Quick Facts
Biography
Maria Lynn Ehren (Thai: มารีญา ลินน์ เอียเรียน; born 18 January 1992), also known as Maria Poonlertlarp (Thai: มารีญา พูลเลิศลาภ), is a Thai-Swedish actress, model, singer, and beauty pageant titleholder. On 29 July 2017, she won Miss Universe Thailand 2017 and will represent Thailand at Miss Universe 2017.
Early life
Maria Lynn Ehren was born in Bangkok, Thailand to a Swedish father, Goran Ehren, an electrical engineer and a Thai Chinese descent mother, Chanoksuang Ehren (née Poonlertlarp), a former teacher at the American TESOL Institute. At age 2, she moved to Hanoi, Vietnam with her family and back to Bangkok with her family again when she was 7 years old. At age 14 she began to train as a model for Bangkok Elle Magazine. After she graduated Bachelor's Degree from the Netherlands, she later attended the Stockholm Business School for her Master's Degree within the Stockholm University and is a graduate of international business commerce. Ehren speaks both Thai and English language fluently, a little Swedish and Mandarin Chinese.
While residing in Sweden, Ehren first worked as an English teacher, followed by a brief career as a music jockey, and then worked as a head of marketing committee in Erasmus Student Network in Rotterdam, Netherlands. In 2014, Ehren returned to Thailand to work for Broadgate Financial, where she advanced to managerial duties in digital marketing. In August 2016, Ehren posed for Thailand's Vogue magazine.
Pageantry
Miss Universe Thailand 2017
On 21 June 2017, Maria Ehren gave a televised interview with "Unfold" show in GMM TV Thai Network where she was introduced as an aspiring contestant for Miss Universe Thailand 2017.
During its preliminary segment,Ehren won the Boutique Lady title sponsored by Bangkok Airways with a grand prize of 100,000 Baht cash prize and a complimentary round-trip first class airline ticket for the upcoming Miss Universe 2017 pageant destination.
Ehren was crowned Miss Universe Thailand 2017 on 29 July 2017 at the Royal Paragon Hall in Bangkok by outgoing titleholder Chalita Suansane. In the pageant, Ehren won the elusive Thailand sash and crown, a 2018 Honda Civic Turbo RS automobile, one million baht cash prize, and one full year contract sponsorship by BSC Cosmetology services.
Ehren is an adherent of agnosticism and a practicing Theravadan Buddhist, the dominant religion of Thailand. During her national competition, she advocated towards gender equality, proper trash disposal and care for the homeless.
Miss Universe 2017
In November, Ehren will represent the Kingdom of Thailand in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States at the upcoming 66th edition of the Miss Universe 2017 pageant.