Tharina Botes

Biography

Tharina Botes (Thai: ทารีน่า โบเทส, pronounced [tʰaːriːnâ boːtʰeːt]; born 17 November 1996), also known by her Thai nickname Khanom (Thai: ขนม, lit. 'Confectionery'), is a Thai and South African beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss Universe Thailand 2026. She will represent Thailand at Miss Universe 2026.

== Early life and career == Tharina Botes was born on 27 November 1996 and was raised in Roodepoort, Johannesburg. She was born to a Thai mother and a South African father. She has a degree in commerce and economics from the University of South Africa. She resides in Phuket province, Thailand. Botes later serves as the owner of Volare and the founder of The Ultimate Girl Guide. She was also an ambassador for Scholars of Sustenance (SOS Thailand).

== Pageantry == Botes began competing in beauty pageants at the age of 13, in South Africa. Her early competitions included Miss Teen Gauteng 2014, Miss Teen Roodepoort, and Miss Queen of South Africa 2016. She represented South Africa at Miss International 2016 in Japan, where she was unplaced, marking the country's return to the competition after a 15-year absence. She subsequently competed at Miss South Africa 2018 in Pretoria, where she placed in the top 12. In 2019, Botes won the Miss Grand Phuket title. She subsequently represented Phuket at Miss Grand Thailand 2019, where she reached the top 10. In 2021, she was the first runner-up at Miss Universe Thailand 2021. Botes won Miss Thailand World 2023, and represented Thailand at Miss World 2023 in India, where she was unplaced. In 2026, Botes entered four pageants. She represented Thailand at the inaugural MGI All Stars competition, held on 30 May 2026, and reached the top 10. She subsequently competed at Miss Universe Ubon Ratchathani 2026, but did not win the title. A few hours later, she competed in and won the Miss Universe Bangkok 2026 title. She subsequently represented Bangkok at Miss Universe Thailand 2026, where she won the title. She will represent Thailand at Miss Universe 2026 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

== References ==

== External links == Tharina Botes at IMDb