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Discrimination in Thailand

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During one's first few months in Thailand, the word "farang" is just another Thai word that is as exotic as the place. Children tailing behind you while calling you "farang" and shop owners giggling away muttering "farang" under their breath is an amusing delight. After all these first-month sublime reactions however, it becomes a nuisance. At a time when you want to settle down, be part of the crowd and lead a normal life, most of the people around you haven't gotten used to your presence. Then it starts to sting when you realize that the word farang, originally from the word "farangset" meaning a person from France, means a white, blond haired, blue-eyed, long-nosed individual, and not foreigner.

I have told quite a lot of students about the uneasiness that some foreigners feel about this name-calling. They have repeatedly and vehemently replied that the word farang is by no means a derogatory or discriminatory word. In all due respect to the Thais, I absolutely believe them when they say this. As it is however, racial discrimination like sexual harassment is always based on the discriminated and harassed rather than the discriminator and harasser, respectively. And a word such as Jek (for Chinese, meaning a person who spits a lot), yoon (for Japanese, meaning short) , kek ( for a person from the subcontinent, meaning a dark skinned foreigner), and Negro ( for an Afro-American) prejudices every person who belongs to the referred group. *

In view of this, language schools have become very discriminating when hiring language instructors. Therefore, when applying for a job, be prepared for the following possible problems which could occur:

A. Racial Discrimination: Many language owners profess that students do not wish to study with a teacher who is of Afro-American/Asian origin. Some schools would rather hire a German who speaks English as a second language than a fluent native speaker with dark skin. As probably true in many places in Asia, people with white skin are revered while those who are dark are perceived as unpresentable. I know of one teacher for example who applied and was hired from England. When she came here, the language school administrators were all surprised to see that she looked very much like an Asian. Despite being an English native speaker, having been born and grown up in England, she was fired after two weeks. No clear reason was given.

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