BANGKOK — Nguyễn Thuc Thuy Tien has been crowned Miss Grand International 2021 - beating off models from 59 countries from across the globe.

The 23-year-old is the first-ever Vietnamese beauty queen to win an international pageant. 

She won the top spot after the final round of the competition in Bangkok, Thailand, on Saturday night. 

Besides receiving the title of Miss Grand International 2021 and the crown from her predecessor - Evelyn Abena Appiah of the US, she also received a cash prize of US$40,000. Representatives of Ecuador, Brazil, Puerto Rico, and South Africa respectively won the four runner-up prizes.

Tien beat the Ecuador contestant in a Top 2 final-question round with her smart answer in English and Thai, when they were asked why they think they should win the title.

"I have to be honest that I didn’t think I would be standing here. I’m very nervous right now. I just want to say that I’m ready to work. I’m ready to be in Thailand for one year," the Vietnamese beauty answered.

Earlier that night, she had been asked: "With the current world situation there are many problems such as those related to human rights and economy, if you choose one person to discuss the problem in order to make the change, who will you choose and why?"

Thuy Tien said she chose to meet Prof. Sarah Gilbert, the inventor of the Astra Zeneca vaccine, to spread gratitude to her for creating a great vaccine without profit.

Her answer was appreciated by the judges and the audience for its intelligence and humanity.

During the contest, she was constantly praised by beauty experts for having a bright smile, outstanding beauty, and for being a formidable candidate for the crown of Miss Grand International 2021. 

Nguyễn Thuc Thuy Tien was born in Hồ Chí Minh City. She attended HCM City University of Social Sciences and Humanities and can speak many languages such as English, French, and Thai.

Prior to competing in Miss Grand International, the Vietnamese took part in the Miss Southern Viet Nam 2017 pageant where she was named as first runner-up.

Tien also placed in the Top 5 during Miss Viet Nam 2018 and went on to represent the country at Miss International 2018. However, she was unplaced.

Miss Grand International was founded in 2013. It’s one of the six major global beauty contests held annually, the others being: Miss World, Miss Universe, Miss International, Miss Earth, and Miss Supranational.

The scale of this year's contest was narrowed in both the number of contestants and side activities because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the contestants were praised for their uniform beauty and the organisation was highly appreciated. On the final night, the organiser of the contest also announced that Miss Grand International 2022 will be held in Indonesia. — VNS