BANGKOK — Just hours after Nawat Itsaragrisil joined the Miss Universe Organization (MUO) as an executive, his company secured the rights to organize the Miss Universe Thailand pageant for another 20 years, bringing the total contract period to 25 years.
Nawat, in his capacity as CEO of Miss Grand International Public Company Limited (MGI), has informed the Stock Exchange of Thailand that MGI has successfully extended the license for Miss Universe Thailand for another 20 years beyond the original five-year contract.
A statement from the company said: “The company will be allotted 100,000,000 newly issued ordinary shares of JKN Global Group Public Company Limited with a par value of 0.50 baht per share at a subscription price of 0.50 baht, representing a total value of 50,000,000 baht.”
Earlier, JKN, founded by Jakapong “Anne” Jakrajutatip and co-owner of Miss Universe Organization, had sent invitations to influential and experienced personalities to strengthen the business alliance of JKN and MUO. On April 22, Nawat, who is known for his extensive experience in the pageant industry, was officially appointed Executive Director of MUO.
Nawat’s appointment came shortly after the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of Thailand initiated civil proceedings against JKN and Jakapong for allegedly disseminating false or misleading information about JKN’s financial figures. The penalty included a payment of 4,124,078 baht and a temporary ban on an individual from working as a director or officer.
JKN and Jakapong issued a statement respecting but disagreeing with the SEC’s decision and asserting that the decision was factually incorrect in several important respects. They promised to prove their innocence through the legal process.
To ensure continued smooth business operations amid the controversy, JKN announced the hiring of the following key figures to strengthen JKN and MUO:
- Songpol Chanmatkit, an experienced businessman, has been appointed to the board.
- Nawat Itsaragrisil, an experienced beauty pageant organizer, has been appointed Executive Director of MUO.
- Indra Suharjono, an international business expert, heas been appointed Executive Advisor for the MUO.
Miss Universe Thailand 2025 will begin on July 5 with an orientation event. On August 3, the selected contestants will participate in activities. 10 finalists will travel to South Korea for a welcome ceremony. Events will take place in Bangkok from August 6–8, followed by training and activities in Phuket from August 9–16.
The national costume competition is scheduled for August 18, with the preliminary round taking place on August 20. The finals will take place on August 23.
The reigning Miss Universe Thailand 2024, Suchata “Opal” Chuangsri, is not expected to crown her successor. She was recently stripped of the title of 3rd runner-up Miss Universe Thailand after appearing on stage at Miss World Thailand, where she was named Thailand’s representative for the upcoming Miss World pageant in India on May 31, without participating in a national selection process.
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