Areeya Chumsai

Upon completion of her reign as Miss Thailand, Areeya went on to teach English and writing to Thai students at Bangkok University and later Chulalongkorn University. In 1995, she became a military officer at the Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy ranked as a 2nd Lieutenant while teaching English to Thai soldiers. Her experiences in the military were later described in her book "Bootcamp." She also wrote a column for the Thai fashion magazine Praew and continued to model. In 1999, she worked as a spokesperson/model for Hitachi, Ltd., appearing in both print and television advertisements. In 2000, she became the first Thai woman to receive the 13th Tokyo Creation Award, awarded for her social service.

In 2005, she co-directed alongside Nisa Kongsri the film Innocence (Dek toh), which documented the schooling and lives of the hill tribe children in northern Thailand. Chumsai and Kongsri lived among the hill tribe people for months as teachers and students lived together growing crops, cooking meals, and continuing the education process. The film opened to positive reviews and has been shown in several film festivals throughout the world, receiving several accolades including most recently the EIDF2006 "Spirit Award" in Korea. Proceeds from the film have gone to the hill tribe children; in addition, Chumsai and Kongsri have continued to raise awareness across the country and through their charity work.