About Bui Simon
Bui Simon represented Thailand in the 1988 Miss Universe competition, winning the crown as the second Thai to accomplish the feat. She began serving as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for Thailand that year, notably accompanying Thai athletes at the opening ceremony of the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. Ms. Simon also successfully campaigned on behalf of the 10th anniversary of the International Year of the Child and efforts to secure the passage of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. For her work, she received a Thai Royal Medal of Honor from King Bhumibol Adulyadej. From that time on, Ms. Simon actively participated in a number of projects supporting Thai children and women, particularly in underserved rural communities.
Throughout the 1990s, Bui Simon enjoyed a varied career as spokesperson for the Tourism Authority of Thailand; as an Anchor on CBS News’ 60 Minutes II Thailand; and as a public representative for internationally recognized brands, such as Pepsi and Colgate-Palmolive. In 2002, Ms. Simon, now living in Southern California with an American husband, launched the Angels Wings Foundation. Her varied activities as President of the Foundation have included assisting child survivors of human trafficking at the Bansari Surat Shelter. In the wake of the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, Bui Simon led successful efforts to build orphanages, homes, and boats for children and families who had lost everything.
The Angels Wings Foundation’s primary mission today involves providing educational assistance to underserved children throughout Thailand. With a vision of “empowering through education,” Bui Simon funds the construction of schools in rural areas, providing scholarships and support for individuals who dream of teaching and giving back to their local communities. One educational institution the Angels Wings Foundation supports is the 87th Thai Border Patrol Police’s School in Chiang Rai. Since 2002, Ms. Simon has mobilized resources to expand the school, adding infrastructure that includes teacher housing and a cafeteria. In 2010, Bui Simon traveled to Chiang Rai to present the school with computers and educational supply donations.
A graduate of Pepperdine University in Malibu, Ms. Simon was appointed in 2010 to the University’s Board of Regents. This recognized her efforts on behalf of the school, including the establishment of the Thai Endowed Scholarship Fund. Through this endowment, Ms. Simon offers Thai academic achievers opportunities to pursue undergraduate studies at Pepperdine University.
Bui Simon Links
