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.
  • Bangkok NewsCCSA leaves entertainment venues in limbo over 4am closing

    CCSA leaves entertainment venues in limbo over 4am closing

    Hotels on Khao San Road in Bangkok were ready to offer special hotel room rates of 500 baht per night to guests if the government extended closing time to 4am. Unfortunately, no decision has been made and it’s left bar, restaurant, and hotel owners in limbo. The Tourism and Sports Minister, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, revealed last week that he would seek…

  • Thailand NewsUPDATE: Woman who allegedly abused a soldier is a police officer

    UPDATE: Woman who allegedly abused a soldier is a police officer

    UPDATE The employer who allegedly abused a female soldier and claimed to be a senator’s wife is actually a police officer. According to one media source, the woman is the mistress of a senator, not his wife. The Spokesperson of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, Teerapong Pattamasing Na Ayutthaya, confirmed yesterday that the victim was a real soldier. Teerapong said…

  • Thailand NewsRTN’s ocean conservation activity accused of spoiling ecosystem

    RTN’s ocean conservation activity accused of spoiling ecosystem

    A Royal Thai Navy marine conservation activity day has set social media on fire. Thai netizens heavily criticised RTN’s activity day, which charged people money to take part, saying it did not improve the environment or create environmental awareness, but it destroyed the ecosystem. The RTN and the Royal Thai Marine Corps came under fire after their conservation activity day…

  • South Thailand NewsUPDATE: BRN insurgents admits to Deep South bombings

    UPDATE: BRN insurgents admits to Deep South bombings

    UPDATE The insurgent group Barisan Revolusi Nasional Melayu Patani (BRN) announced on its Facebook page that they were behind this week’s bomb explosions in the Deep South provinces. The BRN group said it was an act against capitalism that affected local businesses. Yesterday, the official Facebook page of the group expressed condolences for the death and loss. They said group…

  • Thailand NewsHealth dept’s reply to rising food costs: ‘let them eat curry & rice’

    Health dept’s reply to rising food costs: ‘let them eat curry & rice’

    The Health Department’s “Let them eat curry and rice” response to Thailand’s cost of living crisis is not quite Marie Antoinette’s ‘Let them eat cake’ quip to the starving peasants of France in the 17th century, but it’s not far off. The Thai Health Department urged people to buckle their belts and accept the fact that consumer products are more…

  • Thailand NewsFemale soldier seeks help after being abused by senator’s wife

    Female soldier seeks help after being abused by senator’s wife

    A soldier appealed to a Thai influencer for help after revealing she was almost driven to suicide after years of physical and mental abuse by the wife of a senator. The woman contacted Guntouch “Gun” Pongpaiboonwet, aka Gun Jom Palang, to share her story. In turn, Gun spread the news on Facebook and said helped her file a complaint against…

  • Thailand NewsThailand movie legend Sombat Metanee has died, aged 85

    Thailand movie legend Sombat Metanee has died, aged 85

    A close friend of one of Thailand’s best-known actors, Sombat Metanee, revealed he died peacefully in his sleep today. The 85 year old, who made more than 2,000 films and television shows, was hailed by Thai fans as a heroic actor. At one time, Sombat held a Guinness World Record for most film appearances at 617 times. The media reported…

  • Crime NewsTeen soldier murders cousin for allegedly raping his mother

    Teen soldier murders cousin for allegedly raping his mother

    A 19 year old soldier was arrested for murdering his cousin in an act of revenge for allegedly raping his mother in Southern Thailand. The soldier, Watcharapong Lakejit, murdered his cousin, 36 year old Niphat Sookmak, on Tuesday night by stabbing him in the head with a knife. The teenager was arrested for the offence at 3am yesterday at a…

  • Thailand NewsThai man faces prison for growing & selling corals online

    Thai man faces prison for growing & selling corals online

    A Thai man faces up to ten years in jail after being arrested for selling coral online via Facebook. Police seized more than 300 types of corals from the man’s residence. The 31 year old man, Thitipong, was arrested today at his home in Soi Suwinthawong 13, Saen Saeb sub-district, Min Buri district, Bangkok. Thitipong turned his home into a…

  • South Thailand NewsUPDATE: 21 year old man found dead after Deep South bombing

    UPDATE: 21 year old man found dead after Deep South bombing

    UPDATE Following the bomb explosions in three Deep South provinces on August 16, officers found one man dead inside a 7-Eleven shop in the Su-ngai Golok district of Narathiwas province. Yesterday, officers from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal investigated a 7-Eleven store inside a petrol station that was bombed as part of the attack and found the charred body of a…

  • Thailand NewsThai neitzens angry at SUV driver using a siren just to use toilet

