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.
  • Northern Thailand NewsThai man prints banner thanking court for imprisoning his sons for 33 years

    Thai man prints banner thanking court for imprisoning his sons for 33 years

    An attempted murder survivor from Udon Thani in northeast Thailand had a huge banner printed thanking Udon Thani Court for imprisoning his two sons for 33 years. His sons tried to kill him over a land dispute, the court ruled. The banner reads… “Thank you to Nong Han Police and prosecutors at Udon Thani Court for sentencing my ungrateful sons…

  • Thailand NewsBangkok gambling den bust sees five police officers transferred

    Bangkok gambling den bust sees five police officers transferred

    The Metropolitan Police Bureau Division 5 transferred five police officers from the Khlong Tan Police Station to work at the metro police headquarters after 48 gamblers were arrested on Sunday at a gambling den in their area of supervision in Bangkok, Thailand. The officers from the Metropolitan Police Bureau raided a gambling den in Soi Pattanakarn 54 in the Suan…

  • Thailand NewsThailand to resume cockfights and other animal sports, gambling allowed

    Thailand to resume cockfights and other animal sports, gambling allowed

    Thailand is resuming cockfighting and other animal fights, with gambling allowed under strict conditions, the Ministry of Interior announced on Friday. Secretary of the Ministry of Interior Suttipong Junjaroen officially announced that cockfighting, horse racing, Siamese fighting fish battles, bullfighting and cow racing may all resume now that the pandemic has subsided. Betting will be permitted under strict conditions, so long as…

  • Thailand NewsThai teacher in US accused of sexual relations with 16 year old student

    Thai teacher in US accused of sexual relations with 16 year old student

    A Thai teacher at a high school in Seattle in the state of Washington was accused of having sex with his 16 year old student. He was arrested at the school on February 17 and released on bail the next day for US$100,000 or 3.5 million baht. The Seattle Times reported yesterday that a Thai man, 32 year old Pawares…

  • World NewsThailand to haggle for discounted SEA Games broadcasting rights

    Thailand to haggle for discounted SEA Games broadcasting rights

    Cambodia is the very first host country of the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) to charge membership countries a broadcasting rights fee, costing US$800,000, or about 28 million baht. Thailand plans to negotiate the cost before the games begin in May, citing that the fee is too expensive. The secretary-general of the Cambodia SEA Games Organizing Committee and National Olympic…

  • Phuket NewsRussians own 40% of foreign-owned condos in Phuket

    Russians own 40% of foreign-owned condos in Phuket

    Thailand’s Real Estate Information Centre (REIC) reported that Russian citizens own nearly 40% of foreign-owned condominiums in Phuket, worth a collective 880 million baht (US$25). In Phuket, Russians have overtaken the Chinese as the No.1 condo buyer. Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 last year, Thailand has become a refuge for Russian citizens, as reported by Al Jazeera. The…

  • Thailand NewsPolice arrest 2 men, 1 woman for overpass threesome in Thailand

    Police arrest 2 men, 1 woman for overpass threesome in Thailand

    Police in Phitsanulok province arrested two Thai men and one Thai woman for engaging in public sex on an overpass in broad daylight after a local media outlet exposed them on Facebook yesterday. Local news Facebook page named Esor News 2 posted a picture yesterday of what appears to be a couple having sex on a bridge with the caption… “Young…

  • Thailand NewsElectrical short circuit closes runway at Krabi Airport, Thailand

    Electrical short circuit closes runway at Krabi Airport, Thailand

    Thai and foreign passengers were left stranded at Krabi International Airport in southern Thailand yesterday evening after the runway was closed due to an electrical short circuit, causing disruption to several flights. Facebook page Krabi Provincial Public Relations Department announced at 8.30pm that the airport sent out a Notice to Airmen (NOTEM) announcing the temporary closure of the airport from…

  • Thailand NewsLoan shark claims debtor shot herself in the head at his house in Thailand

    Loan shark claims debtor shot herself in the head at his house in Thailand

    A loan shark in northern Thailand informed the police on Tuesday that a debtor – who is also his ex-girlfriend – committed suicide in front of him by shooting herself in the head due to financial stress. Her relatives are not convinced by the claim and insist that she never had a gun. At 8.30pm, 58 year old Somkiat rang…

  • Thailand NewsVideo of foreign children playing with dangerous tokay gecko shocks Thai netizens

    Video of foreign children playing with dangerous tokay gecko shocks Thai netizens

    Netizens in Thailand are baffled by a clip posted by a Thai TikToker of three foreign children playing with a tokay gecko, an aggressive lizard feared most by Thais. Tokay geckos are not venomous but are known for being aggressive, territorial and inflicting strong, nasty bites that draw blood and get infected easily. Once a tokay gecko bites, it locks…

