Turmoil in tiaras at Miss Universe pageant in Thailand

Bangkok: This year s Miss Universe in Thailand has been marred by ugly drama, with allegations of an insult to a beauty queen s intellect, a walkout b...

Bangkok: This year's Miss Universe in Thailand has been marred by ugly drama, with allegations of an insult to a beauty queen's intellect, a walkout by pageant contestants and a tearful tantrum by the host.

More than 120 women from across the world have gathered in Thailand, vying to be crowned Miss Universe in a contest considered one of the “big four” of global beauty pageants.

But the runup has been dominated by the off-stage antics of the coiffed contestants and their Thai hosts, escalating into a feminist firestorm drawing the attention of Mexico's president.

On Tuesday, Mexican delegate Fatima Bosch staged a dramatic walkout -- in an evening gown and high heels -- from a meeting where she was lambasted by Miss Universe host Nawat Itsaragrisil.

In a livestream of the event, Nawat seemed to single out Miss Mexico and call her a “dumbhead” during a dispute over her apparent failure to post promotional content on her social media. He has since been denied using the term.