Thailand’s Anntonia finishes second as Nicaraguan is crowned Miss Universe

Millions of people from around the world were glued to their TV screens on Sunday. #MissUniversThaland2023 and the name of Anntonia in Thai became the top two X trends in Thailand throughout Sunday morning.

By 11am, #MissUniverseThailand2023 was stated in over 1.47 million tweets.

Palacios, 23, a model and social developer, became the first Nicaraguan to win the title.

This year, the pageant followed a system of shortlisting contestants to the round of last 20, last 10, last five, and last three before the winner of the title was announced.

During the round of last five contestants, both Palacios and Anntonia impressed with their answers. Anntonia got a 9.8 for her answer and Palacios got a 9.7.

“What qualities and values guide you as a leader and role model for others?” Miss Nicaragua was asked.

She replied: “The quality that has inspired me and has inspired millions of women and girls is humility and to be able to appreciate all of the little things, because that’s where the most valuable thing is: the essence of being human.”

Anntonia was asked: “If you could speak to a room full of students about online bullying, what would you say?”

She answered: “I would say to not listen to what people have to say because in the end everyone is entitled to their own opinion but it is up to us on how we react to it. Use our voice to stand up for what is right, and be the change that we want to see in the world by leading by example. Don’t listen to the hate because it doesn’t shape us, but what shapes us is how we get back up and how we move forward from that.”

Thai audiences cheered and flooded social media with congratulatory messages at every stage of Anntonia's progress.

Many Thais cheered when Anntonia showed up in a traditional costume, which displayed her as a goddess from the ancient Ayutthaya period. She dressed like a mythical earth goddess with long hair that she grabbed and squeezed to release water to the earth in line with Thai belief.

Earlier, Anntonia shone in her spectacular night gown, that was designed to be quite revealing of her slender shape in blue and gold stones like the shining stars.

Her costume was inspired from the 14th-18th century Ayutthaya period.

The beauty queens who qualified for the final five were: Moraya Wilson from Australia; Karla Guilfú Acevedo from Puerto Rico; Sheynnis Palacios from Nicaragua; Anntonia Porsild from Thailand, and Camila Avella from Colombia.

Then, Anntonia, Wilson, and Palacious made their way to the last round of three before Miss Nicaragua was crowned Miss Universe.

Palacious was born on May 30, 2000. She studied at the Universidad Centroamericana and pursued a degree in mass communication. At the same time, she also played volleyball for the university.

Palacios's pageantry debut was in 2016 when she won the Miss Teen Nicaragua 2016 pageant. As Miss Teen Nicaragua 2016, Palacios represented her country in Teen Universe 2017, in Managua, Nicaragua where she placed in the top 10.

Palacios had previously competed in Miss World 2021 as Miss World Nicaragua 2020, placing in the top 40. She was later crowned as Miss Universe Nicaragua 2023, becoming the country's representative in the pageant. In the course of her successful journey in El Salvador, she also became the fifth Nicaraguan to reach the last five of the pageant.