  • Crime NewsFour suspects arrested over murder of 4 men in southern Thailand

    Four suspects arrested over murder of 4 men in southern Thailand

    Police arrested four suspects in connection with the murder of four men whose bodies were found in Juerae Lake and the Kolok River in the southern province of Narathiwat two days ago. Residents found three dead bodies with gunshot wounds in a sedan truck submerged in Juerae Lake. Then another lifeless body who was also shot dead was found in…

  • Thailand NewsDriving instructor intentionally crashes into and kills Thai police officer (video)

    Driving instructor intentionally crashes into and kills Thai police officer (video)

    A driving instructor crashed his sedan into the motorbike of a highway police officer in Pathum Thani province in central Thailand yesterday, instantly killing him. The crash was captured clearly by the camera attached to the highway police officer’s helmet. After inspecting the footage, police believe the crash was intentional. At 4.30pm, the Highway Police received notification of an accident…

  • Thailand NewsSuperintendent accused of running gambling website

    Superintendent accused of running gambling website

    A superintendent from the Provincial Police Region 2 has been accused of being the mastermind behind the gambling website saipay69 which has 16,000 gamblers registered and a turnover of over 50 million baht. The Police Cyber Taskforce conducted raids on three gambling website offices yesterday, two in the Bang Khun Thian and Phetcha Kasem neighbourhoods of Bangkok, and another in…

  • Thailand NewsThai tea ranked 7th in the world’s best non-alcohol drinks’ list

    Thai tea ranked 7th in the world’s best non-alcohol drinks’ list

    TasteAtlas ranked Thai tea in seventh place in the travel guide platform’s top 100 Best Rated Non-alcoholic Beverages in the World. TasteAtlas website is an online food atlas or food guide that provides information on traditional and authentic dishes from all over the world. Users can search for interesting dishes by region, country, or ingredient, and users can suggest dishes…

  • Thailand News3 Thais arrested for smuggling of 14 Chinese citizens

    3 Thais arrested for smuggling of 14 Chinese citizens

    Police yesterday arrested two Thai men and a Thai woman on Phahonyothin Road in the central province of Nakhon Sawan for people trafficking. The group were spotted using three vehicles to smuggle 14 Chinese citizens without passports from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. Traffic officers from Mueang Nakhon Sawan Police Station stopped three sedans for a random alcohol test at 4am…

  • Thailand NewsMan accidently shot and killed cousin and injured 2 year old niece

    Man accidently shot and killed cousin and injured 2 year old niece

    In a tragic incident, a man accidentally shot his cousin and her two year old daughter, mistaking them for intruders. The shooting resulted in the death of the woman, while the child was critically injured and is currently receiving treatment in intensive care. The shooting incident occurred last night at 9.30pm in a longan plantation in the central province of…

  • Thailand NewsMan swindled out of 5 million baht by a trusted friend

    Man swindled out of 5 million baht by a trusted friend

    A man filed a complaint with the local police department after being swindled out of 5 million baht by a friend. It was later revealed that this so-called friend of his had previously served a prison sentence for seven counts of theft and fraud. The 39 year old victim, Trirat “Bird” Liwsiri-anan, filed a complaint at Mueang Pattalung Police Station…

  • Thailand NewsGrab taxi driver accused of stealing 50,000 baht cash bouquet

    Grab taxi driver accused of stealing 50,000 baht cash bouquet

    A Grab taxi driver has been accused of stealing a valuable cash flower bouquet by a woman who hired him to deliver the gift to her boyfriend. The bouquet was reportedly worth 50,000 baht, a significant sum of money. The driver, whose identity has not been disclosed, vehemently denies the allegations and insists that he delivered the bouquet to its…

  • Thailand News4 bodies with gunshot wounds found in southern Thailand

    4 bodies with gunshot wounds found in southern Thailand

    Residents in the southern province of Narathiwas found the lifeless bodies of three people with gunshot wounds in a sedan truck submerged in the Juerae Lake yesterday. This morning, another dead body was found near the scene. The authorities have reason to believe that the two incidents are interconnected. Buketa Police Station received distressing reports from residents who had discovered…

  • Thailand NewsSouth Korean human trafficking leader arrested in Pattaya

    South Korean human trafficking leader arrested in Pattaya

    A leader in the human trafficking trade from South Korea was arrested yesterday at a luxury condominium in Pattaya. He was charged with operating an illicit massage parlour in Busan and luring Thai women into sex work. The South Korean criminal boss, identified as 50 year old Cho, was arrested at a luxury condominium on Pattaya Sai Sam Road yesterday…

