Miss Tiffany Universe 2007 tiaraed

In burst of glitter, Thailand names most beautiful transsexual

PATTAYA - A 21-year-old student and aspiring social worker was named Thailand's most beautiful transsexual late Friday, in a pageant bursting with glitter and sequins that has become a national spectacle.

In a nation obsessed with beauty pageants and renowned for its sexual tolerance, the Miss Tiffany Universe competition is taken every bit as seriously as more traditional pageants here.

Wearing a white beaded evening gown, Thanyarasmi Siraphatphakorn won the crown in the early hours of Saturday after a glittering competition that was broadcast on national television. Known locally as "kathoey," or the third gender, Thai transsexuals have slowly been leaving cabarets for mainstream success in music or other pursuits, helped in part by the popularity of the Miss Tiffany contest.

"I am so happy to win the title. This is the biggest dream of every kathoey," Thanyarasmi told reporters after winning the tiara, a 100,000 baht (2,900 dollar) cash prize, and a new Mercedes Benz.
The winners of the Miss Tiffany pageant, now in its 10th year, are often showered with entertainment deals, but Thanyarasmi said she wanted to return to the impoverished Issan region where she grew up to become a social worker. "I want to become a social worker. Many people, particularly in Issan, do not have many opportunities, so they need help from teachers and social workers to improve their lives," she said.

The contestants compete in evening gowns and cocktail dresses, while other kathoey performers danced in garters, fishnets and feathered head-dresses. Judges also made a nod to Thailand's political turmoil, using the question and answer segment to quiz the contestants about their hopes for the constitution currently being drafted by a military-appointed panel.

Many contestants said they hoped the new charter would for the first time guarantee legal protections for gays, or that a kathoey politician would emerge to join in the process. Seri Wongmonta, a prominent academic and an organiser of the event, said the judges asked political questions to show that the contestants are more than just pretty faces. "Over the next five or 10 years, Thai kathoeys will become more and more famous for their beauty and their brains," he said.

Agence France-Presse

via The Nation

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1609/8571041/16318291/251988688.jpg
2006?

http://www.misstiffanyuniverse.com/

I see that the bookies choice for the winner of that major western cultural event - The European song contest - is a Drag Queen, Verka Serduchka, from Ukraine. There is a bit of a fuss as when she sings in Ukranese "stir the sour goat's milk" is sounds like "Russians go home".

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v27/wowpow/ukr_verkaserduchka.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v27/wowpow/r143235_497163.jpg
Thanyarasmi Siraphatphakorn won the crown wearing a white beaded evening gown early Saturday morning (local time). (Reuters)

[quote="wowpow"]In burst of glitter, Thailand names most beautiful transsexual

PATTAYA - A 21-year-old student and aspiring social worker was named Thailand's most beautiful transsexual late Friday, in a pageant bursting with glitter and sequins that has become a national spectacle.

In a nation obsessed with beauty pageants and renowned for its sexual tolerance, the Miss Tiffany Universe competition is taken every bit as seriously as more traditional pageants here.

"I am so happy to win the title. This is the biggest dream of every kathoey," Thanyarasmi told reporters after winning the tiara, a 100,000 baht (2,900 dollar) cash prize, and a new Mercedes Benz.
The winners of the Miss Tiffany pageant, now in its 10th year, are often showered with entertainment deals, but Thanyarasmi said she wanted to return to the impoverished Issan region where she grew up to become a social worker. "I want to become a social worker. Many people, particularly in Issan, do not have many opportunities, so they need help from teachers and social workers to improve their lives," she said.



Did anyone say "You can drop the act now Darling you've already won!! Social worker, yeah right!
.

[catawampuscat]

You have to give wowpow credit for having a wide range of interest. I am amazed at the huge interest
in ladyboys and katoeys among farangs. I used to think it was unusual but now see it as common and
I believe far more farangs are interested in ladyboys than in muscleboys.

If the katoey is post operative and has a man-made vagina and breasts, would men who have sex with them
be considered gay or straight?
Would the katoey be a straight woman or considered gay?

They really are a third sex and the standards don't really apply.
Most of us know Thai guys that consider themselves men and not gay because their partner is a ladyboy or kateoy.

In the West, boys/men who have very feminine male lovers are not considered straight but are clearly gay but not here.
:cat:

[TrongpaiExpat]

The Thais also seem to have this fascination with lady-boys. I sometimes go to Babylon on Saturday nights and there's the usual lady-boy lip sync routines. I watch the Thai boys with their mouth agape and attention focused on the show. The Thai boys watch the show and I watch the Thai boys, works out well.

I actually watched the Miss Tiffany Universe show on TV and picked the winner, number 2. I picked her on the first round, 1 to 30 odds. I am not sure what that means, other than maybe I have been in Thailand too long.

One of the contestants, I forgot which one, was from G-Star here in Bangkok and I am told I met her once. She is a friend one of by BF friends , but I don't remember meeting her. There was plans for a big party if she won but she did not. The party went on anyways.