Thai-South African beauty Tharina Botes clinches Miss Thailand World 2023 crown
Tharina Botes, a 26-year-old model who hails from Phuket and is of mixed Thai-South African heritage, clinched the coveted Miss Thailand World 2023 title on Sunday night.
Tharina, a seasoned pageant contestant and an angel for needy school children, was crowned in a glittering ceremony held under the title “Miss Thailand World 2023: Real Beauty Empowers” at Bangkok’s Berkley Hotel.
Apart from a diamond-encrusted crown worth 500,000 baht, Tharina was also presented with 1 million baht in cash.
The newly crowned beauty will leave Thailand on November 18 to participate in the Miss World pageant scheduled to be held in New Delhi on December 16.
Tharina, who holds a bachelor’s degree in commerce and economics from the University of South Africa, was born to a South African father and Thai mother in South Africa.
She has participated in several beauty contests, representing South Africa at Miss International 2016, made the Top 12 at Miss South Africa 2018, Top 10 at Miss Grand Thailand 2019 and first runners-up at Miss Universe Thailand 2021.
Tharina also made time from the beauty circuit to set up a project called “Good Guardians, The Uplifting Project”, to help underprivileged people. The project puts food on the table for poor families and offers scholarships to children.
“I believe everyone needs the opportunity to live a good life, and I’m committed to making a difference in the world. I hope you’ll join me on this journey. Together, we can make a big difference,” she said in an effort to attract donations.
She is also an ambassador for the food rescue foundation Scholars of Sustenance (SOS), which redistributes surplus food to vulnerable communities.
