Buzz of optimism for Thai creative economy as Nene wows America’s Got Talent

A 16-year-old Thai guitarist, Nene Royal (Rattikarn “Praew” Amloy), has captured global attention after passing the audition round of America’s Got Talent (AGT), the popular television talent competition, offering visions of growth for Thailand’s creative economy.

She received a unanimous “yes” from the four-judge panel, who were stunned by her performance—singing and also playing the electric guitar for the legendary rock song “Zombie” on the AGT stage in California, which aired on July 7.

Here’s how the four judges reacted:

Sofía Vergara: “Nene, that was spectacular. You have a very big chance to do really good in this competition. I loved it.”

Howie Mandel: “You are such a surprise—the energy and the rock and roll. You are a rock star, young lady, you really are.”

Mel B: “To say you’re only 15, you’ve got really good vocal control and you can kill it on the guitar. You’re like a match made in heaven. You’re brilliant.”

Simon Cowell: “Your tone of your voice, it was like, really authentic. And even the fact it was all a bit messy actually made, for me, the audition really good.”

Interestingly, Nene performed “Zombie” a day before her 16th birthday.

The performance drew massive cheers from the audience in the hall and attracted overwhelming global attention via social media channels such as Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, with more than 200 million views worldwide and still climbing.

Ecosystem of Thai creative economy

Many people wonder how a girl from Thailand, a small country that does not have a robust music industry, especially when compared with South Korea, could create such a phenomenon. Moreover, Thais don’t have proficiency in English when compared with Filipinos or Singaporeans.

Thailand’s creative economy encompasses 15 areas: cultural tourism, Thai traditional medicine, Thai food, architectural services, fashion, design, advertising, software, printing, broadcasting, film, visual arts, performing arts, music, and handicrafts, according to a Creative Economy article published recently by the Bank of Thailand.

The gross value added (GVA) of the creative economy is estimated at 1.44 trillion baht.

The top five industries that generate high revenue and strong growth are cultural tourism, food, advertising, fashion and design, while music and film are at the bottom.

Role of social media

Nene’s rise brings into focus the shortcomings of Thai education and the role of information technology in the blossoming of her talents.

She started playing guitar at the age of seven, first learning basic lessons at a local public school. Later, she was largely self-taught, learning to play entirely by ear, using online videos and YouTube tutorials to practice and hone her skills over the years.

Some critics have lamented the lagging Thai education system, which produces too few artists, especially when compared with South Korea, the global powerhouse in music export.

Vimut Vanitcharoenthum, a former economist at Chulalongkorn Business School, believes that the revolution in information technology has provided vast opportunities for kids like Nene to learn many things that their schools cannot provide.

The role of her hometown

Nene hails from Phuket, the most popular tourist destination in Thailand and one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Phuket is not on the map of music cities, like Nashville in the US that is widely known as “Music City” and is globally celebrated as the capital of country music.

Even American pop star Taylor Swift moved to Nashville, Tennessee, when she was 14 years old to start her country music career.

Being in the right location plays a major role in the success of an artist.

Phuket draws large numbers of foreign tourists, which makes it an ideal place for cultivating local musicians and singers, as we can see from Nene’s success in learning and practicing the guitar, as well as earning some money from busking at the Naka Market, covering rock songs of legendary foreign artists.

“Initially, most of the audience were foreign tourists,” she revealed during interviews with several local media outlets.

Support from foreign fan club

The money collected in a tip box enabled the family to send Nene to Yamaha Music School Phuket, a private school, according to her father, Narong Amloy, 57.

Her busking drew foreign tourists, particularly from Europe and America, to watch her perform at the Naka Market. Some of them gave her tips, airplane tickets and even introduced her to global markets.

For instance, a lady from Denmark gave Nene a vintage electric guitar, which she used to play on the AGT audition stage. An American fan club helped her apply for the AGT audition.

A boost for Thailand’s creative economy

“Nene has the potential to be successful in her music career, as shown by her music improvisation,” says Kritsada Patluang, assistant professor of economics at Rangsit University, who strongly advocates development of the creative economy.

Nene could follow in the footsteps of hip-hop, rap and dance-pop star Lalisa Manobal, better known as Lisa, and rapper Milli (Danupha Kanaytheekul), who have made a name for themselves on the global stage.

Though it is widely acknowledged that rock music enjoyed its golden years during the mid-1960s through the 1970s, Kritsada believes that Nene and Gen Z artists like her in other countries could spark a revival, as it is currently overshadowed by hip-hop.

“I’m seeing Gen Z in Thailand and other countries playing rock music and showing more interest in recent years,” says Kritsada.

Nene could also contribute to Thai soft power and the creative economy, he adds.

Kritsada believes Thailand’s creative economy has strong potential, as the kingdom is learning from the success stories of Britain and South Korea.

Earlier this year, Chakrit Pichyangkul, executive director of the Creative Economy Agency, highlighted evidence showing that the creative economy was no longer just an alternative option for the country, but rather a vital opportunity to put Thailand on the global map.

From a global perspective, the total Gross Value Added (GVA) of the creative economy worldwide reached as high as 71.9 trillion baht, accounting for 3.1 per cent of global GDP, with global exports of creative goods and services valued at 65.6 trillion baht.

Thailand’s GVA stands at 1.44 trillion baht, representing 8.01 per cent of the country’s GDP, supported by nearly 1 million creators nationwide.

Interestingly, the ratio of Thailand’s creative industry value to national GDP is 4.26 per cent, which is higher than the global average of 3.1 per cent. This figure shows the potential of the creative economy to serve as a new engine of growth for a country that does not possess manufacturing capabilities that could match global superpowers, according to Chakrit.

According to the BOT, exports of goods and services in Thailand’s creative economy were worth 252 billion baht in 2023, representing 2.5 per cent of the country’s total exports.

By Thai PBS World’s Business Desk