Sarocha Chankimha (; born 8 August 1998), nicknamed Freen (), is a Thai actress, singer, model, and entrepreneur. She is best known for her lead role as Sam in Gap (2022). Her subsequent works include the science fiction film, Uranus 2324 (2024), and the period drama The Loyal Pin (2024).
In January 2025, she became the first female Thai ambassador for Italian luxury fashion house Valentino. She was the first Thai actress to attend the Met Gala in May 2025, and was inducted into The Business of Fashion BOF 500 in October of the same year.
In 2026, she appeared in all 4 Elements series, a Thai Girls' Love mega-project broadcast in prime time on Channel 7HD, starring as the lead of The Air.
Early life and education
Sarocha was born on 8 August 1998 in Bangkok, Thailand. She completed her secondary education at La Salle School, and went on to study Public Relations and Corporate Communication at the College of Communication Arts at Rangsit University on an academic merit scholarship. In parallel to her studies, she ran an online clothing store on Instagram, and worked multiple jobs to help support her family: blogging, advertising, runway and photography modelling, as well as music video appearances. Sarocha graduated with first-class honours; the degree ceremony was held on 23 January 2022.
Career In 2016, Sarocha competed in Miss Teen Thailand. She stated that a relative entered her in the contest, and that she took part because she wanted to go to Chiang Mai. Sarocha made the round of 15, and was the recipient of the Miss Swizer Superfood award, which came with 30,000 baht in prize money.
Acting
Early work (2016–2022) Sarocha made her first appearance in the entertainment industry in May 2017, starring in the music video "Before Rain" by Thai singer The Toys. In 2020, she signed with the talent agency Idol Factory. The following year, she made her acting debut with a lead role in the romantic comedy series So Fit, which premiered on 25 February 2021. She then joined the cast of Secret Crush on You, a romantic comedy produced by Idol Factory that premiered on Channel 3 HD (Thailand) on 11 February 2022.
Breakthrough: Gap: The Series (2022–23) Later that same year, Sarocha starred as Khun Sam in the television series Gap opposite Becky Armstrong in Thailand's first Girls' Love series to be broadcast on national television. The series accumulated more than 900 million views on YouTube. She and Armstrong became known as "FreenBecky". Sarocha also contributed songs to the series' soundtrack, including "Whisper".
Diversification (2024–25) In January 2024, Sarocha signed with The Venture Management, a boutique talent consultancy founded in 2023 by Nichapat Suphap.
In May 2024, Sarocha attended the 77th Cannes Film Festival as a "Women in Cinema" honoree, invited by the Red Sea International Film Festival (RSIFF). She participated in the Variety Global Conversations / RSIFF Women in Cinema panel, during which she spoke about the international reach of Thai Girls' Love drama. She was featured on the digital cover of the European edition of Vanity Fair as part of its "Six Women in Cinema" feature.
In 2024, Sarocha and Armstrong co-starred in two productions, filmed concurrently. The first, Uranus 2324, Thailand's first Girls' Love science fiction film, was produced by VelCurve Studio and directed by James Thanadol. Released on 4 July 2024, it topped the Thai domestic box office on opening day, grossing more than 2 million baht in Bangkok and Chiang Mai. The second, The Loyal Pin, a period drama series produced by Idol Factory, premiered on Workpoint TV on 4 August 2024. Sarocha played Lady Pilanthita Kasidit (known as Khun Pin), an orphan noblewoman raised by her aunt within the royal household in 1950s Thailand who develops a close bond with the mischievous Princess Anilaphat Sawetawarit. After eight months of filming, Sarocha called the project the most demanding of her career to date. She described Khun Pin's personality as completely at odds with her own, requiring significant time and effort to fully portray. The cast noted that the period-specific royal vocabulary was challenging to master.
Also in 2024, Sarocha appeared in the horror-comedy Rider alongside Mario Maurer. Produced by Sahamongkolfilm International and directed by Nitivat Cholvanichsiri, it was released on 10 December 2024.
Independent career and Solenn Entertainment (2025–present) In October 2025, Sarocha's contract with Idol Factory concluded, after which she established her own management company, Solenn Entertainment, and began operating as an independent artist.
Starting in January 2026, Sarocha appeared in the Thai Girls' Love mega-project 4 Elements, produced by North Star Entertainment. Adapted from a series of novels by Thai author Salmon (Thai: แซลม่อน), the project is composed of four series of eight episodes, each starring a different lead couple. The stories are connected through the Wathinwanit cousins, each named after one of the four elements, who appear in all series. Sarocha plays Vayo Wathinwanit, nicknamed Lom, a police officer. She appears as a recurring guest star in The Earth, The Water and The Fire, and stars as the lead in The Air (Thai TV Series), alongside Armstrong, in their fourth project together.
In February 2026, Sarocha co-starred as Namsai in psychological romantic thriller The Stain (Thai: ราคี) alongside Engfa Waraha, Nattawin Wattanagitiphat and Jespipat Tilapornputt. Produced by Be On Cloud, the film is a modern take on the classic Thai horror film Buppah Rahtree. It was released in Thai cinemas on 26 February 2026.
Fashion and modelling Following her early modelling days while still in college, and following the success of Gap, Sarocha pursued her interest in fashion further, both on her own and alongside Armstrong. Starting in 2024, she has worked with multiple luxury brands for fashion features, campaigns and magazine covers. She also regularly promotes local Thai brands through events and campaigns, such as Lamotte, House of Little Bunny, and sustainable brand Pipatchara, among others.
