As a Thai language teacher, when my students ask my opinion about their accents, I always give a good feedback whether they have their native accents or not. Honestly, it sounds pretty cute when they speak Thai with different accent. Some people might think I spoil my students, but the truth is, they (and anyone who studies different languages) deserve to a good compliment.
Yes, it’s perfect if you can speak Thai language with Thai accent and use those Thai tones correctly everytime. But the fact is it’s already great when you step out of your comfort zone and expand your language skill (probably multi-cultural social skill as well.) I’ve never seen Thai native who doesn’t like to hear imperfect Thai accent at all. My point is do not focus on your accent so much, it’s 100% okay to speak Thai language with any accent you have because accent defines who you are.
When I was an English student, I was horrified not having Hollywood accent (accent you hear from American TV.) I did not think foreign accents are beautiful things until my English teacher told me to try reading without pushing my Thai accent away. I tried, then I realized I learned faster and gained more from my English class because I could focus on other more important topics like grammar(I’m still learning.) From that English class, I’ve never worried about Thai accent because I’m Thai. Since then, the more I hear Thai with different accents, the more I have smiles on my face because Accent Is Beautiful.
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