In a story straight out of a fairy tale, Noppajit “Meen” Somboonsate, a 28-year-old street sweeper in Bangkok, has gone from sweeping streets to striking poses—thanks to a chance encounter captured on TikTok.
Meen, a single mother of two, was spotted while working on the streets by Semyon Rezchikov, a Russian photographer visiting Thailand. Captivated by her natural beauty, Rezchikov snapped a candid photo and filmed their brief interaction. He later posted the video on TikTok, unaware that it would spark a national conversation and catapult Meen into the limelight.
The video quickly went viral, with viewers praising Meen’s radiant looks and humble presence. Within days, she was being interviewed by local media and courted by modelling agencies.
In interviews, Meen expressed surprise at the overwhelming attention. She shared that she had been working as a street sweeper for over a year and never imagined that a random moment could change her life so drastically.
Her story took another glamorous turn when renowned Thai makeup artist Nong Chat invited her for a makeover. Transforming her into a character from the cult Thai horror film Art of the Devil 2, Nong Chat’s photoshoot with Meen once again broke the internet.
Since then, Meen has modeled for Nong Chat’s Browit cosmetics brand and is in talks with several other companies. She has officially left her day job to pursue modeling full-time.
Meen’s inspiring transformation has drawn comparisons to other viral success stories—like Ali Olakunmi from Nigeria and Rita Gaviola, a street beggar in the Philippines—proving once again that sometimes, all it takes is one moment to change everything.
