Sophida Siriwatananukul was Friday crowned the winner of Miss Tiffany's Universe 2015, Thailand's largest transgender beauty pageant, in the beach resort city of Pattaya.
The 22-year-old public health student was chosen from a field of 30 contestants, and will later this year represent Thailand at Miss International Queen, the world's largest international transgender beauty pageant.
The pageant is organised by Tiffany's Show, one of the largest transvestite cabaret shows in the country, located in Pattaya, 100 kilometres southwest of Bangkok.
The Miss Tiffany Universe contest was launched in 1998 in tandem with the government's Amazing Thailand Year, a publicity campaign that emphasised the country's unique tourist attractions.
It was also aimed at creating a positive image of transgender people, who struggle to find jobs outside of the entertainment and tourism industries.