In January 2025, Italian luxury fashion house Valentino announced her appointment as their first Thai female Brand Ambassador.
In November 2025, Sarocha was selected by ICONSIAM as their Nang Noppamas of the Year for the Loy Krathong Festival. As part of that honour, she led a showcase of Thai royal traditional dresses in a Thai Chakraphat designed by Dr. Surat Jongda.
Fashion work with Armstrong Sarocha and Armstrong were the recipients of a 'Men of the Year 2023' award from GQ Thailand as 'Nation's Trending Stars', and were featured as one of the four covers of the magazine in December 2023, wearing Emilio Pucci. In January 2024, they were the cover stars of Vogue Thailand and in May 2024, covered Harper's Bazaar's Singapore. In December 2025, they were featured on the cover of Vogue Hong Kong, shot by BJ Pascual, both solo and together.
Solo fashion work Sarocha has been featured on the cover of multiple fashion magazines in Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan.
In January 2024, Sarocha was featured on the cover of L'Officiel Thailand. In July 2024, she covered Harper's Bazaar Thailand, wearing Saint Laurent. In December 2024, she was featured on the cover of Hong Kong magazine #legend.
In March 2025, she was featured on the covers of GRAZIA Singapore and GRAZIA Malaysia, shot by Mark Kawin, wearing Valentino.
In August 2025, Sarocha was featured for the second time on the cover of Vogue Thailand, this time on her own.
In June 2026, she worked with photographer Mark Kawin once more for the 357th edition of Vogue Taiwan. Titled 'Notes from Bangkok', the editorial was shot at Praya Palazzo in Bangkok.
International Red Carpet events On 18 May 2024, Sarocha and Armstrong walked the red carpet for the 77th Cannes Film Festival premiere of Emilia Pérez. Sarocha wore a custom Eman AlAjlan tulle gown and Chopard jewellery for the occasion.
On 5 May 2025, she was the first Thai actress to attend the Metropolitan Museum of Art's annual Met Gala in New York City, wearing a custom creation by Michele with Valentino Garavani accessories. According to Launchmetrics' annual Red Carpet Power Rankings, published by The Hollywood Reporter, she generated $19.5 million in Media Impact Value (MIV), placing her second overall among all attendees after fellow Thai and Blackpink member Lisa (rapper), helping Valentino rank second among brands present. The Business of Fashion noted that Sarocha's custom looks "sparked discussions about “retro-futurism” and “dark romanticism”" on TikTok, and highlighted that her debut "was a resounding success for Valentino, underscoring a fashion brand's ability to amplify rising global talent."
In October 2025, she was included in The Business of Fashion's BOF 500 list and subsequently attended the BOF 500 Gala on 4 October 2025, wearing a custom Valentino dress.
Fashion Weeks In September 2024, Sarocha attended her first Paris Fashion Week show, which saw new Valentino creative director Alessandro Michele debut his first collection, Pavillon des Folies Spring/Summer 2025, for the Maison. According to Launchmetrics, Sarocha ranked fourth among all celebrities at the event, generating an estimated $5.9 million in Media Impact Value (MIV) from 4 placements.
In 2025, Sarocha attended two Valentino shows in Paris: the Fall/Winter 2025 Ready-to-wear collection presentation on 9 March, and the Womenswear Spring/Summer 2026 show on 5 October.
In January 2026, Sarocha made her Haute Couture Week debut, attending the Valentino Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2026 show, Specula Mundi, in Paris.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes 2024 Uranus 2324 Lin (Linlada Sasinpimon) Main role RiderPie Main role 2026 Rakhi (The Stain) Namsai Main role
Television series Year Title Role Notes 2021 So Fit Bing Main role 2022 Secret Crush on You Khongkwan Supporting role Gap The Series M.L. Samanan "Sam" AnantrakulMain role 2023 The Sign Wansarat Guest 2024 The Loyal Pin Lady Pilanthita "Pin" KasiditMain role Duangjai Taewaprom: Porncheewan Jane Guest (EP.12) 2026 4 Elements: The Earth Lieutenant Vayo "Lom" Wathinwanit Supporting role 4 Elements: The Water Supporting role 4 Elements: The AirMain role 4 Elements: The Fire Guest Jet Lag 2 Ayi Guest (EP.21) 2027 Irene Main role TBA Dr. Phinya "Phin" Thananon Main role
Music videos YearSong titleArtistNotes2017"Before Rain" (ก่อนฤดูฝน)The Toys2018"Goodbye"Singto Numchok2020"นิสัยรวย"Nicky & Goyyog Ft. P-HOT 2022"Pink Theory" (ทฤษฎีรักนี้สีชมพู)with Becky ArmstrongFrom Gap OST 2023"Marry Me""Balloon" (ผิดที่ฉันกอดเธอไม่แน่นพอ)Playground"No More Blues"with Becky ArmstrongFrom Gap OST2024"Rain" (ติดฝน)with KnomJeanCover song (original song by PiXXiE)"Awkward" (มองหน้ากันไม่ติด)with Becky Armstrong Oat Pramote Pathan Feat. Maiyarap"Cheevee" (ชีวี)From The Loyal Pin OST2025"Melt" (ละลาย)with Becky ArmstrongCover song (original song: Lalalye by Four-Mod)2026 "All For You" (หมดชีวิต)From The Air OST"Flashback" (จำได้ว่าลืม)William JakrapatrMember of LYKN
Discography