Row Erupts After Cambodia Loses Pageant

On Sunday, Huot Hak met event organizers, including representatives from Miss Grand International, Miss Grand Cambodia, and contestants from 75 countries at the Ministry of Tourism. Photo: Miss Grand Cambodia
    By:
  • Rin Ousa
  • October 9, 2024 , 7:30 PM

PHNOM PENH – A social media row has flared after a sudden announcement that Cambodia will no longer host this year’s Miss Grand International pageant.

Organizer Miss Grand International (MGI) on October 6 blamed what it said was Cambodia’s inability to meet requirements in the host agreement. 

Pageant activities started on October 3 but were relocated to Thailand from October 7. 

A conflict between MGI and Miss Grand Cambodia resulted in both parties outlining their disagreements, sparking surprise and controversy among social media users

Shortly after the official announcement was posted on the MGI page, Miss Grand Cambodia released a statement that Cambodia no longer holds a license with the Miss Grand International organization, citing a lack of respect for Cambodia as the host country and the organization’s failure to cooperate with them.

Miss Grand Cambodia posted that many issues and pressures prompted the organization to withdraw from co-hosting the event. 

Nawat Itsaragrisil, president of MGI said the the primary reason for canceling the pageant in Cambodia was concerns over safety, claiming that he and his colleagues felt intimidated by Cambodian bodyguards in front of the contestants’ hotel.

He said the issue was not linked to the relations between Thailand and Cambodia, but rather due to the host’s inability to meet the standard requirements in the contract. 

The controversy escalated when widespread criticism arose about dinner for the contestants, which was on a boat in Phnom Penh. Problems with the dinner was the decisive reason for MGI’s announcement. 

Bee Sotheary, Miss Grand Cambodia 2024, sent messages to 74 contestants in the group chat that she would not be traveling to Thailand with them. 

Sotheary said it was her personal decision to pull out, influenced by behind-the-scenes issues. Despite the unexpected official announcement, she expressed gratitude for the efforts and dedication of the Cambodian team in hosting and welcoming the contestants regardless of the challenges. 

Many social media users said that devices in Cambodia were unable to access the Miss Grand International Facebook page.

Defending Criticism Over Preparations

Im Sokunthea, director-general and manager of Miss Grand Cambodia, said in a livestream on October 8 that the boat  offered no food, only peanuts and quail eggs as snacks, and that the contestants had to sit on plastic chairs. It was not the boat prepared by her team. 

“Dinner on the boat was not included in the original plan as I had insisted to Nawat Itsaragrisil prior to the event that this month is the rainy season, making it inconvenient to have dinner on a boat,” Sokunthea said.

“However, Nawat continued to insist that it would be more enjoyable if it rained. 

“The dinner was scheduled to begin at 7pm. However, Nawat arrived at 6pm and was furious as he saw the preparations unfinished. Rain in the evening around 5pm that day disrupted the preparations, causing the organizers to pack up equipment and clean the boat for safety,” Sokunthea said. 

She said he hurried all the contestants on to another boat which had no food available, only peanuts and quail eggs as snacks.  

Sokunthea said the problem was solely between her and Nawat and that she had no problems with Thai fans. 

She said she and the MGI team had many meetings before the event to ensure the smoothness of the pageant. 

“However, Nawat kept proposing additional requirements based on his personal preferences, compelling us to make adjustments on the spot,” Sokunthea said. 

“I bought this license and chose to become co-host of this beauty pageant because I love this industry. I believe it can promote Cambodian culture, art and tourism to the world. 

“Regarding the decision to co-host, I admit that it is my first time, and I still feel that my experience is not enough. However, Nawat insisted on persuading me, claiming he would assist me with everything,” she said. 

All contestants, except Sotheary Bee, flew to Thailand on Oct. 7. Upon their arrival, Miss Grand Thailand 2024, Malin Charanan, shared her relief and happiness to be back in Thailand, and spoke of  the safety concerns and limited food options during the boat ride in Phnom Penh on Oct. 6. 

Activities on Oct. 8 included sightseeing at Wat Arun, shopping at ICON SIAM, followed by Meridian Cruise.

On Oct. 8, Nawat held a press conference with the Thai media about issues related to the host country. 

Another contestant Macarena Chamberlain, Miss Grand Costa Rica 2024 withdrew from the competition due to health issues. 

Miss Grand International, based in Thailand and established in 2013, seeks women who are prepared to work in all 4 B’s elements including body, beauty, brain and business. 

Luciana Fuster of Peru is Miss Grand International 2023. 

Miss Grand International 2024 was initially set to be hosted in Myanmar. This plan was canceled due to the civil war in the country. Thus, Cambodia and Thailand came together to co-host this beauty pageant. 

According to the initial plan, the pageant was set to take place from October 3 to 15 in Cambodia, featuring one of the main events - swimsuit competition on October 9, with plans to fly to Siem Reap on October 10. The remaining contests, including the national costume contest, the preliminary round, and the grand final, were scheduled to be held in Thailand.

In Cambodia, all contestants visited Choeung Ek Genocidal Center, Wat Phnom and met Tourism Minister Huot Hak. 

Rejection of False Claims by ‘The Nation Thailand’

The Ministry of Tourism issued a statement on Oct. 8 rejecting false claims made by The Nation Thailand on its Facebook page

The publication said that one of the reasons for the cancellation of the Miss Grand International 2024 in Cambodia was due to the absence of the minister at a press conference, which was allegedly promised. 

On Sunday, Huot Hak met event organizers, including representatives from Miss Grand International, Miss Grand Cambodia, and contestants from 75 countries at the Ministry of Tourism. 

“The Tourism Minister never promised to attend any press conference or any other events beyond the meeting held on Oct. 6,” the ministry said. 

The Ministry requested The Nation Thailand to correct its statement and refrain from spreading this misinformation which damaged the ministry’s reputation.

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