Walkouts, callouts, and police presence took over the Miss Universe pageant in just its first week, with global fans bracing themselves for more drama before a new queen gets crowned.

The tension-filled 74th edition of the international competition has drawn spectators from around the world, including those who do not regularly follow pageants, because of the participants and, more so, the near-daily drama involving the organizers.

Even before the delegates’ official arrival in host country Thailand on Nov. 2, tension had already sparked between the Thai organizing committee headed by Nawat Itsaragrisil and the Miss Universe Organization (MUO).

The MUO is said to have prevented members of the media, including those who secured accreditation ahead of the contest, from covering the activities and following the delegates.

Social media pageant page Critical Beauty reported this surprise media policy, but Nawat’s team was quick to refute it and assigned a coordinator for the media different from the one that the MUO had designated.

DAY 1, NOV. 2 On the first official day of arrivals in Thailand, the MUO issued a statement that appears to be a retaliation on Nawat and said it did not authorize the online voting that his team had initiated, along with the “special dinner” with those who would top the poll.

The Thai organizer hit back, accusing the MUO of incompetence in a live video shared on social media. In his tirades delivered in Thai, Nawat went as far as saying that the organization does not know how to run a pageant.

A makeup team purportedly sent by the MUO got stranded in Bangkok because the organization did not coordinate their arrival with the Thai organizing team, which had already tapped a different makeup sponsor for the duration of the competition.

DAY 2, NOV. 3 Tension escalated on the pageant’s second day when Thai police came to the delegates’ hotel residence, brought in by Nawat himself, to seize promotional materials bearing the name and logo of PlayTime, an online gaming platform based in the Philippines.

Nawat moved for the confiscation of PlayTime items, citing Thai laws that ban gambling in that country. It was the MUO that had brought in the company as “the official journey partner” of the 74th Miss Universe pageant.

DAY 3, NOV. 4 But perhaps the biggest scandal that hit this year’s competition, and one that drew the most international attention, took place on just the third day of the pageant: the delegates’ walkout.

The incident stemmed from an argument between Nawat and Mexico’s Fatima Bosch during the pre-event for what was supposed to be the “sashing ceremony,” in which the delegates are to receive the sashes bearing the names of their respective countries.

In a live video shared on the Miss Universe Thailand social media page, Nawat is seen confronting Bosch for supposedly not showing up for sponsors. The Mexican beauty says she is only following her national director’s instructions. The Thai organizer responds by saying this is “dumb.”

This prompts Bosch to assert her right to defend herself, but Nawat tells her to shut up because he is still speaking. He also makes her choose to be silent or leave the room. The Mexican delegate chooses to leave, and she is joined by several other delegates.

Reigning queen Victoria Kjær Theilvig is also seen stepping outside the hall to join Bosch and a predominantly Latin group of delegates who walked out.

Later that evening, Theilvig, Bosch, and the other women who walked out appeared for the river cruise activity. Many of them were seen partying as if nothing untoward had happened earlier. The sashing ceremony was also held in the evening.

DAY 4, NOV. 5 MUO president Raúl Rocha delivered a speech admonishing Nawat for what he deemed was disrespectful behavior toward Bosch, and said he is limiting the Thai personality’s involvement in the contest.

Rocha also instructed the newly-installed MUO CEO Mario Búcaro and other executives to immediately fly to Thailand to deal with Nawat, and work on possible legal actions against him.

Nawat broke down when he faced the media ahead of the welcome ceremony at the MGI Hall, and expressed regret for what he had done to Bosch. Theilvig, however, was not seen at the event.

Toward the end of the program, Nawat joined the women onstage to issue an apology. But he did not direct this at Bosch who was standing behind him together with the rest of the delegates.

DAY 5, NOV. 6 Nawat and his team issued a statement announcing the cancellation of the “special dinner” with the 10 women who would top an online poll he had initiated and was to have concluded on Nov. 5. The delegates headed to Phuket for the next leg of their Thai sojourn.

DAY 6, NOV. 7 It was a relatively uneventful sixth day for the delegates as they went about their rehearsals in Phuket with no drama unfolding.

DAY 7, NOV. 8 The delegates took part in the Moonlight Sky Gala event at a Phuket resort on their seventh day, and got to showcase their glamorous side.

DAY 8, NOV. 9 Just when pageant fans were enjoying a respite from all the Miss Universe drama, members of the international media were reportedly barred from the venue of an official activity, including Miss Universe broadcast partner Telemundo and accredited reporters. Only members of the Thai media were allowed inside.

The delegates numbering more than 120 are still in Phuket to enjoy their stay in Thailand, in a competition that is said to have mellowed down because of that country’s period of mourning for the recently passed Queen Sirikit.

They are scheduled to visit Pattaya before returning to Bangkok for the crucial stages of the competition, including the coronation show at the Impact Challenger Hall in Nonthaburi on Nov. 21.