As she continues to redefine herself, Freen Sarocha Chankimha takes a moment to look back on the story so far &mdash; and her rise to global stardom.&nbsp;

At 26, Freen Sarocha Chankimha has become a highly successful rising star in the entertainment world. Her career took off after participating in the 2016 Mistine Thailand pageant contest. She quickly gained recognition as a music video actress, starring in a video that achieved nearly 70 million views. Freen then made history as the female lead in Thailand&rsquo;s very first girls&rsquo; love series, The Pink Theory (GAP The Series), which garnered immense popularity. She has since continued her success with numerous other projects, including the hit show The Loyal Pin.
With her authentic self and versatile abilities, Freen has undeniably won over her audience. Her presence consistently creates a massive buzz online, with her name frequently trending on social media. Her widespread popularity has translated into significant marketing value for anything associated with her, especially in fashion. This popularity culminated in her appointment as a brand ambassador for the globally recognised Maison Valentino, a position that led to her attending the 2025 Met Gala as the first Thai actress to grace the prestigious event.
Some might consider Freen to have achieved immense success remarkably early at just 26. She, however, humbly describes herself as merely an amateur in the industry. Yet, her journey to this point spans almost a decade, a path paved with criticism, positive feedback, disappointments, and continuous self-improvement.

Let&rsquo;s begin with the ambitious 4 Elements Overture project, specifically the &ldquo;The Air&rdquo; episode, in which you and Becky Rebecca Patricia Armstrong starred. Could you tell us about the process behind this project?
This is another project I know fans are eagerly anticipating. I feel it&rsquo;s a series with a truly unique style, so it&rsquo;s a real pleasure to be part of something this significant. When I learnt I&rsquo;d play Wayo in The Air, my excitement grew even greater because Wayo is a police officer. She&rsquo;s mysterious, cool, a little cheeky, and playful. She possesses the skills to protect those around her and some kind of internal power, which I think will be a really interesting challenge. I personally can&rsquo;t wait to see how it turns out. We&rsquo;re currently in the screenplay writing phase, and I truly hope everyone will love it.

You're also starring in Cranium, a series that appears to be quite challenging, especially given the role as a forensic anthropologist.
This role is unlike anything I&rsquo;ve ever played. My character is a very solemn person with specialised knowledge, and it demands immense focus to portray a forensic anthropologist &ndash; someone who solves cases using evidence from human skeletons or corpses. I&rsquo;ve prepared by learning from real professionals, observing the intricate details of their work. This has given me deep respect for the profession and fuels my drive to embody the character as if I were a forensic anthropologist myself.
Much of the filming for this series happens outdoors, as my character is also a field worker. There are countless scientific terms to learn and memorise, and the story incorporates a touch of extraordinary beliefs. We&rsquo;re likely still in the screenplay writing phase, and no workshops have been held yet. I anticipate this one will require extensive workshops, as it heavily relies on facts and theories. There will be a lot of homework for both the crew and me.

Which of your past characters resonates with you the most?
I&rsquo;d have to say Pai from Rider, the project I did with Mario (Mario Maurer). I might come across as a bit unapproachable or strict, but honestly, I&rsquo;m quite nice and rather cool. I love Pai&rsquo;s fashion sense, and I often feel we have similar tastes there. I really do think I&rsquo;m a lot like Pai. As for my other roles, they&rsquo;re just not me at all.

What are some important lessons you've learned from your nine years in this industry?
The most important lesson for me has been retaining who I am through all the changes. I&rsquo;ve encountered positive feedback, criticisms, new opportunities, shifts, and sometimes, disappointments. Despite the ups and downs, I always strive to stay true to myself and be prepared for whatever comes next. You just can&rsquo;t predict what the future holds; I never even thought I&rsquo;d be involved in so many different projects like this. It's also crucial to understand your own value and capabilities. And I&rsquo;ve realised that success isn&rsquo;t just about trends or opinions. It&rsquo;s truly measured by how proud you are of your work and your ability to connect with the audience emotionally. Personally, that&rsquo;s the biggest key lesson I&rsquo;ve learnt.

