keeps talking about farang in bars. What do they mean?

Answer 7

Foreigner

Answer 8

Farang is the first word you learn when you come to Thailand. Farang = white person. Get used to it as you will be call that a lot here if you understand them or not. Be ready for the finger pointing as well. If you were green and came from Mars you would have the same welcome.

Answer 9

Spanky answered it. As a Thai myself, I refer to westerners more of caucasian origin/race as 'farang'. This term has no connotation. It's just another speaking term/word to refer to caucasian foreigners.

Answer 10

"In Transit" means that its halfway to your destination. If it says "Out for Delivery" it means it should be delivered that day. And if it says "Delivered" it means its either in your house because someone else brought it inside you just didn't know OR it could be outside on your porch. This is my FIRST time buying something from Amazon and it said that me shipment was "In Transit". I can't wait to get my item!!! Hope this was helpful! PLZ like and comment! I would LOVE to hear your thoughts!