A New Miss Universe Thailand
Thailand crowned a new beauty queen on Monday night, with Tharina “Khanom” Botes, a Thai-South African representing Bangkok in the national pageant, taking the Miss Universe Thailand 2026 title. The event was held at MGI HALL on the sixth floor of the BRAVO BKK shopping centre. The announcement came after an evening that saw 77 contestants vie for the crown, as reported by the Bangkok Post.
Botes, 29, has a pageant career spanning more than a decade, having begun competing in South Africa before representing that country at Miss International 2016 and reaching the finals of Miss South Africa 2018. She had previously competed in Miss Grand Thailand 2019 and placed second in Miss Universe Thailand 2021. Her crowning came at the hands of her predecessor, Miss Universe Thailand 2025 Praveenar “Veena” Singh, according to the Bangkok Post.
The Road to Victory
Both outlets attributed Botes’ victory to her performance in the final question-and-answer round. The Bangkok Post highlighted her answer naming Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray as her inspiration, praising Gray’s confidence, eloquence and resilience. Botes also drew a parallel to her own journey, referencing Gray’s path from an unsuccessful Miss World campaign to eventually winning the Miss Universe title. "Rejection is just redirection," she said, a sentiment that resonated with the judges.
The Star’s account similarly credits the win to her final Q&A performance, noting she “secured the title after the final question-and-answer round.” Following the win, Botes received the crown and sash and will enter an intensive training programme before competing internationally.
Final Rankings
The official results, as reported by The Star, placed contestants from four provinces behind Botes, with English spellings following the official Miss Universe Thailand contestant list. However, the two outlets differ on the first runner-up: The Star lists Suttida Iadpoo of Phuket, while the Bangkok Post names Suttida Ladpu of Phuket. The second runner-up, Helena Sarakan of Udon Thani, is consistent across both reports. Additionally, The Star places Sasiwararin Atsawahirankarn of Chiang Mai as third and Manatsawee Nilbuala of Ubon Ratchathani as fourth.
The conflicting spellings of the first runner-up’s name highlight a discrepancy between the two sources, with no single authoritative version currently evident.
Pageant Highlights
Beyond the main competition, the evening featured performances by SVRN, including an English-language rendition of “Neung Nai Roi,” following a special opening act by Singh. Hosting duties were carried out by Matthew Dean, and the panel of judges included former Miss Universe Thailand winners Paweensuda “Faisal” Druang and Charm Osathanond, along with actress and physician Lallana “Jeab” Kongtoranin, Engfa Waraha, Vanessa Pulgarin, Nguyen Huong Giang, and Pla Prapatsorn.
Botes also received one of four Best National Costume awards for her “THABI TASTE: Siamese Cuisine” ensemble.
Looking Ahead
With the national title in hand, Botes will now prepare for the 75th Miss Universe pageant, to be held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in November. Both outlets confirm she will enter an intensive training program in preparation, aiming to bring the crown back to Thailand.