No. 0337
Beauty bungle upsets Thai hosts
By SASITHORN SIMAPORN in Bangkok
21may05
Bangkok- MISS Universe organisers scrambled yesterday to calm a furore over photos of bikini-clad contestants posing near an ancient Buddhist temple in pageant host Thailand after the images had infuriated religious leaders.
The photos, which showed beauty queens on a Bangkok river cruise with the famed Wat Arun, or Temple of Dawn, in the background, were swiftly removed from the pageant website.
But religious leaders and culture watchdogs are still upset, saying the episode violated traditional values and morality just days before a Buddhist holiday.
"This is the time of Visakha Bucha when we are reminded of Lord Buddha's teachings.
"But we have allowed this thing which will mark the country with sin for a long time," Phra Thep Dilok, head of the National Centre for Buddhism Promotion, said yesterday.
The chair of the Senate tourism committee, Suradech Yasawat, said the photos, which were splashed on the front pages of most Thai newspapers, had hurt the country's image.
"It is completely inappropriate. When a contest is being held in Thailand, Thai traditions and culture should be respected."
About 90 per cent of Thailand's 63 million people are Buddhist and any slight against the religion can trigger a public outcry.
Last year, the director of the US movie Hollywood Buddha apologised for offending Thais by sitting on the head of a Buddha image for an advertising poster.
Thai Buddhists consider the head the most sacred part of the body and it is not to be touched.
And despite Bangkok's hundreds of go-go bars and its racy reputation as the "anything goes" sex capital of South-East Asia, many Thais are uncomfortable with public nudity.
Pageant president Paula Shugart said the temple incident was unfortunate and would not happen again.
"We knew that if we had any visits to the temple, we knew how the women had to dress. This happened to be out on the river and unfortunately it appeared in the background. We would never, ever do anything to intentionally offend anyone here."
The Miss Universe franchise is a partnership between real estate mogul Donald Trump and US television network NBC.
Shugart said video footage of the 81 Miss Universe hopefuls – who have gone on elephant rides, toured temples and frolicked on beaches since arriving last week – would be vetted by the pageant's Thai partners before the May 31 grand finale is broadcast worldwide.
Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who hopes the pageant will give Thailand's tsunami-hit tourist industry a badly-needed boost, has urged Thais not to overreact.
Thailand has spent $8.86 million on hosting the event and expects to earn $106.29 million in revenue from the pageant and other activities.
"I think they did not intend to insult Thai culture. They just wanted to shoot pictures of beautiful places but did not realise that the temple is sacred for Thais," he said.
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Beauty bungle upsets Thai hosts
By SASITHORN SIMAPORN in Bangkok
21may05
Bangkok- MISS Universe organisers scrambled yesterday to calm a furore over photos of bikini-clad contestants posing near an ancient Buddhist temple in pageant host Thailand after the images had infuriated religious leaders.
The photos, which showed beauty queens on a Bangkok river cruise with the famed Wat Arun, or Temple of Dawn, in the background, were swiftly removed from the pageant website.
But religious leaders and culture watchdogs are still upset, saying the episode violated traditional values and morality just days before a Buddhist holiday.
"This is the time of Visakha Bucha when we are reminded of Lord Buddha's teachings.
"But we have allowed this thing which will mark the country with sin for a long time," Phra Thep Dilok, head of the National Centre for Buddhism Promotion, said yesterday.
The chair of the Senate tourism committee, Suradech Yasawat, said the photos, which were splashed on the front pages of most Thai newspapers, had hurt the country's image.
"It is completely inappropriate. When a contest is being held in Thailand, Thai traditions and culture should be respected."
About 90 per cent of Thailand's 63 million people are Buddhist and any slight against the religion can trigger a public outcry.
Last year, the director of the US movie Hollywood Buddha apologised for offending Thais by sitting on the head of a Buddha image for an advertising poster.
Thai Buddhists consider the head the most sacred part of the body and it is not to be touched.
And despite Bangkok's hundreds of go-go bars and its racy reputation as the "anything goes" sex capital of South-East Asia, many Thais are uncomfortable with public nudity.
Pageant president Paula Shugart said the temple incident was unfortunate and would not happen again.
"We knew that if we had any visits to the temple, we knew how the women had to dress. This happened to be out on the river and unfortunately it appeared in the background. We would never, ever do anything to intentionally offend anyone here."
The Miss Universe franchise is a partnership between real estate mogul Donald Trump and US television network NBC.
Shugart said video footage of the 81 Miss Universe hopefuls – who have gone on elephant rides, toured temples and frolicked on beaches since arriving last week – would be vetted by the pageant's Thai partners before the May 31 grand finale is broadcast worldwide.
Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who hopes the pageant will give Thailand's tsunami-hit tourist industry a badly-needed boost, has urged Thais not to overreact.
Thailand has spent $8.86 million on hosting the event and expects to earn $106.29 million in revenue from the pageant and other activities.
"I think they did not intend to insult Thai culture. They just wanted to shoot pictures of beautiful places but did not realise that the temple is sacred for Thais," he said.
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