A newly crowned Cambodian beauty queen ignited a row after using her pageant stage to accuse Thailand of triggering border hostilities and detaining Cambodian troops.
Chouri Laorhours, named Miss Teen Cambodia 2025 on Sunday, delivered a speech that quickly ruffled feathers in Thailand.
A day after Ms Laorhours secured the title, organisers of the pageant released a video of her clutching the Cambodian flag and addressing the audience in Khmer.
Speaking “on behalf of all Cambodian people”, she demanded the return of 18 soldiers allegedly held by Thailand.
Switching to speaking in English, she declared: “Cambodia and Thailand have always lived together in peace, but now that peace has ended because Thailand started the war, something we never asked for. We do not want to fight. We want peace. We are not enemies. We are neighbours, human beings who deserve safety and a future free from hatred and war. Thank you.”
The remarks landed amid heightened border tensions. Though the two sides accepted a US-brokered ceasefire late last month, clashes persisted. On 10 November, Bangkok suspended its commitments under the deal after accusing the rival country of planting a landmine that exploded and injured Thai soldiers.
Skirmishes since then have seen the two governments accuse each other of firing first.
Online reactions to Ms Laorhours’s speech were sharply split.
While Cambodians largely praised her patriotism, Thai users questioned the propriety of invoking geopolitics during a teenage beauty contest.
The phrase “Thailand started the war” quickly trended across Thai social media.
Ms Laorhours is no stranger to public scrutiny. She was accused throughout the competition by her critics of benefiting from family wealth, Thai PBS World said.
She rejected such claims, insisting her victories stemmed from merit. “Those who think I win because I have money are wrong,” she wrote on social media. “I always compete based on my ability. The pageant chooses contestants who truly have talent. Whether someone has resources or not, if they have more ability, they will win the crown with dignity.”
