The Miss Universe 2026 competition has been thrown into uncertainty after a dispute over franchise rights left representatives from six Southeast Asian countries facing conflicting claims about their eligibility.
Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia and Singapore were named in a statement by JKN Universe LLC on 18 September 2026, which said it did not recognise franchise arrangements connected to Miss Universe Eastern Pte. Ltd. and entities associated with Nawat Itsaragrisil.
JKN Universe said the arrangements lacked a valid licensing framework and consequently stated that contestants representing the six countries would not be eligible for the 75th Miss Universe Competition.
The announcement quickly became a major talking point among pageant followers, particularly because national organisations had already been preparing representatives for the international competition.
Six Southeast Asian Countries Caught in the Dispute
The countries affected by the announcement are Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia and Singapore.
According to JKN Universe, the disputed arrangement for Miss Universe Thailand covered the 2025 to 2029 period, while the agreements involving Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia and Singapore concerned the 2026 competition.
The company argued that Miss Universe Eastern did not have the authority to issue, transfer or grant licences connected to the Miss Universe brand.
That position has significant consequences because national franchise arrangements are the mechanism through which individual countries select and send representatives to the global pageant.
For Thailand, the dispute directly affects Tharina Botes, who was crowned Miss Universe Thailand 2026 in August and had been preparing to represent the country internationally.
MU East Rejects the Exclusion
The situation became even more complicated when Miss Universe Eastern issued its own statement on 18 September.
MU East disputed the position announced by JKN Universe and said the earlier statement had not been reviewed or approved by it. The company maintains that JKN Universe LLC has a 50:50 ownership structure involving MU East and MU West through JKN Legacy Inc.
MU East also pointed to what it describes as the Hemisphere Agreement, under which it has the exclusive right to operate, promote and develop the Miss Universe brand across 95 Eastern territories, including the ability to appoint and manage franchise partners.
Based on that interpretation, MU East said the six delegates remain eligible to compete and that their participation should not be affected by the disagreement between the two sides.
It specifically identified representatives from Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia and Singapore as duly selected and eligible delegates.
Nawat Says the Six Delegates Will Compete
Nawat Itsaragrisil, the chief executive of Miss Universe Eastern, has also rejected the exclusion announcement.
Speaking at a press conference, Nawat said the six delegates would travel to San Juan, Puerto Rico, for the competition and maintained that the exclusion notice had no legal effect.
His position directly conflicts with the earlier statement attributed to JKN Universe LLC, leaving the status of the six representatives contested.
Why Pageant Fans Are Following the Dispute
The uncertainty has attracted attention from international pageant communities because the issue could affect contestants who have spent months preparing for the Miss Universe stage.
Reports from the region have described the announcement as causing a stir among beauty pageant forums, while the Miss Universe Vietnam organising committee said its national competition would continue and that international-level contractual matters were outside its decision-making authority.
For supporters of the affected contestants, the dispute is particularly significant because the representatives themselves are caught between competing positions from organisations claiming authority over the franchise arrangements.
Rather than a straightforward disqualification, the situation currently involves two opposing interpretations of the agreements governing the Miss Universe brand.
What Happens Next?
The 75th Miss Universe Competition is scheduled to take place in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on 24 November 2026.
At present, JKN Universe LLC maintains that the six disputed franchise arrangements are not valid and that representatives selected through them are ineligible. MU East, meanwhile, maintains that it has the contractual authority to appoint franchise partners in the affected territories and that the six delegates have the right to compete.
That means it would be premature to describe the six contestants as permanently barred from Miss Universe 2026. Their status remains the subject of an unresolved corporate and contractual dispute.
