Tharina Botes Could Miss Miss Universe 2026 Amid Thailand Franchise Row
Tharina Botes Could Miss Miss Universe 2026 Amid Thailand Franchise Row
BANGKOK, 20 September 2026 — Miss Universe Thailand 2026 Tharina Botes could be prevented from competing at the 75th Miss Universe pageant in Puerto Rico this November as a dispute over national franchise rights escalates between competing entities within the Miss Universe organisation.
JKN Universe LLC, which holds the licensing rights to the Miss Universe brand, has said it does not recognise the Miss Universe Thailand franchise arrangement covering 2025–2029, along with franchise arrangements involving Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia and Singapore for 2026.
JKN Universe said Miss Universe Eastern Pte Ltd, a Singapore-based entity headed by Thai pageant executive Nawat Itsaragrisil, was not authorised to grant, transfer or sublicense rights to operate the Miss Universe brand in individual territories.
As a result, JKN Universe said representatives from the six affected countries would not be eligible to compete in the 75th Miss Universe competition in Puerto Rico. Thailand has already selected Tharina Botes as its representative after she was crowned Miss Universe Thailand on August 23.
The dispute centres on competing claims over who has the authority to issue national Miss Universe franchises.
Nawat currently oversees the Miss Universe Thailand franchise through his Miss Grand International organisation. He also serves as chief executive of Miss Universe Eastern, which has been involved in franchise arrangements covering several Southeast Asian countries.
JKN Universe, however, maintains that Miss Universe Eastern did not have the necessary authority from the brand’s rights holder to grant such franchises. It has described agreements made through the company as unauthorised and invalid from the outset.
Miss Universe Thailand and Nawat have rejected that position. Nawat said the six contestants remain entitled to compete and that they would travel to San Juan, Puerto Rico, for the competition. He has also said the exclusion notice has no legal effect, while indicating that legal action could follow if the dispute is not resolved.
JKN Universe has also challenged public statements concerning the Miss Universe organisation’s finances, saying that internal financial information had been circulated without being audited or independently verified. The company accused Nawat of sharing information that could be false, misleading or incomplete and said it reserved its legal rights concerning the matter.
The latest dispute follows tensions surrounding Nawat during the 2025 Miss Universe competition in Thailand. He faced criticism after a confrontation involving then-Miss Mexico Fátima Bosch, prompting Miss Universe executives to publicly condemn his conduct. Nawat subsequently apologised.
For Tharina Botes, the franchise dispute has created uncertainty just weeks after she won the Thai national title. While JKN Universe currently says Thailand’s representative is ineligible, Nawat and MU East maintain that the contestant remains entitled to compete.
The dispute remains unresolved ahead of the 75th Miss Universe competition, leaving Tharina’s participation dependent on how the competing claims over the franchise arrangements are ultimately settled.
