Why?

Because television audience dynamic dictates so.

The Miss Universe 2005 pageant will be telecast live on NBC in the US. In order to facilitate prime-time (9.00 PM) beaming of Miss Universe 2005 contest to American homes, the event has to happen at Thailand time 8.00 AM in the morning . Which means, little sleep for the beauties the day before.

"The show is going to be live on NBC, and America is the biggest television audience in the world," said Tom Kruesopon, chief organiser for Miss Universe 2005. "That's just the way it works."

The Miss Universe pageant is conducted by the Trump Organizaton since 1996.

This is the first time Thailand is hosting the Miss Universe 2005 pageant. The Thai government hope the beauty show ill revie interest in the country's tourism. However, the main TV audience audience for the annual beauty extravaganza still seems to be in the US, which will get to see the outcome of the contest live on TV at 9pm eastern standard time.

"I don't think the contestants are going to sleep," said Kruesopon at a press briefing.

About a billion people across the world are expected to tune in to the annual global beauty pageant which is running for the past 54 years.

BY A CORRESPONDENT