TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Miss Thailand, a 19-year-old beauty who has lived in the United States since she was a small child, was crowned Miss Universe 1988 Tuesday in the first beauty contest held in Taiwan in 23 years.
Porntip Nakhirunkanok, 19, a student at Pasadena City College in California, outshone 66 beauties from around the world to win the title in a glittering contest beamed live to millions of viewers around the world by satellite.
Four of the five finalists in the beauty contest were Asians.
Miss Korea, Yunjung Chang, 18, a high school art student from Seoul, was first runner-up, and Miss Mexico, Amanda Oliveres, a college student, was second, followed by Miss Japan, Mizuko Sakaguchi, and Miss Hong Kong, Pauline Yeung.
The raven-hair, brown-eyed beauty, who is 5-feet-8-inches tall and weighs 114 pounds, also collected a bevy of prizes along with the title, including $250,000 in cash, a Maserati sports car, a mink coat, a diamond necklace and a diamond-studded watch.
Porntip said she moved to the United States from Thailand when she was about 5 years old and returned to her homeland only three weeks before the Bangkok beauty contest that made her Miss Thailand.
She said her aunt, who heads a children's foundation, talked her into entering the Miss Thailand pageant.
'I never expected to win,' she said. 'But I am very happy I have and I believe this title will enable me to help take care of my aunt's children.'
She said she considers the United States her second homeland but plans to learn more about Thailand and master the Thai language now that she is Miss Thailand and Miss Universe.
She dabbed her eyes briefly when she was proclaimed the winner, but quickly regained her composure when Miss Universe 1987, Cecilla Bolocco of Chile, placed the crown on her head.
Porntip was the second Thai to win the Miss Universe title. The first was Apasra Hongsakula, who captured the title in 1965.
All beauty contests were banned in Taiwan by conservative former President Chiang Kai-shek in 1965 because he considered such events counterproductive toward his goal of driving the communists out of mainland China.
The ban was lifted only this year after Chiang Kai-shek's son and successor, Chiang Ching-kuo, died in January.
