The “Miss Universe Cambodia” pageant used an image of a Thai woman from the reign of King Rama V, claiming that Cambodians were dressed in “Khmer sashes.”
Thai PBS Verify has verified the source is authentic: Facebook.
The video clip shows a woman wearing a sash, identified as a Cambodian form of traditional clothing.
Thai PBS Verify checked a Facebook post by user Ponleu Reaksmey Mech after he posted a clip of the Miss Universe Cambodia 2026 pageant . The clip contained black and white images of women, as well as several images of women in traditional Thai attire, along with a caption stating:
When translated using Google Translate , the text is:
“The Khmer Sash: The Soul of the Khmer Nation, The Identity of the Khmer Nation.” The Khmer sash is a priceless cultural heritage, a Khmer art form of dress with immeasurable historical value for the Khmer people. It is a beautiful identity intertwined with the way of life, customs, and traditions passed down from ancestors for hundreds of generations to the present day.
Thank you to Davin Prasath and the Miss Universe Cambodia pageant management team for arranging the Khmer traditional dress performance, which is a national symbol and represents the spirit of the Khmer people. 🥰🥰🇰🇭🇰🇭🇰🇭
And I would like to express my deepest respect, love, and affection to Cindy Hair for her unwavering support, research, and for proudly showcasing and promoting traditional Cambodian costumes, contributing to our nation and the future of our culture.
Admiration for the exquisite preparation and decoration of the Khmer traditional dress by ស៊ីនឌី សំអាងការ – Cindy Premium Wedding Planner and Nob Dane SamAngkar.
The Khmer people unite to preserve and promote “the Khmer sash, the soul of the Khmer nation, the national identity of Khmer.”
The post, published on September 20, 2026, has received over 39,000 views and been shared over 1,100 times.
Is the image of a Cambodian woman wearing a “Khmer sash” authentic?
Using Google Lens, we found that the image matches news about the Miss Universe Cambodia 2026 pageant . Upon checking a video of the pageant released on September 18, 2026, on the Miss Universe Cambodia Facebook account, we discovered that the image appears during the presentation of the ” Khmer traditional dress ” at the 54:00 – 57:40 minute mark of the video.
A clip, identified as showing a Cambodian woman, appeared at the 56:28 mark of the live broadcast.
Clip from Miss Universe Cambodia’s Facebook page.
Thai PBS Verify used Google Lens to verify one of the images shown in the clip and found that it matched an image published in a news report by the National Archives, which stated that…
On Monday, September 21, 2026, Ms. Sabida Thaiseth, Minister of Culture, held a press conference regarding the Miss Universe Cambodia pageant’s use of images from Thai glass plate negatives without attribution. The
images in question are from glass plate negatives and original photographs from the Vajirayana Library collection, which are cared for and stored in the National Archives of Thailand under the Fine Arts Department, Ministry of Culture. The
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has registered these glass plate negatives and original photographs from the Vajirayana Library collection. It is already a world heritage in 2017.
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Monday, 21 September 2026
The Minister of Culture, Ms. Sabeeda Thaised, has issued a statement concerning the use of Thai cultural heritage imagery during the Miss Universe Cambodia pageant, where the source and cultural attribution of the material were not properly identified.
The heritage material in question is a historical photograph of ladies of Kamphaeng Phet during the reign of King Chulalongkorn, wearing chong kraben for the lower part; blouses with tight long sleeves, finished up with sashes for their tops, complete with the short dok krathum hairstyle (reference code 68-18) from the Glass Plate Negatives Collection under the care of the National Archives of Thailand, Fine Arts Department, Ministry of Culture.
These glass plate negatives were inscribed on UNESCO’s Memory of the World International Register in 2017.
According to information from the National Archives, the image is…
Image code 68-18: A young woman from Kamphaeng Phet during
the reign of King Chulalongkorn. She is wearing a long-sleeved blouse, a sash, and a traditional Thai skirt (chong kraben), with her hair styled in a short, edgy style called “tok krathum.”
Image from the Facebook page of the National Archives.
The photograph is part of The Royal Photographic Glass Plate Negatives and Original Prints Collection, which UNESCO registered under its Memory of the World programme in 2017.
Image from the National Archives of Thailand Facebook page.
The Original Watermark Was Cropped Out
A comparison between the photograph used in the Miss Universe Cambodia VTR and the original image from the Vajirayana Library Collection found that the Fine Arts Department’s watermark, which appears in the lower-right corner of the original image, had been cropped out.
The VTR also did not provide attribution to the original source.
The image on the left is a clip from the Miss Universe Cambodia 2026 pageant, compared to a historical glass plate negative image of a “woman from Kamphaeng Phet during the reign of King Rama V” (right).
Ministry of Culture Says the Use of the Image Was Deliberate
Thai PBS Verify also found an official statement from the Ministry of Culture concerning the use of the historical photograph in the Miss Universe Cambodia presentation.
According to the ministry, reports in both Cambodian and Thai media showed that the pageant’s VTR on Cambodian dress culture used an image originating from Thailand.
The Ministry of Culture said the incident could not simply be regarded as a lack of knowledge or an unintentional oversight. It said the use of the image indicated an intention by the VTR producers to claim, generalize, and persuade the public that the image represented authentic Cambodian court attire.
The ministry called on the Miss Universe Cambodia pageant to stop using and disseminating what it described as distorted information, and urged greater care in identifying and attributing the sources of historical images.
