00:00When someone says Farang, are they talking about a person or a fruit?
00:04The answer lies in the history.
00:06The word Farang first referred to Western foreigners.
00:10It came into Thailand from the Persian Farang , a term used for Europeans,
00:16and reached Siam through trade during the Ayutthaya period.
00:20So how is it related to the Guava fruit?
00:23The Guava came later, introduced by Portuguese traders from the Americas in the 16th-17th
00:31centuries.
00:32It became known as Fruit of Farang, which was eventually shortened to simply Farang.
00:38During the Ayutthaya period, Europeans introduced Guava to Thailand.
00:43Since the fruit arrived with the Farang, Thais simply started calling it Farang too.
00:48Thai people also used the word Farang to name things introduced by Westerners.
00:53Take Maak Farang, for example.
00:55It means chewing gum.
00:57Before gum existed, many Thais, especially older generations, love chewing maak or betel nut.
01:03When chewing gum arrived from the West, people call it Maak Farang, which literally means Western
01:10betel.
01:10So today, Farang means both a foreigner and a Guava.
01:14Spelled and pronounced exactly the same.
01:17It depends entirely on context.
01:20That's what happens when you're shaving your mouth.
01:20That's why it's a fair.
01:20I mean, I'm going to be the next one.
01:20So that's the next one.
01:20You
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