Petch Petpailin

Petpailin, or Petch, is a Thai translator and writer for The Thaiger who focuses on translating breakingThai news stories into English. With a background in field journalism, Petch brings several years of experience to the English News desk at The Thaiger. Before joining The Thaiger, Petch worked as a content writer for several known blogging sites in Bangkok, including Happio and The Smart Local. Her articles have been syndicated by many big publishers in Thailand and internationally, including the Daily Mail, The Sun and the Bangkok Post. She is a news writer who stops reading news on the weekends to spend more time cafe hopping and petting dwarf shrimp! But during office hours, you can find Petch on LinkedIn and you can reach her by email at petch@thethaiger.com.
  • Pattaya NewsChinese, Russian tourists lose cash after showing money to Pattaya scammers | Thaiger

    Chinese, Russian tourists lose cash after showing money to Pattaya scammers

    A Chinese tourist and a Russian couple reported losing cash to suspected foreign scammers in Pattaya on Monday, November 17, after being tricked into showing their money. All three victims filed complaints at Mueang Pattaya Police Station on the same day. Based on their descriptions, the suspects are believed to be foreign nationals, possibly from an Arab country. The first…

  • Thailand NewsTaiwanese man, four Thais arrested for kidnapping woman in Chon Buri | Thaiger

    Taiwanese man, four Thais arrested for kidnapping woman in Chon Buri

    A Taiwanese man and four Thai nationals were arrested for allegedly kidnapping and assaulting a 24 year old Thai woman in Chon Buri over an unpaid debt of 100,000 baht. The victim, Sirinapha Sungklang, contacted her uncle, a police officer, on November 14, saying she had been kidnapped and assaulted by a Taiwanese man. The call abrubtly disconnected, and she…

  • Thailand NewsTugboat hits riverside homes in Nonthaburi, causes 10m baht damage | Thaiger

    Tugboat hits riverside homes in Nonthaburi, causes 10m baht damage

    A tugboat carrying more than 5,000 tonnes of gypsum boards crashed into three riverside homes along the Chao Phraya River in Nonthaburi yesterday, November 18, causing over 10 million baht in damage. The incident occurred at around 1am in the Koh Kret area of Pak Kret district. No injuries were reported. Pak Kret Police arrived at the scene around 5am…

  • Phuket NewsVolunteer divers stunned to find second body in pickup driven off Phuket bridge | Thaiger

    Volunteer divers stunned to find second body in pickup driven off Phuket bridge

    Volunteer divers searching for a pickup truck in a suspected suicide of a Thai man at the Sarasin Bridge in Phuket today, November 18, found two bodies inside the vehicle, not just one as was initially anticipated. Officers from Tha Chatchai Police Station, together with rescuers from the Kusol Dham Foundation, were called to Sarasin Bridge in Thalang, Phuket, after…

  • Thailand NewsMan stabs girlfriend in front of young son, cites affair and jealousy | Thaiger

    Man stabs girlfriend in front of young son, cites affair and jealousy

    A jealous Thai man stabbed his girlfriend in the neck in front of her two year old son at a condominium in Samut Prakan province, just outside Bangkok. The child was later rescued unharmed. Officers from Samrong Nuea Police Station investigated the condominium in the Thepharak district just after midnight yesterday, November 17, following a report of a stabbing. Upon…

  • Thailand NewsThai loan shark surrenders after detaining debtor’s mother and baby | Thaiger

    Thai loan shark surrenders after detaining debtor’s mother and baby

    A Thai loan shark has surrendered to police after allegedly locking an elderly woman and her six month old grandson inside their home in Nan province over a missed loan repayment. The incident occurred on November 12 in the Mueang Jang subdistrict of Phu Phiang district. The woman contacted Phu Phiang Police Station after she and the baby were locked…

  • Phuket News4 foreigners at large after stealing at Phuket shopping mall | Thaiger

