Crowd Erupts as Miss International Queen Reveals Costume Top Three

 

Roaring crowds watched 27 nations vie for Best Costume as Miss International Queen 2026 named its Talent Quest winner before Pattaya's grand finale.
 

 
The Forum at Gaysorn Village throbbed with noise through Sunday afternoon, as banners waved, whistles shrieked and hundreds of fans pressed against the barricades, screaming the names of their favourites while still finding room to cheer for rivals from rival nations. 

 

Every time a new flag colour swept onto the runway, sections of the crowd erupted in unison, phones raised, voices hoarse, determined not to miss a second of the spectacle. It was, in every sense, a homegrown carnival with global reach — and across three hours, from 2:00pm to 5:00pm on 14 September, 27 countries took their turn to dazzle.

 

The event was "The National Costume and Talent Quest", one of the marquee showcases of Miss International Queen® 2026, staged under this year's theme, "The Evolving Legacy: Empower Every Voice". 

 

It marked the pageant's 20th anniversary and offered the clearest sign yet of how far the competition has travelled — from a niche beauty contest into a genuinely international platform for transgender women to tell their stories on their own terms.

 

 

A Runway of Legends and Living History

Delegates arrived clad in costumes that fused ancestral folklore with contemporary craftsmanship.

 

Host nation Thailand sent the crowd into raptures with "Kinnaree", a costume inspired by the mythical half-woman, half-bird of Thai legend, rendered in golden feathers and towering wings beneath a crown said to symbolise the dignity of modern women. 

 

 

Neighbouring Laos evoked the royal wedding ceremonies of the Luang Prabang court, while Malaysia drew on the folk tale of a princess discovered inside a bamboo stalk.

 

Myanmar honoured a treasured Buddhist offering tradition, and Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam each told stories of renewal — from devotion to the sea goddess Mazu to the fluttering of butterflies through Vietnam's oldest national park.

 

 

The Americas brought colour and conviction in equal measure. Brazil's macaw-inspired gown, crafted from sustainable materials, celebrated biodiversity and resilience, while Colombia's design channelled the wild jaguarundi as a symbol of freedom and adaptability. 

 

Mexico paid tribute to the Muxes of Oaxaca through a richly embroidered Tehuana dress, and Puerto Rico's costume carried the faces of three women credited with shaping the island's transgender history.

 

 

Perhaps most touching was Honduras's entry, hand-embroidered by the contestant's own mother and female relatives — a family legacy stitched, quite literally, into the fabric of the competition.

 

Europe and Oceania closed the circle with equal flair. France resurrected the glamour of the Moulin Rouge in homage to Coccinelle, one of the country's earliest recognised transgender performers, her feathered gown a tribute to freedom and visibility. 

 

New Zealand's delegate wore the Korowai feather cloak alongside a Koru pendant carved from native pāua shell, honouring Māori concepts of growth, leadership and ancestral connection.
 

 

 

Three Named for the Costume Crown

Amid the spectacle, organisers confirmed the Top 3 Best National Costume finalists, who will now compete for the title at the Crowning Finale on 19 September:

 

• Saki Iwai, representing Japan

• Daniela Marquina, representing Venezuela

• Theerachaya Pimkitidaj, representing Thailand

 

Iwai, a Tokyo literature student and Miss International Queen Japan 2026 titleholder, speaks of turning her own journey into "a source of hope and encouragement for others". 

 

 

Marquina, an administrator and Miss Venezuela Gay 2013 winner, has campaigned for the right of transgender Venezuelans to change their legal name and gender with dignity.

 

Threerachaya, a former Vogue Thailand beauty editor and current Miss Tiffany 2026, uses her platform to push for better healthcare access for transgender people as they age.

 

 

Talent Takes the Spotlight

Once the costumes had been judged, the same stage transformed for the Talent Quest, giving contestants the chance to show off skills far beyond the runway. The results:

 

• Winner: Lo Colby, representing the USA

• 1st Runner-up: Saki Iwai, representing Japan

• 2nd Runner-up: Nguyen Cao Minh Anh, representing Vietnam

 

 

 

Colby, a brand marketing manager and advocate for LGBTQIA+ pay equity in her professional life, becomes the afternoon's standout performer, while Iwai's double placing — costume finalist and talent runner-up — marks her as one to watch heading into the Grand Finale.

 

 

 

Pattaya, the "Pink Economy" and a Bid for WorldPride

Behind the glitter lies two decades of strategy. Speaking in Bangkok, Tiffany's Show Pattaya managing director Alisa Phanthusak explained that the pageant began by recognising an under-served tourism niche, built on the 50-year-old cabaret's founding ethos of empowering transgender talent. 

 

"The economic value cannot be measured purely in monetary terms," she said, describing the competition chiefly as a corporate social responsibility project that turns Thailand — and Pattaya in particular — into a "home" the global transgender community returns to, often bringing family and friends along.

 

 

 

Alisa also traced how the pageant's purpose has shifted. In its earlier years, she said, beauty served mainly as a marketing hook; two decades on, it has evolved into a platform producing "country idols and role models" who champion acceptance back home. 

 

She was candid that full acceptance remains a work in progress, even as day-to-day quality of life for gender-diverse Thais has markedly improved.

 

 

With Thailand bidding to host WorldPride 2030, Alisa argued the kingdom is among the strongest contenders, citing Tiffany's Show's half-century history and the pageant's own 20-year legacy as evidence of the country's credentials as one of the world's most welcoming destinations — and a genuine driver of soft power. 

 

Looking two decades further ahead, she said her hope is for mutual respect and diversity to be recognised as economic assets in their own right, with once-marginalised communities now shaping fashion, tourism and business "across every sector".

 

What's Next

The 27 delegates now head towards the business end of the competition. Key dates ahead:

 

• 14 September – The World Equality Forum 2026, University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, Bangkok (free, open to the public).

• 17 September – Preliminary Competition, Tiffany's Show Pattaya Theatre

•    19 September – Grand Finale, Tiffany's Show Pattaya Theatre, from 8:00pm

 

It is at Saturday's finale in Pattaya that Iwai, Marquina and Theerachaya will discover who takes home the Best National Costume title — and where, before a crowd sure to be every bit as loud as Gaysorn Village's, a new Miss International Queen will finally be crowned.

 

Miss International Queen® 2026 is supported by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the Ministry of Justice's Rights and Liberties Protection Department, the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau, and other partners. The Grand Finale will be livestreamed via the pageant's official YouTube channel.