There’s always the first time for everything.
Thinking of this, Seasia was highly driven to find out who was (/were) among the firsts from Southeast Asia who had ever win and make their nations proud with their ‘beauty’ – face and intelligence, of course.
We certainly found valuable facts that might be around your interests to know a little bit more of this, as well.
Thanks to Miss Universe 2018 from the Philippines, Catriona Gray that made Seasia into this kind of information, to be shared with all, you the loyal readers.
Herewith you may find all the firsts beauty queens hailed from Southeast Asia in every different stage of major beauty pageants held across the world:
Miss Universe 1965: Thailand
Winner: Apasra Hongsakula
Apasra Hongsakula is a Thai model and beauty queen who has held the title Miss Universe 1965. She is the daughter of Group Captain Perm and Kayoon Hongsakula. She was the first woman from Thailand to win the Miss Universe crown.
Apasra was born and raised in Bangkok, but she was sent to learn English at a girl’s secondary school in Malaysia’s northern state Penang.
In the 1964 Miss Thailand pageant was held in Bangkok in which Apasra won the crown.
She then went on to compete in the 1965 Miss Universe pageant held in Miami Beach, Florida, United States where she was crowned 14th Miss Universe winner on July 28, 1965.
She returned to the pageant as a judge in 1973 and 1979.
Miss World 2013: Philippines
Winner: Megan Lynne Young
Megan Lynee Young is a Filipino-American actress, model, TV Host and beauty queen. She won the Miss World Philippines title and was later crowned as Miss World 2013 in Bali, Indonesia. The American-born Filipino is the first representative of the Philippines to win the title of Miss World.
Young started as a contestant of the reality television show StarStruck and later became a member of ABS-CBN's Star Magic but she returned as a contract artist under GMA Network.
Miss International 1964: Philippines
Winner: Gemma Cruz
Gemma Teresa Guerrero Cruz, who was a historical writer at the National Museum, Manila, the Philippines, won the International Beauty Congress in Long Beach, California, USA on August 14, 1964 with 42 delegates.
The cash award of US$ 10,000 was donated to the building of homes to house the children who are sleeping in the streets of Manila.
Gemma who has everything - beauty - brains and social standing reigns as the 1st miss international for the Philippines.
Miss Grand International 2016: Indonesia
Winner: Ariska Putri Pertiwi
Ariska Putri Pertiwi, Miss Grand Indonesia was crowned Miss Grand International 2016 with her outstanding beauty in every round of the competition until she could pass into the top 5 finalists to give a speech under the campaign ‘Stop The War & Violence’ and could answer the question of the panel of judges impressively and wittily.
As the result, she undoubtedly won the pageant title and becomes the first Miss Indonesia ever who wins the title in the international beauty pageants.
Miss Supranational 2013: Philippines
Winner: Supranational Mutya Datul
Supranational Mutya Datul is Miss Supranational 2013.
The Filipina won from a field of 82 candidates to emerge victorious in the coronation night held in Minsk, Belarus.
Miss Intercontinental 2014: Thailand
Winner: Phataraporn Wang
Miss Intercontinental 2014 concluded with Phataraporn Wang from Thailand, emerging out as a winner; beating other 67 candidates across the globe.
Outgoing queen, Ekaterina Plekhova, from Russia crowned the new Miss Intercontinental held in Germany.
Miss Earth 2008: Philippines
Winner: Karla Henry
Miss Earth 2008, the eighth edition of Miss Earth pageant, was held on 9 November 2008 at the Clark Expo Amphitheater in Angeles, Pampanga, Philippines. Eighty-five delegates arrived from 19 October 2008 in Philippines.
The pageant was broadcast live via ABS-CBN and coverage since on Studio 23 in the Philippines and to many countries worldwide via Star World, The Filipino Channel and other partner networks.
At the conclusion of the final night of the competition, outgoing titleholder Miss Earth 2007, Jessica Trisko from Canada crowned her successor Karla Henry from the Philippines.
The interesting part of this beauty pageant was on Karla’s Final Question in Miss Earth 2008; "If you have the chance to speak to the newly-elected US President Barack Obama about the state of the global environment, what would you tell him?"
Her Answer was; "What I would tell to the newly elected president of the USA, being one of the most powerful countries in the world, I would encourage him to implement environmental knowledge in the curriculum of all schools whether in the United States or in the Philippines. Environmental knowledge is something that all of us must share, but most importantly we must teach the youth that this is something that we should instill in them so that in the near future they will be the ones to take care of our mother Earth."
Source : Various sources including Facebook
