ฝรั่ง
farang/fa˨˩.raŋ˨˩/
In Thailand, the usual Thai word for a white man or any white Westerner, is ฝรั่ง, read farang.
ฝรั่ง refers to white Westerners in general, men or women and is the word most Thais use. It also means guava.
How do you pronounce it?
Both syllables of farang have a low tone, as the IPA /fa˨˩.raŋ˨˩/ shows.
When do people say it?
The word is usually neutral and descriptive, though some foreigners living in Thailand dislike being labelled by it.
Did you know?
- The term 'farang' actually traces its roots back to the 'Franks', the Germanic people who inhabited much of Western Europe during the Early Middle Ages.
- Thais use ฝรั่ง to describe both the people from the West and the guava fruit. This happened because guavas were once seen as a 'foreign' fruit.
Examples in context
- ฝรั่งคนนั้นตัวสูงมากfa-rang khon nan tua sung makThat white man is very tall.
- มีฝรั่งมาจองโต๊ะไว้mi fa-rang ma jong toh waiA white man has reserved a table.
- เขามีเพื่อนเป็นฝรั่งหลายคนkhao mi phuean pen fa-rang lai khonHe has many white Westerner friends.
Example conversation
A woman asks a man if he sees a foreigner at the cafe.
- กนกวรรณ Kanokwanชลสิทธิ์ เห็นฝรั่งคนนั้นไหมChonlasit hen fa-rang khon nan maiChonlasit, do you see that white man?
- ชลสิทธิ์ Cholasitเห็นครับ เขากำลังอ่านหนังสือhen khrap, khao kam-lang an nang-sueI see him, he is reading a book.
- กนกวรรณ Kanokwanเขากำลังรอใครอยู่หรือเปล่าkhao kam-lang ror khrai yu rue plaoIs he waiting for someone?
- ชลสิทธิ์ Cholasitไม่น่าจะนะครับmai na cha khrapI don't think so.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ฝรั่ง, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ฝรั่ง, CC BY-SA 4.0.
