Angele Anang shot to fame in 2019 when she won the second series of Drag Race Thailand. In doing so, she became the first transgender winner of any series in the long-running RuPaul’s Drag Race franchise. She has become known as the “Beyonce of Thailand” for her uncanny impression of the singer, which she includes in a stage-show that she has performed across her home country and also internationally. Her Drag Race victory has helped to establish her international reputation, and she was invited to be a guest speaker at 2019’s DragCon NYC.
Anang was born in 1994 in the city of Korat. She began her career as a performer working for the Calypso Cabaret in Bangkok, performing as a burlesque dancer. From there, she began performing solo shows across the capital at legendary venues such as Maggie Choos, The Stranger Bar, and Kika. She auditioned for the second series of Drag Race Thailand in late 2018 and was successful. When the series premiered in spring the following year, she instantly became a fan favourite, and as well as becoming the first transgender champion, also became the first drag queen to win six challenges in one Drag Race season. Her reputation spread further when the show was aired in America (with English subtitles) during 2020.
Anang has built a strong, worldwide social media following, with over 39,000 followers on Instagram alone. She continues to perform in Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Tokyo, and Japan, and she hopes to move into acting. She has also used her new-found status to become a strong advocate of #prouddarker, a campaign for skin and body diversity in Thailand.
