Behind the crowns and historic victories on RuPaul's Drag Race stage is the spotlight that Gawdland intends to bestow upon every Thai drag queen.

We had an interview with Gawdland at Tatler's office just days before she began her international World Tour to meet her fans. She wore an elegant, flag-print maxi dress, a style previously worn by the famous drag queen Pangina Heals (Punpun Nakprasert).

What surprised us the most was how Gawdland's energy was before and during the photoshoot; he seemed like a completely different person.

"Normally, I'm a quiet person, not very talkative. I'm an introvert and like being alone. So I try to stay as still as possible to conserve energy for dressing up in drag," she revealed candidly with a smile.

Before she could even finish speaking, she unleashed her inner drag queen, transforming into the energetic Gawdland we've always seen on the show, making the photoshoot one of the most fun and memorable times we've ever had.

Read more: Natalie Glebova and her 'inner universe' that's more than crowns and image.

Going back to her childhood, Gawdland was born in Lamphun, grew up in Chiang Mai, before moving to Bangkok with the dream of studying Communication Arts at Chulalongkorn University. One reason was its proximity to Silom, the area where she dreamed of working as a showgirl or drag queen.

"What sparked my interest in drag came from my love of makeup. Then I discovered RuPaul's Drag Race , and watching it inspired me. I wanted to be a part of it, so I've been constantly looking for ways and creating opportunities for myself."

During her final year as a university student, she faced a major decision: between completing her thesis to graduate and competing in Drag Race Thailand Season 3, which required intense preparation and filming.

Finally, she decided to grit her teeth and persevere, using all her patience and effort to do both things simultaneously.

"At that time, I couldn't handle anything. It was a mess, a complete disaster. But it was a combination of two things, both incredibly important. My thesis felt like my whole life because I was about to graduate, and Drag Race Thailand was also a huge and important dream."

We asked her why she didn't wait until after graduation to compete in another year. She immediately replied, "I don't like waiting for opportunities. If I see an opportunity, I grab it. I don't want to have expectations about opportunities I can't see yet. But this one... I saw it."

Although she didn't win Drag Race Thailand Season 3 , securing third place taught Gawdland a better understanding of what the show wanted.

“During the Drag Race Thailand competition, I told myself, ‘I shouldn’t have competed because I wasn’t ready. This wasn’t my place.’ But the most important lesson I learned from that experience was that we don’t do drag racing just for ourselves to watch. If the goal is to win, we have to impress the judges as well.”

Who would have thought that not long after that, she would be contacted by an international producer to compete in RuPaul's Drag Race UK vs The World Season 3?

"My first feeling was, 'Wow, if I had chosen not to compete in Drag Race Thailand that day, I wouldn't have had this opportunity.' So, I want to go back and thank my past self for persevering, gritting my teeth, and not giving up."

“We had about two months to prepare, with all the packages that needed to fly with us,” Gawdland told us about the chaotic task she had to get everything done before heading to the studio in England to film RuPaul's Drag Race UK vs The World Season 3.

She explained that one of the challenges was resolving internal conflicts and battling her own thoughts before handing the work over to others.

"We need to sit down and think about what the judges might like, so they know how to play the game."

When asked about her strengths in competing against other contestants, Gawdland confidently replied, "We're strong on the runway because we know exactly what we're going to wear. Therefore, we focus on preparing every outfit to the fullest extent. We have to offer a complete and diverse range of styles – Thai, international, soft power, traditional Thai, modern Thai, and futuristic Thai." She acknowledged that this was a key strength that helped Thailand win the crown.

Behind the dozens of spectacular dresses on the runway was collaboration with numerous designers across the country, each with a style perfectly suited to the given brief. Despite facing rejection from many due to time constraints, one key figure who helped plan the overall vision and consistently supported her was Art Araya Intra, a leading stylist and drag queen in Thailand.

“I called Art and told him, ‘Mom… I’ve been called in,’” she recounted with a smile. “Art immediately scheduled a meeting to discuss what I needed to do and what I should wear on which day. Then, Art took me to Pahurat (a shopping mall in Bangkok) and gave me a very serious fashion history lesson. He had us research the 1910s, 1920s, and 1930s to find out what people wore back then and why they wore those styles. This allowed us to learn the history behind clothing from each era in depth, so we could understand what we were presenting.”

What's interesting is that Gawdland didn't intend to present Thai culture in a straightforward manner, but rather chose to twist it into diverse, contemporary forms that can resonate with people worldwide.

