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.
  • Thailand NewsThai environmentalist criticises Moo Deng’s living condition at zoo | Thaiger

    Thai environmentalist criticises Moo Deng’s living condition at zoo

    A Thai environmentalist and social media influencer criticised Khao Kheow Zoo in Chon Buri over the living conditions of its well-known pygmy hippo, Moo Deng, prompting divided reactions among Thai netizens. Siranudh “Sai” Scott, an environmentalist and a former national park ranger, posted images of a pond within Moo Deng‘s habitat on his X account and said in the caption……

  • Thailand NewsLampang hospital explains death of Thai man following insect bites | Thaiger

    Lampang hospital explains death of Thai man following insect bites

    Wang Nuea Hospital in Lampang said a Thai man died from a bloodstream infection and respiratory failure, not directly from black fly bites. The hospital issued a clarification on the death of a 68 year old Thai man in Lampang after online posts prompted public concern, with claims that the man had died after being bitten by black flies, the…

  • Pattaya NewsForeigners jump on moving car and damage it on Pattaya road | Thaiger

    Foreigners jump on moving car and damage it on Pattaya road

    A Thai Bolt driver successfully sought compensation from two foreign men who climbed onto his car and damaged it while he was driving in Pattaya on February 14. The Bolt driver, Phuritha Aramwong, raised the case online, claiming police released the foreign suspects and told him to gather evidence himself. Phuritha said he was driving on Pattaya Soi 6 when two…

  • Bangkok NewsMissing British man last seen near Sukhumvit in Bangkok | Thaiger

    Missing British man last seen near Sukhumvit in Bangkok

    A British woman is seeking information about her missing brother, whose last known location was near Soi Sukhumvit 71/1 in Wattana district, Bangkok. A missing person poster for Wayne Charles Smith has been circulating in Facebook groups for expats in Bangkok and Pattaya, shared by his sister, Alison Jacks. She first posted the appeal in January and said she has…

  • Thailand NewsSiberian Husky abused and burned in Songkhla after escaping home | Thaiger

    Siberian Husky abused and burned in Songkhla after escaping home

    A Thai man is seeking the attacker who abused and set his Siberian Husky on fire after the dog escaped from his home in Songkhla on February 12. The owner, 52 year old Somchai Chanawanno, shared details of the attack on his two year old female dog, Molly, with several media outlets and the Watchdog Thailand Foundation (WDT) as he…

  • Bangkok News4 Myanmar nationals arrested in Bangkok for fatal attack on American man | Thaiger

    4 Myanmar nationals arrested in Bangkok for fatal attack on American man

    Four Myanmar nationals fatally attacked an American man in Jom Thong district, Bangkok, yesterday, February 16, and claimed that the victim had been harassing the younger sister of one of the men. Officers from Bang Mod Police Station were alerted to the violent assault by residents and the suspects’ employer. The American victim, 55 year old Cole Stein Heath, was…

  • Chiang Mai NewsSpanish couple allegedly fake assault video to discredit Chiang Mai laundry shop | Thaiger

    Spanish couple allegedly fake assault video to discredit Chiang Mai laundry shop

    A Thai owner of a self-service laundry shop in Chiang Mai accused a Spanish couple of generating an artificial intelligence (AI)-edited video to falsely claim he physically assaulted them, following a dispute over washing machine usage and a 2,000-baht fine. The owner of Fatcat Cafe & Laundry shared his version of events on the shop’s official Facebook page on February…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket officials rules entry fee legal but condemn racist behaviour | Thaiger

    Phuket officials rules entry fee legal but condemn racist behaviour

    Officials from the Phuket Provincial Commerce Office addressed public backlash after a souvenir shop owner was filmed making a racist gesture towards a Chinese tourist and charging an entry fee of 40 baht. The controversy erupted after a video of the owner of a ceramic and souvenir shop called “Positive Thinking” went viral on the Chinese social media platform Douyin.…

  • Thailand News2 Thai police among 10 suspects stealing cash and cannabis trees from vendor | Thaiger

    2 Thai police among 10 suspects stealing cash and cannabis trees from vendor

    A cannabis vendor in Pathum Thani accused a group of 10 men, including at least two police officers, of falsely claiming his business was operating without a permit before stealing 800,000 baht in cash and cannabis trees valued at more than 2.2 million baht from his home. The case emerged after the 22 year old vendor shared his account and…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket shop owner criticised for racist gesture against Chinese tourist | Thaiger

    Phuket shop owner criticised for racist gesture against Chinese tourist

    An elderly shop owner in Phuket faces criticism for her racist behaviour toward a Chinese tourist in a viral video shared on the Douyin platform. The clip showed an elderly Thai woman, described as the shop owner, arguing with a Chinese woman. In the footage, the shop owner in a red dress is seen shouting and making gestures including sticking…

