A Student Crowned Beautiful Transvestites in Thailand

Thailand, long known for extraordinarily pretty transvestites and transsexuals, has crowned 19-yr-old Kangsadarn Wongdusadeekul, known by her stage name “Nong Noeng”, or “Nonk” for short, as Thailand’s most beautiful transvestite in an extravagant annual pageant which transfixed the nation.

Held Friday, May 30th, the pageant crowns the winner as “Miss Tiffany”, who then wears a Tiffany crown and wins 100,000 Thai Baht ($3200USD) and a Honda Jazz. Nonk cried as she accepted the crown from last year’s winner. Held in Pattaya, a famous beach resort town, the pageant is watched in Tiffany Theater by a 2000-seat crowd and is televised nationally.

Nonk, whose father is a colonel in the Thai military, was raised on a military base – when a judge asked her if she would be happy to join the army as a man, her reply was that “We are beautiful — so we have no need to be soldiers,” which got the biggest laugh of the night.

Nonk says she is lucky to have been accepted by her family, who told her that she “can be whatever I want to be so long as I take care of myself and other people”. She told AFP after the contest that she had known she wanted to be a girl from a very young age, and her military family were so understanding they now tell friends she is their daughter. They keep few photos of Nonk as a boy. She is presently a student at Dhurakij Pandit International College.

Although the prize money and Honda car are significant in Thailand, winning Miss Tiffany is about more than the prizes – most of the 30 contestants said they were seeking social acceptance rather than money.

The runners-up were Doolkamon “Golf” Kontun, and Pailin “Bank” Denfhanapapol, with awards also given for Miss Congeniality and Miss Photogenic.

The event has become increasingly high profile, with winners forging careers as television presenters and as the faces of beauty products.

Miss Tiffany will now advance to the global competition, Miss International Queen, to be held Thailand in October.