Ha Thu: 'I set a goal to win the Miss Earth crown'

The 9X beauty hopes to win the highest position in the contest in the Philippines when she is predicted to be in the Top 10 of Miss Earth 2017.

- What difficulties did you encounter when you went to the Philippines to compete in Miss Earth?

- I was largely self-sufficient in this competition. The organizers required contestants to go alone, so I took care of everything. When I arrived, I was initially confused because of many unfamiliar things, but I gradually got used to them. As for the costumes, I received enthusiastic support from designers such as Do Long, Le Thanh Hoa, and Thuy Nguyen. At Miss Earth, you can change dozens of outfits in a day because of the tight schedule. I invested the most in the dress for the evening gown competition and the important outfit for the final night, both by designer Le Thanh Hoa.

My training and travel expenses were all taken from the money I had saved since I first set foot in Saigon to start a business and run a restaurant. When I boarded the plane to the Philippines, this investment had "eaten up" almost all my savings.

Miss Ocean 2014 runner-up Ha Thu.

- Beauty Nam Em has entered the Top 8 of Miss Earth 2016. What pressure do you face in this year's competition?

- I try to avoid thinking "Nam Em has made it to the top 8, so I must be better than her". Against about 90 competitors, the best thing I can do is to surpass my own achievement at the Miss Intercontinental contest in Germany in 2015. I don't want to keep comparing myself to others and forget about myself.

That said, it doesn’t mean I don’t value winning this competition. My goal in this competition is to win the highest position. The goal will be something for me to try harder, otherwise, I will go to the competition and end up traveling and having fun.

- Nam Em had trouble with the English translation in the behavioral round. How did you prepare your foreign language skills for this year's season?

- To avoid any translation problems, I registered with the organizers to answer in English if I made it to the Top of the behavioral competition. Last year, Nam Em - the representative of Vietnam - had trouble because the interpreter was not good, leading to her not being able to complete the question and falling out of the top 4. I think this problem was because Nam Em had not received any experience from her predecessors and the audience during the competition was too crowded, making her nervous. From that "bloody" experience, I prepared more carefully, for example, studying the question types in advance to avoid confusion.

I have never claimed to be completely fluent in English. But I have a foreign language background thanks to studying at the Faculty of Tourism, Hue University and having experience from the Miss Intercontinental contest. In the Philippines, I continued to improve my foreign language skills. I can talk fluently with the contestants, present my thoughts and wishes about environmental protection to the judges.

* Ha Thu speaks and sings in English at Miss Earth

- What are your strengths that you are confident in?

-Regarding appearance, I accept the things that cannot be changed about myself.On my face, I am confident in a very bright smile. I also haveability to communicate and get to know other candidates well.During the competition, I noticed that many contestants could not speak English but still got the judges' attention because of their open attitude. At parties, I still connected with other contestants because of my smile.

My weakness is my small stature compared to many of my competitors. My weakness is that when I am worried about competing, my weight decreases. Before leaving for the competition, I was only 50 kg, having lost five kilos. When I went to the Philippines, I still took the time to eat and exercise so that my body would not be too weak. I went to the gym to maintain my fitness for the 30 days of competition, even though there were days when I only slept 3-4 hours. I also did not restrict my diet because I knew I needed a lot of energy.

Ha Thu won a gold medal in the Beachwear category.

- Nowadays, there is a notion that beauties compete in beauty contests to win titles, thereby increasing the price of attending events. What do you think?

- I participate in beauty contests to challenge myself in a multicultural environment. Participating in contests is my way of focusing on big projects, creating a buzz for myself instead of frequently attending events just to polish my name. Up until now, I have rarely attended events. I want each time I appear, I have to have a role in that program, instead of just coming to get a salary or to be in the newspaper. That may be the reason why people find me boring.

Honestly, I feel unfair and sad when some people say I'm bland. I can dance, sing, and play the guitar, so I deserve to be considered talented. Perhaps, the definition of "bland" for many people is for those who have no scandals or shocking statements. I want to change the negative stereotypes about beauty queens and runners-up by striving to improve myself through will and ability. I have tried my best and done exactly what I wanted. If I am still criticized as "bland", I have to accept it.

* Ha Thu shows off her measurements of 85 - 60 - 90 cm in a bikini photoshoot

- What do you think about plastic surgery?

- As a girl, I sometimes think about cosmetic surgery. I often ask my relatives and friends what they think I need to do on my face and body. But they all say I already have basic features. Besides, I am very afraid of pain. Once, when I went for skin care, the specialist took my own blood and injected it into my face. When the needle just pierced my skin, I screamed and cried, immediately giving up the procedure. If I was like this after just skin care, let alone surgery.

I strongly support women beautifying themselves, because I know the importance of being confident in their appearance. But I aim to edit my appearance intelligently, not just seeing others fix their eyes or noses and then doing the same. Currently, I am satisfied with my face and do not see any part that I could have surgery on to be more beautiful.

- How is your love life now?

- I used to have a boyfriend but we broke up. Now I enjoy being single.I have my own criteria for a lover but I never look for one because love is fate. I focus on developing my name and career and love will come naturally.I also don't think about finding someone with financial potential because for me, love and money are two separate things. For me, a boyfriend is someone who makes me love him, not someone who can help me with my career, because then I wouldn't respect myself. Of course, a boyfriend who meets my financial needs would be great for any girl, but don't make money a priority.

During my years in showbiz, I have refused many indecent offers of love and money. I don't like to be taken advantage of even if I am asked to do so.flirting via Facebook, asking around through acquaintances or meeting in person. I just said: never mention those things to me again, or I will cut them off. I don't keep relationships like that.

According to VNE