Hello from Thailand

[buksida]

Quick first post to say hi from Thailand.

If anyone has any questions about diving here I'll do my best to help.

 

[drglnc]

Welcome to the board. I have heard there are underwater ruins there. Is it true and if so hows the dive?

 

[Doppler]

Welcome... where do you do most of your diving? Give us a summary of the general conditions there now. I was in Thailand just before the Tsunami and found it to be a wonderful country.

 

[DandyDon]

Howdy and Welcome to SB.com!

Glad you joined us...

don

 

[buksida]

Thanks for the responses!

El Orans, yes send me some info on the private forum.

Doppler, I live on the Gulf so most of my diving is done there. I did dive the small islands off Krabi only 2 days after the tsunami (I was in it) and there was a fair bit of damage to the shallower spots on some of them. A few of the Similans dive sites have been closed but on the whole diving here is as good as its ever been.

 

[Vie]

Hello buksida. Love the name—rather witty.

 

[Vie]

Please enlighten us...

Laurens

I am assuming that the ScubaBoard member who calls himself “buksida” is a not originally from Thailand.

In Thailand, the word buksida, in the Northeastern (Isan) dialect, means guava (a type of fruit). The Thai word for guava is farang—we Thais refer to foreigners (usually caucasians) as farang(s) also. Please note that the term farang, as used by Thais, is a neutral term and NOT an insult.

 

[MoonWrasse]

I am assuming that the ScubaBoard member who calls himself “buksida” is a not originally from Thailand.

In Thailand, the word buksida, in the Northeastern (Isan) dialect, means guava (a type of fruit). The Thai word for guava is farang—we Thais refer to foreigners (usually caucasians) as farang(s) also. Please note that the term farang, as used by Thais, is a neutral term and NOT an insult.

The Thai word "farang" is believed to be derrived from "french", thus you are calling all foriegners "french" which IS an insult to many

 

[MoonWrasse]

So, I would have to ask for "farang fries" when ordering fast food?

Lol, I think they'd appreciate that in a perverse way...

 

[Vie]

The Thai word "farang" is believed to be derrived from "french"

You are absolutely right—farang is the sound Thais made when they attempted to pronounce the words France (as in Vive la France) or the “fran” part in francais. France was the first European (and Caucasian, at the time) country Thailand (at that time, Siam) established diplomatic relationship with.

thus you are calling all foriegners "french" which IS an insult to many

This is NOT our intension. I am pretty confident in saying that most Thais nowadays are ignorant of the origin of the term farang as used to refer to white foreigners. Anyway, there is nothing insulting about being mistaken for a French person. I realise that you are joking, but it seems (to my ignorant Thai sensibility) to be a bad American joke...