The Miss Universe 2025 pageant in Thailand is facing a storm of controversy, with walk-outs, tears, and legal threats. The incident began with a heated confrontation between Miss Universe Mexico, Fatima Bosch, and Miss Universe Thailand director Nawat Itsaragrisil during a pre-pageant event. Bosch was berated for refusing to post promotional content for Thailand, the host country. This led to Bosch walking out, followed by other contestants, including the current Miss Universe, Victoria Theilvig from Denmark. Itsaragrisil threatened to disqualify those supporting Bosch, sparking further outrage. Theilvig, visibly upset, spoke to fans outside, expressing her disappointment. The incident has caused a stir among fans of the long-running competition, watched by an estimated 500 million viewers worldwide. Most criticism has been directed at Itsaragrisil, accused of damaging Thailand's reputation. The Miss Universe Organisation's president, Raul Rocha, has called for Itsaragrisil to stop and has promised legal action. Itsaragrisil has since apologized, and the contestants attended a welcome ceremony in Bangkok. The pageant will continue with preliminary rounds in Phuket and Pattaya, culminating in the grand finale on November 21, where Theilvig will crown her successor. This year, the UAE is represented by Mariam Mohamed, and Palestine makes its debut with Nadeen Ayoub. Other Middle East representatives include contestants from Iraq, Lebanon, and the winner of Miss Universe Persia, a global contest for the Iranian diaspora. Miss Universe Bahrain and Miss Universe Egypt pageants have not been held this year.
