Bangkok has staged the first Eurovision Song Contest Asia, and the host nation came close to keeping the trophy at home.
The Grand Final took place at One Bangkok Forum on Saturday 14 November. According to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which runs Eurovision, 11 countries competed, singing in 10 local languages and English. The Philippines won with CARMELLE's song Sobra-Sobra, which scored 211 points and topped both the jury and the public vote. The BBC, reporting from the venue, gave the same winning total.
How Thailand did
Thailand's entry, the duo MANG x DAOU with the song Aroma, finished second. Vietnam came third, with Malaysia and Laos completing the top five. The other competing countries were Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Mongolia, Nepal and South Korea.
Thai television presenters Woody Milintachinda and Cindy Bishop hosted the show, and Thai singer Jeff Satur performed as a guest alongside DARA, who won this year's European contest for Bulgaria. The EBU says viewers voted from 183 countries and territories, with the public vote counting for half of the result and 11 national juries for the other half.
Will it come back to Bangkok?
That is the open question. The EBU called the contest the start of a new chapter for Eurovision in Asia, but it has not announced a date or host city for a second edition. The BBC reported that the arena was busy but not full, and that it is not yet clear how committed regional broadcasters are to keeping the contest going.
For people living in Bangkok, the night adds another large international event to a city that is increasingly used for them. Anyone who missed it can watch highlights on the official Eurovision Song Contest Asia channels, which the EBU lists on eurovisionasia.com.