They are signing up in droves for the Beauty Boot Camp, where they’re trained in poise, elegance and make-up by those masters at the art – transvestites. “We know a little of how men want to see women, so we can make them more beautiful than a real woman could”, says one consultant. The girls are also taught stamina, particularly in the all-important smile: “If you smile for a long time, you can get mouth cramp and you have to stop smiling and start all over again”, says Chomkwan, who has invested a vast amount of effort and money into her career as a beauty queen. The immediate aim for most girls is to win one of the Beauty Pageants that dominate the Thai social environment. And if you don’t make it this time, it’s back to the plastic surgeon before the next contest…

Produced by ABC Australia