BANGKOK - Before his shows at a jazz club in Bangkok, Pan Pan Narkprasert, 29, slathers layers of makeup on his face, emerging after two hours transformed into Pangina Heals, a larger-than-life, purple-lipped lady with a mass of blonde hair.

A professional drag queen, Pan Pan performs a weekly show at the 1930s Shanghai-inspired venue in this capital’s Silom nightlife area.

“This is not the White House. We’re just having fun here,” Pangina tells the cheering audience.

“We make fun of everybody. If you feel offended, you know where the door is.”

"Drag Race Thailand" co-host Pan Pan Narkprasert 'Pangina Heals' performs at a club in Bangkok, Thailand March 11, 2018. Athit Perawongmetha / Reuters

Pan Pan is also co-host of “Drag Race Thailand”, the first international edition of the U.S. reality television show “RuPaul’s Drag Race”, which pits drag queens against each other in various weekly challenges and runway performances to find “America’s next drag superstar.”

On the air for almost a decade, “RuPaul’s Drag Race” is hosted by American drag queen, singer and TV personality RuPaul, and sees the last two contestants lip-sync to songs for a crown and other prizes in the final episode.

The Thai show, which follows the same format, has contestants aged 18 to 37 competing for a 500,000 baht ($16,000) cash prize.

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“Drag Race Thailand” made its debut last month and Pan Pan credits the show with helping Thailand’s drag scene to blossom.

“The drag scene is growing so much more because of shows like ‘Drag Race Thailand’ and ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’,” Pan Pan said.

“Thailand’s drag scene is new and fresh because drag is a form of Western culture, but Thai people are really interested in it.”

A largely conservative Buddhist society, Thailand has nonetheless built a reputation as a place with a relaxed approach towards gender and sexual diversity.