Thailand Culture Ministry Accuses Miss Universe Cambodia of Stealing Historic Photos
Thailand's Culture Ministry is demanding Cambodia's Miss Universe pageant remove 1906 historical photographs from Kamphaengphet that it used as promotional images for traditional court dress, threatening international legal action if not co
The Miss Universe Cambodia 2026 pageant organizers took historical photographs of women from Kamphaengphet, Thailand dating to 1906 during the reign of King Chulalongkorn and directly used them as promotional images for Cambodian ancient court dress. The images were discovered to be part of the UNESCO Memory of the World register, officially recognized in 2017 as part of Thailand's Royal glass plate negative collection. Culture Minister Sabida Thaiseth has personally taken charge of the response, stating: "These are clearly photographs of Kamphaengphet from 1906 during King Chulalongkorn's reign—how did they become your traditional costumes?" An official protest letter has been sent to the Cambodian pageant organizers demanding immediate correction. Thailand's Culture Ministry has reserved the right to pursue international legal action if the organizers refuse to comply. The ministry has demonstrated a firm stance on protecting Thailand's cultural heritage and intellectual property rights.
