Miss International Sireethorn Leeawamwat wants successor to be an inspiration

Reigning Miss International Sireethorn Leearamwat / ARMIN P. ADINA

TOKYO, Japan — Before she became Thailand’s first-ever Miss International winner, Sireethorn Leearamwat said many people did not believe she would be able to clinch the title, but she did. And now that the time has finally come for her to pass on the crown to her successor, she hopes it would be to someone who could inspire others like she has done.

“In Thailand, I think I inspired a lot to achieve anything that you want to. Actually, at that time, no one trusted me, that I could be Miss International because of my appearance. But why not? I thought I could. So don’t let anyone doubt you,” the outgoing titleholder told the Inquirer in an exclusive interview at the Tokyo Dome Hotel on Dec. 11.

The pharmacist also said she is hoping to pass her crown to someone who is authentic, and can also be of service to others. “You have to have yourself full, then give that to other people, especially women. I think in every country, the woman experience inequality. So I hope that girl could inspire women to escape from what imprisons them,” Leearamwat continued.

Aside from being the first Thai woman to capture the Miss International crown, she will also go down in history as the pageant’s longest-reigning queen. She won in 2019, but was not able to crown a successor in 2020 and 2021 because the COVID-19 pandemic prompted organizer International Cultural Association (ICA) to cancel the competition.

But she said she knew the time has really come. “We have a new crown. So it’s time to change to a new queen,” Leearamwat said. The pageant unveiled a new crown that will debut in the pageant’s 60th edition this year, designed and executed by Vietnamese jeweler Long Beach Pearl.

But what is next for the Thai queen? “You can still see me, in my next chapter, I will reveal it in my [farewell] speech,” she teased.

Sixty-six women are vying for her crown. The winner will be determined at the culmination of the 2022 Miss International pageant in ceremonies that will be held at the Tokyo Dome City Hall in Tokyo, Japan, on Dec. 13. The program starts at 2 p.m. (1 p.m. in Manila). EDV

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