    4 foreigners at large after stealing at Phuket shopping mall

    A group of foreigners remain at large after allegedly stealing wallets and cardholders from a leather goods store in a shopping mall in Patong, Phuket. The owner of a leather goods store in The Botanica shopping mall in Patong shared CCTV footage of the theft with the Newshawk Phuket Facebook page yesterday, November 17, to warn other business operators in…

  • Thailand NewsThai man denies claims of deliberately spreading HIV | Thaiger

    Thai man denies claims of deliberately spreading HIV

    A Thai man, accused of deliberately spreading HIV, denied the allegations and shared his side of the story with the public. The man, identified only as A, told several news agencies that his younger brother contracted HIV because his 29 year old boyfriend, Joe, hid his HIV-positive status. The brother only discovered the truth upon finding Joe’s medication. Apart from…

  • Phuket NewsThai man dies in suspected suicide after driving pickup off bridge in Phuket | Thaiger

    Thai man dies in suspected suicide after driving pickup off bridge in Phuket

    A Thai man died after driving his pickup off the Sarasin Bridge into the sea in Phuket early this morning, November 18, in what police believe was a suicide. At around 3am, 30 year old fisherman Nattawut Wongnui called officers at Tha Chatchai Police Station to report that a pickup travelling at high speed had crashed through the bridge barrier…

  • Thailand NewsThai YouTuber under fire for dancing on car at Mount Fuji photo spot | Thaiger

    Thai YouTuber under fire for dancing on car at Mount Fuji photo spot

    A Thai YouTuber has come under fire after filming himself dancing on top of a car at a well-known Mount Fuji photo spot, sparking outrage online and calls from Thai netizens for the Japanese Embassy to ban him from re-entering Japan. The YouTuber, Jaturong “Jack” Papho, better known as Jack Papho, shared the video on his Facebook and TikTok accounts…

  • Thailand NewsSupreme Court orders Thaksin to pay 17.6 billion baht in Shin Corp tax case | Thaiger

    Supreme Court orders Thaksin to pay 17.6 billion baht in Shin Corp tax case

    The Supreme Court of Thailand ordered former Prime Minister (PM) Thaksin Shinawatra to pay 17.6 billion baht in personal income tax following a long-running dispute over the sale of Shin Corporation shares. The tax dispute began after the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions ordered the seizure of 46 billion baht in assets gained from the Shin Corp…

  • Thailand NewsPolice investigate death of elderly man after suspected drug use at sexual gathering | Thaiger

    Police investigate death of elderly man after suspected drug use at sexual gathering

    A 70 year old man was found dead on November 16 at a residence in Lopburi province, following a reported gathering involving drug use and sexual activity. Authorities have not released the man’s identity. Officers from Mueang Lop Buri Police Station responded to a call at 10.28pm and found the man lying unresponsive and unclothed on a sofa in the…

  • Phuket NewsAmerican man knocked out in Bangla Road fight | Thaiger

    American man knocked out in Bangla Road fight

    Phuket Tourist Police officers rushed to assist an American man who lost consciousness on Bangla Road after he got into a fight with another foreigner last night, November 16. The Phuket Times Facebook page reposted a video of the physical altercation between two foreign men on Bangla Road with a caption reading, “Bangla Stadium! Free great boxing show! One punch…

  • Thailand NewsThai woman confesses to police officer’s murder, citing abusive affair | Thaiger

    Thai woman confesses to police officer’s murder, citing abusive affair

    A 20 year old Thai woman confessed to murdering a police officer at his home in Chiang Mai province, claiming they had been having an affair and that the officer repeatedly abused her. A friend discovered the body of the 53 year old police officer on November 15. According to the friend, he visited the officer frequently and found his…

  • Thailand NewsThai man accused of intentionally spreading HIV, offering sex for drugs | Thaiger

    Thai man accused of intentionally spreading HIV, offering sex for drugs

    A man in the central province of Saraburi was accused of intentionally spreading HIV within the LGBTQIA+ community and trading sex for drugs. The complainant, identified only as A, contacted news agencies on November 16, saying he wanted the 29 year old man, referred to as Joe, to face legal punishment and hoped to issue a warning to LGBTQIA+ people…

