When Anntonia Porsild became the first woman from Thailand to win the Miss Supranational crown last December, the first question she was asked was how she would like to use her title. The 23 year old Advertising student responded that she would like to help people. It was before the global pandemic and without knowing that she would not have a reign similar to her predecessor’s. While the ‘new normal’ has prevented her from making use of all the opportunities that come with the title, like visiting countries around the world and attending glamorous events, the Danish Thai beauty has not let it stop her from doing what she hoped to do in the first place.
Porsild (23) has been keeping herself busy participating in a range of community activities since her country eased Covid-19 restrictions. Most of them revolved around the singular goal of providing basic necessities to those who need it the most. Speaking about how her involvement in these activities started, she explains that she was invited by pageant fan pages who wanted to unite title holders from different organizations to help out during this challenging time. Since then Porsild has either gone out alone or joined hands with other beauty queens to deliver meals and basic necessities to families that were hard hit by the pandemic.
Describing the first outreach activity as “eye opening” and a “realizing moment”, Porsild explains she immediately knew it is not only what she should be doing but also what she wants to be doing.
“My family raised me to understand the importance of giving back and I have always tried to help out where I can. These past few weeks, I have become so much more aware that small acts of kindness make a real impact. There is not much I can do about the current situation in the world, but by going out and taking basic necessities to people who need it, I am being of service to my country and it is more important than ever for all of us to do what we can,” she says.
“Some of the activities happened outside of Bangkok and in rural areas of Thailand where you become extremely aware of how hard people have been hit. It is also in these areas where I had more than 200 meals to give that people directed me to others who they believed needed it more. This has opened my mind to what society is lacking, especially in big cities where we often don’t see or stop for long enough to care how many people are left out. Having people who I saw were struggling themselves send me to find others that have been hit harder have given me a greater understanding of what we can become if we learn to be little bit more selfless,” Porsild continues.
Trying to reach people who are often left out, Porsild has visited different areas and communities. Along with some of her fellow beauty queens, she visited people with compromised immune systems in a well-known area of Bangkok and also members of the Muslim community outside of the city at their homes to provide them with basic necessities. “When there are no cameras and people see that you actually go to them because you care and you want to help, the personal connection you make is the incredibly special and rewarding,” she says.
Porsild’s current mission is to help with a fund-raising auction for an orphanage for disabled children she has been working with since before she became a beauty queen. Asked about her biggest lesson from all of this, she explains, “Kindness is so easy and effortless to give. Even though I often feel that I am just doing small things, you reach a point where you learn to understand perspective. What I am doing might seem small but it can undoubtedly have a positive impact on someone’s life. This is what I want to be doing. Without hesitation, anywhere, any time, I want to go and help where I can.”
What a praiseworhty way to use her title in these challenging times. Noticeable however is the absence of Miss Supranational Organization in her advocacy. This is true of most beauty queens– they get themselves involved in community projects on their own– no active support from their pageant organisations. Just when the global fans expect the pageant organizations to be visible and “walk the talk” on empowerment, nothing much is heard from them. Just when it is a period like this when pageantry can actively project and fortify its brand, pageant organizations are on a silent wait-and-see mode.
Thais are dominating world pageantry
They keep sending gorgeous and articulate candidates
If MUT 2019 did more interviews with the international audience , people would have known how humble and personable she was . She would have garnered more support and possibly won MU.
Confidently beautiful with both heart and brain.
That’s nice. The people she helps direct her to others whom they felt need help more. 🙂
“…Muslim community outside of the city to provide them with basic necessities” sounds like a racial divide… in predominantly Buddhist Thailand. Are Christians similarly segregated? Or, does this have something to do with migrant labor issues… or separatist activities at the Thailand-Malaysia border?
“…people with compromised immune systems in a well-known area of Bangkok” is obviously Patpong. I recall my first time… A sign outside one of the strip bars went, “p(beep!) open beer bottle, 800 Baht”. Gentlemen, would you shell out more than 1k Php to see just how strong…? lolz
Wow! I am sure Anntonia does not want to be tagged as “the lame duck reigning titleholder”, that’s why she makes herself busy doing rounds, to be of reach in her causes as Miss Supranational ambassadress.
I remember, the moment I learned that Thailand had her as their representative in the Miss Supranational 2019, I thought she would have the crown to lose. She was perfectly stunning and at par with our very own, Mutya Datul.
However, I wondered why she did not consider joining Miss Universe Thailand pageant. Is joining a Tier-2 pageant her training ground of sort for the bigger pageant? I think she can be Thailand’s best representative in Miss Universe if she joins and eventually wins her national pageant. She is a super beauty, an eloquent speaker, and embodies the true essence of a Thai beauty queen. I’ll watch out for her. Good luck, girl.
Anyway, please find time to watch this video. That’s all.