Misses Vietnam and Philippines in a group picture

Vietnam and Philippines are two of the countries in Asia where beauty pageants are well-loved by the people. Fans from both countries always have heated arguments on pageant-related message boards as they try to hype their own representative or bash the opponent.

This year, Vietnam is represented by Vo Hoang Yen and Pamela Bianca Manalo is carrying the Philippine flag.

It's good to see the two beauty queens in a group picture with Miss Zambia Andella Chileshe Matthews.

So, who between the two will make the final cut? I hope to see them both.

Miss Vietnam Vo Hoang Yen's Candid Shots

Some of you have been asking me for the past few months if I had "real" photos of Miss Vietnam Universe 2009 Vo Hoang Yen. Most of her pictures in the net are "photoshopped" and it looked like she had none. Luckily, I found some. Though Vo Hoang Yen clearly has thick make up in these shots, these are closer to what she really looks like.

 

  

  

  

  

  

 

Miss Vietnam Vo Hoang Yen Believes she'll succeed in Miss Universe 2009

Vo Hoang Yen, Miss Vietnam Universe 2009, believes she will fly high at the Miss Universe 2009 in Bahamas. Her interview with Vietnamnet is interesting to read.

Yen said, "Fans have transmitted their strength and belief to me for this pageant, so I believe in my ability to succeed,” supermodel Vo Hoang Yen told Dat Viet newspaper ahead of her impending trip to the Bahamas for the Miss Universe 2009 pageant."

How have you prepared for the upcoming trip?

I’m going to the Bahamas on August 1 to participate in the Miss Universe 2009 pageant. I have nearly completed everything. I only need to pack my things and set off.

My clothes for this trip will include ao dai designed by ABC ao dai fashion and a dozen night gowns and modern fashions by designer Cong Tri and over 20 sets of clothes of my own, totalling nearly 40 sets.

Foreign language, particularly English, has been the weakness of Vietnamese contestants at international pageants, how about you?

I believe in my English because I have studied English since I was a little girl and it has improved so far. Communication is often a weakness for Vietnamese contestants so they can’t show themselves off. I see my English as my forte in this pageant, and it will help me to win people’s sympathy.

What will be your image in this contest?

My style at Miss Universe 2009 will be diversified and versatile. You will see a Vo Hoang Yen, Vietnam’s representative, who is not dependent on any model. She will be very dynamic, unaffected and youthful at outdoor activities and sometimes we will be very smart and noble at evening parties.

Fans’ expectations of you are great, so does that put pressure on you?

I would like to thank everyone. I’m very happy to be listed at the top of the online vote on the Miss Universe website, and be supported by not only Vietnamese but foreign friends. I’m lucky to be highly applauded by many foreigners. Fans have transmitted their strength and belief to me for this pageant, so I believe in my ability to succeed.

How do you feel at this moment?

Cheerful is the most accurate word to describe my feelings at this moment. I’m going to the Bahamas alone but I know that I will have interesting experiences during this competition. I will discover the Bahamas with contestants from all over the world. I believe that I will make many new friends.

* Hoang Yen temporarily ranks first in the online vote on the official website of the Miss Universe 2009, with 13581 votes, followed by Miss Universe Indonesia 13204 votes and Miss Zambia.

Vietnamese wins Miss Talent at Miss International Beauty 2009

A Vietnamese contestant, Vu Thi Hoang Diep pocketed an early prize, Miss Talent, at Miss International Beauty, it was announced on July 17.

Miss Talent is one of the secondary prizes offered by organizers before the main prizes are awarded on the final August 1.

After nearly two weeks of participating in the pageant’s events, Diep still remains in the top three of the online voting on the pageant's official website.

Currently, Diep and other contestants have been in training for preparations for the final.

Talking with SGGP, Diep said she was surprised with the result but thought it would be a good encouragement for her to keep doing her best at the contest.

“All the contestants are really nice to me and we all receive good treatment from the organizers during the contest,” Diep added.

Miss International Beauty Pageant, founded in 1973, aims to symbolize beauty and harmony for different nationalities, bring about friendship across the world and to promote world peace.

Miss International Beauty Pageant 2009 has attracted 43 contestants from around the world. The final night will take place in Urumqi, China.

Despite reports of recent unrest in and around Urumqi, organizers have insisted the pageant will go ahead.

Source: saigon-gpdaily.com.vn

Miss Singapore Rachel Kum's Another Scandalous Picture

Rachel Kum, Singapore's representative to the Miss Universe 2009 pageant in Bahamas is in hot water again, for the nth time, for having another racy picture circulating in the net.

Rachel is definitely one of the most attacked candidates to the Miss Universe along with Miss Philippines Pamela Bianca Manalo and Miss Vietnam Vo Hoang Yen. Poor three lovely beauties who have been into public scrutiny just because of their dreams of representing their countries to an international pageant like the MIss Universe.

