In case you hadn’t yet clocked it, RuPaul’s Drag Race has gotten its very first international spin-off, with Drag Race Thailand set to premiere later this month. We’ve been seeing teasers and photos of the queens for a while now, but the first official trailer for the show dropped over the weekend, and we need a moment to scrape our jaws off the floor.
The show is hosted by stylist and designer Art Arya, while Bangkok queen Pangina Heals will co-host, slotting into what we presume will be some sort of a Michelle Visage-type role. Fenton Bailey of production company World Of Wonder said of the spin-off:
“We’re totally excited about Drag Race Thailand. Drag is part of the Thai culture, in some ways more than it has been in the US, historically speaking. Even though they are following the format, I want them to bring their own inimitable style and characteristics.”
The queens set to compete in season one are Dearis Doll, Natalia Piarcam, Amadiva (goddamn, that’s a good drag name), Bunny Be Fly, Année Maywong, Petchara, Meannie Minaj, JAJA, Morrigan and B Ella.
As for how the show will differentiate itself from the original version, Bailey said that “[the queens] should being their own creativity, uniqueness, nerve, and talent. And I think they are doing that!”
The below trailer does not have English subtitles, but look, we get the general gist of what’s going on, and we’re pretty sure that you will too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=60&v=lsK123TxEH4
Here’s another picture of host Art Arya:
We also have Dearis Doll:
Annee Maywong:
Petchara:
JAJA:
B Ella:
Minnie Minaj:
Morrigan:
Amadiva:
Natalia Piarcam:
And Bunny Be Fly:
Drag Race Thailand is set to premiere on February 15, although we’re unsure if and when it will be shown internationally. RuPaul’s Drag Race has aired nine seasons, and recently kicked off All Stars 3, which we’ve been dutifully recapping for you, because we’re thoughtful like that.
