Piyada Inthavong
| Piyada Inthavong | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Piyada Inthavong 13 November 1992 Pakse, Laos[1] |
| Other names | Lingling, Lingling Piyadar, Ling Piyada, Nong[2] |
| Occupation | Model |
| Years active | 2014–present |
Piyada Inthavong (Thai: ปิยะดา อินทะวง, born 13 November 1992), better known by the names Lingling (Thai: หลิงหลิง), Lingling Piyadar (Thai: หลิงหลิง ปิยะดา), Ling Piyada (Thai: หลิง ปิยะดา) or Nong (Thai: นง) is a Lao model.
Biography
Born male to an upper-middle-class family in Champasak Province, Laos, where her parents are doctors, and the oldest of 4 children, Piyada had always felt like a girl when she was young. When she became a teenager, she "was embarrassed to dress as a man".[3] After a trip to Thailand where she saw how beautiful transgender girls were, Piyada decided to transition to become a girl and sought the blessings of her conservative father to undergo a full sex change. Eventually, she completed her sex reassignment surgery in Thailand at the age of 19.[4]
Piyada has said that surgery has made her more confident "wearing tight pants"[5] and as a woman.
After completing her sex change, Piyada went to Thailand looking for opportunities to kickstart her modeling career as she has long held aspirations to become a model.[6]
Miss International Queen 2014
During a promotional event for the 2014 edition of the Miss International Queen transgender beauty pageant, Piyada shot to prominence when she posted a picture[7] of herself with famous Thai transgender actress and model Poyd Treechada on her Instagram account. Her stunning beauty and complexion led to direct comparisons between herself and Poyd, and as a representative of Laos she was a hot favourite to win the title in the pageant.
Subsequently, Piyada came in second runner-up. The Miss International Queen 2014 crown was won by Isabella Santiago of Venezuela.[8]
References
- ↑ "Piyada Inthavong Profile". Postjung. 31 October 2014.
- ↑ "Piyada Inthavong Profile". Postjung. 31 October 2014.
- ↑ "Piyada Inthavong Interview". Manager. 5 November 2014.
- ↑ "Piyada Inthavong Interview". Manager. 5 November 2014.
- ↑ "Piyada Inthavong Interview". Manager. 5 November 2014.
- ↑ "Piyada Inthavong Interview". Manager. 5 November 2014.
- ↑ "Queens of stage and screen: Thailand’s transgender beauty pageant kicks off for 10th year". RocketNews24. 3 November 2014.
- ↑ "Transgender beauty pageant". Reuters. 7 November 2014.