Phuket governor honours student musician Nene after America’s Got Talent success

Phuket Governor Chotinrin presented a certificate of recognition to student musician Nene at Phuket Provincial Hall on Wednesday, July 15, praising her for bringing recognition to Phuket and Thailand through her music.

Vice Governor Romdon Hayiawae, Phuket Provincial Education Officer Panna Promwichien and representatives from government agencies attended the ceremony. The certificate recognised Nene’s achievements on the international stage and commended her as a role model for young people through her determination and dedication to music.

Nene, a student at Kajonkietsuksa International School, began playing music at the age of six and has built an online following of more than 3 million people. She has previously been recognised as a Featured Artist for Enya Music and won awards in the Overdrive Guitar Contest and the King Power Band Competition.

The provincial honour followed Nene’s successful audition on America’s Got Talent, where her performance of “Zombie” by The Cranberries received four “Yes” votes from the judges and advanced her to the next round. The official America’s Got Talent TikTok video of the performance has surpassed 100 million views.

The presentation came one day after Nene met Prime Minister Anutin at Government House in Bangkok. The prime minister pledged full government support for her campaign, announced that the government would cover competition-related expenses and said she would be appointed as a tourism promoter to help showcase Thailand internationally.

Provincial officials said Nene’s success had brought pride to Phuket and Thailand and encouraged her to continue pursuing an international music career. The Phuket Provincial Public Relations Office urged Thai supporters living in the United States to vote for Nene when public voting opens during the next stage of the competition, expected in mid-August.