The Miss Universe Organisation has announced that its Thailand pageant director, Nawat Itsaragrisil, will have his participation in future Miss Universe events restricted after a public altercation in which he called Miss Mexico Fátima Bosch “dumb”.
The incident occurred during a pre-pageant event in Thailand where contestants from around the world were gathered.
In a viral video, Itsaragrisil can be seen addressing the contestants, urging them to “promote the host country” and warning “be careful, you are in Thailand, you are in a game”.
Tensions escalated when he accused Bosch of failing to post promotional content about Thailand, allegedly under instruction from her national director.
When Bosch stood up to defend herself, Itsaragrisil interrupted her, raising his voice and saying, “If you follow the orders from your national director, you are dumb.”
She refused to sit down and said “because I have a voice”. Itsaragrisil then called security, prompting outrage from other contestants, several of whom stood up in solidarity with Bosch.
As she exited the auditorium, Bosch told the director: “As women, you need to show respect for us. I’m here representing a country, and it’s not my fault that you have problems with my organisation.”
Miss Universe Organisation president Raúl Rocha Cantú publicly condemned Itsaragrisil’s behaviour in a Facebook statement, calling it “unacceptable”.
“No woman deserves to be insulted or humiliated,” Cantú said. “The Miss Universe platform was created to uplift women, not to divide or degrade them.”
He confirmed that Itsaragrisil’s involvement in future Miss Universe events will be restricted, and that a special delegation led by CEO Mario Bucaro will travel to Thailand to ensure “respect, transparency and safety for all contestants”.
The organisation later reaffirmed its “dedication to upholding the highest standards of respect, safety and integrity for all participants, staff and stakeholders,” adding that all scheduled events will continue as planned.
The current Miss Universe titleholder and the Miss Universe Mexico organisation have both expressed support for Bosch.
Miss Universe Mexico said in a statement: “What happened today with Bosch in Thailand is unacceptable. No woman, on any stage, deserves to be insulted or humiliated. Today and always, Mexico stands with you, Fátima. Your strength, your class, and your voice represent the best of our nation.”
Speaking to media after the incident, Bosch said she felt disrespected but maintained her respect for Thailand.
“I really love Thailand; I respect everyone; I think they are amazing people. But what the director just did was disrespectful; he called me ‘dumb’ because he has issues with the organisation,” she said.
After widespread backlash Itsaragrisil issued a public apology on Instagram Live, appearing emotional as he addressed the controversy.
“If someone doesn’t feel comfortable, if anyone feels affected, I want to apologise to everyone. I already spoke and apologised to the rest of the girls in the room, about 75 girls,” he said.
He later bowed before the contestants during a welcome ceremony, admitting he “had no idea how big this issue would become”.
The Miss Universe 2025 pageant is scheduled to take place on November 21 in Thailand, with organisers now under increased scrutiny to ensure the competition upholds its values of empowerment, equality and respect.
TimesLIVE
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