Mexican Miss Universe Workers Detained in Thailand After Complaint by Nawat Itsaragrisil

Mexican Miss Universe Workers Arrested

Complaint by Nawat Itsaragrisil

Scandal Erupts at the Pageant

The Miss Universe 2025 pageant is once again at the center of global controversy — this time in Thailand.

Nawat Itsaragrisil, president of Miss Grand International and director of Miss Universe Thailand, faces international backlash after allegedly triggering the arrest of several Mexican workers involved in the event’s production.

According to journalist Miguel Masjuan on the TV program ¡Tal Cual! Sin Filtro, the Thai businessman filed a police complaint against the Miss Universe organization after discovering that one of the contest’s sponsors was linked to an online gaming company based in the Philippines, an activity deemed illegal in Thailand.

“He found out that one of Miss Universe’s sponsors is an online gaming company from the Philippines, and gambling is prohibited in Thailand. What did he do? He went and reported them to the police,” Masjuan explained during the broadcast.
The resulting police operation, according to Masjuan, led to the detention of Mexican staff members who were part of the Miss Universe production team.

“They told me they were having breakfast when the police showed up — it looked like an ICE raid in California. They arrested all the Mexicans, the production crew,” he recounted.

Diplomatic Tension and Nationality Confusion

Mexican Miss Universe Workers Arrested in Thailand-Photo: Shutterstock

The news has triggered outrage on social media and concern at the diplomatic level, as Thai authorities reportedly did not realize that most of those detained were Mexican citizens.

“Most of the workers are Mexican. The CEO is Guatemalan, but the rest are from Mexico,” Masjuan added, emphasizing the seriousness of the incident.

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This episode adds to the mounting controversy surrounding Nawat Itsaragrisil, who recently made headlines for publicly insulting Mexican contestant Fátima Bosch during a Miss Universe pre-event.

During that incident, Nawat interrupted Bosch onstage and berated her — an action that drew global condemnation and prompted an official statement from Miss Universe calling his behavior “unacceptable.”

Public Apologies and Loss of Influence

After the incident with Bosch, Nawat appeared in public to issue a tearful apology, saying he had acted impulsively.

However, the public’s reaction was swift and harsh — his apology failed to repair his image.

Local media report that the businessman has since lost influence within Miss Universe’s executive structure.

Meanwhile, the Mexican organization, led by Raúl Rocha Cantú, announced plans to take legal action against Itsaragrisil for both the treatment of contestant Bosch and the detention of Mexican staff.

Rivalries and Power Struggles in Beauty Pageants

The scandal reinforces growing perceptions that international beauty pageants are mired in power struggles and credibility issues.

What was once seen as a celebration of glamour and cultural exchange now appears plagued by internal rivalries, commercial disputes, and political interference.

As the global Miss Universe Organization scrambles to contain the fallout and protect its reputation, relations between Mexico and Thailand within the pageant industry appear increasingly strained.

Mexican authorities have not yet issued an official statement regarding the detained workers, but diplomatic sources cited by Infobae confirm that efforts are underway to secure their release and return home.