Miss Universe 2025 faces the risk of cancellation in Thailand.
Tensions escalated when police appeared at the venue after the host organization accused the global organizing committee of being involved with a sponsor suspected of gambling.
The Miss Universe 2025 competition is facing an unprecedentedly complicated situation as police have arrived at the venue in Thailand. This comes amidst intense conflict between the Miss Universe Organization (MUO) and the host organization, Miss Universe Thailand (MUT), headed by Nawat Itsaragrisil, raising concerns that the competition may be suspended or canceled.
The controversy originated from the online voting process.
The conflict began when MUT launched an online voting campaign called "Special Dinner & Talkshow." This activity encouraged viewers to interact with the contestants' photos to select the top 10 who would have the opportunity to participate in a private dinner with Mr. Nawat.
However, on the morning of November 3rd, MUO issued an official statement asserting that this was an illegal activity, outside the scope of the competition, and had never been authorized. This statement was seen as a strong move against the host organization.
Shortly afterward, MUT responded. Mr. Nawat and his team stated that the voting campaign was part of the official promotional package and was entirely within the host country's purview. MUT asserted that they were authorized to manage promotional activities in Thailand and were considering legal aspects to potentially sue MUO if necessary.
"MUO's announcement has misled the public, even though our actions were entirely within our delegated authority. We will refer this matter to our legal department," a MUO representative stated.
Tensions escalated and the police intervened.
The conflict escalated further when Raul Rocha, the owner of the Miss Universe pageant, posted a story on social media that was interpreted as mocking the stock situation of Miss Grand International, the company run by Nawat.
The situation culminated on the afternoon of November 3rd, when local media reported that Mr. Nawat had notified the police that the Miss Universe organizers had allowed a company suspected of being involved in gambling activities to become a sponsor. Shortly afterward, police arrived at the hotel where the competition was taking place, creating an extremely tense atmosphere.
The competition's uncertain future
The incident has attracted significant attention from international media and the beauty pageant fan community. Many have expressed concern that the legal and reputational disputes between the two sides could seriously impact Miss Universe 2025.
Amidst the tension, the contestants continued to participate in scheduled activities. Vietnam's representative in this year's competition is Miss Nguyen Huong Giang.
