Miss Grand International 2024: Final Preparations and Controversies Ahead of the Grand Finale

The 12th edition of the Miss Grand International pageant is set to take place on October 25, 2024, at the MGI Hall, Bravo BKK Mall in Bangkok, Thailand. This year, the competition will feature contestants from 69 countries and territories vying for the coveted title.

The event has faced several challenges, including a change in host country. Initially, Myanmar was selected as the host, but due to domestic political crises, the pageant was relocated to Cambodia and eventually to Thailand. The best-in-swimsuit round, which was initially scheduled for Cambodia, was moved to the OceanSky Cruise in Pattaya Bay, Thailand, on October 13, 2024. Kaylie Cheung of Hong Kong was absent from this round due to health issues.

The national costume contest took place on October 20, 2024, at the MGI Hall, with 69 contestants participating. The event was hosted by Miss Grand International 2023, Luciana Fuster, and was broadcast live on the pageant’s YouTube and Facebook channels. Only 20 costumes were selected for the second scoring round, with 10 chosen by public vote and the other 10 by the judges.

The preliminary round, which included the swimsuit and evening gown segments, was held on October 22, 2024. The scores from this round, along with public voting, will determine the 20 semi-finalists. The winner of the Country of the Year award, decided through public voting, will complete the list of semi-finalists. These contestants will then compete in the swimsuit, evening gown, and speech segments to narrow down to the top 5 candidates for the question and answer round.

Despite the challenges, the contestants have maintained a high level of excellence in their performances. Predictions for the winner are ongoing, with many considering not just the contestants’ performances but also the strategic implications of the pageant’s president, Nawat Itsaragrisil, in selecting the new queen).