Thailand warns Miss Universe Cambodia on Sept 21 over Thai photos
Thailand’s culture ministry plans a formal objection after accusing Miss Universe Cambodia of cropping a watermark from a historical Thai photograph.
- Thailand's Ministry of Culture has formally warned the Miss Universe Cambodia 2026 pageant for allegedly misrepresenting historical photographs of traditional Thai dress as Cambodian culture.
- The dispute centers on several images, including a 1906 photograph of Siamese women from a UNESCO-recognized Thai royal collection, which was allegedly displayed without its source watermark.
- Thai officials are demanding a correction from the pageant organizers and have reserved the right to pursue legal action if the issue is not addressed.
- The warning comes as Thailand is seeking UNESCO recognition for its own royal-style dress, making the cultural attribution particularly sensitive.
Thailand’s Culture Minister Sabida Thaiseth said in Bangkok on September 21, 2026, that the ministry would formally object after several historical photographs showing Thai dress were allegedly displayed at Miss Universe Cambodia 2026. The ministry reserves the right to consider legal action if organisers fail to correct what it described as a misleading presentation of Thai dress as Cambodian culture.
The Fine Arts Department, which holds the archival material and falls under the Ministry of Culture, will send the pageant organisers a formal letter requesting corrections, Sabida said. The ministry could escalate the matter through relevant Thai agencies if the organisers failed to act.
Sabida addressed the dispute alongside senior ministry officials at a September 21 press conference at the National Archives of Thailand in Bangkok. The briefing followed reports in both Thai and Cambodian media about a video presenting historical Cambodian dress at the pageant.
“This cannot be dismissed as an innocent mistake,” Sabida said, alleging that the video’s producers intended to persuade viewers that the clothing depicted belonged to the Cambodian royal court.
Thai ministry identifies 1906 image among disputed photographs
Among the photographs cited by the ministry was an image of Siamese women from Kamphaeng Phet wearing traditional Thai dress, taken in 1906 during the reign of King Chulalongkorn, or Rama V. Sabida alleged that the version used at the pageant had been cropped to remove the Fine Arts Department’s watermark and displayed without acknowledging its source.
The Kamphaeng Phet photograph is preserved at the National Archives of Thailand and was recorded in the Vajirayana Royal Library collection, according to the ministry. The image forms part of The Royal Photographic Glass Plate Negatives and Original Prints Collection.
The royal photographic collection was inscribed on the Memory of the World International Register of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2017.
The allegations concern several photographs shown on the stage backdrop during the Miss Universe Cambodia 2026 preliminary competition on September 18. Images shared by the ASEAN Views Thailand Facebook page drew criticism from Thai social-media users and history specialists, prompting debate over alleged rights infringements and the accuracy of the cultural information presented.
Sabida called on the organisers to stop disseminating what she described as distorted information and to exercise particular care when identifying the sources of historical photographs.
Sabida urges restraint ahead of Thai dress heritage bid
Sabida urged a measured, evidence-based response as Thailand works towards UNESCO recognition for Chud Thai Phra Ratcha Niyom, or Thai royal-style dress, in December 2026. The minister said the dispute should be handled carefully to help the nomination process proceed smoothly, rather than allowing the response to be driven by emotion.
“We do not want culture to create conflict, but the Ministry of Culture will not overlook infringement,” Sabida said. “We are concerned, but we cannot act on emotion.” The minister stressed the need for patience and restraint while pursuing Thailand’s heritage nomination.
Sabida thanked Thai people for their commitment to protecting Thai dress as national heritage, saying the ministry shared that determination. The minister also thanked neighbouring countries for regularly promoting Thai dress, while asking them to acknowledge the origins of Thailand’s cultural material fully and accurately.
The Ministry of Culture would continue using culture to build understanding rather than conflict, Sabida said, while taking the dispute seriously and acting firmly where infringement occurred.
Thai ministry promotes dress through overseas exhibitions
The Ministry of Culture has continued promoting Thai dress at home and abroad, Sabida said, citing exhibitions of Chud Thai Phra Ratcha Niyom in The Hague in the Netherlands and Tokyo in Japan, with France next on the programme. The activities also explain the historical forms of Thai dress that provided the foundations for the royal styles.
Sabida described these activities as a valuable way to raise international awareness through cultural diplomacy. The ministry has also worked with Thai embassies to present Thai dress at major overseas events.
At Thailand Grand Festival 2026 in Sydney, Australia, on September 19–20, actress Taksaorn “Aff” Paksukcharern modelled Thai royal-style dress, Sabida said.
Sabida also cited the display of Thai antiquities and Thai dress at the National Museum of Korea in South Korea, which she described as the world’s third-largest museum.
The ministry’s overseas exhibitions explain the historical Thai clothing that formed the foundations of Chud Thai Phra Ratcha Niyom, the royal-style Thai national dress, Sabeeda said. The minister described the educational work as cultural diplomacy that helped build international awareness.
