Thailand warns Miss Universe Cambodia over 120-year-old Thai photo

Thailand’s Culture Minister Sabeeda Thaised said in Bangkok on Monday (September 21) that the ministry would formally object to Miss Universe Cambodia’s use of a 1906 Thai photograph and reserved the right to consider legal action unless the presentation was corrected.

Sabeeda addressed the dispute alongside senior ministry officials at a press conference at 9.30am Thailand time in the main conference room of the National Archives of Thailand. Responding to reports in Thai and Cambodian media, Sabeeda called on the pageant organisers to stop disseminating what she described as distorted cultural information.

Sabeeda said the use of the photograph could not be dismissed as an innocent mistake. The minister alleged that the video’s producers intended to claim the clothing as Cambodian and persuade viewers that it represented the historical dress of the Cambodian royal court.

Thai ministry cites 1906 photograph from Kamphaeng Phet

Sabeeda identified the disputed image as a photograph of Siamese women from Kamphaeng Phet, taken in 1906 during the reign of King Chulalongkorn, or Rama V. The photograph is preserved at the National Archives of Thailand and was recorded in the Vajirayana Library collection.

The image belongs to Thailand’s Royal Photographic Glass Plate Negatives and Original Prints Collection, according to the ministry. The collection was inscribed on the Memory of the World International Register of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2017.

Sabeeda alleged that the version used by Miss Universe Cambodia had been cropped to remove the Fine Arts Department’s watermark and displayed without acknowledging its source. The minister urged the organisers to exercise particular care when identifying the origins of historical photographs.

The disputed photograph appeared on the stage backdrop during the preliminary round of Miss Universe Cambodia 2026 on September 18. The issue gained attention after the Facebook page ASEAN Views Thailand published images from the presentation and questioned the use of historical Thai cultural material.

Thai social-media users and history experts criticised the Miss Universe Cambodia presentation, raising questions about possible rights infringement and whether the photograph’s historical context had been misrepresented.

Formal objection planned for Miss Universe Cambodia

Thailand’s Ministry of Culture said the Fine Arts Department, which it identified as the owner of the material, would send a formal letter of objection to the Miss Universe Cambodia organisers requesting corrections. The ministry oversees both the department and the National Archives of Thailand.

Sabeeda said the ministry would escalate its response if the organisers did not stop or correct the disputed presentation. The ministry reserved the right to consider assigning relevant Thai agencies to pursue legal action.

“The Ministry of Culture will use culture to build understanding, not create conflict. But if there is an infringement, we will not let it pass and will take firm action,” Sabeeda said.

Sabeeda thanked Thai people for expressing their determination to protect Thai dress as part of the country’s cultural heritage, saying the ministry shared their attachment and would take the matter seriously.

Sabeeda also thanked neighbouring countries for their continuing interest in publicising Thai dress, while insisting that the origins of the photographs and cultural information must be acknowledged fully and accurately.

Thai dress nomination awaits UNESCO consideration in December

Thailand is pursuing UNESCO intangible cultural heritage recognition for Thai national dress, with consideration expected in December 2026. Sabeeda said the ministry would handle the pageant dispute cautiously and on the basis of factual evidence to help the nomination proceed smoothly.

“We are concerned, but we cannot act on emotion,” Sabeeda said, calling for patience and restraint as Thailand worked towards the inscription of Thai dress.

Sabeeda said the Ministry of Culture had continued to disseminate knowledge about Thai attire at home and abroad, using every available platform rather than ignoring the issue. The ministry also worked with Thai embassies to present Thai dress at major international events.

Sabeeda cited Thailand Grand Festival 2026, held in Sydney, Australia, on September 19–20, where actress Taksaorn “Aff” Paksukcharern modelled royal-style Thai dress.

Sabeeda also pointed to a presentation of Thai antiquities and Thai dress at the National Museum of Korea in South Korea, describing the institution 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.

Sabeeda said exhibitions of Chud Thai Phra Ratcha Niyom had been held in The Hague in the Netherlands and Tokyo in Japan, with France next in the programme.