A DRAG JOURNEY

Siam PhuSri brings Thai drag to the global stage

- STORY: JUAN JOCOM

Still in full glam after a pink carpet event in Los Angeles, RuPaul's Drag Race's Sarawut Chuchote's first words on the red carpet were of gratitude.

"It changed my life," Sarawut said. "It's an honour to be right there to represent my country."

A former contestant on Drag Race Thailand Season 3, Sarawut, better known as Siam PhuSri in drag, will represent Thailand in the upcoming Drag Race Philippines: Slaysian Royale, premiering next week.

The spin-off will feature an all-Asian cast for the first time in the franchise's history, with the Philippines as the host country. The show stems from the original US reality TV series RuPaul's Drag Race, where drag queens compete in challenges for a chance to win the crown.

Before landing an international gig, Sarawut grew up in the northeastern Chum Phuang district of Nakhon Ratchasima province. His parents, both police officers, raised him with a "never take no for an answer" attitude.

As the middle child of three, Sarawut said that despite coming from a modest background, he always had his parents' support.

"If you get freedom at home, you're going to get freedom everywhere," Sarawut said.

FROM RUNWAY TO RUNWAY

Long before stepping onto the Drag Race runway, Sarawut dreamed of being a flight attendant.

"I feel like every time I look at the skies and see airplanes, I feel like they go to another planet," Sarawut said.

Growing up in a small rural district, airplanes symbolised possibility and a sign that something bigger was waiting for him outside his hometown.

In 2011, Sarawut packed all those dreams into a suitcase and immigrated to the US at age 20, starting out by working at his brother's restaurant.

Sarawut also taught himself how to cut hair and paint nails before arriving in the US. He eventually earned a massage licence in San Francisco, where he worked at a spa to support himself while building towards his dreams.