Thailand cheered on as its Miss Universe contest Chalita Yaemwannang formally started her bid for the nation’s third crown. Chalita boarded a Thai Airways flight today and is scheduled to arrived in Moscow later this evening. Hundreds of Thai fans gathered at the Suvarnabhumi Airport to give moral support to Chalita who is touted as one of the strongest Thai delegate to be sent at the pageant lately. She was a huge favorite at the national pageant. Her fans a pinning their hopes on this 25 year old beauty from Bangkok to give the nation a fresh beauty pageant victory.
Thailand is proud to have its first Miss Universe crown way back in 1965 when a royalty trained Apasra Hongsakula brought home not only Thailand’s but Southeast Asia’s first victory at the pageant. A year later, Thailand was in the top three with Jeeranun Savettanun finishing as second runner-up in Miami, Florida. In 1968, Apantree Prayutsenee was hailed as one of the finalists in a pageant won by Martha Vasconcellos of Brazil.
While the 60s was a glorious decade for Thailand, the 70s proved to be a long dry spell which continued until in 1984, Savinee Prakaranung became one of the Top 10. Four years later, in a pageant held in Taipei, Taiwan, Pornthip Nakhirunkanok won the second Miss Universe crown for Thailand. The cycle of drought came in again in the 90s. What followed next is a supposedly an uneventful first decade of the new millennium but Iyawarin Osathanond and Farung Yuthithum earned a back-to-back semis finish in 2006 and 2007. Hopes ran high that Thailand will have a good decade but the third title continues to be out of reach of Thailand.
Thus the quest for a third crown continues. Thailand is a nation with a big passion for beauty pageants. Well in fact it is currently ranked as 28th in the Big4 Ranking http://missosology.org/big4/ranking/1696-big4-ranking-miss-world-2013/ With Chalita, there is a big confidence and a very positive outlook in Thailand right now. She is a sweet beauty with an air of sophistication. Her beauty is soft and radiant. Surely, she will be a big hit in Moscow!
Photos courtesy of T-Pageant.com
