Apasra Hongsakula ( th, อาภัสรา หงสกุล, , ; born January 16, 1947) is a Thai businesswoman and beauty queen who won the title of

Miss Universe 1965 Miss Universe 1965, the 14th Miss Universe pageant, was held on 24 July 1965 at the Miami Beach Auditorium in Miami Beach, Florida, United States. Apasra Hongsakula of Thailand was crowned by Corinna Tsopei of Greece. Results Placements Co ...

. She is a daughter of Group Captain Perm and Kayoon Hongsakula. She was the first woman from Thailand and the first Southeast Asian to win the Miss Universe title.

Biography

Apasra was born and raised in

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...

, but she was sent to learn English at a girls secondary school in

Penang Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the M ...

, Malaysia. She married the first cousin of

Queen Sirikit Queen Sirikit ( th, สิริกิติ์; ; ); born '' Mom Rajawongse'' Sirikit Kitiyakara ( th, สิริกิติ์ กิติยากร; ; 12 August 1932) is the queen mother of Thailand. She was Queen of Thailand as the wi ...

, by whom she has a son. The marriage ended long ago in divorce, but she remains a revered social figure in the country. Her younger sister, Paveena, is a prominent political figure and former member of Parliament. Her son, Passakorn, from her second marriage with Chirathivat, who in 2017 became chairman of the board of directors of

Bangkok Post The ''Bangkok Post'' is an English-language daily newspaper published in Bangkok, Thailand. It is published in broadsheet and digital formats. The first issue was sold on 1 August 1946. It had four pages and cost one baht, a considerable amount a ...

, got officially engaged to Rasri Balenciaga on December 8, 2017, in a ceremony presided over by Princess Soamsawali.

Pageantry

Participation

In the 1964 Miss Thailand pageant held in Bangkok, Apasra Hongsakula, a high school student from Penang, won the crown. She then went on to compete in the 1965 Miss Universe pageant held in

Miami Beach, Florida Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida. It was incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on natural and man-made barrier islands between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter of which ...

, United States where she was crowned 14th Miss Universe winner on July 28, 1965.

Judging

She returned to the pageant as a judge in 1973 and 1979.

Post pageants

* Apasra was appointed "cultural ambassador" by

Tourism Authority of Thailand The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) ( th, การท่องเที่ยวแห่งประเทศไทย) is an organization of Thailand under the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. Its mandate is to promote Thailand's tourism in ...

. * President of

Raymond Weil Raymond Weil Genève () is a Swiss luxury watchmaker, founded in 1976 in Geneva. It is a family company founded by Raymond Weil and Simone Bédat. Simone Bedat and her son left the company in 1996 to form Bedat_&_Co. Raymond Weil led the compa ...

Watches (Thailand) * President of Apasra Beauty Slimming Spa

Facts and trivia

* She is the third Thai representative at Miss Universe pageant. * She got some advice from

about how to strike a pose and how to walk in the pageant before she went to Miami. * Her Thai nickname is "Pook" * Apasra was presented a new crown by

Miss Universe Organization Miss Universe is an annual international beauty pageant that is run by a United States and Thailand based Miss Universe Organization.Natalie Tadena (July 2, 2015"Donald Trump's Miss USA Pageant Lands on Reelz Cable Channel". ''The Wall Str ...

and was crowned again at a private function by

Miss Universe 1991 Miss Universe 1991, the 40th anniversary of the Miss Universe pageant, was held on May 17, 1991 at the Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Lupita Jones of Mexico crowned by Mona Grudt of Norway. Seventy ...

Lupita Jones María de Guadalupe "Lupita" Jones Garay (, ; born 6 September 1967) is a Mexican television producer, model, actress, and beauty queen who was crowned Miss Universe 1991. She was the first Mexican contestant to win the crown. Since 1994, Jones ...

of Mexico in 1992 when Thailand hosted the 1992 Miss Universe pageant. Most Miss Universe titleholders in the old days did not get to keep the crown.

References

External links

Official site of Miss Thailand
1947 births Living people

Apasra Hongsakula Apasra Hongsakula ( th, อาภัสรา หงสกุล, , ; born January 16, 1947) is a Thai businesswoman and beauty queen who won the title of Miss Universe 1965. She is a daughter of Group Captain Perm and Kayoon Hongsakula. She wa ...

Miss Universe 1965 contestants Miss Universe winners

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