[2][3][4][5] Aage Krarup Nielsen, a Danish writer who explored Hsipaw in the late 1950s, expressed in his book "The Land of the Golden Pagodas" that, "It was at first somewhat of a shock for many local people to get a young European lady as their princess but before long, their reserve melted and their Mahadevi today is admired by the entire people of Hsipaw, who regard her as one of their own."

[1] In 1968, Eberhard met and married her second husband Howard "Tad" Sargent, a scientist and expert on Antarctica,[7] who encouraged her to write her biography.

[10] In the initial months of 1988, amid Burma's impending unrest, Sao Nang Thu Sandi made a return to Chiang Mai, marking her first visit to Southeast Asia since 1964.

Exiles from Hsipaw, residing in northern Thailand, warmly welcomed her at a Chiang Mai hotel, leaving her visibly touched by the genuine affection she received.

The support ostensibly aimed at fighting drugs resulted in the suffering of poor opium farmers, while the military shielded the main traffickers.

Sao Nang Thu Sandi initiated the process, and through her acquaintance, Moynihan requested a comprehensive investigation into US assistance to Burma.

The General Accounting Office conducted the investigation, and the findings were disclosed in a report dated September 1989, titled "Drug Control: Enforcement Efforts in Burma Are Not Effective".

[12][13] In 2008, she founded the Sao Thusandi Leadership Award, providing crucial support to emerging young community leaders in Shan State.

She persistently wrote letters to the Burmese civilian president, Thein Sein, seeking information about Sao Kya Seng.