Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective
Engfa Waraha
Thai musician, beauty-pageant titleholder, and actress From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Remove ads
Engfa Waraha (Thai: อิงฟ้า วราหะ, RTGS: Ingfa Waraha, pronounced [ʔīŋ.fáː wá(ʔ).rāː.hàʔ]; born February 15, 1995) is a Thai musician, beauty pageant titleholder and actress.[3][4][5] She appeared in the seventh season of The Voice Thailand.[3][6][7] In 2022, she won Miss Grand Thailand 2022 representing Bangkok.[3][8][9] Later that year, she represented Thailand at Miss Grand International 2022, held in Indonesia on 25 October, where she finished as first runner-up.[10][11]
In 2024, she starred in the movie The Paradise of Thorns, which broke the 150M baht box office record[12] and earned her the Best Actress of the Year award at the 2025 Thailand Box Office Awards.[13] Her performance and advocacy work gained international recognition, including an honor at the Red Sea Film Festival Foundation the Women in Cinema Gala held during the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.[14] Her efforts also sparked important discourse around LGBTQ rights in Thailand.[15]
Remove ads
Early life and career
Summarize
Perspective
Waraha was born on 15 February 1995 in Uthai Thani province into a family of musicians;[1] her father was a keyboardist and her mother was a luk thung (Thai pop-country) singer. She has 2 older sisters, Keytawan and Plaifa (also known as Daaddaew).[3][5][16][4]
Since she was born into a musical family, Waraha was able to learn musical skills from her parents, and began performing on stage at the age of six.[3][4][17] Moreover, her acquaintance and closeness with hometown traditions since childhood inspired her to dream of becoming a Likay, as well as a Thai blessing ceremonial officiant (Thai: ช่างทำขวัญ).[6][18] At the age of 17, due to her father's terminal cancer, she signed a 12-year contract with the Bangkok-based artist management organ Sangravee Entertainment to pay for her father's cancer treatment,[19][20][21] and released four singles; two in 2015 and the rest in 2016.[19] Later in 2013, a year after her father's death, she had the opportunity to meet with a master of the Thai blessing ceremony Phonraphee Maneethai (Thai: พรระพี มณีไทย) who later persuaded her to study to be an officiant skill, as well as a Thai verse singing (Thai: ขับเสภา) until proficient enough to be able to use it for a career.[3][5][18] In addition, before entering the national entertainment industry, she also worked as a waitress, greengrocer, food vendor, caddie, and model.[7][22]
Waraha became known as Engfa Sangravee after participating in the seventh season of the reality singing contest The Voice Thailand in 2018. She was eliminated in the knockout round, of the second phase of the contest.[3][6][7] Since then, she has appeared in several TV programs, such as a guest appearance in the situation comedy Pen Tor and Raberd Terd Terng, as well as taking part in many game show programmes, such as 123 Ranking Show, Still Standing Thailand, and Guess My Age.[3]
Remove ads
Pageantry
In 2020, Waraha entered the Miss Grand Suphanburi contest, a provincial preliminary pageant for Miss Grand Thailand, but withdraw due to contractual problems.[3][8][6][19][20][21] She returned to pageantry in 2022 and won Miss Grand Bangkok 2022.[3][4][6] She then went on to win Miss Grand Thailand 2022.[3][8][9] She also took part in Miss Grand International 2022 and was first runner-up.
Recognition
Summarize
Perspective
Women In Cinema Spotlight
In May 2025, Thai actress Engfa Waraha was honored at the prestigious Women in Cinema Gala, hosted by the Red Sea Film Festival Foundation during the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. Held at the iconic Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Cap d’Antibes, the gala spotlighted seven women from the Arab world, Africa, and Asia who have made significant contributions to the film and entertainment industries.
Waraha was celebrated for her breakout role as Meena in the 2023 television series Show Me Love, followed by acclaimed performances in Bangkok Blossom (2024) as Kulap and delivered a standout performance as Mo Jongyoi in The Paradise of Thorns (2024), The film was a major box office success and earned her the Best Actress of the Year award at the 2025 Thailand Box Office Awards,[13] as well as a runner-up position for Best Actress at the 14th Thai Film Director Awards.[23]
Her growing body of work includes roles in Petrichor (2024) as Tul Chanwimol, along with appearances Unlimited Love and The Tipsy Mystery, further showcasing her versatility across genres.
Her recognition at Cannes coincided with the announcement of her upcoming film Lady Bee, a cinematic adaptation of the Thai literary classic The Story of Jan Dara. The project is currently being marketed international by Mokster Films.
With her expanding filmography and critically recognized performances, Engfa Waraha is fast becoming one of the most compelling actress of her generation.
The Women in Cinema initiative, now in its third year, aims to celebrate female storytellers and creators who are redefining the film industry. Waraha’s inclusion marked a milestone for Thai representation on the global stage, alongside fellow honorees such as Elham Ali, Jacqueline Fernandez, Gaya Jiji, Amina Khalil, Rungano Nyoni, and Sarah Taibah.[14]
Filmography
Summarize
Perspective
Movies
Television series
Lady Bee at Cannes Film Festival 2025
In May 2025, Waraha was featured at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where her upcoming film Lady Bee was officially announced during the Cannes Market. Although Lady Bee was not part of the official screening line up, its unveiling generated significant buzz due to its bold narrative shift and the casting of Engfa Waraha. It directed by Rutaiwan Wongsirasawad and Thanika Jenjesda, the film is a feminist reinterpretation of The Story of Jan Dara, a Thai literary classic by Utsana Phloengtham. Waraha stars as Lady Boonleung, also known as Lady Bee, a character reimagined as the central figure in a narrative exploring identity, desire, and power.
The announcement coincided with Waraha’s recognition at the Women in Cinema Gala, hosted by the Red Sea Film Festival Foundation, which honored seven women from Asia, Africa, and the Arab world for their contributions to cinema. Lady Bee is scheduled to begin principal photography in late 2025, with a global release expected in 2026.[24]
Remove ads
Awards and nominations
 | This section has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)
|
Remove ads
References
External links
Wikiwand - on
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Remove ads