When Paweensuda "Fahsai" Drouin was announced Miss Universe Thailand 2019, the hall erupted in a thunderous cheer. Fans were jumping up and down, screaming and hugging one another. Some even had tears down their faces as they finally got to witness this beauty queen's eventual moment of success after having been rooting for her for a long time.
"It still feels surreal," said Paweensuda, 25, in an interview with Life, joined also by Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray.
Decked out in royal blue and lavender dresses, the two beauty queens possessed a similar air of confidence and friendliness. They were chatting happily like old friends, having known each other since 2017 when Paweensuda was competing in the Miss Earth pageant in the Philippines.
"If at first you don't succeed, try and try again" is perhaps the phrase that best defines Paweensuda's pageantry journey. The Thai-Canadian beauty first came to pageant fans' attention when she competed in Miss Thailand 2013, in which she was placed as first runner-up. In 2017, she competed in Miss Universe Thailand (MUT), in the same year as Maria Poonlertlarp, who later won the crown, with Paweensuda placed as second runner-up. She also represented Thailand at Miss Earth later that year, finishing in the top eight.
Paweensuda has become a DJ and model since, but never forgotten her pageantry dream. After undergoing extensive training to improve herself, she returned this year a stronger contender than ever, coming in as the crowd's favourite and front-runner the moment she appeared in the competition.
Above Paweensuda Drouin and Catriona Gray. Pornprom Satrabhaya
On Saturday, Paweensuda made her dream come true with her sharp wit and beauty, finally bringing home the much coveted crown and title, which also brought immense joy to the many local and international fans she's acquired over the years.
Paweensuda's predecessor -- Sophida Kanchanarin, Miss Universe Thailand 2018 -- was the one placing a new MUT sash on her shoulder. And the one who presented her the crown was none other than Gray, who was herself crowned in Bangkok last December. Gray also served as one of the judges in the MUT final round.
As Miss Universe Thailand 2019, Paweensuda will represent the country in the upcoming Miss Universe 2019, which will take place at the end of this year and whose location is yet to be announced. Meanwhile, she also wants to use this platform to launch adapted physical education for disabled children. She has volunteered in the programme at the University of Calgary, where she graduated with a degree in kinesiology, and intends to see similar programmes being implemented here in Thailand.
"The reason why I'm here is because I really want to be able to make a difference. I actually tried that before. I went out and volunteered. I noticed that, nowadays, in order to be a volunteer, you have to be able to help out financially, which is something I didn't have at the time. And I realised that by being in a beauty pageant, we're able to go out, help other people and inspire them to be the best that they can be.
"When I see someone who is confused as to what they want to do in their life and they don't know where to go and they're insecure with themselves, and if I'm able to go there and bring a smile to their face, for me, that is the best thing that I can receive back. It's really priceless when you see something like that," said Paweensuda.
Paweensuda with her parents who wore a pageant sash with her name. PATTARAPONG CHATPATTARASILL
Past winners of MUT have been criticised to a certain extent for their ability to represent the country, as some may not have grown up here and may not look, or indeed are, 100% Thai. But what makes a person fit to represent a country anyway?
"I know at heart that I'm Thai," said Paweensuda, who was born in Thailand and grew up in Canada, before moving back here as an adult. She speaks fluent Thai. "I'd like to be able to say that I've studied. I did my history. And I'm able to go up there and I know that, for me, what makes us Thai people is that we're open and that we accept people from different backgrounds."
She also specifically chose to participate in pageants in Thailand.
"I've always had the goal that I want to represent Thailand and Miss Universe. It's always been Miss Universe or nothing," she said.
And there was no better person to share the experience and learn from than Gray, the reigning Miss Universe, who has returned to Thailand for the first time after she was crowned here.
"There's a lot of great things about [being Miss Universe], but it's really the fulfilment you get from a job like this. And it is a job. It comes with responsibility. But it's something that I really found such fulfilment in because I'm able to work with so many cause groups.
"Advocacy was the reason that I went into pageantry in the first place. I wouldn't be who I am in this journey without first having been a volunteer, without first having had a heart for a cause. To have that expanded platform to be able to speak to more people and educate people about it has really given me such fulfilment. Bringing up my country's banner and educating people about the Philippines, too, has been very enlightening for me," said Gray, who has advocated for HIV/Aids prevention and volunteered to help underprivileged children in the slums. On social media, she also publicly voiced her support for the LGBTI community.
Paweensuda, right, is congratulated by runner-up Miriam Sornprommas on Saturday in Bangkok. PATTARAPONG CHATPATTARASILL
Being back in Thailand is quite special for Gray, as it was here that she embarked on the journey of a lifetime. She admired the grand production of the show by the TPN 2018 team who also organised the Miss Universe 2018 contest in December. At the MUT final round, she was also happy to see Sophida Kanchanarin, who represented Thailand at last year's comp.
"It was special for me to see Ning [Sophida]'s passing-over moment because she's also my Miss Universe sister. I'll always remember her as a very warm delegate who welcomed us here in Thailand," Gray said.
Gray also officially welcomed Paweensuda into the family, saying she's confident the latter will take on this challenge with everything she has and make Thailand very proud.
"[Paweensuda] has a beautiful heart. You can tell. Now, she's in the sisterhood of Miss Universe. No matter what happens, even with her fellow contestants, she's going to make friends for life."
Addressing the challenges women still face today, as beauty queens, Paweensuda and Gray can be seen now as champions for women, children and the underprivileged. Each also has a cause that they believe in.
Gray said certain issues may be unique from one country and culture to another, but one thing's for sure, she sees that education can really empower women.
"A lot of the times, even as children, you start off on unequal footing. Some people have access to quality education, some people don't. And that's not just for women but for people in general. It heavily impacts women, though, because there are certain challenges that women come up against that are unique to women. And knowing that we have the power with tools like education to empower women to actually take power over their life and their circumstances, it's a very powerful thing. And when educated women come together, that's when you not only help other women but also combine your effort and make great things happen," Gray said.
Learning from a Miss Universe sister. Pornprom Satrabhaya
For Paweensuda, she brought up the #KuToo movement in Japan, which sees women pushing back workplace policies that say they have to wear high heels to work. "I think it's interesting that women get up to protest that we don't actually need to wear high heels in the workplace because the ability to work is not up to whether or not you're wearing heels, but rather on how much effort you put in at work."
The two beauty queens reflected on their similar journey getting to where they are today. Gray, too, has participated in different beauty pageants before making it to the very top.
"A lot of us grow up with a dream and we get very disheartened when it doesn't work out the first time. But victory is never as sweet if you've never tasted what it's like to fail. And I think we can both speak to that. It gives you a different sense of why you're doing this, too. It gives you this hunger or this gutsiness to why you're pursuing what you are because with that comes experience.
"And so you come to the second fight, which both of us have, with an increased sense of self and increased want for what you're doing and with a larger focus. I think that's why our stories are ones of success."
