"They picked me-I don't know why," says the bright-eyed and punky-haired Nicole Theriault. She was
chosen as a a media representative for Thailand's Election Commission, going out and encouraging people to vote during January's general election. It ought to be quite obvious to Nicole why she was picked. She's won of the Kingdom's top teen idols. Her three albums-Kapolo Club,Bussaba Na-Pen (Funny Lady) and, the latest, Another part of me - all sold a million.

Rounding a corner at the Grammy Entertainment headquarters on Soi Asoke, I meet Nicole for the first time. She's running giggling down the corridor, chased by 20 or 30 photographers let loose after a press conference. They corner her and she grins playfully, enjoying the fuss. She's become highly media savvy since her early, naive days in the business.

She was kept busy at press conferences last December, giving interviews, going on TV- telling people to use their right to vote at every opportunity.

"I was very happy to do the job," she says. Ironically, she herself couldn't vote. "I only got my Thai citizenship two years ago. It take five years before you can vote," she explains.

Nicole is half Thai, half American, having been born in California. Like Thailand's numerous other luk Krung stars, her mixed nationality(including the added exoticness of French-Canadian grandparents) makes her extra appealing to pop fans. Her distinctive and quirky cropped-her look has been emulated by girls across the country, despite Nicole, at 28, being one of the oldest of the current crop of pop idols.

She's also one of the most educated, having already grained a degree in Art&Business before her pop career was launched. A career that happened fast, and almost by accident. Returning from studying in America, Nicole found a friend had sent a tape of her singing to Grammy.

Nicole's debut 1998 album Kapolo Club made her an instant Thai celebrity. She went from obscurity to being unable to walk down the street overnight.

"Privacy was taken away from me," she says." It was very strange because I'm a very private person. I hadn't had time to understand the problem of fame: rumors' lack of privacy, walking up one day and finding your face on the cover of every newspaper!"

Despite worries that it would be impossible to follow the phenomenal success, Bussaba Na-Pen, released in October 1999, did just as well.

"I have to thank the promoters, because they used my Thai name, 'Bussaba', so it was almost like making a new artist. What I'm about was also a bit clearer: I got a little more playful."

And what is Nicole about? To put it bluntly: pure pop. Lightweight love-and-life songs that appeal to a wide market. Her 2001 album Another Part of Me takes melodies from the first two album with new lyrics in English.

"It's a special treat for Thai kids-half way through they'll realize 'Oh my gosh! It's this song or that song'. They kept the melody, but they took apart the instrumentation and rhythms. Slow songs became fast song."

Her favorite track is 'You' . "The meaning is beautiful. It's saying good things about a person-whether it be your Mum, boyfriend or whoever. I'm also very proud of 'Holding My love', which is very Janet Jackson, very hard and R&B. 'Symphony' is another favorite, as I wrote it."

The English lyrics are the most significant development. Just as Thai dance duo China Dolls are making it big in Taiwan by singing in English, Nicole hopes to reach a wider audience. She also finds singing in English gives her a lot more room to express herself.

"When you sing in Thai, it's difficult to experiment with words because you have to bear in mind the tone and pitch." However, she doesn't expect instant global success. "It's about taking baby steps: the world's very big."

Nicole revels in her clean image. She doesn't smoke and worries greatly about Thailand's drug problem, which she's seen first hand.

"I can tell when someone's not fully here because they're under the influence of something," she says. "It's just amazing to me that little kids aged 13,14 or 15 are turning to drug already. It's horrible. Back when I was a teenager the worst I ever did was drink -and a glass of alcohol would last the whole night- and I didn't ever drink the whole glass. It was more fun to have it in my hand and look cool!" Nicole was a good choice as a youth representative for Thailand's Election Commission.

"It was especially important as it was the launch of the new system... [and] a record -breaking amount of kids turning 18- over a million. They wanted someone to tell young adults to vote and pay attention to policies."

The landslide victory by Thaksin Shinawatra's Thai Rak Thai party was also record breaking. I ask Nicole what she thought of the outcome.

"The election went well," she says. "The people's choice won. After the Gore/ Bush scenario I took special interest. The TV coverage was very good, but there weren't enough back-and-forth debates. It was all the same questions and prepared answers. They didn't really tell you much about the candidates."

As well as Another Part of Me, Nicole's already had another top album this year, Seven, the 20-track long-player bringing together Grammy Grand's seven female stars.

It's very unique because it features seven people, seven styles, seven type of expression," says Nicole. The well-marketed pop album effectively created a Thai super group.

Just as with the new generation of boy and girl bands in the West, it's rare for Thai pop stars to actually write their own songs. All of Seven was penned by " the Grammy Grand writing team". I ask Nicole why they chose not to write any themselves.

"Because there were a lot of other things to think about," she says. "Like clothes, different personalities-seven females, put them together!"

There's an inevitable danger of ego clashes in such an ambitious project. "We try to avoid any complications. For instance, our outfits. We just were white T-shirts and a pair of jeans when we play live," she says, referring to the spectacular group concert at Hua Mark Stadium which sold out in a day. "Although we all work on the same label, we're very different in personality- that's what's unique about the album. For instance, Nat is Quiet and sweet and it shows in her music, whereas Mai is very sensitive, but is also a rock-and-roller. As for me, I'm very hyper. I can't stand still."

What was the worst moment?

"The Laotian situation. Out of the blue, the front-page of every newspaper said I'd gone on TV and said I'd been to Laos and I didn't like Lao or Laotian women because they were unclean. I'd never even entertained the idea, never mind said it on TV! It became an international incident with Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai addressing the problem when he went to Laos.

"I went back and did concerts and gradually people started to trust me again."

So you remain one of Thailand's leading teen idols, yet you're a lot older than most.

"Teenagers can turn to me and see I've finished school, got a degree and now this is my career. What you see on TV and on stage isn't easy- it's my work. There's a lot of preparation, learning, and you have to keep yourself well.

"I've come to the realization that to be a role model to teens you don't have to be a teenager. It doesn't matter what age you are. You just have to know who and what you are. When I go out there it't simply, 'Here I am'."