Beauty doesn't have a colour code: Thai editorial

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EDITORIAL
Beauty doesn't have a colour code
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Nonthawan 'Maeya' Thongleng has been crowned Miss Thailand World; women everywhere should take note

The media, mainstream and social alike, have given Thailand's new beauty queen, Nonthawan "Maeya" Thongleng, a warm welcome. Her charm, wit and wonderful singing voice won over the judges and the public. She has everything a Miss Thailand World needs. One of her attributes, however, has threatened to "overshadow" her all-round appeal: the colour of her skin. Maeya's alluring dark complexion is in sharp contrast to Asia's porcelain-white stereotype of beauty.

Dubbed "the Southern beauty", the 22-year-old student from Surat Thani is one of only a few darker-skinned women crowned at any of the country's many beauty pageants. So it was refreshing to see that old cliché - that "a white complexion equals beauty" - ignored in the latest contest on Saturday.

Netizens took to the social networks to compliment the newly crowned Maeya on her "genuine" Thai looks, and praised the judges for departing from their traditional choice of pale skin and Eurasian characteristics. Her "honey-coloured" skin reminded many Thais of Pocahontas, the Native American princess, as depicted in a Disney animated film.

There were suggestions as well that her victory would slow the market in skin-whitening products.

The whitening fad has dominated the beauty industry in Thailand for years. Women are bombarded with adverts for cosmetics that promise to lighten their complexion. Helping drive this "ideal" here is South Korean culture, whose stars invariably sport flawless eggshell complexions. Whitening products make up half of Thailand's Bt1-billion skincare market. Darker-skinned Thai women and their counterparts across Asia long for lighter skin.

Meanwhile, in the West, Caucasian women hold out a tanned complexion as their ideal. It seems the grass is always greener on the other side.

The crowning of a darker-skinned Thai serves as a timely reminder that beauty is both universal and diverse - represented in all races and skin colours.

Maeya should be held up as an example: feel confident about your natural beauty rather than reaching for a foreign ideal. The Thai public seems to be behind her, believing she stands a great chance of becoming a Miss World whose looks are "authentically Asian".

It is not that darker skin has never been valued aesthetically. Maeya is not the first Miss Thailand World contestant without that porcelain-white complexion. In 2004 Nikulaya Dulaya won the title and went on to join the runners-up at the Miss World pageant. Like Maeya, Nikulya attracted judges with her tanned and "typically Thai" look. Another thing the two beauties have in common is confidence in their appearance.

Beauty is in the eye of beholder, many will say. But the concept of beauty is not a scientific formula. The Roman goddess Venus was always depicted as voluptuous and curvy, while supermodel Kate Moss is stick-thin. The Mona Lisa's mysterious smile is carried on wispy lips, while Angelina Jolie's protrude in a shapely pout. The concept of beauty changes constantly and should never be taken as sacred and singular.

Now, our new Miss Thailand World could well launch a new trend - for duskier skin. But we must this try to ensure that this refreshing development doesn't become yet another beauty cliche. Women should rely on the old rule of thumb - that each individual looks their best when they come to terms and are content with their "natural" look. And this is exactly what Maeya has shown everyone.


-- The Nation 2014-06-25

[Somtamnication]

These Thais with their whitening crap. They really need to get a life!

[Sealbash]

These Thais with their whitening crap. They really need to get a life!

I agree. That is totally different than the white people on the beach or at a salon trying to get a tan. Totally different.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[chooka]

I love the natural olive complexion that Thai women have. These so called whitening creams are a scam.

[rkidlad]

It doesn't matter what colour her skin is.

One of my friends told me she was picked because she looks 'true Thai' I asked "what do you mean? and my friend said before they might have picked a half Thai - half 'farang'. They don't look 'true Thai'.

If this is the case, they've gone one step forward and two steps back.

[Payboy]

Beauty doesn't have a colour code

Phuket's known that for years.

[jaltsc]

"The whitening fad has dominated the beauty industry in Thailand for years. Women are bombarded with adverts for cosmetics that promise to lighten their complexion. Helping drive this "ideal" here is South Korean culture, whose stars invariably sport flawless eggshell complexions. Whitening products make up half of Thailand's Bt1-billion skincare market."

Thailand....Where women look at Morticia Addams and say to themselves: "Wow she's beautiful. I want to have skin just like hers".