"It's our Thai identity that will make us stand out and be unique when compared to other countries. But if you look closely, we're not just showcasing Thai culture, we're also offering a global perspective. That's why we have Elton John's rockstar costumes, as well as witch costumes from The Witches, based on classic films from their country. It makes us quite comprehensive and diverse."

We want to know, if the challenge was changed and she could only bring three outfits, which ones would she choose?

"Wow, is this too difficult?" Gawdland's exclamation immediately turned into laughter in the conversation, as they had to choose from dozens of outfits, ranging from a cute Muay Thai costume and an elegant national flag outfit to a puppet dancer costume with a surprising gimmick, and a stunning evening gown for the final round, inspired by the royal attire of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit.

But if she had to choose just three outfits, she answered that the first was the 'witch costume' because it's universal and connects with British culture, a way to please the host country. The second was the 'siamese fighting fish costume,' which received the best feedback. It combined Thai elements with international chicness and surprised everyone. Finally, there was the 'Kinnaree costume,' Gawdland's favorite, which blended Thai and futuristic elements that were both sexy and high-fashion at the same time.

However, she added that another look she still remembers well is the 'Tom Yum Goong outfit' because it was almost not finished on time.

“The night before wearing it, we were still sitting at the hotel attaching the rhinestones (laughs). It was the only dress that didn't have a fitting; I didn't get to see it from head to toe to know how it would turn out. Everything happened right before the runway show. At that point, I braced myself for a disaster, but when it came out, the judges loved it. It exceeded my expectations because the dress was big, the colors were striking, and it perfectly represented Thai culture. It was like a stamp of approval, saying, 'Gawdland from Thailand has arrived! We're not here to play games!'” she recounted with a proud smile.

Beyond the elaborate costumes that Gawdland intentionally uses as a weapon in the competition, she emphasizes that the foundation of being a good drag queen also requires a variety of skills, including lip syncing, makeup, styling, and most importantly, a good sense of entertainment.

"Every time you go out in front of an audience, you have to be able to grab their attention and captivate them. You have to have a charm that people want to look at, or even be able to critique the audience in a way that they find funny, without feeling insulted. That's the wit and quick thinking of a good drag performer."

Although Gawdland tried her best to prepare for RuPaul's Drag Race UK vs The World Season 3 , she didn't have any expectations or a specific image in mind; she simply wanted to do her best.

"We just want to have fun, create moments, make memes, and build a reputation so people will remember us. We want to be 120 percent ourselves and enjoy the moment as much as possible."

“The entire month of filming was incredibly happy for me. It felt like we were living in a fantasy we'd always wanted to live in – filming Drag Race , meeting RuPaul, talking to the other contestants, walking on the main stage. This is something we'd only ever seen on screen, and today, we were the ones doing it. We also got to see the working process of a big-budget reality show that airs nationwide, and the studio next door was a huge production like Snow White, James Bond, Star Wars. It made me feel like, 'Wow, we've come this far!' So, every second there was pure joy.”

But of course, there's no moment happier than the 'crowning moment'—the moment she made it to the Top 2. She said, "It was sooooo hard! It was beyond my expectations. I couldn't believe it myself, because we've never had a Thai RuPaul's Drag Race Winner before. We were about to be the first in history! So there were so many emotions: excitement, joy, pride, shock, fear, stress, etc. But looking back, I want to thank myself for everything I've done along the way, for realizing, 'I did it!'" (smiles)

For Gawdland, drag queening is the first and only career she's pursued throughout her life. She says it has taught her perseverance, which is key to going far.

"I've always said that the Thai drag scene has so many talented people, so many who are ready to shine, but the light just hasn't reached them yet. Once, I was one of those people who felt, 'I deserve better.' That's why I want to send that light to my friends in the drag community."

“We are happy that this victory has brought more attention to us, but I want to say, please love and celebrate my success, not just because I am a Thai person who won on the world stage. I also want you to look back and see that what brought me to this point is the drag community. So please love this part of me as well, and I want more Thais to take an interest in drag,” she said with a hopeful look in her eyes.

Tatler concluded the interview with a message Gawdland wanted to leave for her past self.

“Be patient… Be patient during difficult times. And please love yourself and understand yourself very much, because one day you will go very far. You will succeed in the path you love and in what you have set your mind to. Don't let anyone make you feel hesitant or doubt whether what you are doing is right or wrong, because it is the right thing to do. Keep doing that. Keep going with determination.”

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