A court in Thailand said Wednesday that it has issued an arrest warrant for a co-owner of the Miss Universe Organization in reference to a fraud case.
Jakkaphong “Anne” Jakrajutatip was charged with fraud then released on bail in 2023. She failed to look as required in a Bangkok court on Tuesday. Since she didn’t notify the court about her absence, she was deemed to be a flight risk, based on a press release from the Bangkok South District Court.
The court rescheduled the hearing for Dec. 26.
In keeping with the court’s statement, Jakkaphong and her company, JKN Global Group Public Co. Ltd., were sued for allegedly defrauding Raweewat Maschamadol in selling him the corporate’s corporate bonds in 2023. Raweewat says the investment caused him to lose 30 million baht ($930,362).
Financially troubled JKN defaulted on payments to investors starting in 2023 and started debt rehabilitation procedures with the Central Bankruptcy Court in 2024. The corporate says it has debts totalling about 3 billion baht ($93 million).
JKN acquired the rights to the Miss Universe pageant from IMG Worldwide LLC in 2022. In 2023, it sold 50 per cent of its Miss Universe shares to Legacy Holding Group USA, which is owned by a Mexican businessman, Raúl Rocha Cantú.
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Jakkaphong resigned from all the company’s positions in June after being accused by Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission of falsifying the corporate’s 2023 financial statements. She stays its largest shareholder.
Her whereabouts remain unclear. She didn’t appear on the 74th Miss Universe competition, which was held in Bangkok earlier this month.
This 12 months’s competition was marred by various problems, including a sharp-tongued scolding by a Thai organizer of Fátima Bosch Fernández of Mexico, who was crowned Miss Universe 2025 on Nov. 19. Two judges reportedly dropped out, with one suggesting that there was a component of rigging to the competition. Individually, Thai police investigated allegations that publicity for the event included illegal promotion of online casinos.
On Monday, JKN denied rumors that Jakkaphong had liquidated the corporate’s assets and fled the country, but there was no immediate response regarding the arrest warrant. She couldn’t be reached for comment.
Jakkaphong is a widely known celebrity in Thailand who has starred in point of fact shows.
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