Tanasak's accented English is what the world prefers

Your columnist Supalak Ganjanakhundee shares the common belief that Anand Panyarachun and Abhisit Vejjajiva are role models for Thais aspiring to speak English. I do not agree. 

Foreigners prefer Thais speaking English like Foreign Minister Tanasak Patimapragorn did at the UN. He was clear and slow, but brief to the point of excellence, even though he was reading from a prepared speech. It was smooth to anybody’s ears and his arguments as to why Thais accept the coup were well reasoned. Khun Anand and Khun Abhisit could not express them better.

Without intending to disparage those Thai speakers with a perfect English accent, people might be in awe on first hearing them, but many feel they are freaks. 

They might give other nationalities, like the Japanese, an inferiority complex. 

To me, Thai-accented English spoken slowly, with clear diction, like that of General Tanasak, is ideal. Foreigners respect him for being “a real Thai” and not a half-baked and over-educated Thai.

My accent is that of Thais who have lived too long in England. I have noticed that some Japanese prefer speaking to my colleague who has never been abroad. Similarly, some Englishmen who have had less opportunity in higher education regard me as not knowing my place. 

The ill treatment that Abhisit received from a BBC correspondent could have stemmed from his accent, since he was speaking like a high-class Englishman. That innately was unacceptable.

Songdej Praditsmanont

Bangkok