"Falang" the Thai word everybody should know

Please enjoy the following language related piece. I wrote it some time ago, but just now getting around to posting it.

For those who have never had any experience with Thailand or Thai language you've probably never heard the word "Falang" or "Farang". They are one and the same due to the way "R's" and "L's" get spoken here. Either one can be correct depending on which area you are in and who you are speaking to. The word simply has one meaning "Foreigner". More specifically, if you are a non Asian person in Thailand, or even Laos for that matter, you are a "Falang". The term itself is not derogatory, but can quickly turn that direction depending on the tone or nature of the conversation.

Here in the bigger cities there are a fair amount of us foreigners and you hear the term quite often in conversation. They could be talking about the guy next door or the guy at the 7 eleven buying a soda. I've often learned to just tune it out. The real difference comes into play when you get into the smaller cities and villages. I spent a lot of time in those smaller places last winter up on the northern borders of Myanmar and Laos. When I hear the word "Falang" there, I automatically know they are talking about me. Why? Because I'm the only one. I usually listen in for a bit, but I do get a kick out of jumping into the conversation if it turns derogatory. I've seen many a wide eyed Thai person start shaking in their sandals when I approach them, and ask them (In Thai) why they are speaking badly of me when they don't even know me. It got to point a few months ago after spending so much time in small Thai towns that I started to think "Falang" was my name. They couldn't remember my name, but in those places "Falang" was just easier because I was the only one. I did what I could by reminding them of my name, and that my name was NOT "Falang". Most were quite kind about it. Many good friends there still jokingly call me "Falang" when I get up to see them. They greet me with a smile and say "Sawadee Falang!!". I usually jab right back and greet them as whatever nationality or tribe they are from to complete the joke.

There has been some debate as to where the word "Falang" came from. I've heard them all. Some were fairly correct, and some were just downright ludicrous. I tend to favor the notion that the French were actually responsible for it. They may not have invented the word, but they did inadvertently bring about it's creation. To understand why, you first must learn about the Thai language, alphabet, and pronunciation. Certains sound from the English language simply do not exist in Thai. Some do exist, but only in certain places in words. One that has amazed me for years is simply that the Thai language has NO words that end in "S". They also don't have any words ending in "N". The only ending "N" consonant also has a "G" sound for an "NG" on the end. On the other hand, they have several different "R's". Not a one of them sounds like a common English "R" and most are a rolled "R" that sounds closer to an "L". There alone, you have most of it together already. The third ingredient is the common use of a vowel sound in most words starting with a consonant. For this reason Thai speakers will often include an extra vowel in English words when attempting to speak them. For example, "Stop" becomes "Sa-Top".

So, there you have it. The basic ingredients for the word "Falang". Now you might be wondering, what in the heck did the French have to do with it? Quite simple actually. The French were some of the first to colonizing this area back in the 19th century, and were the first Caucasian people seen by most here. French people (of course) come from France. Ask any Thai or Laotion person who speaks little or no English to say "France" and you get "Fah-Lang". Add the "A", change the "R" to an "L", put a "G" after the "N" and drop the "S" altogether. Just take the above Thai vocabulary rules, apply them to any English word, and there you have what I like to call "Tinglish". It's an odd mix of English with Thai vocabulary rules mixed in. I do speak a fair amount of Thai, but I also "Sah-Peak vely good Ting-lei".

Now that we have the language lesson and fun facts out of the way, I will get down to why I both love and hate this word "Falang". It is because it taught me about racism in other countries and also sometimes the lack of it. For the last two years I have just been "The Falang". Not American, French, Canadian, or Danish for that matter. Here, we are all seen first as the color of our skin and lumped all into one category. Even the Chinese here are called by their own nationality. They are rarely called "Falang" even though the dictionary states that they are. In some small way, I do have an understanding now of what it's like to be singled out simply by the color of my skin for whatever reason.

That's all for this post, and next time you are in Thailand don't forget that they are actually calling you "French" when you get off the plane regardless of where you came from. Most locals don't even realize it. The word itself now has it's own set of inflections and distinct pronunciation that clearly set it apart from it's origins, but the relationship is clear. I'm sure somebody will come along and refine and/or dispute my thoughts here. I'm no expert linguist, but I know what I hear, what I speak, and can see how things fit together after a while. Thanks for reading, and if you are reading this there is about a 90% chance that you yourself are just a "Ting Tong Falang".

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