Marilyn Cahatol

Article (news)

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176258358708917622549336032-Composite (4) 6.webp" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Reigning Miss Universe Victoria Theilvig (left) took the side of a candidate who was in a heated exchange with the pageant&#x27;s vice president for Asiana, Nawat Itsaragrisil. Photos from Instagram: @victoriaakjaer, @nawat.tv "/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Reigning Miss Universe Victoria Theilvig (left) took the side of a candidate who was in a heated exchange with the pageant&#x27;s vice president for Asiana, Nawat Itsaragrisil. <em>Photos from Instagram: @victoriaakjaer, @nawat.tv </em></span></span></span></div><p>This year&#x27;s Miss Universe in Thailand has been marred by ugly drama, with allegations of an insult to a beauty queen&#x27;s intellect, a walkout by pageant contestants and a tearful tantrum by the host.</p><p>More than 120 women from across the world have gathered in Thailand, vying to be crowned Miss Universe in a contest considered one of the &quot;big four&quot; of global beauty pageants.</p><p>But the runup has been dominated by the off-stage antics of the coiffed contestants and their Thai hosts, escalating into a feminist firestorm drawing the attention of Mexico&#x27;s president.</p><p>On Tuesday, Mexican delegate Fatima Bosch staged a dramatic walkout -- in an evening gown and high heels -- from a meeting where she was lambasted by Miss Universe host Nawat Itsaragrisil.</p><p>In a livestream of the event, Nawat seemed to single out Miss Mexico and call her a &quot;dumbhead&quot; during a dispute over her apparent failure to post promotional content on her social media.</p><p>He has since denied using the term.</p><p>But after Nawat called for security to intervene, the besashed Bosch staged a walkout flanked by Miss Iraq, who wore a bejewelled floor-length robe.</p><p>&quot;What your director did is not respectful: he called me dumb,&quot; Bosch told a press gaggle. &quot;The world needs to see this because we are empowered women and this is a platform for our voice.&quot;</p><p>Other beauty queens appeared to rise in solidarity with Bosch, before freezing as Nawat warned those still wanting to participate should &quot;sit down&quot;.</p><p>The drama provoked a reaction from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who on Wednesday said Bosch was an &quot;example of how we women should speak out&quot; in the face of aggression.</p><p>&quot;In public events, I say women look prettier when we speak out,&quot; she said. &quot;So my recognition goes to this young woman.&quot;</p><p>Mexico&#x27;s embassy in Thailand said on its Facebook page it is in &quot;constant communication&quot; with Bosch and her relatives, but did not respond to AFP&#x27;s request for further comment.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/pageants-beauty-queens/2025/11/4/walkouts-and-tears-as-power-struggle-in-miss-universe-looms-1926">Walkouts and tears as power struggle in Miss Universe looms</a></div><div> </div><div><strong>&#x27;Betrayed&#x27;</strong></div><p>Nawat, meanwhile, has seen his own behavior publicly shamed by the Miss Universe Organization.</p><p>&quot;I will not allow the values of respect and dignity toward women to be violated,&quot; president Raul Rocha said in a grandiose podium speech.</p><p>&quot;Unfortunately, Nawat has forgotten the true meaning of what it means to be a genuine host,&quot; he added, accusing him of &quot;public aggression&quot; and saying his role in the pageant would be limited.</p><p>Afterwards Nawat appeared at a press conference wearing a tuxedo and openly weeping as he theatrically dabbed his eyes with a handkerchief, claiming he had been &quot;betrayed.&quot;</p><p>But he had a starring role in the opening ceremony of the competition on Wednesday night, standing contrite before the assembled grinning beauty queens where he offered an apology.</p><p>&quot;I am a human,&quot; he said. &quot;The pressure is a lot.&quot;</p><p>&quot;I have not intended to harm anyone because I respect all of you. I have to say I am so sorry.&quot;</p><p>It is not the first time the mogul -- also the president of Thailand-based pageant Miss Grand International (MGI) -- has been caught in a spat fit for a telenovela.</p><p>Last year, contestants of MGI were incensed after having to sit on plastic chairs and eat peanuts on a tourist boat in Cambodia instead of a highly-anticipated luxury river cruise.</p><p>Even before the fight with Miss Mexico, this year&#x27;s Miss Universe pageant had been struck by controversy.</p><p>Thai media reported police investigated participants for allegedly filming clips featuring pillows branded with the name of an online casino at their hotel, a breach of the country&#x27;s strict gambling laws.</p><p>Barring any further drama, the pageant final is set to be held on November 21 in Nonthaburi province.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/pageants-beauty-queens/2025/11/6/-i-did-not-intend-to-harm-anyone-nawat-itsaragrisil-apologizes-for-miss-universe-controversy-1318">&#x27;I did not intend to harm anyone&#x27;: Nawat Itsaragrisil apologizes for Miss Universe controversy</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-eHBsSVTgcU?si=kn-WSWbjhmf7TR1x" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br/></div>

<p>This year's Miss Universe in Thailand has been marred by ugly drama, with allegations of an insult to a beauty queen's intellect, a walkout by pageant contestants and a tearful tantrum by the host.</p>

This year's Miss Universe in Thailand has been marred by ugly drama, with allegations of an insult to a beauty queen's intellect, a walkout by pageant contestants and a tearful tantrum by the host.

Turmoil in tiaras at Miss Universe pageant in Thailand

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Turmoil in tiaras at Miss Universe pageant in Thailand

Agence France-Presse

Published Nov 08, 2025 04:20 PM PHT

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Miss Universe

Nawat Itsaragrisil

Thailand

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