What began as a routine orientation for Miss Universe 2025 in Thailand turned tense following an incident that led to walkouts and emotional reactions among some delegates.
According to reports, reigning Miss Universe Victoria Theilvig left the venue after taking the side of Mexico’s representative, Fatima Bosch, who was involved in a heated exchange with Miss Universe Vice President for Asiana, Nawat Itsaragrisil. Videos circulating online showed Itsaragrisil raising his voice during the discussion, prompting visible unease among other contestants.
Witnesses said the exchange reportedly began when Bosch declined to participate in a sponsor photoshoot, agreeing only to those organized by the pageant’s official media partner. The disagreement escalated during the orientation, resulting in Bosch leaving the room, followed by Theilvig.
Pageant organizers later confirmed that the misunderstanding was addressed and that the sashing ceremony continued as planned, though without the presence of Itsaragrisil. The Thai pageant executive subsequently went live on social media to issue a public apology, citing pressure during the event and assuring that the situation with the delegates would be resolved.
@pageant.liveph BREAKING NEWS | MISS UNIVERSE 2025 What no one expected just happened in Thailand Mr. Nawat Itsaragrisil, director of Miss Grand International, publicly lashed out at Fatima Bosh and the Miss Universe Mexico organization, generating a strong controversy during the band imposition event. Facing tension, Nawat decided to withdraw from the event, while several female candidates opted to leave the ceremony in disagreement with the incident. If it were not enough, the current Miss Universe, Victoria, would have also shown her annoyance at the situation, making it clear that this was completely out of control. Social networks are exploding with reactions, and the public is demanding an official response from the organizations involved. & #MissUniverse2025 #FatimaBosh #MissUniverseMexico #BreakingNews #MissUniverseThailand ♬ original sound – pageant.liveph
The incident comes amid heightened tension between the Miss Universe Organization (MUO) and Miss Universe Thailand (MUT), which have exchanged public statements in recent weeks. MUO previously described MUT’s voting contest as “unauthorized,” emphasizing that the global pageant follows four official stages of evaluation. MUT, meanwhile, denied involvement in a separate sponsorship issue flagged by MUO, saying activities linked to an online gambling sponsor were solely organized by the international office.
In light of recent developments, MUO announced that its CEO, Mario Bucaro, and a high-level delegation are traveling to Thailand to coordinate with local partners and ensure the continuity of pageant activities.
All events for the 74th Miss Universe competition remain on schedule, with the coronation night set for November 21.