Miss Thailand World is one of the country’s most important beauty pageant contests. Founded in 1985 it has taken significant popularity because of the eventual prize that the winners are awarded. That prize is the opportunity to compete in the internationally renowned Miss World contest that so many women in the world so covet.
This past August, as every other year, the contest took place at the heart of its Bangkok headquarters and a grand show was staged in order to crown the winner on this year of the contest’s thirty year anniversary. The 2015 winner was Miss Thanyachanok Moonnita, who along with the opportunity to compete in next December’s Miss World contest was awarded a highly generous cash prize of one million baht. The rewards did not stop there however, as “French Fries” (the term with which she is peculiarly nicknamed), took away a new house and a brand new Nissan car for her to enjoy. She won out over the twenty one contestants who had also been battling to clinch the title and was crowned by the former winner Miss Maeya Nonthawan, who also made it to the top ten positions of 2014’s Miss World competition.
Miss Moonnita, who hails from the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai, is a twenty two year old graduate from Bangkok’s Thammasat University with a degree in Chinese studies and can speak fluent Chinese. She is hopeful that this will help her win over the attention of the Chinese judges that will be deciding the outcome of the Miss World contest, held in the city of Hainan this year. Previously, “French Fries” was a model as well as an actress, an MC and additionally the host of the “Good Morning on the Road” news show.
The second prize went to Minalda Sarangsok, who is also twenty two years old and studies Humanities in Bangkok University. Meanwhile, third place was awarded to Natawan Ruengrit, who is studying a business administration course at the Ramkamhaeng University. The contest was very closely called and all three of the contestants had great chances.