She enrolled at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , where she caught up on drama courses including acting , directing and playwriting . She was often selected for leading parts in plays , from which she became noticed , and was subsequently invited to appear on '' The Tonight Show '' , received a record offer with Liberty Records , which was released as '' Sondi '' , and appeared in '' Mickey Spillane 's Mike Hammer '' . She transferred to the University of California , Los Angeles upon the suggestion of her advisers , to be able to pursue more career opportunities . She was then offered a seven-year contract with Fox Studios , which she declined , settling for a two-year scholarship and training program instead . During her acting career in Hollywood she was a semi-regular on ABC 's '' Adventures in Paradise '' , with Gardner McKay , and also guest starred on CBS 's '' The Lucy – Desi Comedy Hour '' . She represented Thailand in the Miss Universe 1959 beauty pageant , where she won the Miss Friendship Award . She went by the alias " Sondi Sodsai " in her acting career because her last name " was too difficult for foreigners to pronounce . " Upon completing her studies , Sodsai returned to Thailand and became a lecturer at her '' alma mater '' , Chulalongkorn University 's Faculty of Arts . At the time , formal education in dramatic arts did not exist in Thailand . Sodsai pioneered the field , establishing the Faculty 's Department of Dramatic Arts in 1970 . She developed curricula based on the theories and practices of Western theater , and helped lay out the foundations of drama education in both tertiary and secondary institutions , as well as in professional circles . Of the initial difficulties of establishing the school , she noted in an interview of how she and her students lacked a theater in which to perform : " We were like nomads , we performed under the trees , on the verandah , in the attic . Practically wherever they allowed us . " Sodsai produced many works , writing and directing numerous plays , as well as editing , acting and composing . Her plays include '' Yankee Do n't Go Home '' , '' Tukkata Kaew '' ( " Glass doll " ) , '' Yot Pratthana '' ( " Dearest " ) , '' Koet Pen Tua Lakhon '' ( " Born a play character " ) , '' Phu Phae – Phu Chana '' ( " Loser – winner " ) , '' Phrai Nam '' , '' Khon Di Thi Sechuan '' ( " Samaritan at Sichuan " ) and her latest production '' Lam Di '' ( " the Good Interpreter " ) , which was released in 2009 . She translated and presented works of Western drama , including '' The Glass Menagerie '' and '' Hedda Gabler '' , for the Thai audience . She also directed television dramas , winning a Mekhala Award for her 1984 adaptation of Chart Korbjitti 's novel '' Kham Phiphaksa '' ( " The Judgement " ) , which she applied Western technics in directing
Miss Universe 1959
Miss Universe 1959
Sodsai Pantoomkomol