Phuket Musician Nene Advances on America’s Got Talent

A 16-year-old musician from Phuket has taken a major step towards her ambition of becoming an international artist after receiving four yeses from the judges during her audition on America’s Got Talent (AGT) in the United States.

Get today's headlines by email

Rattikarn “Praew” Amloy, who performs under the stage name Nene Royal, impressed the judging panel with a performance of Zombie by The Cranberries, combining vocals with guitar. During her audition, she said she had travelled to the competition with her father and described the AGT stage as the biggest audience she had ever performed before. She also revealed that she had taught herself to play the guitar from the age of seven.

Nene has built her reputation as a street performer in Phuket, regularly appearing with her band, Ozone, at Naka Night Market. The group performs rock music for both Thai and international visitors, with overseas tourists inspiring them to cover songs by internationally recognised rock bands.

According to Phuket Times, the band’s performances attracted a loyal following among foreign visitors, with some tourists reportedly travelling to the market specifically to watch Nene perform live. Before her AGT appearance, however, she was less well known among audiences throughout the rest of Thailand.

Picture courtesy of Amarin

Nene has already received recognition for her musical talent. In 2023, she finished as first runner-up in the 14th Overdrive Guitar Contest and later became a featured artist for Enya Music. Following news of her AGT success, Thai social media users praised her vocal ability, guitar skills and stage confidence.

Speaking after her audition aired, Nene thanked supporters across Thailand for their encouragement.

“I would like to thank all the Thai people who have always supported and cheered me on. I never thought that so many Thai people would show interest in me and give me so much encouragement after appearing on AGT.

“People shared and liked my video. Thank you so much. Thank you to everyone in Thailand, thank you for your support.

“My dream is to become a world-class artist, to tour, and to write songs for everyone to listen to. Thank you for following and supporting me. Thank you all so much.”

Amarin reported that the Facebook page Poetry of B*tch also highlighted the support Nene has received from her family, reporting that her father built a rehearsal room at their home in Phuket for her and her bandmates.

Her father said became emotional watching his daughter perform on one of the world’s biggest talent show stages and said years of supporting her had been worthwhile. He encouraged both Thai and international audiences to continue supporting her as she progresses to the next round of the competition.

Join the discussion?

11 July 2026

View full article