Lo Colby has taken the crown at Miss International Queen 2026 in Pattaya, Thailand, securing a historic back-to-back victory for the United States.
The crowning took place on Saturday, September 19, at the Tiffany’s Show Pattaya Theatre, marking the pageant’s 20th anniversary. Colby outshone 26 other international contestants to secure the title, succeeding 2025 winner Midori Monét. This marks the first time a single nation has won the international transgender pageant in consecutive years. Thailand’s Theerachaya Pimkitidaj earned first runner-up, while Japan’s Saki Iwai landed second runner-up.
A Personal Homecoming in Pattaya
For Colby, competing in Pattaya held deep personal meaning. Raised in Hawaii and currently residing in Los Angeles, the brand marketing operations manager and drag performer is the daughter of a Thai mother who immigrated to North America decades ago.
The trip to the competition was Colby’s first time stepping foot in her mother’s home country. Her mother sat in the audience at Tiffany’s Show Pattaya Theatre, visiting Thailand for the first time in over 30 years to watch her daughter compete and reconnect with extended family.
“I think I’m still in a bit of shock, I’m not gonna lie,” Colby told reporters shortly after the crowning. “The emotions are processing as we’re standing here.”
Before securing the ultimate title, Colby picked up momentum early in the week by taking home the Best in Talent award at The National Costume & Talent Quest. Japan’s Saki Iwai and Vietnam’s Nguyen Cao Minh Anh finished as first and second runner-up in the talent division, respectively.
Translating Stage Presence into Economic Advocacy
Colby’s path to the crown runs directly through local stage culture. Building her career through drag performance and event production in Los Angeles, she used the medium to refine her voice, gain business experience, and build professional networks.
That work evolved into concrete community initiatives aimed at financial independence for transgender and nonbinary people. Colby serves as spokesperson for “Negotiate Your Narrative,” an initiative created alongside the Be the Transformational Change Fund. The program delivers free professional training, career coaching, job-interview preparation, and salary negotiation tactics specifically designed for the LGBTQIA+ community.
The advocacy work mirrored the pageant’s 20th-anniversary theme, “The Evolving Legacy: Empower Every Voice.” Organizers expanded this year’s schedule by launching the World Equality Forum, an official conference bringing global delegates together to address corporate accountability, civil rights, and social inclusion.
Expanding Global Visibility for Transgender Women
Founded in 2004 to foster transgender visibility and acceptance, Miss International Queen has grown into a major international event. The 2026 staging brought together delegates from 27 nations across Asia, Europe, North America, South America, and Central America.
Colby’s win highlights a growing trend of delegates using international pageant stages to advance tangible policy and labor goals. By pairing stage performance with workplace development efforts, her platform targets systemic economic barriers faced by marginalized communities worldwide.
