The 2014 Miss International Queen Pageant, the world’s most prestigious and largest beauty pageant for transgender women from all over the world was held on November 7th in Pattaya.
Twenty-two year-old Venezuelan beauty Isabella Santiago beat 21 contestants from 18 countries to win the title and was crowned “Miss International Queen”. Santiago, who wore a shimmery white evening gown, laughed and said “Sleep!” when asked about her plans after the win.
“When on stage, she is so elegant and that’s why the judges’ decision was unanimous,” said Seri Wongmontha, one of the pageant’s judges. The 1st runner-up for Miss International Queen was Nitsa Katrahong from Thailand with Piyada Inthavong from Lao named as the second.
The contest, in its tenth year, was held at the Tiffany’s nightclub, famous for its transvestite cabaret. Like other beauty pageants, contestants for “Miss International Queen” paraded in their national costumes, evening gowns and swimsuits.
To be eligible for the contest, contestants must have been born male and be between the age of 18 to 36. They can only represent their country of birth or that listed in their passport. All contestants are required to stay together for a week and participate in activities: Photo Shoots, luncheons with Pattaya City’s officials, dinners with the press, visit sponsors and community outreach, similar conditions to competitors in the female beauty pageant.