Well, the photo is taken from a party and there's nothing wrong being involved in this idea of fun but as a beauty queen, we really have to be very careful.

More of her racy pictures in here.

Miss Vietnam USA Sues Pageant for Withholding Payment

Yen Le won the Miss Vietnam USA title in November 2007 but she is still to receive her big prize, the beauty queen claims in court papers just filed against the pageant. According to Le, she is still $10,000 and a Mercedes short for winning – and she’s taking the matter to court, celebrity gossip site / paparazzi agency TMZ informs.

Not only did the pageant not pay Le the prize money for winning, advertised as a hefty check for $10,000, but she was also scammed into paying for the car she was supposed to receive for free. Therefore, she’s headed straight to court and will reportedly not back down until the beauty pageant pays her $50,000, which should cover the prize she never received, plus attorney and court fees, the same source reports.

“According to a lawsuit filed earlier this week in Orange County, Yen Le – who was crowned Miss Vietnam USA in November 2007 – is suing the pageant organizers because she alleges she was supposed to receive $10,000 and a new Mercedes for winning. Now get this – not only does she claim she never got the $10K, but she says the pageant made her lease the car in her own name... and then they defaulted on the payments.” TMZ writes in one of today’s posts.

If Le’s allegations are true, meaning, if the lawsuit is well founded, it is believed that the beauty pageant will not battle this one out in court, choosing instead to settle and to issue an official press statement. As of now, however, no such statement has yet been released, which may serve as an indication of sorts that Le might be making false claims on grounds that are not yet known, it has been said.

Beauty pageants often hold the headlines, especially when the competition is on a larger scale and comes with considerable prizes and media exposure. In recent weeks, for instance, a 19-year-old model running for the Miss Universe Australia title was harshly criticized for being too skinny (and possibly sick as well), Miss California for Miss USA was labeled a homophobe for her comments on marriage, while Miss Black Britain received death threats for running for the Miss England crown.

Ngoc Diem and Hoang Yen nominated for Miss Universe

Vietnam’s representative at Miss Universe 2009 pageant will be one of two nominees: The first runner-up of Miss Universe Vietnam 2008 Vo Hoang Yen or Miss Tourism 2008 Phan Thi Ngoc Diem.

After Elite Vietnam announced it would not renew the right to choose the Vietnamese candidate for this pageant, the Vietnam Universe Company assumed the right. The firm asked the PL Modeling Company to introduce some nominees for the pageant.

The Director of PL Modeling, Tran Thanh Long, said: “We recommended Vo Hoang Yen and Phan Thi Ngoc Diem. Hoang Yen has the nice body of a model. She was also the first runner-up of the Miss Universe Vietnam 2008. Ngoc Diem is Miss Tourism 2008, a university student with good knowledge.”

The Vice Director in charge of marketing of the Vietnam Universe Company, Le Diem Ly, said that firm will choose one candidate for the Performance Art Agency to consider and approve. It will send the file of this contestant to the organising board of Miss Universe 2009 in May.

Ly said the Miss Universe organising board requires that contestants be in the top three of national beauty contests. Vietnam has to select a beauty queen of last year because this year Vietnam will not organise any beauty contest for young girls.

Hoang Yen and Ngoc Diem were surprised by the selection.

“I’m very happy and proud to be trusted. With my experience at the Miss Tourism International 2008, if I’m chosen, I’ll try my best,” Ngoc Diem said.

“I’m really surprised and very happy. Of course, I will be ready for the contest,” said Hoang Yen.

Ngoc Diem, a last-year student at the HCM City Foreign Trade University, was crowned Miss Vietnam Tourism last August. She represented Vietnam at the Miss Tourism International 2008 in Malaysia in December 2008.

Hoang Yen was the first runner-up of the Miss Universe Vietnam and a supermodel.

Miss Universe 2009 will take place in the Bahamas this August. (english.vietnamnet.vn)

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Why Vietnam may Not Join Miss Universe and Miss World this year?

Have you heard about a new policy released by the Vietnamese government concerning about staging of beauty pageants in their country? Well, the government allows only ONE national pageant to be staged in a year. You've read it clear. I just don't understand why there is a restriction on the number of pageants for every year. As far as I know, Vietnam is a supporter of international pageants like Miss World and Miss Universe. In fact, it hosted last year's Miss Universe and it encouraged its people to vote for its candidates at Miss World during the times this British pageant was using text votes to determine the semi-finalists. Now, this Southeast Asian country is facing a problem on their participation for the other grandslam pageants.

Read the article below for you to know what I am ranting here. The picture you are seeing is just borrowed from a fan who made it.

Vietnam - This year, it will be a hard job for Vietnam to choose contestants for international beauty contests like Miss Universe and Miss World as the new rules only allow one national beauty contest a year – the Mrs. Vietnam pageant.

