Myanmar pageant director accused of coercing beauty queen to relinquish her Miss Grand International second runner-up title

According to Nawat, this was done to prevent her from signing a contract with MGI, enabling Htoo Ant Lwin to maintain control and profit from her fame within Myanmar, reported by local newspaper Dan Tri citing GMA.

Nawat added that Miss Grand Myanmar 2023, Ni Ni Lin Eain, had previously reported similar coercive behavior by Htoo Ant Lwin during her reign.

"Htoo Ant Lwin didn’t offer me any support. My family covered all the expenses for the competition. His only contribution was providing one evening gown for the final event, and he introduced me to several men. He even requested that I use part of my first runner-up prize money to pay the Miss Grand licensing fees," she informed Nawat.

Nawat further disclosed that Htoo Ant Lwin failed to pay the hosting fees for the 2024 Miss Grand International event, which was initially planned to be held in Myanmar. This forced the organization to relocate the event to another venue.

In response, on Oct. 28, Htoo Ant Lwin took to TikTok in a livestream, expressing regret over the misunderstandings that had arisen.

Htoo Ant Lwin, who was Mister Supranational Myanmar 2017 and is now 29 years old, currently resides and works in Thailand, according to Nawat.

Miss Grand Myanmar's National Director Htoo Ant Lwin and 17-year-old beauty queen Thae Su Nyein. Photo courtesy of Htoo Ant Lwin's Facebook.

On Monday, Miss Grand International officially stripped 17-year-old Thae Su Nyein of her second runner-up title for "inappropriate behavior."

The beauty queen had won third place on Oct. 25, with the Philippines securing first runner-up and India's Rachel Gupta taking the title. However, after the announcement, Thae Su Nyein tearfully exited the event with her team, declining to participate in activities organized for the top five finalists.

She claimed that Myanmar supporters cast the majority of votes, but the awards went to Thailand and other countries. Consequently, she decided to return her tiara and title, citing "unfair treatment."Miss Grand International, founded in 2013 by Nawat Itsaragrisil, is an annual beauty pageant based in Thailand. The competition garners global attention and in 2023 was hosted by Vietnam.

This year’s event, held from Oct. 3- 25, included interviews, national costume showcases, and talent performances. The contest initially began in Cambodia but was relocated to Thailand following disputes between Miss Grand Cambodia and MGI’s president.