‘You black, you bad, you trash’: pro-democracy Thai beauty queen faces internet backlash over support for protests

Miss Grand Thailand Pacharaporn ‘Nam’ Chantarapadit has faced a torrent of abuse over her darker skin tone after voicing support for protesters

She is the latest celebrity to have been drawn into the controversy over an issue that has left Thailand increasingly polarised

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Pacharaporn 'Nam' Chantarapadit (in white), Miss Grand Thailand 2020. Photo: Facebook

Published: 6:33pm, 22 Sep 2020Updated: 9:36pm, 25 Nov 2020

A newly crowned beauty queen has become the target of social media bullying after voicing support for Thailand’s pro-democracy protesters.

Pacharaporn “Nam” Chantarapadit, who was crowned Miss Grand Thailand on Sunday night, has faced a torrent of criticism – much of it centred around her dark skin tone – for her response when asked as part of the pageant for her thoughts on the protests.

“From my heart, I would choose the protesters’ side,” said the 22-year-old, without blinking. “Because we have the right to express our opinion and we want the best for our country.

Pacharaporn ‘Nam’ Chantarapadit, Miss Grand Thailand 2020. Photo: Facebook

“Moreover, I want to [tell] the government, ‘If you call this country Thailand, we need real democracy, and we need you to get out of the country’, thank you,” Nam told a screaming crowd.

While Nam went on to win the pageant, the remarks prompted a backlash from pro-establishment groups and she has faced a flood of abuse on the internet, much of it focused on her relatively dark skin. In Thailand, lighter skin has traditionally been linked to people of higher socio-economic status.

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