Miss Universe Thailand 2025 Veena Praveenar issued a statement following the buzz over Mister International 2025, where Thai pageant figure Nawat Itsaragrisil—popularly known as Papa Nawat—made remarks about Miss Universe Philippines 2025 Ahtisa Manalo’s hosting skills.

In a message addressed to Filipino fans, Veena expressed her respect and admiration for the Philippines’ queen.

“Mabuhay Philippines! Sorry guys, I think you might have misunderstood what happened yesterday. I don’t want this kind of awkward situation to pull us apart, so thank you for all the love and comments. And we are only here to do our work, and I truly respect the Queen of the Philippines as well,” she said.

Her clarification comes as both countries’ pageant communities continue to closely follow the reigns of their titleholders on the international stage.