Bangkok, Thailand:
Bangkok fans packed Siam Paragon and the streets around it on Sunday to welcome home Nene Royal, the 16-year-old Phuket singer and guitarist who last month became the first Thai contestant to win America’s Got Talent.
The homecoming, billed “Welcome NENE ROYAL: Win The World for Thailand,” was staged by Siam Piwat and partners at Paragon Hall on the fifth floor of Siam Paragon. Before the indoor program, a victory parade set off from the front of the mall at about 1 p.m., moving through Pathumwan Intersection, National Stadium, Banthat Thong Road, Rama IV Road, Sam Yan, Chulalongkorn University, MBK Center, Siam Discovery and Siam Center before returning to the mall. Spectators lined both sides of the route, cheering and waving as the procession passed.
Nene Royal, whose real name is Rattikarn “Praew” Amlai, was named Season 21 champion on the NBC results show that aired September 23rd. She took home the $1 million grand prize after edging magician Geno Ploeger. Magic group Hundred Fingers finished third, Royal Lasers fourth and aerialist Veronika Goroshkova fifth.
Her run began with a viral audition cover of The Cranberries’ “Zombie,” followed by Muse’s “Hysteria” at the judges’ callbacks. In the quarterfinals, a version of Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun” earned a live Golden Buzzer from judge Mel B. In the final she reworked The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army,” adding a guitar solo, and later joined Linkin Park on stage for “The Emptiness Machine.” Judge Howie Mandel had publicly backed her to win; host Terry Crews announced the result as gold confetti fell.
Organizers described the Bangkok event as a chance for the public to congratulate a local talent who had become a global one. Close-up seats at Paragon Hall were fully booked in advance through the ONESIAM app, with a live stream carried on Siam Paragon’s Facebook and YouTube channels. Siam Piwat also invited businesses and brands to contribute to a scholarship fund in her name, framed as support for young Thai performers.
The welcome marked her first large public reception in the capital since returning from the United States, where she competed with family and members of the Phuket band Ozone. For the finale she wore a red outfit incorporating handwoven Daeng Somdet silk from Ban Krua in Bangkok.
Photo credit: Jumpol Nopthip.