Thailand's Opal Suchata Chuangsri crowned Miss World 2025

Hyderabad | "Be the person that someone or the other will look up to", is the mantra that won Thailand's Opal Suchata Chuangsri her Miss World crown at the star-studded 72nd Miss World contest here on Saturday.

She became her country's first Miss World.

"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 their gracefulness in your actions. That is the best thing we can do to the people around us and in our world," said the 72nd Miss World.

She was replying to a question by one of the judges, Sonu Sood.

Sood wanted to know what her Miss World journey taught her about the truth and personal responsibility in shaping how the stories are told.

Incidentally, according to the Miss World website, Chuangsri was crowned Miss World Thailand 2025 on April 22, just a week before she departed to Hyderabad to participate in the 72nd edition of the Miss World.

She has also represented her country in Miss Universe 2024, finishing third runner-up.

Miss World first runner-up Hasset Dereje from Ethiopia is the first ever from her country too to have reached this far in the Miss World contest.

Ethiopia started sending representatives from 2003 onwards, according to the Miss World website.

Answering a member of the jury, actor Rana Daggubati's question on what it means to be a beauty queen, Dereje said she holds "so much pride" in being the first in her country to come this far.

"A lot of people think Miss World is just another pageant, another beauty contest. But it is more than that. There are so many children and mothers behind me that get so many things from me from standing here. I am the first ever Ethiopian to ever make it this far and I hold so much pride in it," answered Dereje.

Second runner-up Maja Klajda from Poland, a third year student of Psychology, was pushing for open conversations about temperament, peer pressure, and psychological well-being, to help young people better understand themselves for her Beauty With A Purpose (BWAP) project.

Third runner-up was Aurelie Joachim of Martinique. She was pitching for mental health awareness through her BWAP project.

Reigning Miss World Krystyna Pyszkova, who crowned the beauty queens, talked about how important it is to dream big and believe in that dream.

Indonesia's Monica Kezia Sembiring won the Beauty with a Purpose Award.

The grand finale was hosted by Stephanie del Valle (Miss World 2016) alongside Indian presenter Sachiin Kumbhar.

Daggubati presented the Miss World Humanitarian Award to Sood.

The other juries include Sudha Reddy, Global Ambassador for Beauty With a Purpose in 2025, actor Namrata Shirodkar, Manushi Chhillar (winner of Miss World 2017) and Telangana Special Chief Secretary (Tourism) Jayesh Ranjan.

Julia Morley CBE, Chairwoman of Miss World, headed the jury and announced the winner of the 72nd Miss World.

The evening saw the likes of Bollywood stars Jacqueline Fernandez and Ishaan Khatter grooving to a medley of hits in Hindi and Telugu, including the Oscar-winning 'Naatu, Naatu'.

Apart from Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, the VVIPs present for the event include superstar Chiranjeevi, who attended the event with his wife Surekha.

The contestants walked the runway in specially designed evening gowns.