Busy at boot camp

BOOT CAMP can be hard work as the 50 aspiring beauty queens taking part in the 2015 edition of the Miss Grand Thailand pageant found out during their recent four-day stay in the southern seaside province of Chumphon, one of the country’s 12 “Hidden Gems”.

The hectic schedule started immediately after their arrival, as the ladies changed into Guy Laroche two-piece swimsuits and sashayed in front of the judges, who included Nawat Itsaragrisil, the president of Miss Grand International Organisation and Miss Grand Thailand and Gilles Tourenne, the manager of Hotel Novotel Chumphon Beach Resort.

Up with the larks the following morning, the ladies paid a courtesy call on Supol Julsai, head of the Chumphon Provincial Administrative Office, then headed to the Prince Chumphon Veterans Memorial Shrine to pay their respects. After a brief visit to a warship, they strolled along the popular Sairee Beach then headed to Ban U Thong Phanang Tak Elderly Welfare House to spend time with the residents. In a particularly poignant moment, one resident asked Varochasiri Songchon if she was her daughter. “Are you coming back for me?” asked the elderly woman, who was apparently found on her own at a railway station in 2004.

After lunch, the girls travelled to the Swallow’s Nest Learning Centre Tee Ban Nok and had a go at trying to collect the swallows’ nests and taste the delicacy. At Mo Ko Chumphon National Park, they learned about the mangrove forest, took in the panoramic view from Mutsea Mountain and paid their respects to Guan Yin Bodhisattva.

The third day was equally as busy with the girls leaving early for Wat Phra That Sawi to offer alms to the monks then heading to the Suan Nai Dum where they nibbled on fruit from the orchards and admired the collection of toilets in unusual designs.

“They have so many toilets that you need a map to get around,” giggled Tharathip “Baitoey” Sukdarunpat.

After lunch at the Pitak Island Community, where they chatted with the fisherman and other members of the community, they boarded a boat to release “hoy mue suea” (Tridacna) and sea turtles. As the sun set, they were taken in other boat to Koh Langka Chio (Koh Lang Nok), which boasts a bird’s nest concession. 

The 10 finalists – Thanjitra Khongkha, Naranjutha Panyasuk, Sakolwan Sae Tiew, Varochasiri Songchon, Minlada Srangsok, Nathaorn Chantala, Poranee Srithan, Panthitra Kamwan, Puwisa Chawang and Tharathip Sukdarunpat – were announced on the last day. Dressed in short cocktail dresses, they answered questions as to how they would promote Chumphon province and why the province had been chosen as one of the 12 hidden gems.

Tharathip also received the Beloved Award from the Chumphon people together with a Bt50,000 prize, as Nathaorn came in as second favourite while Puwisa won the Popular Vote.

 

Girls go 'Grand'

 

- The winner of Miss Grand Thailand 2015 will be announced at Indoor Stadium in Hua Mark on Tuesday in a live telecast on Channel 7 at 10.30pm.

- Fans of the 10 finalists can watch through live streaming on www.MissGrandThailand.com and on YouTube “Miss Grand Thailand”.

- To attend the final, book at Facebook.com/officialmissgrandthailand, IG: officialmissgrandthailand and www.YouTube.com/ MissGrandThailand.