| The contestants in this year's Miss Universe, led by Miss Universe 2004 Jennifer Hawkins of Australia, have arrived in the Thai island resort of Phuket.
The women will visit areas hit by last year's tsunami and observe a demonstration of the new advance-warning system.
The beauty contestants were given a warm welcome when they arrived at the Phuket International Airport on Thursday, according to a TNA reporter on the scene.
After lunch the beauty queens joined local provincial officials in activities aimed at promoting Phuket's recovery from last December's devastating disaster.
The presence of the beauty contestants in Phuket will help restore confidence in the province, especially among foreign tourists, according to local officials.
The beauty queens plan to donate 12 million baht to the Patong Hospital to help tsunami victims during their one-day visit to Phuket.
They contestants are scheduled to return to Bangkok on Thursday evening.
The Miss Universe 2005 pageant will take place in Bangkok on 31 May. It will be televised live around the world to hundreds of millions of viewers.
By: MCOT, Thailand
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