The ministry said the photograph depicts women from Kamphaeng Phet and was taken in 1906 (B.E. 2449), during the reign of King Chulalongkorn. It is recorded in the Vajirayana Library Collection, also known as The Royal Photographic Glass Plate Negatives and Original Prints Collection, which was inscribed on UNESCO’s Memory of the World International Register in 2017.
The original glass-plate negative preserved by the National Archives bears the Fine Arts Department’s watermark. According to the ministry, the image used by the pageant had been cropped to remove the watermark and did not include a source attribution.
The Ministry of Culture, through the Fine Arts Department, said it would send a formal letter of protest to the Miss Universe Cambodia organizers. If the use of the material continued, the ministry said it could consider further measures, including possible legal action through relevant Thai authorities.
Thailand’s Cultural Promotion Efforts
The Ministry of Culture said it has continued to promote knowledge of Thai cultural heritage both domestically and internationally.
This includes exhibitions of Chut Thai Phra Ratchaniyom, or Royal-Preferred Thai Dress, in cities including The Hague and Tokyo, with further activities planned in France. These exhibitions also provide information about traditional Thai attire that contributed to the development of modern Chut Thai Phra Ratchaniyom.
The ministry also works with Thai embassies overseas to promote Thai traditional dress at major events.
For example, the Thailand Grand Festival 2026 in Sydney, Australia, held on September 19–20, featured actress Taksaorn “Aff” Paksukcharoen wearing Chut Thai Phra Ratchaniyom.
Thai historical artifacts and traditional garments have also been displayed at the National Museum of Korea.
The Minister of Culture said the ministry would continue using cultural diplomacy to promote Thai dress and cultural heritage, while emphasizing that culture should serve as a bridge for mutual understanding rather than conflict.
The ministry also said that, where cultural or attribution issues arise, it would take appropriate action.
Clip of the press conference from the Ministry of Culture.
What Are the Facts ?
The Miss Universe Cambodia 2026 pageant presented a VTR about “Sbai Khmer” on its official Facebook page. The segment, which ran from approximately 54:00 to 57:40, included a historical black-and-white photograph that subsequently attracted attention online.
According to records cited by Thai PBS Verify, the photograph is a historical image of women from Siam, now Thailand, during the reign of King Rama V.
- The Photograph Shows Women from Kamphaeng Phet in the Rama V Era
The photograph is identified as Reference No. 68-18, “Ladies of Kamphaeng Phet during the reign of King Chulalongkorn.”
The women are shown wearing long-sleeved blouses, sabai sashes, and chong kraben, with dok krathum hairstyles.
The photograph dates to 1906 (B.E. 2449), during the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V).
- The Photograph Is Part of Thailand’s UNESCO Memory of the World Collection
The photograph forms part of The Royal Photographic Glass Plate Negatives and Original Prints Collection, preserved by the National Archives of Thailand under the Fine Arts Department, Ministry of Culture.
UNESCO inscribed the collection on the Memory of the World International Register in 2017.
- The Fine Arts Department Watermark Was Removed from the Version Used in the VTR
The original glass-plate image preserved by the National Archives bears the Fine Arts Department’s watermark.
The version used in the Miss Universe Cambodia VTR had the watermark cropped out and was presented without attribution to the original source.
Verification Process
- Pageant VTR Verification
Thai PBS Verify reviewed the Miss Universe Cambodia broadcast published on September 18, 2026, on the pageant’s official Facebook page and identified the historical photograph in the “Sbai Khmer” segment at approximately 54:00.
- Reverse Image Search and National Archives Cross-Reference
The photograph was searched using Google Lens and matched against historical material held by Thailand’s National Archives. The archival record identifies the subjects as women from Kamphaeng Phet during the reign of King Rama V.
- Image Comparison
Thai PBS Verify compared the frame used in the pageant’s VTR with the original photograph in the Vajirayana Library Collection. The comparison showed that the Fine Arts Department watermark visible on the original had been cropped out of the version used in the VTR.
- UNESCO and Government Statement Verification
Thai PBS Verify also reviewed information concerning the UNESCO registration of the collection and the statement issued by Culture Minister Ms. Sabeeda Thaised on September 21, 2026.
Impact of the Disputed Information
- Distortion of Historical and Cultural Identity
The Ministry of Culture said the use of the image could not be regarded simply as a lack of knowledge or an accidental mistake. According to the ministry, the presentation indicated an intention to claim or portray the image as representing Cambodian court attire.
- Concerns Over Cultural Heritage and Attribution
The removal of the Fine Arts Department watermark and the use of material from the UNESCO-registered collection without source attribution raise concerns about proper attribution and the use of historical cultural-heritage material.
- Cross-Border Online Disputes
The presentation of the historical image as part of a Cambodian cultural narrative has contributed to heated discussion and disagreement on social media in Thailand and Cambodia.
What to do with this misinformation?
- Check Official Archives and Repositories
When historical photographs are presented with disputed cultural or national attribution, users should verify the original source through authoritative repositories such as the National Archives of Thailand, the Fine Arts Department, or UNESCO’s Memory of the World records.
- Follow Legal and Diplomatic Processes
The Ministry of Culture has indicated that it would formally raise the matter with the Miss Universe Cambodia organizers and may consider further legal action if the issue is not resolved.
Members of the public should follow developments carefully and avoid aggressive or inflammatory rhetoric online.
- Promote Thai Cultural Heritage Accurately
The public can help promote accurate knowledge about traditional Thai attire and Chut Thai Phra Ratchaniyom in order to strengthen international understanding and appreciation of Thailand’s cultural heritage.
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