BANGKOK - Pageant fans were shocked when Miss Universe 1996 Alicia Machado recently insulted Thailand and mocked Asian features as she criticised Thai mogul Nawat Itsaragrisil, following a confrontation with Miss Mexico Fatima Bosch, ahead of the sashing ceremony.

Mr Nawat, who heads the Thai hosting committee for the staging of the 74th Miss Universe pageant, was

caught on video publicly chastising Bosch

, which then prompted her to walk out of the conference hall. Other delegates from mostly Latina countries followed suit, including reigning Miss Universe Victoria Theilvig. The confrontation stemmed from a sponsored shoot which Bosch supposedly did not take part in.

Following the incident, Machado, a Venezuelan-American actress-TV host, criticised Mr Nawat through a livestream video on her social media page.

However, she also earned the ire of netizens after she apparently insulted Mr Nawat’s home country and even called him “that despicable Chinese”.

When a netizen in the comments section tried to correct Machado, she said all individuals with slanted eyes - no matter if they are Chinese, Thai, or Korean - are all Chinese to her.

Machado even made a slanted-eye gesture during her livestream.

She also questioned why this year’s Miss Universe pageant is held in Thailand, as she made derogatory remarks against the Asian country.

One of those who spoke up against Machado was Filipino publicist and publisher Josh Yugen, who owns several Miss Universe franchises across the globe. He reposted a clip from Machado’s livestream video and condemned her statement.

“It’s shocking that in 2025, we still hear such ignorance,” he said via his Instagram Stories on Nov 5.