Thai cuisine left the plates and took over the catwalk at Miss Universe Thailand 2026. In one of the most unusual events of this edition, the 77 candidates paraded in costumes inspired by traditional foods, desserts and fruits from different regions of the country.
Candidates wear Thai flavors in an unusual parade; see the photos
Thai cuisine left the plates and took over the catwalk at Miss Universe Thailand 2026. In one of the most unusual events of this edition, the 77 candidates paraded in costumes inspired by traditional foods, desserts and fruits from...
The proposal was to transform elements of local gastronomy into clothes capable of representing the culture and identity of the competitors' provinces. The result was a catwalk full of colors and references easily recognized by those who know Thai cuisine.
- Among the creations were versions of pad thai, tom yum, grilled chicken, boat noodles, som tam, crab and different desserts.
- Durian, mangosteen, coconut, longan, rambutan, banana and passion fruit were among the foods transformed into costumes.
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Held on Tuesday (18), in Bangkok, the national costumes stage had the theme “Fruits & Food: Thailand Soft Power”. The proposal was to transform elements of local gastronomy into clothes capable of representing the culture and identity of the competitors' provinces.
The result was a catwalk full of colors and references easily recognized by those who know Thai cuisine. Among the creations were versions of pad thai, tom yum, grilled chicken, boat noodles, som tam, crab and different desserts.
There was no shortage of fruit either. Durian, mangosteen, coconut, longan, rambutan, banana and passion fruit were among the foods transformed into costumes. The traditional rice pudding with mango, known internationally as mango sticky rice, also had its own version on the catwalk.
Pad thai and mango rice become dresses
Some of the costumes made direct references to the specialties of the regions represented by the misses. Among them were a dress inspired by pad thai from Uthai Thani, another dedicated to grilled chicken from Khon Kaen and a creation based on mango rice pudding from Kalasin.
In total, 77 outfits and 77 different proposals were presented, one for each Miss Universe Thailand 2026 candidate. The organization also intends to use the competition as an international showcase for the country's gastronomy and local products.
The stage took place at the MGI Hall, located in the Bravo BKK complex, in Bangkok, and is part of the program that precedes the selection of the new Thai representative in Miss Universe.
Miss Universe Thailand final takes place this Sunday
The winner of Miss Universe Thailand 2026 will be announced this Sunday, August 23, starting at 7pm local time. The final will also be held at MGI Hall in Bangkok.
Whoever wins the crown will represent Thailand in the 75th edition of Miss Universe, scheduled to take place in Puerto Rico.
Before finding out who will take the title, check out the gallery of dresses that transformed some of Thailand's best-known dishes and ingredients into catwalk-worthy productions.
Scroll through the gallery to see some of the dresses (or dishes) that paraded at Miss Universe Thailand.
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