BANGKOK — The Thai beauty industry has reached a turning point as the Miss Universe Thailand contest changes hands. Nawat Itsaragrisil, CEO of Miss Grand International Public Company Limited (MGI), has officially announced that MGI has acquired the rights to organize Miss Universe Thailand (MUT) for the next five years.
MGI’s share price surged 30.7%, jumping 3.50 baht to 14.90 baht
Nawat has officially notified the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) that it has secured the MUT rights for 2025 to 2029 from JKN Global Content Pte. Ltd, a Singapore-registered subsidiary wholly owned by JKN Global Group Public Company Limited. The total license fee amounts to 180 million baht ($5.35 million) paid by MGI to JKN Global Content Pte. Ltd.
He explained that the investment is in line with MGI’s internal business restructuring strategy, which is expanding its presence in the beauty pageant industry by acquiring the franchise of Miss Universe Thailand, a globally recognized platform.
In addition to Miss Grand International, which MGI currently manages, this acquisition is expected to create new business opportunities, expand its customer base and strengthen its brand power on an international scale. The acquisition is also expected to create value for the company, benefiting shareholders in the long term.
The license fee of 180 million baht is financed by: 30 million baht from MGI’s working capital and another 150 million baht from Nawat Itsaragrisil, a party related to MGI, in the form of an unsecured loan
Nawat further revealed that he will hold a joint press conference with Anne Jakrajutatip, the owner of Miss Universe Organization, on Tuesday, February 18 at MGI HALL, 6th Floor, Bravo BKK Mall.
Meanwhile, Piyaporn Sankosik, Managing Director of TPN Global, which previously held the MUT license, congratulated MGI in a post on social media: “Congratulations! Change is a natural process. We are proud of what we have achieved with love. Things are moving forward!”
TPN Global has been the official organizer of Miss Universe Thailand for six years (2019–2024) and selects Thai representatives for Miss Universe every year, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their biggest success was Antonia Porsild, who won 1st Runner-up at Miss Universe 2023. Now that the MUT license has been transferred, TPN Global is retaining the Miss Thailand pageant.
The MGI, on the other hand, has hosted Miss Grand International since 2013. Although it does not have the same global prestige as Miss Universe, the competition often attracts media attention. Last year, MGI made headlines because the competition in Cambodia was abruptly canceled due to disputes with the local license holder. MGI also dethroned its Miss Grand Myanmar 2nd Runner-Up after her team protested against the fairness of the competition.
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