Nothing to declare? Thai Miss Universe takes 17 suitcases of clothes to beauty contest

A couple of frocks, some shoes and a tiara or two should be all that’s required of a Miss Universe contestant, right?

Wrong. Thai Miss Universe hopeful Chalita Suansane wanted to make sure she had all outfit bases covered when she set off for the Philippines, taking a whopping 17 suitcases with her.

All thoughts of her 30kg baggage allowance went out the window for the 22-year-old Miss Thailand, whose cases of designer dresses and shoes tipped the scales at almost 300kg.

Chalita hopes her extra arsenal of tiaras and make-up will give her the edge over her 85 rivals when she represent Thailand in the two-week long pageant, which starts in Manila on Saturday.

She said: “The suitcases only came to about 250 or 300 kg. It wasn’t all that heavy. But more than the usual 30kg, that’s for sure.

“I have to take a lot of dresses and shoes. I’m so excited to be in the Philippines representing my country.”

Pictures of Chalita checking into her first class seat at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport on Tuesday caused amusement online.

Maria-Louise Sanchez said: “Chalita, are you sure you have enough bags there? I think you need a few more in case you’re missing something.”

Angelo Puerto de Silva added: “There’s going to be a lot of unpacking to do when you get to the hotel!”

This year is the 65th Miss Universe pageant and the coronation night takes place on January 30.

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