The director of Miss Universe Thailand has issued an apology and clarified his stance after a tense encounter with Miss Mexico. Just weeks before the highly anticipated Miss Universe pageant, the competition had been overshadowed by an incident that stirred controversy.
Nawat Itsaragrisil, director of the organization in Thailand (this year’s host country), was involved in a heated exchange with Mexico’s representative, Fátima Bosch, who accused him of confronting her in front of other contestants. After the footage of the uncomfortable scene went viral, the Thai businessman spoke publicly and apologized.
© @jorgeferraezNawat addressed the issue in a live broadcast that was later shared on various Instagram pages dedicated to beauty pageants. “If anyone feels bad, uncomfortable, or affected, I apologize to everyone. I especially apologized to the girls who were present, around 75 of them,” said the Thai businessman, who also serves as president of Miss Grand International.
“I always strive to deliver five-star service. I prepare everything for each contestant from every country. My dream is to make history with Miss Universe 74. But I understand that sometimes unexpected issues arise,” he added.
He went on to explain: “All the delegates are honest. Perhaps they misunderstood the Miss Universe announcement or what I intended to do. It’s complicated, but we’ll resolve the issue after meeting with the Miss Universe Organization this afternoon here in Thailand.” He also mentioned that no representatives from the international organization were currently in the country, adding that Mario Bucaro, Miss Universe’s CEO, “is very kind and will fly in tomorrow since I need someone fully authorized to work with me. That will make things easier and keep us aligned.”
Nawat’s Version of the Clash with Fátima Bosch
During the livestream, Nawat directly addressed the widely discussed incident involving Miss Universe Mexico, Fátima Bosch. “While I was speaking for two or three minutes, I didn’t ask anyone to stand or speak. Suddenly, Mexico stood up again and said something,” he explained, noting that she had previously stood when asked who hadn’t yet contributed to the sponsor-related content.
© Nawat Itsaragrisil“I couldn’t hear her clearly because she was far away, so I told her not to speak, to sit down, because I was addressing everyone about general matters… She said she wanted to speak. I told her the questions had already been asked and answered, so there was nothing more to say. I wanted to move on,” he recounted. “She replied that it was her voice. I got angry. I accepted that, but I told her she still needed to respect me. Then she raised her voice. Maybe there was a misunderstanding. It became hard to understand her as she spoke louder and eventually stepped out of line.”
“I called the security guard but didn’t order him to do anything. He approached because there was someone from Miss Universe sitting with me. I called him just to ensure safety. I was nearly surrounded by Mexicans… I didn’t know who else was there or what might happen. I just wanted to be safe,” he said. “That’s all. But at the same time, the Mexican who came with Victoria (Theilvig, the current Miss Universe) signaled everyone to leave, and they did—mostly the Latin American group,” he added.
© Miss UniverseNawat Addresses the Sponsorship Dispute
Later in his broadcast, Nawat spoke about the sponsorship issue that allegedly triggered the clash with Miss Universe Mexico. Reports suggested that Bosch had been asked to create and share social media content for sponsors, but she said she needed approval from her Miss Universe Mexico team, as this activity wasn’t part of the official pageant rules. This reportedly upset the Thai executive.
“We’ve had contestants reject requests to work with sponsors, film events, or record promotional videos,” said Nawat, noting that it wasn’t just Fátima—about 20 contestants, mostly from Latin America, had done so. “Honestly, it made us feel uncomfortable and frustrated. We couldn’t do our work. Like Mexico, they refused to post sponsor-related content,” he explained.
“You can ask the staff—there are many witnesses. We wanted to clarify things. When we asked who refused to work with us today, there were about 20 countries who didn’t care or weren’t interested. But when we asked, they didn’t respond,” he continued. “I used Mexico as an example because there are several mentors who constantly interfere or refuse collaboration,” he said, pointing to the contestants’ teams as part of the issue.
Is Fátima Bosch Still Competing in Miss Universe?
As tensions ripple through the competition during its pre-final phase, many have wondered whether Fátima Bosch would remain in the contest. The Mexican representative herself cleared up the rumors.
© @missuniverse.mexico / @fatimaboschfdz / @bernardolozFátima, who has received strong support on social media, told reporters she hasn’t been following online discussions due to her busy schedule: “I haven’t seen anything on social media because we’ve been in activities, but I just want to tell my country that I’m here, and I’m not afraid to raise my voice,” she said during a dinner cruise attended by contestants. With her trademark confidence, she added, “I’m here stronger than ever. I have a purpose, things to say, and spaces to occupy. We’re in the 21st century, and I’m not a doll to be painted, styled, or dressed up. I came here to raise my voice for all women and girls fighting for their causes.”
Miss Universe 2025
Miss Universe 2025, the 74th edition of the prestigious pageant, will take place on November 21, 2025, at the Impact Challenger Hall in Pak Kret, Nonthaburi. The reigning queen, Victoria Theilvig of Denmark, will pass on her crown in what promises to be a night of elegance, empowerment, and transformation.
Thailand has been officially announced as the host country after winning the bid against Argentina, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Morocco, India, South Africa, and Spain. This will be Thailand's fourth time hosting the Miss Universe pageant, and the third occasion that it will be held at the Impact Challenger Hall, which previously hosted the event in 2005 and 2018.
© Rodrigo VarelaMiss Universe 2025 continues to redefine what it means to be a beauty queen. The pageant has moved past the tradition of only allowing single women under 28 to compete. Now, it embraces women of all ages, backgrounds, and life stories, including mothers, wives, and professionals. This year's lineup reflects that spirit of inclusivity and change.
For the first time in 2025, representatives from the Latina community, Mayotte, Niger, and Palestine will join the competition. Additionally, Iraq, Slovenia, Sweden, Ghana, Haiti, Kosovo, and Panama are returning to the Miss Universe stage after several years. Unfortunately, Iran has withdrawn from the competition.
