All it took was a recent pageant controversy to make both Filipino and Thai pageant fans realize they are friends and do feel right at home with each other on this part of the world after all.
For years, these two Southeast Asian pageant rivals have been quite at odds with each other about a lot of issues arising from the results of several pageant editions in the past. After all, these two countries had been on equal standing in Miss Universe then ( with two Miss Universe titleholders each before 2015). The online hate between these two countries started during the Miss Intercontinental 2014 fiasco that led the Thais to rally behind Ariadna Guttierez’s side in Miss Universe the year after. The relationship became even more frosty when the Thais heavily protested the final results of Filipino homegrown Miss Earth pageant two years after.
But the two countries have already moved on from these pageant controversies and have extended an olive branch with one another since then. We thank the pageant gods for sending Chalita Suansuane to Philippine shores to turn a new chapter between the two countries. Eversince Chalita wore a barong-inspired ensemble on her transit to Manila for the Miss Universe pageant three years ago, there has been no love lost between the Thais and the Filipinos eversince.
A year after, it was the turn of the Thais to return the favor. It was such a welcome change when former Miss Universe titleholder Pia Wurtzbach was welcomed with open arms when she was invited by the Tourism Authority of Thailand to attend the Women’s Journey event in Bangkok. Filipino pageant fans couldn’t hold their surprise and disbelief upon a warm exception extended to its queen considering the online hate the Filipina queen got from the Thais when she was still reigning. From this moment on, the two pageant fandoms have already become friendly with one another.
Just over this month, the newly-improved relationship was tested once again when a contestant of a second-tier national pageant based somewhere in Bangkok body shamed reigning Miss Universe Catriona Gray from the Philippines in one her posts on social media. That obviously did not sit well with Filipino pageant fans as they immediately called out the aspiring beauty queen then for the social media faux-pas. To the dismay of the infamous pageant owner involved, the Thais sided with the Filipinos in ganging up the now-newly crowned winner. It was definitely one surprising turnout he did not anticipate. The pageant owner, who has a knack for creating controversies to promote his pageant which ironically has a ‘world peace’ advocacy, forgot to take into consideration the strong bond between its body shamed subject and the newly crowned Miss Universe Thailand winner over the years.
To be honest, reigning Miss Universe Catriona Gray and newly crowned Miss Universe Thailand winner Paweensuda ‘Fahsai’ Drouin’s blossoming friendship is actually the best thing to come out of this latest controversy. They have one of the most appreciated friendships in pageantry and their BFF duo is the gift that keeps on giving.
In case you’d like a little refresher, Gray and Drouin first met in one of Miss Earth 2017’s auxiliary activities when the former served as a judge in a special sponsor competition where the latter was part of. A year after, fate would bind them again when both were invited by the same pageant sponsor, the late Col. Ricardo Nolasco, to be part of its judging committee in his short-lived national pageant. And now, who knew it would be Gray crowning her BFF as Thailand’s latest ‘IT Queen’ in Miss Universe?
At her core, Gray is a private person.
Sure, she can give refreshingly, endearingly well-worded answers in interviews, touching on everything from her tough start as an aspiring beauty queen to how she has been overcoming issues thrust in her yearlong reign. Given what she has been through, it’s obvious why the naturally reticent beauty queen keeps everything close to her chest and not reveal everything on social media.
To her BFF Drouin’s credit, Gray loosened up quite a bit in her short return to Bangkok. Apart from being crowned as the most beautiful woman in the universe in Bangkok last December, the reigning Miss Universe truly felt at herself around Drouin in all their activities together post-finals all the time. She really felt totally at ease and comfortable around Drouin and can let every little aspect of her personality come out. Whether it’s the way she did that little dance during the afterparty or chatted nonstop with her in a spa, Gray doesn’t feel the need to hold back when Fahsai is truly in her company.
And while their friendship isn’t yet enough that could outlast a Hollywood’s marriage, their relationship is everything you could ever hope for in a friendship. If these two are best friend goals, then could the Thai and Filipino pageant fans finally follow suit for the long haul?
Drouin’s Pan-Asian features and background is very similar of that of Gray’s and so pageant pundits are already tagging her as one of the girls who could be Gray’s successor in the upcoming Miss Universe. By warmly receiving Pia before and treating Catriona like their own now, looks like Filipino pageant fans have found long-lasting allies in the Thais in the world of pageantry.
Photos taken from: Andy Cayna, itravelchanneltv Website, Khaosod English and @missthailands and Chalita Suansuane’s Instagram page
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