Thailand - The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Farang: The Ultimate Guide to Being a “Foreigner” in Thailand (And Not Losing Your Cool) So, you’ve just landed in Thailand, ready to embrace the Land of Smiles, pad thai, local beer (Chang, Singha, Leo, pick your poison) and inexplicably cheap rice whisky. But within approximately 3.2 seconds of existing here, you’ll hear it, the word that will follow you like a stray soi dog: “Farang.” “Farang!” (Pointing)   “Look, farang!” (Whispering)   “Farang price!” (Laughing maniacally while charging you double)   But what does it mean? Is it offensive? Should you embrace it, ignore it, or start hissing like a territorial cat? Let’s break it down.   What the Heck Does “Farang” Even Mean? The word “farang” (ฝรั่ง) is the Thai term for foreigner, specifically a white Westerner. (If you’re Black, you might hear “farang dam,” if you’re Indian, you’re probably “kaek,” and if you’re East Asian, you’re lucky enough to dodge the label until you open your mouth.)...

The Foreigner Zoo: A Guide to the Expat Species of Thailand Ah, Thailand, the Land of Smiles, where foreigners flock like moths to a neon Singha sign. Whether you’re sipping a Chang on the beach or arguing with a tuk-tuk driver about the actual meter price, one thing is certain: you’re surrounded by a fascinating array of expat wildlife.   From the sunburned retiree to the dreadlocked trust-fund nomad, Thailand is home to some truly unique specimens. Let’s take a safari through the jungle of farang (foreigner) biodiversity.   1. The English Teacher (aka "I Definitely Have a Degree") Easily spotted in cheap button-ups and cargo pants, this creature survives on a diet of 7-Eleven toasties and misplaced optimism. They swear their TEFL certificate is totally legit (it’s from a website called TeachEngrishFast.com ).   Their natural habitat? The back of a Bangkok classroom, where they struggle to explain the difference between "there," "their," and "they’r...