Miss Universe contest to kick off in Thailand

Photo gallery:

 Miss Universe Swimsuit & Theme Costume Shows (2004)

 Miss Universe China Competition(2004)

Shandi Finnessey crowned Miss USA 2004

Fabiane Niclotti crowned 2004 Miss Brazil

Miss Universe 2004 in Bangkok for AIDS conference 

Miss Universe: Retrospect and prospect

Miss Australia Jennifer Hawkins waves after being crowned Miss Universe 2004 in Quito, June 1, 2004. (Photo: Dayoo.com)

    BANGKOK, May 11 (Xinhuanet) -- Miss Universe pageant will kick off in Thailand Friday bringing together 82 beauties to compete for the most coveted beauty title of the world.

    The contest is considered by the government as a perfect opportunity to publicize Thailand as a top-class tourism destination to over 800 million viewers across the globe.

    After leading 17 Miss Universe contestants to conduct a photo session with Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra at the Government House Tuesday, Tourism and Sports Minister Somsak Thepsuthin said hosting the competition was extremely lucrative for Thailand, as it had spent only 265 million baht (6.3 million US dollars) on organizing the event, but is expected to earn some 3.2 billion baht (76.2 million US dollars) in return.

    "This is the first time that the Miss Universe company has allowed its contestants to take part in publicity advertising for free," Somsak on Wednesday was quoted by Thai News Agency as noting. He added that the organizers of the contest were keen to help Thailand recover from the Dec. 26 tsunami.

    On May 19, the contestants will travel to the country's southern resort island of Phuket, an opportunity which the government seeks to show the world that the kingdom's Andaman region has already largely recovered from last year's killer waves.

    Government spokesman Chalermdej Jombunud said the cabinet has approved 1.061 billion-baht expenditure (25.2 million US dollars) from the central emergency fund on restoration projects in the sixtsunami-ravaged southern provinces. Enditem 

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