I touched down in Bangkok, Thailand after almost 35 hours of traveling from San Juan via New York and Seoul at around 11pm on last Wednesday night. Despite being a little bit tired, I was extremely excited about finally being in Asia. It’s my first time to visit this continent and I was looking forward to getting on the plane for so long.

At the airport, I was met by my manager, Andre, and the National Director of Thailand and some of his colleagues. He presented me with a traditional Thai flower garland for good luck. It was incredibly beautiful and smelled wonderful. In my short time here, I have noticed that flowers are used as a form of art here in Thailand and I absolutely love it. 

The first two days I had the opportunity to get some rest and relaxation after my long trip and also meet with the President of the Organization to discuss my reign and what I wanted to do and get out of my reign. I am very excited because I have many ideas and goals. Of course, I also started trying the local food, which is absolutely delicious. 

On Saturday, my “work” started with several interviews. I say “work” because I had so much fun that it didn’t feel like work at all. More like an honor. I enjoyed meeting all the new people and also sharing some of my experiences with them. That is the best part of the job, actually. It’s all about forming connections with people and learning from each other. After the interviews, I got to explore a bit in Bangkok with some of the new friends I made. Bangkok is a vibrant and beautiful city that offers great experiences to those who visit it. I can’t wait to see more of the city over the next week. 

Some lovely friends from Thailand came to meet me on Thailand and it was another chance for me to fall more and more in love with the people of Thailand. They are very peaceful, kind and sincere. I can see why it is called the Kingdom of Smiles. I see beautiful smiles everywhere that come from within their souls. One of the most touching moments was when a fan gifted me a little elephant. I absolutely love elephants so it is probably my favorite moment of the trip so far. My new little friend goes everywhere with me at the moment… and, of course, I am hoping to see some real elephants to while I am here.

Overall, I am having a great time in this wonderful country so far. Thank you, Thailand! 

(Thank you to Miss Supranational Thailand, Talk Miss Thailand, t-pageant and Catwalk Thailand for some of the photos!)