Miss Spinster Thailand

[Soxy]

For all of us single ladies out there...

 

This story is so funny! I heard about it from the NY Times--very cool.....

 

OFFBEAT BEAUTY PAGEANT

'Miss Spinster' crowned

in Thailand

Posted: 9:43 PM (Manila Time) | Jun. 16, 2003

Agence France-Presse

 

BANGKOK - A bevy of mature beauty contestants locked horns at the weekend to see who would be crowned Thailand's first-ever Miss Spinster.

 

The pageant, aimed exclusively at single women aged 28 or above, named 37-year-old Saowapa Thephasadin, a private entrepreneur with a talent for sign language, as Thailand's "Miss Khanthong" on Sunday.

 

The two-week event saw an original 128 contestants, all university graduates aged up to 51 years, whittled down to 21 participants who engaged in sportswear, short dress and evening gown competitions.

 

Among the contestants was a niece of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, whose connections to Thailand's richest man apparently were not enough to secure her a place in the final round.

 

Saowapa, who also won the award of Miss Personality, told judges she would immediately dedicate the year of her reign to helping Thailand's deaf people.

 

Runners-up included a former member of the national volleyball team and a college professor.

 

"The contest is to show that single females who are old can live happily even if they don't get married," said Jetset Productions spokesman Withan Kamutchat on the pageant's opening day.

 

Saowapa took home a prize of 50,000 baht (1,190 dollars) as well as her crown, which she would hold for a year provided she fulfills her commitment to stay unmarried during her reign.

 

Thais are great fans of beauty contests - two women from the kingdom have been crowned Miss Universe - and have quite a penchant for launching offbeat pageants.

 

Last month the country held its popular Jumbo Queen contest, an annual pageant for large-sized women designed to highlight the plight of Thailand's diminishing numbers of wild elephants.