Miss Universe Thailand director cries & apologises, claims he said 'damage' not 'dumb head' to Miss Mexico

The director of Miss Universe Thailand apologised following his comments to the Miss Universe contestant from Mexico.

Speaking at the opening ceremony on Nov. 5, Nawat Itsaragrisil apologised to the contestants if any had been affected or made uncomfortable.

He then turned to the contestants and bowed to them.

"You must understand, the pressure is a lot. I am a human. Sometimes, I cannot control," he said.

"By the way, I do not intend to harm anyone because I respect all of you... I have to say, I am so sorry it's happened."

Speaking to the media after the ceremony, Itsaragrisil said he did not call Miss Universe Mexico a "dumb head".

Instead, he said "damage" and asked the press to recheck the footage on Miss Universe Thailand's Facebook page.

In a later video posted to TikTok, Itsaragrisil could be seen sobbing while talking to the media.

Under fire

The 2025 edition of Miss Universe, held in Thailand, has descended into more chaos after several contestants, including Miss Universe Mexico, Fátima Bosch, walked out of an event on Nov. 4.

This was after Itsaragrisil, apparently called Bosch a "dumb head" and called her out for not participating in promotional materials for Thailand.

The pageant had just made the news one day prior for allegations of encouraging contestants to promote an online gambling platform, which violates Thailand’s strict gambling laws.

Nawat was seen singling out Bosch for her refusal to promote Thailand, and alleged that the director of Miss Universe Mexico had ordered her to do so.

"If you follow the order from your national director, you're a dumb head," he apparently could be heard saying at one point.

As Nawat continued to lecture the contestants, Bosch stood up to defend herself and call him out on his behaviour.

Nawat then called the security team, drawing gasps and protests from the rest of the room.

"I'm here representing my country and it's not my fault that you have problems with my organisation," Bosch could be heard saying.

The livestream ended as several contestants stood up to follow Bosch, who reportedly walked out of the event.

In videos circulating online, Bosch addressed the media outside the room, stating that she respects Thailand and its people, but that what Nawat did was not respectful.

"I think that the world needs to see this, because we are empowered women and this is a platform for our voice and no one can shut our voice," she said.

“It doesn’t matter if you have a big dream or a crown. If it takes away your dignity, you need to go,” Bosch added.

Miss Universe 2024 winner Victoria Kjær Theilvig of Denmark also walked out in solidarity, saying she believed what Nawat did violated women’s rights.

Top photos via GrandTV/YouTube, Sarinkp.official/TikTok & thphpowerhouse/TikTok