According to the regulations on the organisation of beauty contests in Vietnam, dated December 30, 2008, as of 2009, Vietnam will have only one national beauty contest, one regional, sector level beauty contest. Provincial pageants are permitted to be held every two years.

In recent years, Vietnam has had three national beauty contests: Miss Vietnam, Miss Vietnam Global and Miss Universe Vietnam. According to the new regulations, these contests will not be organised in 2009 because Mrs. Vietnam 2009 was licenced to be the sole pageant.

The Chief of the Performance Art Agency under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Le Ngoc Cuong, said the Mrs. Vietnam 2009 pageant must be licenced this year because in 2008, the government approved the Mrs. World 2009 pageant in Vietnam. Vietnam needs to hold a national beauty contest to choose a representative for the Mrs. World 2009.

Moreover, the agency received applications for organising beauty contests 2009 last October and at that time, the agency didn’t receive any application except for the Mrs. Vietnam 2009, Cuong said.

“It is quite funny that each year Vietnam will have only one national beauty contest because each pageant has its own criteria. Mrs. Vietnam is for married contestants. It will be a loss for young girls if only Mrs. Vietnam 2009 is licenced next year,” said former Chief Editor of Tien Phong Newspaper, who has been the chief organiser of many national beauty contests, Duong Xuan Nam.

The vice chief of the Performance Art Agency, Nguyen Van Khanh, suggested that the Miss Vietnam Global, Miss Universe Vietnam, etc. should change their scale from national to regional or sectoral to get a licence.

However, Duong Xuan Nam, one of the founders of Miss Vietnam Global pageant, said it is impossible to lower the scale of Miss Vietnam Global because this contest is open to contestants from home and abroad.

Respecting the new rules, the Deputy General Director of the Universe Joint Stock Company, Chi Bao, stated that the firm would not organise Miss Vietnam Universe 2009. He also said that it is impossible to change the scale of the pageant because in that case, the winner of this contest will fail to meet conditions to attend the international Miss Universe pageant.

The new rules are said will cause difficulties for Vietnam in choosing representatives for international beauty contests this year. But Cuong said: “Vietnam doesn’t need to have too many beauty contests while its organising skills are unprofessional. Moreover, not all international pageants require national-level contestants.”

At the same time, Elite Vietnam stated it would stop buying the copyright to send Vietnamese representatives to Miss World and Miss Universe 2009.

Managing Director of Elite Vietnam, Thuy Nga, said: “This decision was considered in 2008 and Elite Vietnam wants to focus on modelling.”

However, she admitted that choosing contestants for Miss World and Miss Universe 2009 will be difficult.

Vietnam May Not be Represented in Miss World 2008

Vietnam is getting little attention lately from the beauty pageant fans all over the world. Thanks to the controversy involving the winner of Miss Vietnam 2008 who apparently did not finish high school. Pageants have a tall order on this qualification. A candidate should at least a high school graduate. 

I remember last year, the Philippine representative to Miss World, Margaret Wilson, was initially questioned by some. Apparently, she did not finish high school but it turned she did.

Going back to Miss Vietnam, since the winner Tran Thi Thuy Dung (left picture) does not meet this criteria, Vietnam is in dilemma. They are not sure whether their country will be represented in the Miss World 2008 or not.

It was approved that Vietnams's representative to the Miss Universe 2008 - Nguyen Thuy Lam - which incidentally took place in Vietnam will represent this country in Miss World but because of a commitment with her studies, she can't make it now.

Thuy Lam (right picture) is the first Vietnamese to penetrate a semi-final slot in the Miss Universe pageant but she failed to advance to Top 10. She is one of the only two Asians in the semi-finals along with Miss Japan Hiroko Mima. She was also in the Top 10 Best in National Costume chosen by Vietnamese judges.

Here is the latest news whether Vietnam will be seen in Miss World 1008 pageants or not.

Vietnam may or may not be at Miss World

Elite Vietnam, the company authorized to nominate the country’s contestants to Miss World, said it was unsure whether either one of Vietnam’s two nominees would be chosen as the deadline is almost up and all of the contest’s spots may have already been filled.

The company has nominated the three finalists of Miss Universe Vietnam 2008.

But the event’s first place winner, Nguyen Thuy Lam, has said she is too busy to vie for a spot at Miss World, citing her studies and the upcoming release of a studio album as the reasons.

Miss Universe Vietnam’s first runner-up Vo Hoang Yen and second runner-up Duong Truong Thien Ly have now had their names submitted to Miss World for consideration.

Miss World 2008 will take place November 16 to December 12 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Department of Performing Arts approved Elite’s nomination of the Miss Universe Vietnam winners last Monday.

The body had previously disqualified the winners of Miss Vietnam 2008 from participating in Miss World after Miss Vietnam organizers were accused of violating event regulations by allowing contestants – including the event’s winner Tran Thi Thuy Dung – to participate without a high-school diploma.

Reported by Da Ly