You&rsquo;ve often shared that when facing critical issues, one must remember who they are, understand their worth, allow themselves to feel, and let time heal. What experiences have led you to these insights?
I&rsquo;ve learnt these processes since I was little because I&rsquo;ve been through a number of life events where I had to accept and deal with difficult situations. I&rsquo;ve come to understand that every action has an underlying reason that I can try to comprehend. My life, from childhood to now, has been a mix of good and bad. Self-reflection allows for the gradual acquisition of understanding. And I don&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s just about my strength; the people around me also provide incredible support when I&rsquo;m down or having a tough day. My friends, family, and fans are there for me. There are moments when I forget to be kind to myself &ndash; I believe everyone experiences that. But the warm embrace from those around you genuinely makes a difference.

What are some tools do you use for self-healing? 
I believe everyone has their own unique tools for self-healing, and they might discover them gradually throughout life &ndash; there&rsquo;s no need to rush it. The key is to identify how and what you&rsquo;re truly feeling. I make an effort to accept my emotions. Then, I try to figure out how to solve each problem. If it's solvable, I&rsquo;ll tackle it. But if it&rsquo;s beyond my control, there's no use dwelling on it. I just accept it as it is and allow myself to feel it until I&rsquo;ve healed.
There are various ways to heal. For me, things like reading, listening to podcasts, and spending time with loved ones who love me back are helpful. And honestly, a relaxing shower usually makes me feel a little better. For others, a nap might help. What works for one person might not work for another, which is why I always say to take it gradually and learn what helps you. There&rsquo;s no hurry. Sometimes, it&rsquo;s best to just let things be.
In my opinion, the most crucial aspect during difficult times is to remain in the present moment. Some people try to run away from their feelings or tell themselves, &ldquo;It'll be okay,&rdquo; but I truly believe it&rsquo;s perfectly fine to let yourself feel. That&rsquo;s the beginning of healing. You don&rsquo;t need to play tough all the time. It&rsquo;s absolutely okay to be weak, too. Embrace yourself tighter each day.

Over the past three years, you have had loads of work. Do you find time to reflect on yourself when you have personal time?
Every day. Regardless of whether I work a lot, am not home, or am abroad and sleeping elsewhere, I always sit down at the end of the day to reflect on what happened and what I have learnt from each day. Both good and bad things, you know. For example, if something not-so-good happened today, I have to reflect on what caused it and if I can fix it so it doesn't happen again. Or if today was a really good day, I&rsquo;ll think about what I did that made me feel so good so I can keep doing it. It&rsquo;s about ending the day by sitting with myself and thinking that if today wasn&rsquo;t okay, tomorrow needs to be different. I&rsquo;ve been doing this since high school. Before that, I was always a talented student, but when I got to high school and started studying in a science and math program, I began to feel stressed, like it wasn&rsquo;t working out. I suspected it wasn&rsquo;t my path. So, I started to reflect on myself, thinking about what makes me happy, what I like, and what I can do. I kept doing so. That&rsquo;s how I gradually started to understand myself, realising what I could do and did well.
At first, I used to think I could do everything, but I didn't know if I was good at it, like a &ldquo;jack of all trades.&rdquo; I slowly learnt, and I&rsquo;m glad I respected myself enough to realise that science and math weren't quite right for me. Then I changed the programme. Sometimes, I also write in a diary when something bad happens and I can&rsquo;t sleep. Sometimes I just write in my notebook as a way to vent (laughs). And if I come across a phrase or a sentence I like, or an idea that I think would be better to do in the future, I write it down. I also love to read. I enjoy psychology and self-help books. Some words I read might remind me of certain situations, or they might comfort me in some moments. Sometimes, when I&rsquo;m alone, reading helps me be more present with myself. And I also want to be someone who can comfort others. Sometimes I want to write cute words from my head down, but I&rsquo;m not at the point of writing a whole book yet.

