Thai beauty to keep her prizes despite lies

[webfact]

Beauty to keep her prizes despite lies
Wuth Jintakham
The Nation
Samut Prakan



BANGKOK: -- THE MISS UNCENSORED News Thailand panel said yesterday that it would not rescind the prizes given to winner Kanita "Mint" Pasang over allegations of faking her educational background.

The panel also denied imposing an education limitation on contestants.

The 17-year-old beauty queen had previously tearfully apologised for faking her educational background in her application, after rumours that she might lose her title, crown and Bt30,000 prize money.

These rumours led to the panel being slammed, with many people rooting for Kanita on social media and lauding her for being a "grateful beauty queen from a garbage-collecting background".

Kanita was also present at the press conference yesterday, where she apologised again for the "educational-background mistake". She also thanked the committee for not withdrawing her prizes, saying the money would be spent on her brother's education. She also said she would continue helping her 47-year-old mum Orathai Pormaun collect garbage for a living.

Providing opportunities

Somchai "Daisy" Leknoi, director of Miss Uncensored News Thailand 2015, told the press that the contest, held for the first time at the Imperial World Samrong, aimed to provide opportunities to people from all social classes, hence there were no limits on gender or education.

"After many universities offered her scholarships, we learned that she has only completed primary school or Mathayom 3, rather than senior high school or Mathayom 6, as listed in her application. Therefore, we think she should apologise for her mistake," Somchai said.

However, he said, nobody would take away her prizes. "We just want all candidates to tell the truth, so they do not face any problems in the future," he advised.

Previously, Kanita lived with five other family members in a 4-by-5-metre shack, where Orathai also stored garbage for separation before sale. She then moved to live with an aunt because of crowded conditions at home.

Orathai said Kanita had to leave school when she was 14 because the family ran out of money, and later began collecting garbage and selling used clothes to help cover household expenses and her brother's education.

Kanita was then adopted by a salon owner called "Know", who sent her to school until she completed Mathayom 3. Know claims that a member of the committee called to say the prize money would be taken back because of false information on education background in the application.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Beauty-to-keep-her-prizes-despite-lies-30271826.html


-- The Nation 2015-10-29

[Thailand]

I guess she can be held up as an example of not what you can achieve but what you can get away with in Thailand.

Her background,which appears to show a tough life,is irrelevant.

[losgrad]

Yes, because education is such an important part of "beauty" contests .

[AlexRRR]

Why is this news worthy?

Whats the big deal?

Ahhhhhhh...........markerting of course.....MISS UNCENSORED News Thailand....watch this space, there going to rival Miss Universe within 5 years.

[Bender]

Why is this news worthy?

Whats the big deal?

Ahhhhhhh...........markerting of course.....MISS UNCENSORED News Thailand....watch this space, there going to rival Miss Universe within 5 years.

"Why is this news worthy?"

for thai people, this is the most important news in the last 2 years...

[Pimay1]

Another "honest mistake". The rewards of the unethical continue. And a great role model I might add. The end justifies the means.

[NongKhaiKid]

A Thai lady tells a porkie and it's headline news ?

[plaid]

they didn't give her the prizes on the basis she was a Rhodes Scholar anyway, more like she has a pretty face and a nice arse

[lovelomsak]

they didn't give her the prizes on the basis she was a Rhodes Scholar anyway, more like she has a pretty face and a nice arse

Or she did some couch casting with the judges.

[o2eZy]

you don't have to go to school to be educated

there are lots of people who drop out of school and make it in this big world

how many business people have made it too the top without finishing school

self made millionaires with out an education...sports stars who just think or bettering them selves

I say good luck to her and hope she goes onto bigger and better things

[curtklay]

Or she did some couch casting with the judges.

Jeez, man...a 17 year old kid from a dirt poor background wins some obscure beauty contest, and you automatically assume she's banging the judges.

TVF cynicism at it's best.

Give her a break.

[Seastallion]

If Director Somchai's middle name wasn't Daisy, I'd have my suspicions about exactly why Kanita was allowed to keep the prizes.

