"Never give up" were the words of wisdom from Miss Global 2025 and the co-founder of Bangkok Pride at Thursday’s Women Vision event held by the Bangkok Post in Samyan Mitrtown.
Nguyen Dinh Nhu Van was raised in a mountain village in Vietnam and fell pregnant at 17.
“I thought that was the end of my dreams, that it was all about surviving. Then things changed, from the stormy days I became different. I became stronger,” said the newly crowned Miss Global 2025.
“I realised it’s not about just surviving but about chasing my dreams, making a legacy for myself and helping the women in the same situation as me.”
Having only been named Miss Global 2025 a few days ago, the success is still fresh in Ms Nguyen's mind.
“When I won Miss Global, I questioned whether I deserved this. Will I make my country proud?” she asked. “The pressure of carrying this title on my shoulders feels very heavy.”
However, the brand-new Miss Global explained, “I came to realise that I should not listen to the voice inside my head that is telling me to stop. I am living my dreams and I should not give up, no matter what.”
Ann Chumapon, a co-founder of Bangkok Pride, spoke of her own struggles growing up as a lesbian in a rural part of Thailand.
Ms Ann said she knew from a young age that she was attracted to the same sex, “but living in that area, I couldn’t express myself as I was".
An activist for LGBTQ+ rights and issues for over 10 years, Ms Ann suffered from heavy stigmatisation and discrimination both at school and at work.
She became the people’s representative of the new marriage equality bill in parliament.
“A lot of negative feedback in parliament was aimed towards me and I carry that with me,” she said. But when the bill was finally passed, her efforts felt worth it.
“In one month more than 8,000 couples and 20,000 people were registered for marriage and that was my reward.”
In her speech, Ms Ann invited women from all walks of life to listen to women who face oppression and use that as a source of power to empower others. "We all deserve to live a fair life,” she said.
“For women, the LGBTQ+ community and youth who are facing violence and injustice and women in crisis, I send you strength and solidarity," she added. "Please know that we are here to support you and believe in your strength. You are not alone."
Ms Nguyen said having children so young affected her mental health, but it also made her stronger. “It was a lot of pain, but the pain brought me bravery and made me fight for justice.”
“They are the reason I keep going and never give up,” she said. “My message to all women is that dreams don’t have an expiration date. Take me as an example. It’s never too late. It’s only late if you don’t try.”
