Recent achievements by Thai artists, athletes, students, cultural institutions and creators, 2025–2026.
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Singer and guitarist Nene Royal was crowned the winner of America's Got Talent Season 21 in September 2026, taking a $1 million prize.
Sources: NBC for Nene Royal: America's Got Talent Season 21 winner (opens in a new tab); TheWrap for Nene Royal: America's Got Talent Season 21 winner (opens in a new tab)
Read the section about Nene Royal: America's Got Talent Season 21 winner
BLACKPINK's LISA won Best Pop at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards for "Dream" featuring Kentaro Sakaguchi.
Source: Korea Herald for LISA: MTV Video Music Awards Best Pop (opens in a new tab)
Read the section about LISA: MTV Video Music Awards Best PopPhoto pending
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Thai golfer Jeeno Thitikul won the 2026 LOTTE Championship, her fourth LPGA Tour title of the season.
Source: LPGA for Jeeno Thitikul: LPGA champion (opens in a new tab)
Read the section about Jeeno Thitikul: LPGA championPhoto pending
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The Thai women's national team qualified for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics after beating China 3–2 in Tianjin.
Source: FIVB for Thai women's volleyball: first Olympic qualification (opens in a new tab)
Read the section about Thai women's volleyball: first Olympic qualificationPhoto pending
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Students from The Prince Royal's College in Chiang Mai took first place in biomedical engineering at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair with an AI-based malaria diagnosis project.
Source: CompeteSTEM for Student innovation: ISEF 2026 (opens in a new tab)
Read the section about Student innovation: ISEF 2026Photo pending
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Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan in Nakhon Si Thammarat was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in July 2026.
Source: TAT News for Wat Phra Mahathat: UNESCO World Heritage (opens in a new tab)
Read the section about Wat Phra Mahathat: UNESCO World HeritageNene Royal won America's Got Talent Season 21 in September 2026. The grand prize was $1 million.
Sources: NBC for Nene Royal and America's Got Talent (opens in a new tab); TheWrap for Nene Royal and America's Got Talent (opens in a new tab)
On 27 September 2026, LISA won Best Pop for "Dream," from her album Alter Ego, at the ceremony in Los Angeles.
Sources: Korea Herald for LISA and the 2026 MTV VMAs (opens in a new tab); Korea JoongAng Daily for LISA and the 2026 MTV VMAs (opens in a new tab)
Jeeno Thitikul won the LOTTE Championship presented by Hoakalei with a 21-under total of 267, three strokes clear of the runner-up. The win was her 11th LPGA Tour title and her fourth of 2026.
Sources: LPGA for Jeeno Thitikul: 2026 LPGA season (opens in a new tab); LPGA results for Jeeno Thitikul: 2026 LPGA season (opens in a new tab)
On 30 August 2026, Thailand beat host China 3–2 in the final of the AVC Women's Volleyball Continental Championship in Tianjin. The result gave the women's national team its first-ever Olympic qualification.
Sources: FIVB for Thai women's volleyball: Olympic qualification (opens in a new tab); FIVB for Thai women's volleyball: Olympic qualification (opens in a new tab)
Students from The Prince Royal's College in Chiang Mai won the First Award, which carries a $6,000 prize, in biomedical engineering. The winning project is "Cost-Effective MalariaX," an AI-based system for malaria diagnosis.
Sources: CompeteSTEM for The Prince Royal's College at ISEF 2026 (opens in a new tab); Society for Science for The Prince Royal's College at ISEF 2026 (opens in a new tab)
Yanin "Proud" Tangkaravakoon, aged 17, was named the Oceania and Southeast Asia regional winner of The Earth Prize 2026 for Homes for Hornbills, a project that builds artificial nests from upcycled materials. Regional winners receive $12,500 to develop their projects.
Source: The Earth Prize for Youth conservation: Earth Prize 2026 (opens in a new tab)
UNESCO inscribed Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan on the World Heritage List at the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee in Busan, on 25 July 2026. It is Thailand's ninth World Heritage property and its sixth cultural property. It is the first World Heritage site in southern Thailand.
Sources: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand for Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan (opens in a new tab); Walailak University for Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan (opens in a new tab); TAT News for Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan (opens in a new tab)
Thailand's nomination of Chud Thai for UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity is pending. The review is scheduled for the 21st session of the Intergovernmental Committee in Xiamen, China, from 30 November to 5 December 2026. The nomination has not yet been inscribed.
Sources: UNESCO for Chud Thai: Thai national costume (opens in a new tab); The Nation for Chud Thai: Thai national costume (opens in a new tab)
The World Intellectual Property Organization presented HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya with its WIPO Award for Creative Excellence on 14 August 2025. According to The Nation, her registered intellectual property holdings include 541 items: 256 product designs, 227 copyright notifications and 58 trademarks.
Sources: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand for HRH Princess Sirivannavari: WIPO Award for Creative Excellence (opens in a new tab); The Nation for HRH Princess Sirivannavari: WIPO Award for Creative Excellence (opens in a new tab)
Sasin School of Management at Chulalongkorn University and SCG Chemicals run the Bangkok Business Challenge, now in its 24th year. The 2026 competition carries a total prize pool of USD 42,900.
Sources: Sasin School of Management for Bangkok Business Challenge (opens in a new tab); Chulalongkorn University for Bangkok Business Challenge (opens in a new tab); Funds for NGOs for Bangkok Business Challenge (opens in a new tab)
Brand Finance ranks Thailand 38th globally for soft power, with a score of 45.0 out of 100, up one place from 2025. Thailand ranks 7th for both "food the world loves" and "fun."
Source: Brand Finance for Brand Finance Global Soft Power Index 2026 (opens in a new tab)
