On February 17, 2025, a sensational news in the Thai beauty pageant industry occurred when the Facebook page “Nawat Itsaragrisil - Mr.Nawat Itsaragrisil” published a picture of Mr. Nawat Itsaragrisil, CEO of Miss Grand International Public Company Limited (MGI), with a MISS UNIVERSE sign and a message confirming that MGI is the official copyright holder of the Miss Universe Thailand pageant.
This news created a lot of discussion in the beauty pageant industry because this change means that the copyright for the Miss Universe Thailand (MUT) pageant has officially changed hands from PN Global Company Limited, which is managed by “Pui – Piyaporn Saenkosik”, to the management of Nawat Itsaragrisil. This is a major change in the Thai beauty pageant industry.
MGI invites the media to join the press conference on February 18, 2025
After the announcement via the official pageant pageant, Miss Grand International Public Company Limited sent an urgent invitation to the media to join the press conference, stating that "Miss Grand International Public Company Limited is the official holder of the rights to organize the Miss Universe Thailand pageant." The press conference will be held on
- Tuesday, February 18, 2025
- Location: MGI HALL, 6th floor, Bravo BKK shopping mall (former Show DC), Bangkok
Mr. Nawat Itsaragrisil and Ms. Anne Jakkapong Jakrajutatip, executives of JKN Global Group, took the stage to hold an official press conference, revealing details about the MUT pageant under the management of MGI and answering all questions that the public and the media are interested in.
This press conference is considered one of the important events that many parties are watching. As the first time that Miss Universe Thailand will be fully managed by MGI after previously being managed by TPN Global
MGI's investment and acquisition details
According to the documents that Miss Grand International Public Company Limited reported to the Stock Exchange of Thailand, there are details of the agreement to acquire the rights to organize the Miss Universe Thailand pageant as follows:
Investment type
- MGI has acquired the rights to organize the Miss Universe Thailand pageant from 2025 - 2029, a total period of 5 years.
- The rights were purchased from JKN Global Content Pte. Ltd., a company registered in Singapore.
- JKN Global Content Pte. Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of JKN Global Group Public Company Limited.
Investment value
- MGI must pay a royalty fee of 180 million baht to JKN Global Content Pte. Ltd.
This agreement is considered a significant investment for MGI, which is well-known for organizing the successful and popular Miss Grand International (MGI) pageant worldwide.
A significant change in the Thai beauty pageant industry
This change of the MUT pageant copyright is a significant change in the Thai beauty pageant industry, as Miss Universe Thailand is the main stage for selecting Thai representatives to compete in the world-class Miss Universe pageant.
Previously, the MUT pageant copyright was under the care of TPN Global (PN Global Company Limited) by Pui - Piyaporn Saenkosik, who has played an important role in pushing Thai beauty queens onto the world stage. However, this change has brought the management rights into the hands of Nawat Itsaragrisil and MGI.
The fact that MGI has received the rights to organize Miss Universe Thailand has led many to question the future direction of this stage, such as whether there will be any changes in the selection process, contestant training, and concept for organizing the pageant.
Response from beauty pageant fans
After the news of MGI's purchase of the copyright was released, there was widespread criticism online, with beauty pageant fans having different opinions.
- Supporters believe that MGI has the potential to organize an international pageant and may create new colors for MUT.
- Disagreeers There are concerns about MGI's management approach and fears that MUT's image will change. However, all parties are waiting for the press conference on February 18, 2025 to hear all
the details from Nawat Itsaragrisil and Anne Jakkaphong about what the future direction of Miss Universe Thailand will be.
Sources and further reading
Primary and authoritative sources used for context and fact-checking.
- Frequently asked questions on sexual and gender diversity, health and human rights World Health Organization (WHO)
- Consolidated guidelines on HIV, viral hepatitis and STI for key populations (2022) World Health Organization (WHO)
- STI Treatment Guidelines: Transgender and Gender Diverse Persons U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Legal Gender Recognition in Thailand: A Legal and Policy Review United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
- The struggle of trans and gender-diverse persons United Nations Human Rights (OHCHR)