  • Thailand NewsDead body of missing German man found in Chanthaburi canal

    Dead body of missing German man found in Chanthaburi canal

    The dead body of a German man, who went missing from Laem Sing Beach two days ago, was found in the Chanthaburi canal today. The Sawang Katanyu Rescue Team was notified today at 9am by local fishermen that they found the body of the missing German man, Sebastian, in the Chantaburi Canal near Don Pradu Temple in the Chanthaburi province. Rescuers…

  • Thailand NewsPolice officer beheaded after crashing sedan into traffic barrier

    Police officer beheaded after crashing sedan into traffic barrier

    An officer from the Chainart Provincial Police Office was beheaded last night after he crashed his sedan into a traffic barrier. The stationary barrier ripped into his car and took his head off. The dead police officer was reported to be 30 year old Naphatrapee Worawongwaylarath. He was killed by the 10-metre traffic barrier. His damaged black Honda Civic sedan…

  • Thailand NewsWoman accused of being a witch and sacrificing neighbourhood cats

    Woman accused of being a witch and sacrificing neighbourhood cats

    A woman is in police custody after residents in the southern province of Songkhla accused her of being a witch and sacrificing neighbourhood cats. Yaowaluck Boonchum was accused by a cat owner of being into the occult after killing her five-month-old Persian cat as a sacrifice. The 44 year old woman denied the allegations, saying she is a cat lover,…

  • Thailand NewsMan rejected by employer due to a police mistake

    Man rejected by employer due to a police mistake

    A 25 year old Thai man was rejected by an employer because a police officer in the Isaan province of Buriram mistakenly put his name on a criminal record sheet. Phichitchai Anansook filed a complaint with the Ministry of Justice, saying he was unemployed because of a mistake by Nong Song Hong Police Station. His name was listed as a…

  • Thailand NewsThailand-Myanmar land border in Chiang Rai reopens after 3-year closure

    Thailand-Myanmar land border in Chiang Rai reopens after 3-year closure

    The Thailand-Myanmar land border at the Maesai Border Checkpoint in the northern province of Chaing Rai reopened yesterday after being closed for three years due to Covid-19. Thais and foreigners who want to visit Myanmar need to show a vaccine certificate or Covid test. Maesai Border Checkpoint and Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge 1, which connect Chiang Rai province in Thailand with…

  • Thailand NewsGerman man disappears from beach in central province of Thailand

    German man disappears from beach in central province of Thailand

    A German man disappeared from Laem Sing Beach in the central province of Chanthaburi on Sunday after visiting the beach for sunbathing. Police believe he has drowned. Thaweesak, the owner of a local food shop at the beach, notified the police after Sebastian, who was approximately 30 years old, went missing. According to Thaweesak, the German man visited his shop…

  • Thailand NewsSRT insists 96.3 million baht robots are worth the dosh

    SRT insists 96.3 million baht robots are worth the dosh

    The Thai public demanded clarification regarding the benefits and quality of the UV-C light disinfection robots after the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) splashed 96.3 million baht on the equipment. Many have claimed that they have yet to witness the costly robots in operation despite the SRT’s purchase of them. According to a report from the Public Relations Department of…

  • Tourism News400 people fall victim to Japan tour scam resulting in 14 million baht loss

    400 people fall victim to Japan tour scam resulting in 14 million baht loss

    Representatives from 10 travel agencies filed a complaint with the Central Investigation Bureau after being lured into buying 14 million baht worth of fake tour packages to Japan. Over 400 victims have been duped by the scam so far. Representatives for the group claimed to have purchased tour packages from a major company based in the central province of Pathum…

  • Thailand NewsDisney launches special pop-up event at Asiatique The Riverfront

    Disney launches special pop-up event at Asiatique The Riverfront

    Walt Disney is celebrating its 100th anniversary with a special event at Asiatique The Riverfront in Bangkok next month. Wanlapa Trisorut, the Managing Director of Asset World Corporation, announced a business expansion plan that involves investing over 800 million baht in Asiatique The Riverfront. The goal is to transform the open-air mall into Bangkok’s largest riverside retail destination, catering to…

  • Thailand NewsPhuket health spa slams travel agency for ripping off foreigners

    Phuket health spa slams travel agency for ripping off foreigners

    A Phuket health spa announced that it will no longer accept reservations from travel agencies after one agency ripped off its foreign customers. The decision was made after the agency in question overcharged foreign customers, causing them to file complaints about the high prices of the spa services. Phumontra Cafe & Massage is one of the most popular spa spots in Phuket…