Why do Westerners Call Themselves Farang?

[Noz]

I think when talking to Thais it's a useful term to help quickly establish if they're talking about a westerner or a Thai person, because as said above, they're not great at identifying different nationalities. I've used it myself in that respect. But I have to admit it annoys me a bit when it's used generically in the form of "farang always do this" or "farang don't like that", as if we're an identikit species and all the same in every respect. It of course grates more if used in the derogatory, seeing as we're all getting labelled with something unpleasant! But you get used to it. Maybe.

As for westerners using it, it doesn't bother me. Except when they say falang instead of farang. Or 'lon' instead of 'ron' for hot. And so on. Just because some of the locals can't prounounce an 'r' or are too lazy, doesn't mean we should do likewise.

End of lant. Sorry, rant.

[Pleng]

As for westerners using it, it doesn't bother me. Except when they say falang instead of farang. Or 'lon' instead of 'ron' for hot. And so on. Just because some of the locals can't prounounce an 'r' or are too lazy, doesn't mean we should do likewise.

Hmm hope you never come across me speaking Thai because I guess you'll be very upset with me!

When I used to teach English to foreign students, I never taught or expected them to speak the Queen's English, and I'm certainly not going to go around speaking "properly" in Thai, when nobody I associate with does.

Though I don't say "fallang" - the most common pronunciation I come across is a half-half sty [sic] 'far lang'

[Noz]

When I used to teach English to foreign students, I never taught or expected them to speak the Queen's English, and I'm certainly not going to go around speaking "properly" in Thai, when nobody I associate with does.

I've never been an English teacher, so you'll know better than me, but if your students were saying "liver" instead of "river", you wouldn't correct them? That's not talking the Queen's English or speaking with plums in your mouth, it's just correct.

On the farang/falang question, I take your point that we're inclined to speak as others around us do. Nothing wrong with that. I learned Thai at a language school, so tend to stick to how I was taught. The main reason we were given for Thais saying 'falang' instead of 'farang' was laziness, seeing as they're all taught to pronounce 'roh - rua' as in 'boat'.

Would be a boring place if we all spoke like TV news presenters though.

[dtaai-maai]

When I used to teach English to foreign students, I never taught or expected them to speak the Queen's English, and I'm certainly not going to go around speaking "properly" in Thai, when nobody I associate with does.

I've never been an English teacher, so you'll know better than me, but if your students were saying "liver" instead of "river", you wouldn't correct them? That's not talking the Queen's English or speaking with plums in your mouth, it's just correct.

It's also nothing whatsoever to do with what Pleng was talking about.
The 'l' and 'r' issue is about speaking Thai, not English.

When I used to teach English to foreign students, I never taught or expected them to speak the Queen's English, and I'm certainly not going to go around speaking "properly" in Thai, when nobody I associate with does.

On the farang/falang question, I take your point that we're inclined to speak as others around us do. Nothing wrong with that. ... Would be a boring place if we all spoke like TV news presenters though.

That's exactly what Pleng was referring to.

[Noz]

It's also nothing whatsoever to do with what Pleng was talking about.
The 'l' and 'r' issue is about speaking Thai, not English.

I was just giving a simplistic example in our language, of how children would be corrected for mispronounciation. That stands equally for Thai children and (dare I say it) "farang" children. Thai children are taught to pronounce the 'r' sound in Thai and I was merely saying that I imagine they'd also be taught how to pronounce an 'r' in English.

Whether substituting an 'l' sound for an 'r' sound in Thai is down to pronounciation difficulties or laziness, I don't know, but you often hear the same effect replicated in some Thais' spoken English. It's not limited to Thais either, as plenty Asian races have the same difficulties.

If some foreigners/westerners/whatever choose to do the same when they're speaking Thai then fair enough. I'm not criticising, it's just not something I would copy. Only my opinion of course, as will no doubt be pointed out. I'm not a linguist, so each to his/her own.

Anyway, we've veered off-topic a bit. Back to westerners calling themselves farang.

[Stargeezer]

I say I am a Falang jaak Canada. or Farang from Canada, If I say Canadian, I get Huh?
Once I said I was from Phuket, and my Thai friend said, What? You from Europe, I thought you are from Canada. Since I was a bit sloshed, I thought that was the best joke of the day back then.
Quite a few times, I have heard my Thai relatives referring me as a Farang from Canada.
As long as they buy me a beer, I am fine with most titles.
Stargeezer