  • Pattaya NewsPattaya man allegedly shoots himself in face while cleaning gun | Thaiger

    Pattaya man allegedly shoots himself in face while cleaning gun

    A Thai man is in critical condition after he was shot in the face at his home in Pattaya while cleaning a firearm, with police saying they have not ruled out whether the incident was an accident caused by recklessness or involved other motives. Bang Lamung Police Station officers and rescuers from the Sawang Borriboon Dhammastan Foundation were called to…

  • Pattaya NewsChinese man arrested for scamming Pattaya student out of 1.9 million baht | Thaiger

    Chinese man arrested for scamming Pattaya student out of 1.9 million baht

    Pattaya police arrested a Malaysian-born Chinese man for swindling more than 1.9 million baht from a Thai university student in a call centre scam. The 20 year old student filed a complaint with Mueang Pattaya Police Station on February 10, saying he was contacted by someone posing as an employee of a mobile service provider. The caller accused him of…

  • Phuket NewsRussian manager and Burmese worker held at Phuket illegal hookah bar | Thaiger

    Russian manager and Burmese worker held at Phuket illegal hookah bar

    Police in Phuket raided a foreign-owned bar in Thalang district for operating without a permit, opening beyond permitted hours and providing hookah to customers, leading to the arrest of a Russian manager and a Burmese worker. Administrative officers carried out the raid at Safari Lounge Bar at 12.45am yesterday, February 15, after residents reported suspected illegal activity. The venue is…

  • Thailand NewsThai masseuse in Germany sued for providing ‘special service’ without consent | Thaiger

    Thai masseuse in Germany sued for providing ‘special service’ without consent

    A Thai masseuse in Germany has to pay €1,000 in compensation to a male client after she sexually assaulted him by providing “special services” without consent. The complainant, a 26 year old German software engineer, identified only as Ben, reported the sexual assault to police two days after it occurred at a massage shop on Osloer Straße in Berlin. The…

  • Thailand NewsSi Saket MP candidate denies chasing teen girl for sexual purposes | Thaiger

    Si Saket MP candidate denies chasing teen girl for sexual purposes

    A candidate for the position of Member of Parliament (MP) in Si Saket denied attempting to take a 16 year old girl away from her parents for sexual purposes. He claimed that his intentions were good and that he only wanted the girl to attend school. A viral video showed the MP candidate, whose identity remains undisclosed, chasing after the…

  • Thailand NewsTaiwanese man arrested for unlicensed dental clinic in Phuket | Thaiger

    Taiwanese man arrested for unlicensed dental clinic in Phuket

    Police raided an unlicensed dental clinic in Phuket yesterday, February 12, and arrested a Taiwanese man accused of providing treatment without permission. Wichit Police Station officers, working with the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office, carried out the operation at 6.10pm at Sunrise Smile Dental Clinic, located on the second floor of a building behind a department store in Wichit sub-district, Mueang district,…

  • Thailand News46 foreign extras arrested in Krabi for working without permits | Thaiger

    46 foreign extras arrested in Krabi for working without permits

    Police arrested 46 foreign extras yesterday, February 12, after discovering they were working without permits at an abandoned mine in Krabi province while filming a television series reportedly based in Dubai. Officers from the Krabi Provincial Employment Office, Mueang Krabi Police Station, Border Patrol Police, and Immigration Bureau conducted a joint raid at the mine in the Thab Prik sub-district…

  • Politics NewsECT rejects Chon Buri vote recount request, cites lack of corruption evidence | Thaiger

    ECT rejects Chon Buri vote recount request, cites lack of corruption evidence

    The Election Commission of Thailand (ECT) formally rejected a request for a vote recount in Chon Buri’s District 1, stating there was no concrete evidence to support allegations of corruption. On February 9, a group of voters gathered at a badminton court in Chon Buri province, which had been used to store ballots from the District 1 polling station, after…

  • Pattaya NewsPattaya hotel staff confronts foreign couple over sex near spirit house | Thaiger

    Pattaya hotel staff confronts foreign couple over sex near spirit house

    A foreign man allegedly assaulted a hotel employee in Pattaya who sprayed water over him and his girlfriend for engaging in sexual activity near a spirit house outside the property late at night. The incident came to light after a 41 year old Cambodian staff member at Dream Hotel Pattaya, Piatra, shared a video online exposing the couple’s behaviour. The…

  • Pattaya NewsPattaya man stabs British tourist in Pattaya over drug dispute | Thaiger

    Pattaya man stabs British tourist in Pattaya over drug dispute

    A Thai man stabbed a British national outside a convenience store in Pattaya earlier today, February 13, claiming the foreigner punched him and broke his tooth after he insisted he was not a drug dealer. Officers from Mueang Pattaya Police Station were alerted to the incident at 1.29am at a convenience store along Jomtien Beach Road. Police arrived at the…

