The word farang is actually a Thai derivation from ‘français’ although I always thought it was derived from ‘foreign’... Maybe it’s both! It is used to describe any fair-skinned, round-eyed foreigner from Europe or the USA. According to Thai tradition, the farang comes from a far away land called the muang nauk, the ‘outside kingdom’. For a laugh, let me copy you part of a chronicle, the Thai Nya Phuum, who sums up the concept as follows : ‘They are exceedingly tall, hairy and evil-smelling. They school their children long and devote their lives to the amassing of riches. Their woman, though large and round, are very beautiful. They do not grow rice’. What do you think? Pretty fair description! Although I believe we now smell better as a population than when this was written!
When a Thai calls you farang, it is not pejorative. But they are still amused by our customs and will often look at you with a grin when you do things differently (like eating with chopsticks, they find that amusing!).
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