Deaf beauty contest to be Thailand’s first pandemic pageant

Next Saturday, more than 40 contestants with impaired hearing will take the stage to compete for the crown of Miss and Mister Deaf Thailand at the kingdom’s first pandemic-era pageant.

The organizers of Miss and Mister Deaf Thailand announced the show will go on this month for the annual beauty pageant competition but with social distancing measures strictly enforced throughout the event.

Forty-three contestants – men, women and trans – will participate in the preliminaries on Aug. 22 at The Sukosol Bangkok hotel in the Phaya Thai area. The finals will be held Sept. 5 at Jarinthip restaurant on Srinagarindra Road.

Three winners will emerge to be crowned Miss Deaf Thailand, Mister Deaf Thailand and Miss Queen Deaf Thailand. 

Miss and Mr. Deaf Thailand was founded in 2011 by the Promotion and Development of the Arts Thai Deaf Club, or PDAD. The first contest…