Miss World 2025 is Opal Suchata Chuangsri of Thailand. She was crowned at the HITEX Exhibition Center in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. The Philippines' Krishnah Gravidez finished in the Top 8 and was named Miss World Asia and Oceania.

For pageant fans, the name Suchata Chuangsri has been buzzing since 2024. Thailand, one of the biggest beauty pageant-loving nations like the Philippines, has produced some of the toughest competitors for the top five most coveted crowns.

Chuangsri, a true powerhouse, was crowned Miss Universe Thailand 2024 and made it to the Top 5 at the grand coronation night, eventually placing as the third runner-up.

Born on 20 March 2003, this Pisces Gen Z queen is a Political Science major at Thammasat University in Bangkok, Thailand. She is trilingual, speaking Thai, Chinese, and English fluently.

Last November 2024, together with the Philippines’ Chelsea Manalo, she competed to represent Thailand on the Miss Universe stage in Mexico City. During the Top 5 Q&A round, she was asked, "What qualities should someone have to be a truly successful leader?"

To which Chuangsri answered: "A quality that a leader should have for me is 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, to care about their well-being. And not only leaders, I believe that everyone in this world needs to have empathy among each other. That’s how we can unite."

Meanwhile, the general question asked to the Top 5 was: Miss Universe has inspired generations of women. What do you want to say to the ones watching you now?

Suchata Chuangsri replied: "One message I would like to give them is to always believe and to always have hope. Working on my project Opal for Her, I work a lot with cancer patients and doctors. We all know that it is a hard thing to overcome this disease, but what I can feel is everyone has hope and everyone believes that tomorrow will be a better day. As long as you believe your power is infinite and as long as you have hope, your spirits and your power will shine."

Despite this, Denmark’s Victoria Kjær Theilvig emerged as the winner and was crowned Miss Universe 2024.

When one door closes, there is probably an open window somewhere

It is safe to say that Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray’s pageant performance was so iconic she became a "blueprint" for many ladies aiming for a pageant crown. Resilience, one of the many qualities of a queen, has been her top trait.

She lost the Miss World crown in 2016, only landing in the Top 5. Still, she persevered, and two years later she saw landslide success at the 67th Miss Universe held in Chuangsri’s home country, Thailand.

And for the new Miss World, her winning journey did come with sacrifices.

In April of this year, the Miss Universe Organization withdrew her 3rd runner-up title, citing that TPN Global, the former franchise owner of Miss Universe Thailand, "did not comply with the protocols set by the National Directors (ND) by sending a Miss Universe Queen to participate in another pageant before completing her reign."

This slight issue did not stop Chuangsri on her Miss World 2025 journey. With more at stake and an advocacy close to her heart, she was able to rally through her winning answers of the night:

Top 8, vying for Miss World Asia and Oceania, head to head with Miss World Philippines Krishnah Gravidez.

Q: Why should you be chosen as Miss World Asia and Oceania?

Suchata Chuangsri: "To the question, I see this as like, when you are taking care of a garden. Everyone can water the plants, but in order to make a beautiful and long-lasting garden, you need someone who stays. And it applies with being Miss Asia and Oceania, you don't only introduce people with the title of yourself. But on the other hand, you make sure that they feel that you are staying and standing up for them. Through my Beauty with a Purpose project, I learned that, to live my life to the fullest it's about giving back the life and the dreams to those that were taken away. And that is why I'm standing here today, to be the light of hope, to be the light of strength, and to live my legacy until the last breathe of my life."

Top 4, question and answer for the Miss World 2025 crown

Q: What has this journey taught you about truth and personal responsibility in shaping how stories are told?

Suchata Chuangsri: "Thank you so much for the question, and being here is the greatest opportunity I could ever have in life. And one thing that I learned, being here at the Miss World, is the responsibility of how stories [are] perceived, and I think that, one big thing that we can do here, me, and all the girls, including everyone here in the hall, is being the person who all the of the people in our lives look up to.

Because I always believe that, no matter who you are, and no matter how old you are, no matter what title you hold in your life, there is always a person next to you, whether it’s a child, whether it’s an adult, it could even be your own parents that look up to you in a way. And the best way to lead people is to lead with gracefulness in your actions. That is the best thing we can do for the people around us and in our world."

At the young age of 16, her passion was shaped by experience. Discovering a tumor on her breast, which was thankfully benign, inspired her to create Opal for HER, which was also her Beauty with a Purpose project. This initiative advocates for early detection and proper education on breast cancer awareness.

A queen forged in real-life trials, we wish you a magnificent reign as Miss World 2025.