  • Thailand NewsRayong father suggests dog attack kills his 2 year old son | Thaiger

    Rayong father suggests dog attack kills his 2 year old son

    A missing two year old Thai boy was found dead on a roadside in the eastern province of Rayong on Friday, November 14. His father denied abusing the child and suggested that he may have died from a dog attack. The boy, Toto, went missing around midnight on Friday, prompting his father, 21 year old Korn, to appeal for help…

  • Phuket NewsSecond Russian man arrested over drug sale QR code stickers in Phuket | Thaiger

    Second Russian man arrested over drug sale QR code stickers in Phuket

    Police arrested another Russian drug dealer on Friday, November 14, following an extended investigation into drug sale QR code stickers placed on utility poles across Phuket. The investigation was expanded after a Russian man was arrested on Koh Samui in Surat Thani province earlier in November for promoting drug sales via QR codes. The suspect was found placing QR code…

  • Pattaya News12 Chinese drug users and 20 illegal Vietnamese workers arrested in Pattaya club raid | Thaiger

    12 Chinese drug users and 20 illegal Vietnamese workers arrested in Pattaya club raid

    Police raided an entertainment venue in Pattaya yesterday, discovering 12 Chinese nationals who tested positive for drugs and 20 Vietnamese workers without permits. More than 100 officers from Provincial Police Region 2 raided Space Club Pattaya on Pattaya Sai Sam Road in Bang Lamung district at 2.49am. Channel 7 reported that this operation differed from previous ones, as officers did…

  • Thailand NewsForeign man fined for strolling naked while visiting Thai wife in Kamphaeng Phet | Thaiger

    Foreign man fined for strolling naked while visiting Thai wife in Kamphaeng Phet

    Yesterday, A foreign man captured the attention of locals after strolling naked through a local market and a convenience store in the northern province of Kamphaeng Phet. Residents buying groceries at Khlong Lan Market recorded the man calmly walking around without clothes. In the clips shared on social media, bystanders stare in disbelief as the man casually makes a payment at…

  • Phuket NewsForeign motorcyclist flees after crashing into 3 vehicles in Phuket | Thaiger

    Foreign motorcyclist flees after crashing into 3 vehicles in Phuket

    A foreign motorcyclist fled the scene after colliding with a baht bus and two parked vehicles on a road in Phuket yesterday, November 13. The baht bus driver released CCTV footage of the incident to local news agency Newshawk Phuket in an effort to identify and locate the suspect. Neither the exact location nor the specific time of the crash…

  • Phuket NewsForeign couple in Phuket warned after neighbours report loud sex until 4am | Thaiger

    Foreign couple in Phuket warned after neighbours report loud sex until 4am

    Phuket residents sought intervention from local administrative officials after a foreign couple had loud sex from 10pm to 4am every night. Officials from the local administrative office visited a village where locals complained about the noise yesterday, reporting that the foreign neighbour and his female partner made loud moaning noises each night, disturbing residents’ sleep. Upon arrival, officials met a middle-aged…

  • Bangkok News2 fake doctors arrested after runing illegal clinics in Bangkok for over 10 years | Thaiger

    2 fake doctors arrested after runing illegal clinics in Bangkok for over 10 years

    Police yesterday, November 13, arrested two fake doctors at an illegal clinic in the Min Buri district of Bangkok after it had been operating unlawfully for more than ten years. Over 6,000 patient records were found. Officers from the Metropolitan Police Division 3 arrested 50 year old Boonwiwat Boonrueanglue and 30 year old Nattawut Boonrueanglue at Keharam Clinic, also known…

  • Bangkok NewsChinese man arrested for 250 million baht fraud after 7 years on the run | Thaiger

