On Monday, an incident at the Miss Grand Thailand pageant sparked a public debate over religious freedom and decency. The controversy was ignited when one contestant refused to participate in a tarot reading. The top three contestants in a popular vote challenge won the opportunity to partake in a tarot reading. 

Chayathanus "Cheraim" Saradatta, Miss Grand Lamphun, who was first in the challenge, refused to accept the prize, citing her Christian religious beliefs.

"I have boundaries on fortune-telling. I am a Christian and I’m not comfortable participating in fortune-telling," she said during the live broadcast.

Nawat Itsaragrisil, the owner of the contest, was taken aback and stated that religion is just a personal preference, and since pageant contestants will be required to participate in the activities of other religions, not being able to do so will never lead to success.

"[Religion] is not life, not the spirit. It's not the core of life. Nobody gives us life. God does not give life, Allah does not give life, Buddha does not give life. It's our parents who gave us life, and the only people who can make us grow are ourselves," he said, adding that his intention stems from wanting to mentor the contestant as someone who is more senior. 

"I'd like to teach you that living together in a society is about living in diversity. Attaching yourself to certain things will be a great obstacle for you," he added.

The incident sparked an online debate, with some saying Nawat does not respect the contestants' beliefs, and therefore doesn't truly respect religious freedom.

While Nawat, dubbed "The Boss," runs the organization and the contest with a hands-on approach, the contest is often hailed as a stage to promote democratic values and freedom of expression, and the contestants are encouraged to speak up on social issues and politics. 

Some critics pointed out that the organization holds strong beliefs about human rights, freedom, and democracy, and should therefore respect the contestants' stance. Others think that the contestant lacked common decency shared among Thai people.

The following day, Chayathanus backtracked and issued an apology—a common practice among pageant contestants who get into a row with Nawat. She further explained that the organization was made aware that she is a Catholic and therefore cannot participate in such activities, but she held that Nawat, referred to as "Dad," always cares and has nothing but good intentions. 

She added that she respects all faiths and religions.

Meanwhile, some commentators believe that this is just a petty feud, with many speculating that it was a deliberate calculation to boost ratings.

In a press conference held yesterday, Nawat stated that a religious person should not participate in the contest. He further added, "I implore devout people not to let her (Chayathanus) participate in any other pageant ever again."

Nawat also mentioned that he treats the pageant as a job application process, and contestants who participate in his contest must be "ready to use."

He stated that Chayanthanus had signed a contract that makes it her responsible for participating in any activities organized by the pageant. He also revealed that Chayathanus has taken part in tarot readings before.

In 2020, Chayathanus was disqualified from the Miss Universe Thailand competition after it was alleged that her manager had infiltrated the competition staff and provided inside information to Chayathanus, who denied the allegations despite the leaking of a lengthy chat with her manager that contained information on other contestants.