The 'drive' for a Miss Universe title

When the most attractive women in the world... well, the universe take the stage in London to begin December's Miss Universe pageant final, Thailand's entry will be "wearing" a three-wheeled vehicle.

Fashion designers have convinced 21-year-old Miss Universe Thailand, Aniporn "Nat" Chalermburanawong, to drape herself in a costume made to look like a tuk-tuk, Bangkok's iconic three-wheeled taxi.

It is a make-or-break decision designed to impress judges enough to award Thailand the "best national costume award." The country has won this title five times since the Miss Universe pageant began, while winning the Miss Universe title twice.

A sixth award for best national costume would make Thailand the leading country for that title.

The tuk-tuk design was agreed by Ms. Aniporn, a university student and professional model, over seven others on a shortlist that, as usual, delved into Thailand's 700-year history of changing dress and culture.

Past winning costumes by Thai entrants in Miss Universe have been based on dress worn over the years in various Thai regions, and in one case a modified set of equipment and gloves worn by muay thai boxers.

It won't be the first appearance of the Thai tuk-tuk at the Miss Universe finals.

In 2005, the pageant was held in Bangkok, and the host that year, Bill Bush, made his first entrance for the camera riding in a tuk-tuk.

The tuk-tuk is ubiquitous in Bangkok and several other Thai cities. It is powered these days mostly by natural gas. It was first designed and built in the 1950s to replace the rickshaw-type of transportation, too slow for Bangkok traffic. Those original, human-powered tuk-tuks are still used in some rural towns.