The original photograph is kept in the National Archives of Thailand, complete with the Fine Arts Department's official watermark. The pageant stage cropped out the watermark and failed to credit the source. This image is officially registered by UNESCO as part of the "Royal Siamese Photographic Glass Negatives and Original Prints Collection," designated as a Memory of the World in 2017. It depicts a Thai woman from Kamphaeng Phet during the reign of King Rama V (King Chulalongkorn), not Cambodian attire.
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Historical images shown during the Miss Universe Cambodia 2026 preliminary round have drawn criticism after some were identified by Thailand’s Fine Arts Department as depicting Siamese women.
One image shows women from Kamphaeng Phet during the reign of King Chulalongkorn of Siam, wearing traditional dress including jong kraben and the dok krathum hairstyle.
The images were presented as part of a segment on Cambodia’s royal history, prompting discussion online over their historical attribution.