Thai people love gold. The only class in Thai society which doesnt like to wear gold and show off their gold much is the small “middle class”, I guess. The top and lower ends of society show alot and often choose to buy gold before other things in life.
But buying gold is not just throwing money away of course as its also an investment, or a way to have some insurance when finances become tight. This rule is shown just before any major social event such as term finishing and the kids returning home or just before a major holiday like songkran. Gold is often sold back to shops or pawned temporarily to give a much needed injection of cash for families in Bangkok and everywhere else.
How do you tell that a Farang has a bargirl girlfriend or wife? He’s wearing gold! Bargirls are often from the poorer parts of the country and gold is a real treasure in these parts. Farangs mistakenly try to assimilate themselves into what they think “thai culture” is by copying the uncles and brother and fathers who wear copious amounts of gold on their bodies, showing it off at every available opportunity. But there’s something plain odd about a farang wearing thai gold.
Amulets are also popular among the farang gold wearing community and there’s nothing more ridiculous than seeing a farang wearing a Buddha amulet, because we all know farangs have completely different beliefs about these things. I guess it would be ok for a farang to wear a gold cross out of thai gold.
Giving gold to people is really just another way of giving them money, and as the price of gold tends to go up in the long term it can be a good investment if held onto. You can even buy gold bars and coins. Normally if a farang buys gold for his thai bargirlfriend, she will pawn it for cash as soon as he isnt around, and temporarily get it back for the short time he visits her. Or sell it and claim it got lost.
April 17th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
Oh wait, so western people don’t believe in Buddhism uh?
yup, we have a winner here ladies and gentlemen, religion is country specific only!!
Also, princess, you will find that most gold is mined in western countries, Thailand has a terribly small mine and it’s not known for producing large amounts of the material.
I mean it’s really only thai culture to wear gold, not like the rest of the world has been doing it for thousands of years.
muppet!
May 4th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
I wish you would update your site more often. I look here often for current posts.
Regarding gold in Thailand, my friend owns gold stores, and you are right about the pawning and selling back. The term “Thai gold” is puzzling though. She buys everything in the middle east, and as far as I know, her competitors do as well. I do not think there is “Thai gold”, just gold that happens to sell in Thailand.
I had never thought why some farangs wear gold. I just attributed it to many being lower class westerners, who are about the only class of men here who wear gold. Interesting idea about them having poor girlfriends.
August 1st, 2009 at 9:45 pm
Hi, I am a Thai person who happened to come across your blog. I have not read all of your entries, but from what I have seen so far, you seem to be frank and plain-speaking in your thoughts about some Farangs or even in general. Good for you that you speak your mind. I hope you keep updating your blog regularly. I will certainly visit your blog frequently if you do. I am already looking forward to reading your next entry soon.
November 26th, 2009 at 8:27 pm
Hi, interesting pieces, but don’t be too quick to paint all foreign guys with the same brush. Some of us actually want to live in Thailand with our partners and aren’t into exploiting young farm girls.
I see your point about the gold thing, but there is a similar prevalence with some people and gold here.
December 28th, 2009 at 7:41 am
what about if a guy has a big gold chain he bought in another country which would be a lot more expensive and only 9 carrot? Do you have some childish opinion about that? Although more common in some cultures is not culture specific . Perhaps the 22 carrot option in Thailand is good value for money if they were to produce a flat 5 baht chain suitable for men to wear.
January 13th, 2010 at 5:34 pm
Well, that’s your right to have fun about Farangs in Thailand.
On the other side to generalise things as you do, I could tell the same about your Lemon brothers and sisters behaving in a such weird way in Farang countries. Because some Lemons are murderers, prostitutes, drug dealers and welfare abusers, should I put all Lemons like you in the same bag?
Sometimes Lemons are so strange in Farang countries. They look like aliens from space in their Lemon behavior. But we don’t mock them as you do… as long as they do respect our culture and tradition and do not impose their Lemon point of view on us.
Understood?
funnylemons.com
January 17th, 2010 at 12:52 pm
I agree 100%. These farangs are silly and should be made fun of.They are prolly working class Brits who are actually more comfy around these people, but don’t realize how foolish they are being. Educated westerners joke about this prolly more ruthlessly. Nobody serious would copy this garish behavior.
February 15th, 2010 at 10:10 am
Hi, I’m new to this blog,
Can you help me, I’m confused:
What is a Farang?
Which country do they come from?
I think of myself as having a British identity. In my countries we call, e.g. Thai people as ‘Thai people’ or ‘Thais’, because we respect the cultural identity that they give themselves. Many of my British friends are also Thais.
I looked up that word and it seems ‘Farang’ comes from ‘Farangseht’ meaning France.
So are Farangs from France? I see you referring to Americans as Farangs, but only some Americans would give themselves French identity, mainly those living in the French territories within the Americas, and maybe also Canada. U.S. Americans generally wouldn’t.
So, what does the word ‘farang’ even mean?
March 19th, 2010 at 3:00 am
This blog seems to have run out of steam.
As usual, Thais are all puff and no pastry.
April 13th, 2010 at 5:09 am
I can’t believe the hypocrisy of the blog and some of the posts agreeing with this girl. To generalise about “farang” men (even that term would be offensive if used in the same context in the west e.g paki, chink, nigger in UK/USA to describe anybody who looks as they are from a certain continent) is akin to many westerners assuming every Thai girl is a hooker and every male expat is a pervert/paedophile.
Go to UK, Europe, USA and you will see men wearing gold everywhere- yes theyre are usually dickheads too, but they are not copying from Thais.
Try travelling a little and trying to meet a few different farangs/white scumbags other than the piss heads you see on your way to work before you judge us all.
Today is Songkran, im not Buddhist, im wearing no gold & im going out to party with a lot of Thai friends male & female some professionals and some bargirls (their choice!) and a few farangs who are married to Thai ladies and have kids.
Hopefully I won’t bump into you
April 13th, 2010 at 5:11 am
PS please be honest enough to let my post be viewed
April 16th, 2010 at 7:06 pm
Wow, this site is too funny, someones seriously misguided and very bitter! Haha!
April 24th, 2010 at 8:18 am
A year since she last posted, I guess she must have found herself a farang boyfriend by now.
April 26th, 2010 at 4:53 am
Is thsi you, you piece of shit?
Registrant:
[some random guys address]