Thai Beauty Queen Visits Her Old L.A. High School to Do Something Truly Beautiful

If there is one thing Thai beauty queens are known for, it’s their gratitude.

Now, a former Miss Universe, Porntip Nakhirunkanok, also known as Bui Simon, is returning to her high school with words of encouragement and $100,000 to donate to the school’s scholarship fund. Nakhirunkanok is a 1986 graduate of Franklin High School located in east Los Angeles, according to the East Sider LA.

During her first year in college, she paid a visit to her mother in Thailand who urged her to enter a Miss Thailand contest. The rest was history and Nakhirunkanok was crowned Miss Universe in 1988.

Nakhirunkanok and her old Franklin High School classmate Regina Marquez-Martinez were reunited this past summer when Marquez-Martinez was named principal of the school. The former Miss Universe generously pledged $100,000 on the school’s 100th year anniversary in honor of Jack Wright, the president of the Franklin Education Foundation.

Earlier this week, Nakhirunkanok stepped foot on her old school campus to speak with students about the importance of education and fearlessly pursuing their dreams. The Thai beauty queen has been known to be involved in charitable work and even started her own foundation, Angel Wings, in 2002 to promote education for underprivileged children in Thailand.

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