Thai beauty queen Suchata "Opal" Chuangsri, who won third runner-up in the recent Miss Universe beauty pageant, said she feels extremely proud to have had the chance to represent Thailand at the event.
“I do not feel any regret or sorrow at all for not winning the title. What I feel is pride in fulfilling my duties as Thailand’s representative,” she wrote on her Instagram account today.
She expressed gratitude to all Thai people for their unwavering support. “My team and I have been deeply impressed by and grateful for the strength of the Thai people,” she wrote, adding “We have shown everyone what makes us proud. This is the collective power of all Thais. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me, and I am happy to have shared it with everyone. I am proud to be the one who brought happiness and joy to the Thai people.”
She urged everyone to cherish the memory of this shared hope and faith, adding that she believes other Thai women would continue to make the nation proud.
“Let’s have confidence,” she said.
During the Q&A segment for the five finalists, Suchata was asked the same question as the other finalists, about what qualities someone must have to be a truly successful leader.
Her response was, “Empathy, because, no matter how good you are, no matter what kind of education you have, in the end, you need empathy to care about your people and their well-being. And not only leaders - I believe that everyone in this world needs to have empathy for one another. That’s how we can unite.”