    Chinese man arrested for 250 million baht fraud after 7 years on the run

    Police arrested a Chinese man with a Vanuatu passport at a luxury accommodation in Bangkok for 250 million baht embezzlement in his home country after he had been on the run for seven years. The arrest of the foreign suspect followed a tip-off from a resident shared with the Immigration Bureau in October. The resident reported that the foreign man,…

  • Bangkok NewsAmerican mother reunites with missing daughter after viral Bangkok road incident | Thaiger

    American mother reunites with missing daughter after viral Bangkok road incident

    An American woman reunited with her family after she stood in the middle of Asok-Din Daeng Road in Bangkok and blocked traffic on Wednesday, November 12. A video of the woman went viral on Thai social media yesterday, November 13. In the footage, the foreign woman, wearing a black mini dress and no shoes, was seen standing in front of…

  • Pattaya NewsThai woman arrested on 150,000-baht theft at Pattaya noodle shop | Thaiger

    Thai woman arrested on 150,000-baht theft at Pattaya noodle shop

    Police yesterday, November 13, arrested a Thai woman for stealing valuables worth 150,000 baht from the owner of a noodle shop in Pattaya. The shop owner, 40 year old Anchana Rattanapisankun, filed a complaint at Bang Lamung Police Station on Tuesday, November 12, after belongings worth over 150,000 baht disappeared from her bedroom on the second floor above her restaurant.…

  • Thailand NewsThailand extends drinking hours, trials end of afternoon alcohol sales ban | Thaiger

    Thailand extends drinking hours, trials end of afternoon alcohol sales ban

    The Ministry of Public Health extended permitted drinking hours from midnight to 1am and launched a six-month pilot programme to lift the afternoon alcohol sales ban between 2pm and 5pm. Yesterday, November 13, the National Alcohol Policy Committee met to discuss the controversial drinking-hours regulations and the proposed cancellation of the afternoon sales ban. The meeting was attended by representatives…

  • Bangkok NewsFormer police arrested over 2021 Taiwanese kidnap and extortion case | Thaiger

    Former police arrested over 2021 Taiwanese kidnap and extortion case

    A former Thai police officer accused government officials and the Royal Thai Police (RTP) of betraying him after he was arrested today, November 13, over the alleged kidnapping and extortion of a Taiwanese businessman in 2021. Officers from Thong Lo Police Station arrested the former Special Branch Bureau officer, Santhana Prayoonrat, at his accommodation in Bangkok this afternoon. The arrest…

  • Bangkok NewsThai transwoman watches TikTok videos at clinic for hours to avoid payment | Thaiger

    Thai transwoman watches TikTok videos at clinic for hours to avoid payment

    A Bangkok beauty clinic owner took to social media to share her experience with a transgender client who refused to pay for breast augmentation surgery and lay on the operating table for hours watching TikTok videos until police arrived. The clinic owner, Supassara Tweesan, posted footage of the incident on her Facebook page on Monday, November 10. The video showed…

  • Pattaya NewsPolice hunt fake doctor after raid on unlicensed clinic in Pattaya | Thaiger

    Police hunt fake doctor after raid on unlicensed clinic in Pattaya

    A fake doctor remains at large after his unlicensed clinic in Pattaya was raided and several dangerous medicines were seized yesterday, November 12. The unlicensed medical centre reportedly targeted sex workers and foreign nationals in the area. Officers from Provincial Police Region 2 and the Chon Buri Provincial Public Health Office raided the unregistered clinic named Centre Pattaya Medical Clinic…

  • Pattaya NewsThai woman steals valuables worth 150,000 baht from Pattaya restaurant owner | Thaiger

    Thai woman steals valuables worth 150,000 baht from Pattaya restaurant owner

    A Thai woman sneaked into a bedroom above a noodle shop in Pattaya and stole valuables worth more than 150,000 baht yesterday, November 12. The victim, 40 year old noodle shop owner Anchana Rattanapisankun, filed a complaint with Bang Lamung Police Station in the evening yesterday. She also submitted CCTV footage that showed the thief’s identity. In an interview with…