Asia-Pacific News

Thailand's new Miss Tiffany foresees "lady boy" premier

May 12, 2007, 2:59 GMT

Pattaya, Thailand - Thanyaras Jiraphatphakorn, after predicting that Thailand may one day have a 'lady boy' for prime minister, was crowned the new Miss Tiffany Universe early Saturday morning at the country's oldest transvestite beauty pageant.

Judges awarded the 20-year-old Thanyaras - a Kasetsart University student whose real name is Disanee Jitrapajin - the Miss Tiffany Universe crown based on his 'charming lady-like appearance' and 'brilliant' answers to their probing questions.

In the intelligence contest, when asked whether its was possible for a 'katoey' or 'lady boy' to become a politician, Thanyaras answered, 'Sure, it is. In the future, there might be prime minister who is a lady boy.'

However, he added that much depends on whether Thai society can change their negative views of katoeys.

'Society should judge people by what they do rather than considering what sex they are,' opined Thanyaras.

'Today, society sees ladyboys as sinful people. What do think about that?' she asked the audience, which was packed with local and foreign men.

Thanyaras was crowned Miss Tiffany Universe 2007 at 12:30 am Saturday with runners up Pharavee 'Bell' Chatpakorn, 18, and Pimchanok Hongsopa, 21, both of them college students.

'The contest this year was most difficult to judge,' said Alisa Phanthusak, assistant managing director of Tiffany's Show Pattaya Company, the organizer of the event. 'I think she (Thanyaras) won because she answered questions very well and most people thought she was the cutest girl and her eyes look like those of real woman.'

The pageant was an outgrowth from the nightly Tiffany Show in Pattaya, a Thai beach resort situated 90 kilometres east of Bangkok that is best known for its swinging night life.

The Miss Tiffany Universe contest was launched in 1998 in tandem with the government's 'Amazing Thailand Year,' a publicity campaign that emphasized the country's unique tourist attractions.