On October 7, contestants of Miss Grand International 2024 arrived in Thailand to continue the competition’s activities after the host country, Cambodia, had its rights revoked by the Miss Grand International Organization (MGI).

At the airport, Miss Grand Thailand - Malin Chara-anan, shared her memorable experience with the media about the food in Cambodia.

According to her, the food served included balut and boiled beans. While these are inexpensive, everyday foods, they are not widely popular in many countries, and not everyone can eat them.

Many contestants, including Malin, had a “terrifying” experience as they couldn’t eat balut and instead only consumed boiled beans and water. She mentioned that she had lunch but couldn’t eat anything else until 2 a.m.

In addition, the Cambodian organizers didn’t prepare enough food, so some contestants had to serve themselves. Many journalists even had to help carry the contestants' luggage due to the lack of staff.

During a boat activity, contestants faced safety risks, as they were required to wear long dresses and high heels while boarding the wooden plank to the ship.

On the evening of October 7, Mr. Nawat, President of Miss Grand International, livestreamed a critique of the competition's organization in Cambodia, which ultimately led to the event being relocated to Thailand.

He shared that as soon as they arrived at the Cambodian airport, there were signs of disorganization as there were no local staff to greet the contestants or the MGI team. On sash presentation day, despite plans for a red carpet and Lamborghini cars, nothing went as planned, and he had to push for a proper backdrop for contestant photos.

During the welcome ceremony on October 5, the Cambodian side announced the attendance of an important guest along with about 400 fans. However, when the event began, only about 40 fans were present. When Mr. Nawat inquired about the absent guest, the Cambodian team stated that the individual could not arrive on time.

At the gala dinner, the Miss Grand Cambodia organization scheduled a traditional dance performance at 4 p.m., but the dance troupe only arrived 10 minutes before the performance without any preparation.

Mr. Nawat refused to allow a rehearsal and canceled the performance. Although the Cambodian organizers assured that many journalists would attend the dinner, no one appeared.

Fortunately, Mr. Nawat invited some journalist friends from Thailand and seated the organization’s staff and national directors together to fill the empty space.

He noted that the Cambodian staff were mostly young and inexperienced, often waiting for instructions from their national director, who also showed little interest. The group had planned to tour Phnom Penh at night on a boat, but as dinner approached, the Cambodian side requested a location change. Mr. Nawat insisted on keeping the original plan as the group was en route.

Upon arrival, there were no staff to guide them. He called the organizing team, only to be told, “I’m in the middle of the river.” Confused, he repeatedly called but received no response.

He felt embarrassed as he had to board the boat with the contestants, and there was not enough food or water. The group was large, and the preparations were inadequate, leading to poor service. Teresa, Vice President of MGI, also felt ashamed of the situation for the contestants.

Mr. Nawat revealed that the cost of returning the contestants to Thailand, including airfare, was around 1 million baht (around $35,000), while the hotel expenses amounted to about 200,000 baht (nearly $7,000), all covered by MGI. He accepted these costs to protect the reputation and credibility of the Miss Grand International brand.

At the airport in Thailand, Miss Grand Vietnam 2024 - Vo Le Que Anh also gave a brief interview with the press. She expressed her hopes that the contestants would enjoy their time during the activities in Thailand.

On October 8, the contestants will tour Bangkok, shop at Icon Siam, and have dinner aboard the Meridian Cruise.

Miss Grand International 2024 takes place from October 3 to 25. Aside from the semifinal and final nights, contestants will participate in additional events such as private interviews, swimwear shows, national costume presentations, fashion competitions, and talent performances.

Vietnam’s representative, Vo Le Que Anh, Miss Grand Vietnam 2024, was born in 2001 in Quang Nam. Before entering Miss Grand Vietnam 2024, she was crowned Miss Hue University 2020, made it to the top 40 of Miss Vietnam 2020, and won 1st runner-up at Miss Tourism Da Nang 2022. She graduated in Korean Language and Culture from Hue University.

Ngoc Vi