Cover Photo: Reasons why I carry a metal straw with me everywhere; you never know when you will find yourself in a coconut grove with many coconuts to drink from.
I can see it in their eyes; the panic setting in, the realization that they should have paid more attention in their middle school English classes. As I walk over to their stand/window/store they suddenly start looking around, searching for anyone who might speak English and can deal with the farang. When I get closer I can see the confusion in their faces, them questioning what a farang is doing in their small, rural, non-touristy town.
Where I live I am the only foreigner. Though I have been here for over a year I am still constantly meeting new people. My town sits on the border of another province and is directly on the highway that leads straight to Malaysia. This means that everyday new people are coming through my town. Through these travelers, and the 12,000 residents that live in Thungyao, repeating who I am and why I am here is at least a weekly event. (To clarify 12,000 is a rough estimate as there is no official census of the town. This number is based off the estimations people in my government office made when I asked them for the population of our community.)
It is for all these reasons and more that I sometimes wish I wore a sign that says “Don’t Panic, I speak Thai”, or to announce it on a loudspeaker whenever I go anywhere just to get the stares, points, and questions out of the way. Most of the time I am not bothered by the questions and being asked by strangers to take a photo with them. Only every once in a while, if I’m in a rush or just not in the mood, when someone points at me and yells farang, do keep my head down and continue on, pretending I don’t understand. My blue eyes and white skin make it very apparent that I am not Thai and to have it constantly be stated everywhere I go can get annoying. I once had a man stop traffic so that he could take a photo with me while I was in the process of crossing the street, it can be a bit much.
Curiosity is the root of all the questions and pictures. I have been told numerous times by Thai people that they have never met a foreigner who can speak Thai. I have also been thanked for taking the time to learn their language as most farangs they meet are just traveling through Thailand and rely on Google Translate or ignorantly think everyone knows English. It is hard to be annoyed at someone who is just curious about you which is why taking the time to answer the same questions I have been hearing for over a year now is important. I also use this as an opportunity to remind people that America and England are not the same country as I have gotten asked if I am British more times than I can remember.
I maintain a bit of a celebrity status now, everyone wants to know what I’m doing or where I’m going, and the photo opps are constant. So I’m basically famous, except for all the nice clothes, cars, houses, and lucrative income that comes with being famous in America. Will I expect everyone to treat me like a celebrity when I come home next year? Obviously. My ego has been inflated and I now require a certain number of compliments a day about how beautiful I am. It is just part of my growth that I have experienced in Thailand and it needs to be maintained. This is your forewarning. You have a year to prepare yourselves for my arrival stateside.
Until Next Time
-Lexi
Thai Time 