Let's talk about fashion. You are appointed as a brand ambassador for Maison Valentino. You've worked with the Maison many times before this. What impressed you the most?
I feel that Maison Valentino is a superb art form. It&rsquo;s profound, like a work of art that has its identity and unique character from the very first day of the Maison until today. Every piece from the Maison feels like it has a heart, a story, and a beauty that can be expressed without saying a word. What makes me feel most connected to Maison Valentino is precisely this authenticity. I don&rsquo;t just have one side that I show to people; it&rsquo;s about simply being myself. And I think Maison Valentino is like that too. From the very first time we worked together, I felt the team&rsquo;s meticulous care at every step. And when I became a brand ambassador, it became even more special because I feel like I&rsquo;ve become part of a family that truly understands who I am. I&rsquo;m very proud to be on this journey with the Maison.

You attended the recent Met Gala as a Maison Valentino brand ambassador. Could you share your experience from that event?
From the moment I first found out I would go, I immediately asked my manager, &ldquo;Really? Is it me? Am I really going?&rdquo;Because I never expected it. One might have a big dream, but this was beyond a dream. Each opportunity I&rsquo;ve received feels so surreal. I didn&rsquo;t quite believe it would happen to me because I feel so small in the global entertainment industry. After I knew I was going, I thought I wouldn&rsquo;t disappoint anyone, including myself. I wanted to do my absolute best. But no one knew what would happen then, as it was the first time for the whole team, me, and the fans. And that event truly is global fashion. We&rsquo;d seen what the event was like for so long. The people who attend are icons of those brands; global stars are there, and who am I? (laughs) So, I tried to see if anything was missing, what else I could add. I started studying English more intensely. And I worked with the team on choosing the look I would wear; it was completely custom-made. It was a look inspired by Mr Michele. After the custom work was done, I flew to New York for a fitting to try on the two looks I chose and see which one was better. Everyone chose the same look! The team said, &ldquo;This is so Freen!&rdquo; (laughs)
Actually, I knew a month or two before the event, but I had to keep it very quiet. When I arrived in New York, it was like a surprise for the fans. Everyone found out at once when I posted a picture, but at that point, I still hadn&rsquo;t said I was going to the Met Gala. I posted the invitation card only after that. When the actual event came, I was so excited. I felt insignificant, yet they provided me with the opportunity to attend. It was such an honour! In my head, it was like two people fighting. But the brand told me, &ldquo;You can be yourself. Everyone is very proud of you.&rdquo;

The fashion shoot you did today features the Fall 2025 collection. What do you like about this collection?
This Maison Valentino collection has a certain power that you can feel immediately. It&rsquo;s not a beauty that needs to be overtly expressed; it&rsquo;s a beauty hidden in the details, in the fabric, in the colour pairings, and in the silhouettes that look simple yet charming. What I love about it is that it gives space for self-expression. When I wear it, I don&rsquo;t feel like I have to be someone else. Instead, I feel like a bolder, softer, and more confident version of myself, in the way I&rsquo;m meant to be.

Lastly, how does fashion influence you?
For me, fashion is a form of non-verbal communication. It&rsquo;s like we want to tell a story about ourselves, but we convey it through fashion, without having to speak. In my daily life, I enjoy dressing up. For example, today I want to feel casual, or beautiful, or cool. It indicates my feelings for that day. It&rsquo;s not just about aesthetics; it&rsquo;s about the inner feelings I want to convey. And that&rsquo;s the power of fashion that I truly love and value.

Photographer: Intrachai Watmakawan Fashion Director: Daneenart Burakasikorn Words: Weeranart Chotipuntu Makeup: Hirun Boonkarnwanit Hair: Sittipong Metha Photographer Assistants: Suratham Thepphasut, Supasit Sooksawat, Leon Xavier Cole, Ratchaporn Muangsak Fashion Director Assistants: Possathorn Kiattichuanchai, Warinrampai Tripetchuporn; Co-Ordinator: Akeera Sasungnern All clothing from&nbsp;Valentino Fall 2025 collection by Alessandro Michele

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The exclusive shoot will also be published in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hommesmalaysia.com/">L'OFFICIEL MALAYSIA</a>&nbsp;August 2025 issue.
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Digital Cover: Freen Sarocha Chankimha is always evolving and endlessly herself

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