    Thai neitzens angry at SUV driver using a siren just to use toilet

    Thai netizens made it known there were outraged by the owner of a black SUV car that traveled at high speed and used a siren – just to use a toilet. Dashcam footage of the SUV was posted on the Facebook page Let Me Know If You Want to Be Famous Return Part 3. The video was posted on August…

  • Thailand NewsRama 2 Road guilty of being a repeat accident offender

    Rama 2 Road guilty of being a repeat accident offender

    Another accident was reported on the Rama 2 Road where the U-turn bridge collapsed two weeks ago. Yesterday, an iron bar fell from a truck onto the road and almost hit a car. On July 30, at 8pm, the U-turn bridge over the Rama 2 Road collapsed onto four vehicles. One female passenger was killed at the scene by a…

  • Thailand NewsEPL praises Thailand for crackdown on illegal footie sites

    EPL praises Thailand for crackdown on illegal footie sites

    Representatives from the English Premier League (EPL) yesterday met with the Deputy Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police to express gratitude for Thailand’s efforts to protect the copyright of the UK’s live football broadcasts. The Deputy Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police, Damrongsak Kittipraphat, welcomed representatives from the EPL, the General Manager of the AVIA Coalition Against Piracy, Aaron Herps,…

  • South Thailand NewsInsurgents bomb petrol stations & shops in Deep South

    Insurgents bomb petrol stations & shops in Deep South

    Bomb explosions were reported last night at a number of petrol stations and convenience stores in three Deep South provinces including Narathiwat, Yala, and Pattani. The media reported the bomb explosions went off between 12.20am to 12.40am in six districts of Narathiwas provinces. Six branches of 7-Eleven stores, a Mini Big C in Bacho, Si Sakhon, Su-ngai Golok, Rueso, and…

  • Transport NewsThailand Transport Ministry seeks foreign loans for new bridges

    Thailand Transport Ministry seeks foreign loans for new bridges

    The Thai Transport Ministry revealed it is seeking foreign loans to build two new bridges in the southern provinces of Pattalung, and Krabi. The Rural Road Department, under the Transport Ministry, reported yesterday that they met with the Public Debt Management Office, and the World Bank, about the budget for two huge bridge projects in the south of Thailand. The…

  • Road deathsMotorcycle rider killed in multi-vehicle pile-up near Bangkok

    Motorcycle rider killed in multi-vehicle pile-up near Bangkok

    A motorcycle rider died yesterday in a multi-vehicle pile-up in Nonthaburi province near Bangkok. Four vehicles were involved in the accident, including two motorbikes, two public buses, and a sedan car. The accident happened because a motorbike suddenly broke to allow an elderly person to cross the road, beneath a pedestrian overpass on Pibulsomgklam Road in the Mueng district of…

  • Thailand Protest NewsNearly 1,000 locals protest over fatal road in central Thailand

    Nearly 1,000 locals protest over fatal road in central Thailand

    About 1,000 residents gathered on the Pluak Daeng-Bor Win Road in the central province of Rayong to protest against a five-year unfinished road project that has been the scene of ten fatal accidents. Last Sunday, a local representative, Chairat Ngentuam, invited residents affected by the incomplete Pluak Daeng-Bor Win Road to protest in the project area. Residents turned out in…

  • Bangkok NewsBroke Bangkok can’t afford to finish underground cables project

    Broke Bangkok can’t afford to finish underground cables project

    The Bangkok Deputy Governor, Wisanu Subsompon, appealed to the private and public sectors to come together and complete the capital’s perpetual cable problem. The deputy governor revealed that Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) might have to cancel the project, to bury the city’s underground power lines altogether, unless it can find some way of coming up with more funds. Wisanu made…

  • Road deathsFrenchman dies after being hit by sailor’s car in Phang Nga

    Frenchman dies after being hit by sailor’s car in Phang Nga

    A Frenchman was killed on a zebra crossing in the southern province of Phang Nga after being hit by a sedan car driven by a Thai sailor. The suspect driving the vehicle denies he hit and killed the Frenchman despite a security camera clearly showing otherwise. Officers from Khao Lak Police Station were notified on Saturday night about the accident…

  • Bangkok NewsBenevolent Bangkok cabbie drives 12 hours to take destitute family home

    Benevolent Bangkok cabbie drives 12 hours to take destitute family home

    A benevolent Bangkok taxi driver drove 12 hours for free to take a family of three to their hometown in the Isaan province of Udon Thani after they were evicted from a rental room in the capital because they couldn’t afford to pay the rent. The taxi driver, Anurak Nakgamthong, posted the heartwarming story and pictures of his passengers on…

  • Central Thailand NewsThai doctor slaps a 3 year old for swearing & refuses to treat him

