Reigning Miss Universe Victoria Theilvig (right) and current Miss Grand International Rachel Gupta (left) in one frame, with Miss Grand International founder and 74th Miss Universe organizer Nawat Itsaragrisil (fifth from left), MUO CEO Ann Jakrajutatip (fourth from left), and MUO President Raul Rocha (third from right). Image: Facebook/THE 74TH MISS UNIVERSE – THAILAND
It appears that the Miss Grand International pageant’s beef with the Miss Universe competition is over, at least for now, as the younger global tilt’s owner Nawat Itsaragrisil has acknowledged that the rival contest is “more top-class.”
The Thai personality addressed an assembly in Bangkok on Thursday afternoon, March 13, during the press conference for the staging of the 74th Miss Universe pageant in Thailand, which he and his MGI team will organize. The event also saw reigning queen Victoria Theilvig, Miss Universe Organization owners Anne Jakrajutatip and Raul Rocha, and current Miss Grand International Rachel Gupta.
“Miss Universe is only one, one and only with Miss Grand International. If you want to see the entertainment pageant, come to Miss Grand International, really fun. But if you want to see the elegant, the more top-class pageant is Miss Universe,” Itsaragrisil said, as he issued a stern warning to other organizers not to copy them.
READ: Nawat Itsaragrisil’s MGI to organize Miss Universe 2025 pageant
He said the alliance between the two international pageant organizations is aimed at elevating global pageantry, with the concept for the 74th Miss Universe competition being “the grand universe, the power of love, the power of Thailand,” which he said Jakrajutatip emphasized to the Thai organizing team.
Itsaragrisil said they will invest “more than 300 million for production” for a competition period that will run for 20 days. However, he did not say in what currency the amount mentioned will be. His Miss Grand International pageant has made a mark among international viewers as a contest with flashy presentations that come with a big budget.
“I believe that when I invest, the quality [goes] up…This is the point that I want to invest. So, for the pageantry around the world, do not worry anything, if anything, in our hands, in between Miss Universe Organization and MGI, the world will change a lot from now,” he declared.
Around 130 participants from all over the world are expected to arrive in Bangkok by Nov. 4, where the registration, fitting, and photo shoot will also take place on the same day. The “Welcome to Thailand” fashion show and sashing ceremony will be held on Nov. 5.
The ladies will go around the Thai capital on Nov. 6 and 7, before heading to Phuket on Nov. 8. From Nov. 9 to 11, the ladies will enjoy the popular destination, and will take part in a “Peranakan” costume show and fashion show. They will then fly to Pattaya on Nov. 12.
In Pattaya, they are scheduled to take part in a series of activities where the ladies will accumulate “round points” from Nov. 12 to 15, including a swimsuit fashion show at the Water Fun Park. The crucial closed-door interview with the delegates will take place in the city on Nov. 16.
The ladies will return to Bangkok for their rehearsals on Nov. 17 and 18, followed by the much-anticipated national costume competition and the swimsuit and evening gown presentations on Nov. 19. The ceremonies will be streamed via the Grand TV YouTube channel.
Final stage rehearsals are scheduled on Nov. 20, before the final competition show on Nov. 21, 8 a. m. (9 a.m. in Manila) at the Impact Arena, with 15,000 seats allotted for the audience.
This is Thailand’s fourth hosting of the Miss Universe pageant, with the last being in 2018 when Catriona Gray scored the Philippines’ fourth victory in the international competition.
Last year’s delegate, Chelsea Manalo, advanced to the Top 30 and was proclaimed as the first-ever Miss Universe Asia at the end of the competition held in Mexico. This year’s representative will be known on May 2.