Menu
Expat.com

Let’s debate this 🤔

Post new topic

LeighPimi

I will say just one short sentence
It’s Farang not Falang 🤔

GuestPoster145

It is Farang.  The Falang pronunciation is just the lazy form for those who can't reproduce the trilled R which is the correct Thai pronunciation.

LeighPimi

Agreed 100%
Drives me mad when people say Falang and they defend it with “Thais can’t pronounce R”. Well your not Thai and it’s Farang !!

davidcolinburt

"your / you're" . . . Let's get this grammatical distinction correct first.

On another note, is "farung" with the "u" sound a derogatory term applied to an unpopular farang? Just asking.   dcb

GuestPoster145

I have only ever heard the combination ‘farung-farang’ which has no negative connotations that I am aware of.  It is similar to saying something like  ‘this n that’ and is a little more expressive because of the rhyming lyrical quality of the combined sounds.  That said, any term can be imbued with negative feeling by virtue of volume, pronunciation and facial expression.

LeighPimi

Grammar police got me again - the you’re often gets changed to your on a phone but not on laptop - we all know what it meant - didn’t we ? Or is that did we not 🤣😂
Farang is in the dictionary and often incorrectly said as Falang
Your or You’re sound the same 😱

Barry343

Yes the dictionary spells it farang but the Thai pronounce it farung.

stumpy

Here in Laos it is falang.

LeighPimi

Interesting or are you just ssying it wrong like most Farang in Thailand 👍😂

davidcolinburt

Re the words "your / you're = you are":  Apologies . . . English teacher thing. Out of place . . . my bad.   dcb

Tuenchai

Interesting thread, I think I'll join the debate...

For pronunciation, the "R" should be pronounced. I'm originally from Bangkok and my family and friends would pronounce the word so that you can hear the "R", definitely not "L".

Farang in Thai is spelled: ฝรั่ง, which translates to Guava, or as you all now it can mean foreigner.

ฝรั่ง  ฝ =fa  -  รั่ง = rang so fa-rang with the ร being pronounced "R". The consonant for "L" is ล so for example the Thai word for Monkey ลิง - Ling

There are many Thai words that incorporate the consonant ร - "R" a simple example is the Thai word for boat "Rua"  เรือ.

There are many regional accents, and colloquial differences and some people can't seem to master "R", or possibly they don't wish to. I know for sure that my children are taught to pronounce the consonant ร "R" correctly at school.

For Farang to be used in a derogatory way the person speaking would most likely say "Ai Farang" in which case it's very insulting, unless you are on very good terms with that person, in which case it might be a joke.

By the way, some Thai people don't use the word "Farang", a much more polite way to say foreigner is ชาวต่างชาติ - Chāw t̀āng chāti (Chao Tang Chat).

LeighPimi

Excellent reply thank you.
But why do many Farang say Falang, clearly incorrect from what I’m taught.
I just like things to be correct I guess 🤣😂

GuestPoster145

I would suggest it is a combination of the type of Thai people they associate with and the  type of foreigner they hangout with.

barrytaylor

Farang originates from the Persian word Farang which derives from the Germans who were called Franks by the Persians many moons ago. This was in the time of the Crusades and before which is a bit before my time
It was carried over to the East and this is the short and sweet originating of the word
I could not care if the people mean it as an insult or not as everybody speaks about me when I cycle in the village as Farang.
Farang dam is a black man.
I have also read that Farang originates from the Vietnamese calling the French Farang when they were colonised by the French but cannot find any proof for this.

GuestPoster145

yes, I was able to follow, and gringed at the correction also

Barry343

Yes it's Farang pronounced " Farung "

GuestPoster145

No it is Farang pronounced "Farang"  :)

Articles to help you in your expat project in Thailand

All of Thailand's guide articles