Drawing on the literature on Asian international students, current debates surrounding English as an international language (EIL), and the conceptual tools of appropriation, this article reports the findings of a qualitative research study with eight Asian international students studying at a university in Thailand to explore their taking ownership of English and how they see themselves in relation to the language. The findings demonstrate that these students' appropriation of EIL for their own advantage reflects a healthy and sensible sense of sharing the ownership of English. The findings also highlight the relationships between these students' sense of self and their positioning with respect to the English language. Many stereotypes about international students constructed around the English language and their being Asian have been challenged by the sophisticated and dynamic manner of the participants' appropriation of English. The article argues that together with encouraging and valuing users' appropriation of English, it is important to acknowledge and promote ways that individuals take ownership of English. Their voices must be heard, not assumed. Users of EIL need to be seen as individuals and in relation to who they are, who they want to be and who they could become and in multiple domains in which their identities are produced and reproduced.