Noppamas Queen Isaan Thailand 2009.

I had ventured to the local university for The Loy Kratong Festival, at this festival apart from floating your kratong, there is of course a beauty pageant. I have never been to a country where there are so many beauty competitions. On TV there is an endless stream of girls parading around and then a number to text for your favourite.

At Loy Kratong there is a contest held called The Noppamas Queen, This story I have written about before and a lady, a King’s consort named Nang Noppamas; was supposedly the first person to make a kratong and float it, and this was 700 years ago.

This is of course a fable, but sadly some government ministries refuse to let the truth be told about this story and will not let the real story be told in Thai history classes, like many things to do with Thai history, much of it is moulded to how they wanted it and not as it really happened.
There are thousands, no tens of thousands of the Noppamas Queen Pageants held across Thailand. Here in Ubon alone I would not be able to count them, many small villages have them, local government departments, and also schools and universitites just to name a few.

Rajabhat University has a big Noppamas Queen each year, many girls put themselves through what would have to be a torture test, there hair is extended, moulded and a millions hair pins used, the dresses, though beautiful are restrictive and near impossible to relive yourself once in.

And then the competition itself takes an enternity, 4 or more hours as the girls’ parade onto the stage 4 or so times to be judged, receive flowers from well wishers and so forth.

Miss Noot and Benjawan have won this title at their local government area office. But this is more serious here. This title is highly sort after and the girls will spend a small fortune (or a sponsor) to have the girls looking their best.

Below are pictures of the 30 girls. I myself cannot see how a girl who has lovely olive skin, being plastered with white makeup and made look like a ghost is in anyway beautiful.

I always get a good laugh out of the shoes, some are absurd and the girls have to shuffle in tiny steps and turning becomes a health hazard.

The dresses are always breathtaking though, Thai silk is a beautiful product and I always end up judging on the outfit and not the girl and so many are alike, being ghostly and looking petrified with a false glued on smile.

Anyway, below are pictures of the Noppamas Queen 2009 from Rajabhat University here in Ubon Ratchathani Thailand.









If you would like to see all the pictures, go to my Flickr account and they are all there.

Brunty