The Miss Universe Organization evaluates the participation of Tharina Botes and Thailand in the 75th Anniversary competition.
The Miss Universe Organization is currently evaluating whether Thailand will compete in the 75th Anniversary competition in Puerto Rico this November. This development follows a dispute between the organization's leadership and Thai pageant executive Nawat Itsaragrisil.
Show the rest of this summary
On September 4, the MU West faction of the organization stated that representatives from the Thailand franchise, including Nawat Itsaragrisil, were not permitted to attend the September 2 National Directors' Town Hall. The organization cited recent circumstances and conduct, specifically personal and unfounded attacks directed against the leadership, as the reason for the decision. While Tharina Botes was crowned Miss Universe Thailand 2026 on August 23 and was expected to represent the country, her participation remains under review. The MU East faction of the organization issued a separate statement on September 4, noting that the organization operates as a 50:50 partnership. MU East argued that MU West does not have unilateral authority to represent the entire organization and suggested that corporate disagreements should be handled through legal processes rather than public personal attacks.