Trans woman without lower legs becomes a finalist at Miss Trans Thailand 2023
Aumbun “Aum” Maikhao participated in the national beauty contest of Miss Trans Thailand 2023 and was among the Top 22 finalists.
Aum is a 23-year-old transgender woman from Beung Kan, the province she represented in the pageant, and she was born without the lower half of her legs.
The final competition was held at Mambo Entertainment in Bangkok last July 29 and was live-streamed on Miss Trans Thailand’s YouTube page. Polly Nthaya of Singburi won the title.
Aum's disability did not stop her from participating in the competition, and it was clear how determined she was to win.
With videos of her runway walk and triumph in the preliminary competition making rounds online, Aum quickly gained the public’s support for her perseverance and positivity with many seeing her as an inspiration.
Many people took to social media to praise the beauty queen for her confidence and determination.
One user wrote, “Sooo powerful!! I can’t imagine all the hardships and negativities she had to endure since the day she was born handicapped. But she is able, she endured, she delivered, she slayed, and she proved them all wrong,” while another one said “I know I am always paradoxic[al] to beauty pageants but this is something [that] left me speechless! Keep the fire burning, you beautiful woman.”
Aum isn't the only beauty queen without arms and legs. Miss Ecuador 2021 candidate Victoria Salcedo's legs were amputated following an accident when she was at the age of five. In 2001, Victoria touched a high-voltage cable in front of her building and was hospitalized for more than a month. However, the doctors had to cut off both her arms and her left leg.