Beauty battle

The Miss International Queen 2009 will be crowned on Saturday night.

"The contestants come from more than 30 countries," Tiffany Show Pattaya Company assistant managing director Alisa Phantusak said yesterday.

Her company has organised the pageant with support from the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

Yesterday, the contestants participated in activities in the Nong Nooch Garden.

"The pageant can boost tourism in Thailand," Alisa said.

The crowned beauty queen will get a cash prize of US$10,000 (Bt335,000) among many other gifts.

The first runnerup will get $2,000, or about Bt70,000, while the second runnerup will receive $1,500 (Bt50,000). Both will be showered with gifts from sponsors too.

Miss Congeniality from the pageant will get $300 (Bt10,000) plus gifts, just like Miss Photogenic.

Striving to advance and support today's transgender/ transsexual, the Miss International Queen Pageant offers them a great opportuni¬ty to present their "individual beauty and intelligence" in a friendly atmosphere.

"These days, public accept¬ance of transvestites and transgenders has clearly increased," Nong Nooch Garden sales manager Jirapreut Sodorn said yesterday.