  • Pattaya NewsDrunk American man found injured outside Pattaya condominium | Thaiger

    Drunk American man found injured outside Pattaya condominium

    An injured American man collapsed outside a condominium in Pattaya, prompting rescue workers to rush him to hospital. The man was reportedly heavily intoxicated and unable to explain how he sustained his injuries. A security guard at a condominium in Soi Bongkot 8, located in the Bang Lamung district of Pattaya, contacted rescuers from Sawang Borriboon Dhammastan Foundation after discovering…

  • Thailand NewsUdon Thani woman loses car and 80000-baht amulet to online date | Thaiger

    Udon Thani woman loses car and 80000-baht amulet to online date

    A Thai woman lodged a police complaint after a man she met online stole her car and a valuable Buddha amulet worth more than 80,000 baht following an in-person meeting at a resort in Udon Thani province. The 50 year old victim, identified only as Bee, filed a complaint at Mueang Udon Thani Police Station yesterday, February 9. She accused…

  • Thailand NewsBig Joke’s wife wins defamation lawsuit over affair accusations | Thaiger

    Big Joke’s wife wins defamation lawsuit over affair accusations

    The Civil Court ordered a Thai woman to pay 8 million baht in compensation to the wife of former Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police Surachate Hakparn, widely known as “Big Joke”, after ruling that she falsely accused the police officer’s wife of having an affair with her husband. The ruling was delivered yesterday, February 9, concluding a civil…

  • Phuket News2 South Korean women wanted for swimwear theft in Phuket | Thaiger

    2 South Korean women wanted for swimwear theft in Phuket

    Two South Korean women pretended to try on swimwear at a shop in Phuket before stealing the clothing before fleeing the scene yesterday, February 9. The incident occurred at Plaifah Beachwear yesterday. A shop employee later released CCTV footage of the theft on social media and appealed to the public for help in identifying the suspects. According to the staff…

  • Politics NewsChon Buri voters stage overnight protest and demand vote recount | Thaiger

    Chon Buri voters stage overnight protest and demand vote recount

    A group of voters in Chon Buri province staged an overnight protest at a polling station in District 1 after raising concerns over alleged election corruption, prompting calls for an immediate recount. The protest took place at the District 1 polling station, located inside a badminton court in the Bang Pa Soi sub-district of Mueang district, Chon Buri. A number…

  • Bangkok NewsFire damages 28 shops at Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok | Thaiger

    Fire damages 28 shops at Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok

    A major fire broke out at Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok late last night, February 9, damaging at least 28 shops. Authorities are continuing to investigate the cause of the fire, while the total value of the losses has yet to be confirmed. According to ThaiRath, the fire was first reported at around 10.42pm near Gate 1 of the market…

  • Phuket NewsCalls for action after foreign motorcyclist confronts Phuket schoolgirl | Thaiger

    Calls for action after foreign motorcyclist confronts Phuket schoolgirl

    A viral video showing a foreign motorcyclist aggressively threatening a young Thai student and her guardian in the Patong area of Phuket sparked public criticism and demands for deportation. The video was shared on Facebook on Friday, February 6, by Jeerawut Wangnurak, who condemned the foreigner’s behaviour. In his caption, Jeerawut wrote… “Have you ever seen Thai people without smiles?…

  • Thailand NewsMarried woman faces death threats from controlling online date partner | Thaiger

    Married woman faces death threats from controlling online date partner

    A married Thai woman accused an online date she met through a game of controlling her daily life via CCTV cameras, forbidding her from being intimate with her husband, and repeatedly threatening to kill her and her family members. The woman shared her ordeal with Hone Krasae on Channel 3, saying she decided to speak out publicly after living in…

  • Pattaya NewsThai taxi rider exposes Russian man for defecating on Pattaya traffic island | Thaiger

    Thai taxi rider exposes Russian man for defecating on Pattaya traffic island

    A Thai app-based motorcycle taxi rider exposed a foreign tourist, believed to be a Russian national, for defecating on a traffic island in Pattaya. The unidentified rider shared footage of the incident on social media on Saturday, February 7. The video was later reposted by several Thai news agencies. In the footage, the rider is seen parked on the left-hand lane…

  • Koh Samui NewsFunds raised after British tourist critically injured in Koh Samui motorcycle crash | Thaiger

    Funds raised after British tourist critically injured in Koh Samui motorcycle crash

    The family of a British man launched a fundraising campaign after he was left in critical condition following a serious motorcycle accident on Koh Samui, an island in Surat Thani province, Thailand. The victim, Tiger Duggan, a 23 year old British national, travelled to Thailand with a friend to celebrate his birthday. According to his family, they arrived in the country…