    Thai doctor slaps a 3 year old for swearing & refuses to treat him

    The family of a three year old boy filed a complaint to the police after a male doctor slapped the child in the face and refused to give him treatment. The doctor said he refused to treat the boy because he had insulted him. The child’s 24 year old mother, Sutharat, shared the story on the Facebook page Let Me…

  • Crime NewsGovt take a trip to the shroom to help Thailand’s depressed

    Govt take a trip to the shroom to help Thailand’s depressed

    The Thai Narcotics Control Board announced yesterday it will develop medicine from hallucinogenic magic mushrooms to help cure the nation’s depressed citizens. The Justice Minister, Somsak Thepsuthin, informed the media that the Narcotics Control Board joined hands with Khon Kaen University in the Isaan province of Khon Kaen to study the benefits of the magic mushroom. Magic mushrooms, or psilocybin…

  • Northern Thailand News48 year old Thai man gets first ID card after a lifetime of trying

    48 year old Thai man gets first ID card after a lifetime of trying

    A 48 year old Thai man finally got his first ID card after a lifetime of trying, thanks to a little help from the Thai media. The man, Sena Sriphet, is from the Koh Chan district in Chon Buri province, but he moved to live with his wife in the Nong Bua sub-district, Pa Kam district, in the Isaan province…

  • Crime News1 dead, 4 injured as gunmen rampage at a Bangkok wedding

    1 dead, 4 injured as gunmen rampage at a Bangkok wedding

    Police are on the lookout for rampaging gunmen on motorbikes who shot and killed one man and injured another four people yesterday at a marriage ceremony in Din Daeng district of Bangkok. The families of 25 year old groom, Fahlan, and 24 year old bride, Jinsujee, held a marriage ceremony at the bride’s home in Soi Sutthipong 1/1 on Sutthisan…

  • Bangkok NewsBangkok OAP arrested after slapstick armed robbery of gold shop

    Bangkok OAP arrested after slapstick armed robbery of gold shop

    An old-aged pensioner dramatically gasped “It’s the end of the road” after police arrested him for the armed robbery of a gold shop which was pure slapstick in the Bang Kae District of Bangkok. The 70 year old man stole 17 gold necklaces from the Yaowarat MGold store in what was arguably the slowest robbery and getaway in stickup history.…

  • World NewsHong Kong seizes 20 million baht of heroin hidden in Thai kickboxing pads

    Hong Kong seizes 20 million baht of heroin hidden in Thai kickboxing pads

    The Customs Office of Hong Kong proved it packs a punch when it seized 20 million baht of heroin hidden in kickboxing pads imported from Thailand and arrested a 40 year old man in the process. The government of Hong Kong reported yesterday that 5 kilograms of heroin, worth about 20 million baht, were seized at Chek Lap Kok International…

  • Thailand NewsCCSA to give thumbs up to 4am licensing in Thailand next week

    CCSA to give thumbs up to 4am licensing in Thailand next week

    The Tourism and Sports Minister yesterday revealed the department needs Centre of Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) approval before it can extend licensing hours from 2am to 4am. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn acknowledged that many people don’t want opening hours extended across the country but the minister insists it is necessary for the greater economic good of Thailand. The extended entertainment hours apply…

  • Pattaya NewsUPDATE: Chon Buri police couldn’t find victim of car crash… on the back seat

    UPDATE: Chon Buri police couldn’t find victim of car crash… on the back seat

    UPDATE The Director of the Inter-City Motorway Division, Highway Department, Thanasak Wongthanakijcharoen, defended his highway officers after they were criticised for their slapstick approach to a car crash investigation which couldn’t find the body of the dead driver in the rear of the vehicle. The director said his team didn’t look for the driver’s corpse because it is a department…

  • Northern Thailand News2018 Thai cave rescue inspires new attraction in Chiang Rai

    2018 Thai cave rescue inspires new attraction in Chiang Rai

    Taking inspiration from the 2018 cave rescue in the northern province of Chiang Rai, one billion baht will be invested in a new attraction and exhibition called The Caventure. A soft opening is expected in October next year. The 17-day rescue in 2018, or the Tham Luang cave rescue, at Tham Luang Nang Non Cave in Chiang Rai, was an…

  • Pattaya NewsChon Buri police couldn’t find victim of car crash on back seat

    Chon Buri police couldn’t find victim of car crash on back seat

    Chon Buri Highway Police rescue team has been slammed by Thai netizens for their slapstick approach because they couldn’t find the dead body of a man who crashed his car. The dead body of the driver lay in the car’s wreckage for 12 hours after the accident before he was found. The body of 68 year old Pattarachai Auttaporn was…