A plus-size beauty pageant in Thailand was held in a tongue-in-cheek location - outside a McDonald's.

The 'Miss Jumbo Queen 2024' pageant - an annual beauty contest for women weighing more than 80 kilogrammes - was staged at The Mall Korat shopping centre in Nakhon Ratchasima province on February 22.

Organisers poking fun at their weight said they chose the perfect spot for the photoshoot - directly in front of the favourite Maccy D's fast food outlet.

They even hired an elephant to join the show in another lighthearted jibe about their appearance.

The colourful pageant is in its seventh consecutive year and aims to promote tourism in the region. It is also open to plus-size transgender girls, or ladyboys as they are known locally.

Footage shows several plus-size candidates posing for photos at the venue, before feasting on fruits with an elephant garbed in colourful clothing.

Jitravadee Chutimantanon, the president of the Miss Jumbo Queen Pageant, said 36 representatives from across Thailand will be selected to participate in the pageant finals, which will be held at The Mall Korat in October.

More than 300,000 baht (8,350 USD) will be awarded to the winners, while this year's 'Jumbo Queen' will be an ambassador for elephant conservation and participate in public service activities.

Jitravadee said: 'One of the pageant's goals is to educate the youth about conserving elephants, which are the national animals of Thailand.'