Let's face it, insecure people, no matter what society, country or ethnic group, want to be what they are not. People with light skin want to be tan. People with darker skin want to be light in the hope that others will not look beyond their skin and discover the true person. The advertising industry plays upon these insecurities and makes a fortune for its clients.

Edited June 25, 2014 by jaltsc

[chainarong]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

These Thais with their whitening crap. They really need to get a life!

They also put pegs on their nose , they are trying to look like Europeans , the flared nose for those who don't know, plays a important part in your body cooling, that's why Europeans suffer in the heat our nose is shaped for cooler climates, so this of course wont make their nose narrow and sharp looking, unless they are Michael Jackson , but along with the whitening, this is some silly idea that they will look like UK Princes Kate.

[hookedondhamma]

Her honey colored skin reminded thais of Pocahontas.

Riiiiiiiiiiiight.

I guess native American is 'in'.

[Payboy]

Her "honey-coloured" skin reminded many Thais of Pocahontas

I bet they want to Pocahontas.

[maxme]

These Thais with their whitening crap. They really need to get a life!

I agree. That is totally different than the white people on the beach or at a salon trying to get a tan. Totally different.

Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

It is if you categorize tanned people as dirty and low educated

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[h90]

I love the natural olive complexion that Thai women have. These so called whitening creams are a scam.

Olives are green....I have not yet seen green Thai women.

[jaltsc]

" Her "honey-coloured" skin reminded many Thais of Pocahontas..."

If the Hontas women have that beautiful honey-mocha skin, then I definitely want to pocahontas .

[chooka]

I love the natural olive complexion that Thai women have. These so called whitening creams are a scam.

Olives are green....I have not yet seen green Thai women.

[LotusBoy]

I love the natural olive complexion that Thai women have. These so called whitening creams are a scam.

Olives are green....I have not yet seen green Thai women.

What you talking about Man? Picked this little minx up from NEP last night......

[Just1Voice]

When I saw her picture yesterday, the first thing I thought was: Now that is a real Thai beauty.

[umbanda]

Finally!!! My wife have the most beautiful skin type and color I ever saw and touch, but she still thinking that white is beautiful and fashionable. I asked her to look in this posting, and at the Thai new beauty queen pictures. In western countries the withening skin creams are vanished from selling. Its are poison to the skin and may lead to permanent damage.

Edited June 25, 2014 by umbanda

[UbonRatch]

I dunno what the fuss is all about. She ain't that dark... in fact she's quite fair. She ain't no si dam dam, that's for sure!

[hanno]

I love the natural olive complexion that Thai women have. These so called whitening creams are a scam.

Olives are green....I have not yet seen green Thai women.

You obviously haven't seen a lot of Olives, either

As for "all the Thais that use whitening creams, want to look different, yadda yadda": no tanning salons in the West. No Botox? No face lifts? No boob jobs?

[UbonRatch]

I love the natural olive complexion that Thai women have. These so called whitening creams are a scam.

Olives are green....I have not yet seen green Thai women.

You obviously haven't seen a lot of Olives, either

As for "all the Thais that use whitening creams, want to look different, yadda yadda": no tanning salons in the West. No Botox? No face lifts? No boob jobs?

Could do with a few boob job outfits in Thailand.

[ratcatcher]

I love the natural olive complexion that Thai women have. These so called whitening creams are a scam.

Olives are green....I have not yet seen green Thai women.

Perhaps you have spent too much time gazing into your vodka martini?

It seems there are enough varieties in color to keep every body happy.

edit to add.

She is a true beauty without the typical Korean influence.

Congratulations to her, perhaps this may start a trend where women of a skin tone darker than bleach white can again feel secure in their beauty. On second thoughts, I just woke up..........

Edited June 25, 2014 by ratcatcher

[UbonRatch]

I love the natural olive complexion that Thai women have. These so called whitening creams are a scam.

Olives are green....I have not yet seen green Thai women.

Perhaps you have spent too much time gazing into your vodka martini?

oliver.jpg

It seems there are enough varieties in color to keep every body happy.

I prefer my two olives to be purt and pointy, and definitely of a darker, brown-ochre tint.

Green just wouldn't taste right.

Edited June 25, 2014 by UbonRatch

[Just1Voice]

For some really good pictures of her:

http://thegreatpageantcommunity.com/2014/06/22/maeya-nonthawan-thongleng-is-miss-thailand-world-2014/

Beautiful woman. Good representative for Thailand.

