National University of Laos student Nelamith Soumounthong, 20, will represent Laos in Miss World 2019. She is the third woman to represent the country in the oldest running international beauty pageant created by the late Eric Morley in the United Kingdom in 1951.

In 2016, Soumounthong graduated from Nguyen Du High School in Vientiane, Laos. In the same year, she participated in Sinxay Cultural Club Training and was crowned Miss Sinxay Cultural Club.

The Nguyen Du High School alumna is currently attending two schools. She is in her third year studying Mathematics at the Faculty of Natural Science of the National University of Laos and in her fourth year studying Business Administration at The Lao-American College.

Previously, Soumounthong worked as an intern at The Fred Hollows Foundation under the admin and logistic department, Indochina Research Company and the Department of Finance and Administration.

Also, Soumounthong is an alumna of Diversity Voyage Programs. She participated in the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative, an exchange scholarship in Vietnam under the United States embassy.

In 2018, Soumounthong competed in Miss World Laos but the failed to win any of the three crowns. The winners were Miss Tourism Queen of the Year Laos 2018 Saengsavanh Sihalath, Miss Supranational Laos 2018 Santhany Saimanyvan, Miss World Laos 2018 Kadoumphet Sayavong, 21.

A year later, Soumounthong returned to the same beauty pageant. She was crowned Miss World Laos 2019 besting 17 other candidates at Le Thatluang D’or Boutique Hotel in Vientiane on September 19, 2019.

 

Originally from Muang Kasi, Laos, Soumounthong lives in Vientiane. She enjoys reading the news from the internet, teaching her sister the English language, singing and playing guitar.

Also, the newly crowned Miss World Laos 2019 loves being a volunteer. She is a member of the ວິທະຍາອາສາ Project, which helps underprivileged children in rural areas.

On December 14, 2019, Soumounthong will compete against more than 100 candidates from around the world for the Miss World 2019 title at the ExCeL London in London, England, U.K. The successor of Miss World 2018 Vanessa Ponce, 27, of Mexico will be the 69th woman to hold the title.

If Soumounthong wins, she will the first Miss World from Laos. The country’s first two representatives Tonkham Phonchanhueang and Sayavong were both unplaced in 2017 and 2018, respectively.

Watch the coronation of Soumounthong as Miss World Laos 2019 here: