Miss Thailand Chanaporn Rosjan has won the best costume award in the first round of Miss Universe 2005 competition, the third Thai lady to snare the award in the Miss Universe pageant.

The traditional Thai costume, glittered on Rosjan, stood out on the stage and received enthusiastic applause from the audience in the first round of competition Wednesday night. Miss Mexico Laura Elizondo was second runner-up, seizing the best fancy costume category, reported The Nation newspaper on Thursday.

In the 1969 and 1988 Miss Universe competition, beauty queen Saengduan Manwong and Pornthip Nakhirankanok were also rewarded with the best costume prizes.

Designed by fabric expert Theerapan Chanchareon, the costume was inspired from the apparel of court ladies during the Ayutthaya period. The tiara is imitated to a period piece on display in a museum in Philadelphia in the United States.

The accessories, including a bracelet and belt, are made of real gold. The textiles were weaved from golden silk and was time- consuming. The outfit costs some 1 million baht (23,800 US dollars) .

This year's Miss Universe Pageant brought together 82 beauties from 82 countries to compete for the most coveted beauty title of the world. The final will take place on May 31.

Source: Xinhua