Video clip of Paradon-Natalie's Engagement Ceremony (by Mayuree Sukyingcharoenwong)

The chaotic scene at the press conference on Tuesday when Paradorn Srichaphan and Natalie Glebova announced their engagement was clearly evidence of overwhelming public attention lavished on this golden couple.

What more can you ask from a couple? Paradorn is Thailand's best-loved tennis star and Natalie the most beautiful woman in the universe.

Hundreds of reporters showed up at Sukhothai Hotel early morning on April 24 to reserve the best seats in the conference room before the scheduled announcement time of 10:29. Then the romantic event turned into a small riot scene when the couple showed up.

Photographers jostled to reach the two stars while journalists yelled at them for blocking their view.

Finally, love conquered all. The photographers agreed to sit down and let the press conference begin.

Paradorn showed up in an elegant jacket. He is miles away from "The Beast". (A mean Thai reporter asked him earlier if his marriage was like Beauty and the Beast.)

Now, before we describe Natalie's radiant looks, we would like to ask our readers to recall the song "She" by Elvis Costello to build up the mood: "She may be the face I can't forget/The trace of pleasure or regret. . . "

Dark-haired Natalie was dazzling in her strapless short yellow dress. The audience was mesmerised by her glittering green eyes.

We would be lying to you if we didn't confess that at that moment, we were also wondering if Paradorn really deserves this surreal beauty queen. Sigh . . .

A MC entered on stage to make an introductory speech. But the reporters could wait no longer. Some yelled, "Cut the crap and kick off the event now!"

Then the couple told the crowd that they became engaged on Songkran night during a dinner in Bali. Paradorn said he got down on his knees when he asked for Natalie's hand. In return, Natalie responded with no hesitation: "Yes, yes, yes, yes!"

Ooops, have we mentioned that the rock is 3-karats, valued at Bt3 million?

The biggest surprise was not the engagement announcement. It was the surprise gift from Paradorn's parents to their future daughter-in-law consisting of 16-karat diamond earrings and necklace, engraved "Natalie" and worth an estimated Bt16 million.

Paradorn said they planned to tie the knot in November or December. The wedding ceremony will be designed according to traditional Thai style. After the marriage, Miss Universe 2005 will be renamed Natalie Glebova Srichaphan.

Then the eager reporters exploded with a tornado of questions. The smiling couple tried to answer every one of them.

Natalie thanked Paradorn's parents for giving her a Thai name: "Piang Fah" or "High as the Sky"

"The feeling straight from my heart is that, yes, I will spend the rest of my life and build my family with this person," she said. "He's very compassionate to other people and open to them. He helps other people. That's why I love him."

"It's once in a lifetime that a man has to decide to settle down and have a family and I have only one chance to do this," Paradon said. "Natalie is definitely going to be a daughter-in-law for the Thai people."

"Ever since we met I knew that he was a down-to-earth, humble person," said Natalie, adding in Thai: "Fah rak phi Ball," or "I love brother Ball."

Throughout the press event, Natalie did have something to worry about: tugging up her bodice to keep herself contained.

The celebrity couple acknowledged that they became "special friends" in February after Glebova publicly rewarded Paradorn with a kiss for beating Tim Henman in the quarter-finals of the Thailand Open last year.

A kiss is not just a kiss . . .

by Mayuree Sukyingcharoenwong and Jeerawat Na Thalang

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