[UbonRatch]

"The whitening fad has dominated the beauty industry in Thailand for years. Women are bombarded with adverts for cosmetics that promise to lighten their complexion. Helping drive this "ideal" here is South Korean culture, whose stars invariably sport flawless eggshell complexions. Whitening products make up half of Thailand's Bt1-billion skincare market."

Thailand....Where women look at Morticia Addams and say to themselves: "Wow she's beautiful. I want to have skin just like hers".

Let's face it, insecure people, no matter what society, country or ethnic group, want to be what they are not. People with light skin want to be tan. People with darker skin want to be light in the hope that others will not look beyond their skin and discover the true person. The advertising industry plays upon these insecurities and makes a fortune for its clients.

The desirability of 'whiteness' goes back millenia.

It was always the mark of 'nobility', more so in 'darker' societies.

In my travels in the world I have never met anyone who wanted to be more dark than already was.Except some whites of course

The reciprocal does occur, as you mention.

I don't really believe Michael Jackson wanted to be as white as he became for a mark of nobility, but more it was just that when Diana Ross kept doing bad things he was continually arrested by mistake... so he wanted a small change to distinguish such error.

[tim armstrong]

"The whitening fad has dominated the beauty industry in Thailand for years. Women are bombarded with adverts for cosmetics that promise to lighten their complexion. Helping drive this "ideal" here is South Korean culture, whose stars invariably sport flawless eggshell complexions. Whitening products make up half of Thailand's Bt1-billion skincare market."

Thailand....Where women look at Morticia Addams and say to themselves: "Wow she's beautiful. I want to have skin just like hers".

Let's face it, insecure people, no matter what society, country or ethnic group, want to be what they are not. People with light skin want to be tan. People with darker skin want to be light in the hope that others will not look beyond their skin and discover the true person. The advertising industry plays upon these insecurities and makes a fortune for its clients.

..And didn't Morticia do well ! Look at the family she married into

[TheRascal]

I went out for dinner with a girl the other week, really fair skin a little darker than white, a very attractive girl who showed me some nice modelling pics and screenshots of some lakorn shows she'd been in.

She said her friends call her "black" because her skin isn't as white as theirs and on a group trip to the beach they all just wanted to sit inside, no one wanted to swim for fear of darkening their skin. She was the only one of her friends who hadn't had some kind of surgery on her face - she showed me pictures of a number of her friends and I just don't find that look attractive - super white with wide doll like eyes and a chin that goes to a point. Very unappealing.

My ex had pretty dark skin but it looked great and she was very cute - however she had such low self esteem because of not fitting the Thai ideal of beauty we eventually drifted apart.

I couldn't deal with dating a girl who wanted to stay super white - I like swimming, relaxing next to the condo pool and going to the beach, I don't want a girl who's going to refuse to do that or hide under an umbrella constantly.

The opposite is also annoying though, an ex in the UK constantly tanned and we always had fake tan on the bed sheets and towels. Gross.

[Krataiboy]

It isn't just about beauty. Dark skinned Thais are presumed by their fellow countrymen and women to have lowly, outdoor jobs, while those with whiter skins are taken for professionals who either work inside or live a life of leisure at home.

Some of the Bangkok hi-so's I see arriving in Cha Am these days are so pale they must live under a stone. Whatever it takes, I guess!

[ratcatcher]

Millions of women worldwide are unhappy with their skin tone.

Caucasian women want to be brown, orientals want to be white.

[Baerboxer]

I love the natural olive complexion that Thai women have. These so called whitening creams are a scam.

Spot on Chooka.

My young daughter had the chance to meet this lady and have some photographs taken with her and the runners up.

Not only is she dazzlingly beautiful but a really nice friendly warm person who has a real natural aura. My daughter was sitting on her knee and they were smiling and chatting - she has the ability to connect with all ages and is clearly a very intelligent person.

She will do Thailand proud and I wish her every success.

[Lupatria]

I wonder how long it will take before the 1st "natural colored" actors appear in the Thai soaps in a different role than the maid from the north. If the kids grow up thinking this is the only definition of beauty no one should be surprised of the outcome. The same appears to the posh multi-million mansions they chose as set locations. I guess it has the wrong impact on kids growing up in a village shack...