To be fair, fudging matayom 6 for matayom 3 is hardly worthy of mention. It's not as if she claims she has a (insert whatever university degree Yingluck has).

[monkey4u]

A Thai lady tells a porkie and it's headline news ?

When are the bar girls getting their photo's published

Most are better at telling porkies than this drip

[Seastallion]

Or she did some couch casting with the judges.

Jeez, man...a 17 year old kid from a dirt poor background wins some obscure beauty contest, and you automatically assume she's banging the judges.

TVF cynicism at it's best.

Give her a break.

Chances are....

If less poor 15, 16, 17, 18 year olds put out to pass an unimportant midterm.....And some of them make the offer and it's not a matter of the teacher extorting them, then I would say...chances are.

[Emster23]

By the way, whatever happened with that minister here who plagiarized his thesis? Still have his job? Of course point could be made: which one is more important and adds more to Thaiand's image: a government minister or a beauty queen?

[CelticBhoy]

Best of luck to the lass.

30K to her and her family

must be a huge windfall.

[RubbaJohnny]

Ecomony with the truth forebodes a wondeful career in LOS

[trogers]

And how many of your employees are holding fake certificates?

[Hayduke]

Do we really need a sanctimonious rush to judgment on something like this?

Okay, a disenfranchised teenager tweaks an application to conceal her 'unacceptable' background.

Come on. Does this really make her a poster child for fraud and deception of epic proportions?

No one likes to admit it, but how many people (show of hands?) have never bent the truth a bit in an attempt to overcome an obstacle?

Maybe we shouldn't be so quick to point fingers.

Edited October 29, 2015 by Hayduke

[Expat1]

It's a local beauty contest, the operative word is "beauty", what h#ll as education got to do with it anyway?

[callaway]

you don't have to go to school to be educated

there are lots of people who drop out of school and make it in this big world

how many business people have made it too the top without finishing school

self made millionaires with out an education...sports stars who just think or bettering them selves

I say good luck to her and hope she goes onto bigger and better things

I would not mind seeing her get onto something bigger and better too. ME

[HooHaa]

Do we really need a sanctimonious rush to judgment on something like this?

Okay, a disenfranchised teenager tweaks an application to conceal her 'unacceptable' background.

Come on. Does this really make her a poster child for fraud and deception of epic proportions?

No one likes to admit it, but how many people (show of hands?) have never bent the truth a bit in an attempt to overcome an obstacle?

Maybe we shouldn't be so quick to point fingers.

no we do not.

problem is there are so many miserable buggers on this site that have so little going on in their lives any call to righteous indignation is a refreshing change.

[LannaGuy]

face, face, face without that ridiculous Thai pressure she would not feel the need to embellish her application

[Toknarok]

Small porkie told to save herself embarrassment.Hardly World shaking. Not nearly as bad as the so called "Thai Skier' who falsified her times so that she could compete in the Winter Olympics.

[ldiablo]

Most Thai's lie about their educational background. I have never met so many claimed female accountants in my life.

[arrowsdawdle]

A Thai lady tells a porkie and it's headline news ?

Yeah, because it is a road map for those aspiring to run the country.

[alien365]

Anyone know if she would still have been allowed to compete if she gave her true educational history? I think its a shame how people judge based on your background and I wouldn't be surprised if Thai society looked down on her because of it. The past shouldn't change who she is now. I think they could make a movie out of her story to pull on a few heart strings and show the pressures that are felt from society. It would make a change from all of the ten to a penny films being produced at the moment.

[zaphod reborn]

Because cheating in academics in Thailand is a way of life and cause for celebration. Why should she be penalized for engaging in a national pastime?

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

what's the problem? She is just following the example of the great role model Yingluck.

Got her degree from a Kentucky University and can't even speak English?

Apparently that University has a reputation for selling their degrees.

[HerbalEd]

Yeah ... why should she lose her crown and prizes just because she lied. Indeed, corruption is a way of life here and everyone does it. She truly does represent her people well.