Andrea Rubio of Venezuela crowns Huynh Thi Thanh Thuy of Vietnam as her successor at the 62nd Miss International pageant in Tokyo, Japan, on November 12. (Photo: organisers)

Thanh Thuy and 70 contestants appeared in traditional costumes during the finale of the 62nd Miss International pageant in Tokyo on November 12.

The host then announced the top 20 contestants to advance to the swimsuit round, including beauties from Ireland, Cuba, New Zealand, Taiwan (China), South Africa, Australia, Dominican Republic, Japan, Poland, the Czech Republic, Spain, South Sudan, Vietnam, Honduras, Mongolia, Bolivia, and Nigeria, alongside three contestants who won regional votes representing Europe & Africa, Americas, and Asia-Pacific.

After the top 20 performed, the host announced the top 8, who moved on to the evening gown and Q&A rounds. The Czech Republic and Venezuela were particularly anticipated as strong contenders.

The top 8 finalists were from Bolivia, Indonesia, Venezuela, Czech Republic, Poland, New Zealand, Vietnam, and Spain.

“In my opinion, the COVID-19 pandemic brought a significant transformation to the global education system. Due to COVID-19, we were forced to stay home and study online. This was an unprecedented change. So, is Edtech (the application of technology in education) the evolution for the development of education? I hope students will have more opportunities to explore and learn through Edtech because this aligns with Goal #4 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), which aims for educational equality,” said Thuy.

Surpassing her competitors, Thanh Thuy was crowned the winner. Other titles went to representatives from Bolivia (1st Runner-up), Spain (2nd Runner-up), Venezuela (third Runner-up), and Indonesia (fourth Runner-up).

Thanh Thuy’s victory thrilled Vietnamese fans, as she Thuy became the first Vietnamese beauty to win this competition.

Miss International is one of the three largest and oldest beauty pageants globally, alongside Miss World and Miss Universe. This pageant was first held in 1960 and takes place annually in Japan.