The Miss Universe Thailand (MUT) organization has issued a statement defending its controversial “Special Dinner & Talk Show” event after the Miss Universe Organization (MUO) publicly declared it was not authorized. In an official statement released on November 3, MUT asserted that as the licensed host organization of this year’s Miss Universe pageant in Bangkok, it has the exclusive rights to organize and promote activities within Thailand. MUT clarified that the social media ‘Like’ voting campaign—which allows fans to vote for their favorite candidates via Facebook and Instagram—was approved as part of the host country’s marketing package, emphasizing that the process was designed to be fair and transparent in choosing delegates for certain events. The Thai organization said MUO’s earlier statement had caused “public misunderstanding”, stressing that its actions were “within the rights and privileges granted” as the official host. Earlier, on November 2, MUO released its own statement saying the “Special Dinner & Talk Show” and its related online activities were not officially sanctioned and did not represent MUO’s values or operations. It also warned that any promotional efforts using the Miss Universe name without prior approval were unauthorized and misleading. The controversy unfolds just weeks before the Miss Universe 2025 coronation in Bangkok, where the Philippines’ Ahtisa Manalo will compete in hopes of winning the country’s fifth Miss Universe crown on November 21.
