She was born in Ipoh, Malaysia, but grew up in the city of Tawau, in Sabah, East Malaysia. She began her modeling career at seventeen, after being discovered in Kuala Lumpur, where she was working as an accountant. Chia gained international fame after winning the 2004 Guess Watches Timeless Beauty Contest, which was a global model search for Guess Watch’s brand ambassador worldwide. The win also meant that Chia became the first Asian model ever to win a top global professional modelling contest.