PAGEANT Circle

Following the mandatory 14-day hotel quarantine, the Miss Grand International 2020 contestants kicked off their pre-pageant activities in Bangkok. The week's highlights include their official photoshoots, Thai cooking class at Blue Elephant Cooking School and Restaurant, and a special dinner with MGI executives for the Top 5 pre-arrival campaign winners. Their activities will continue with another sightseeing and official visit ahead of the official welcome ceremony press conference and dinner. Standouts were the beauties from Spain, the Czech Republic, Vietnam, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Panama, United States, Ecuador, and Peru. Photo: Miss Grand International

Miss Grand International 2020 contestants were challenged to edit the MGI crown on their heads and show their excited winning reactions. The Top 5 from the "Queen with the Golden Crown" challenge voted by the fans are the representatives of Cambodia, Chivly Liv, Colombia, Natalia Manrique, Brazil, Alaise Clementino Guedes, Ecuador, Sonia Augusta Luna, and Indonesia, Aurra Kharishma. Another round of online voting determines the winner who will be awarded as the country choice of the year and will automatically enter the final Top 20 on March 27. Go to the Miss Grand International official Facebook and YouTube to vote for your favorite contestant. Voting ends on Friday, March 19. Photo: Miss Grand International

Miss Grand International 2020 challenged 63 contestants to remove their makeup and show off their real faces online. The Top 15 contestants voted by fans as the most beautiful bare faces on Facebook and Youtube were Miss Grand Indonesia, Philippines, Ecuador, Colombia, Nigeria, Costa Rica, Sri Lanka, Belarus, Bulgaria, Egypt, South Africa, Uruguay, Chile, Guatemala and Peru. They will have the opportunity to work with the perfume brand of MGI that currently has four available fragrances namely Milan, Rio, Seoul, and Paris. The contestants are currently utilizing their 14-day quarantine time participating in different online challenges and activities provided by the organization such as getting to know, eating Thai food, wearing Thai traditional costumes, and live talk. Don't miss to watch the grand final show of the competition on March 27 live from the SHOW DC Hall in Bangkok, Thailand. Photos: Miss Grand International

Miss Grand International organization released an official announcement on Thursday, March 4 that two of the candidates who are currently on a 14-day quarantine in Bangkok have unfortunately been tested positive for COVID-19. Following the standard regulations by the government and doctor’s advice, Miss Grand Kenya, Irene Ng’endo, and Miss Grand Nigeria, Chikaodili Nna-Udosen, were moved to Piyavate Hospital for further treatment. The organization also informed that all related areas of the official accommodation, the Golden Tulip Sovereign Hotel, were sanitized and the rest of the candidates are all cleared from the infection as their test results came back negative. On a lighter note, beauties from Indonesia (Aurra Kharishma), the Philippines (Samantha Bernardo), Myanmar (Hann May), Mexico (Angela Yuriar), and Ecuador (Sonia Luna) have earlier been confirmed as Top 5 pre-arrival fan favorites and won the opportunity to join a special meal with MGI president and founder, Nawat Itsarag

The contestants of the Miss Grand International 2020 pageant have already started their journey to Bangkok, Thailand for the upcoming competition. Among the early birds are the beauties from the Philippines, Samantha Bernardo, Myanmar, Han Lay, Albania, Fjorela Lezo, Kosovo, Frontina Gashi, Vietnam, Nguyen Le Ngoc Thao, and Puerto Rico, Fabiola Valentín González. The highest voted contestants during their departure will have the chance to join a special meal with the MGI organization president and founder, Nawat Itsaragrisil. To vote for the Top 5 Before Arrival, just like and share the photo of your favorite contestant on the official Miss Grand International Facebook page. You can vote until Friday, March 1 (Thailand time). Over 60 representatives from around the world are expected to arrive in the host country to compete for the international title on its final this March 27 at SHOW DC Hall. Photo: Miss Grand International

The press conference for Miss Grand International 2020 pageant was held on Monday, February 15 in Bangkok, Thailand. Around 70 beauties are expected to arrive in Thailand on February 28 and they will be staying at the Golden Tulip Sovereign. The official hotel will accommodate the contestants during their pre-pageant activities and the 14-day quarantine which is mandatory due to the pandemic. It was also officially announced that the final competition will be held at the SHOW DC Hall in Bangkok on Saturday, March 27. Miss Grand International organization president Nawat Itsaragrisil assured that the contestants will be safely taken care of during the entire competition. The reigning Miss Grand Thailand 2020 Patcharaporn Chantarapadit also graced the event with her runners-up and showcased her national costume for the upcoming international pageant. Photo: Miss Grand International

Manasa Varanasi of Telangana bested 14 other finalists to be crowned VLCC Femina Miss India World 2020 in a competition held at the Hyatt Regency in Mumbai on Wednesday, February 10. The 23-year-old beauty studied at Vasavi College of Engineering in Hyderabad and works as an analyst at a financial firm. She will now prepare to represent India at the 70th Miss World pageant later this year. Manika Sheokand of Haryana was named VLCC Femina Miss Grand India 2020 while Manya Singh of Uttar Pradesh clinched the runner-up position. Khushi Misra and Rati Hulji completed the Top 5 finalists. Miss World 2019 second runner-up and Miss World Asia 2019, Suman Rao, crowned her successor at the end of the event. The VLCC Femina Miss India 2020 grand finale will be aired over Colors HD and JioTV on Sunday, February 28. India has won the Miss World title six times with Reita Faria (1966), Aishwarya Rai (1994), Diana Hayden (1997), Yukta Mookhey (1999), Priyanka Chopra (2000), and Manushi Chhillar (201