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.
  • Phuket NewsForeign couple breaks into Phuket restaurant to swim and smoke cannabis | Thaiger

    Foreign couple breaks into Phuket restaurant to swim and smoke cannabis

    A restaurant owner in the Rawai area of Phuket reported a foreign couple to police after they were filmed entering the property without permission, using the swimming pool and consuming cannabis on-site. The owner of Grills Nai-Harn shared a video online showing an employee confronting the couple and asking them to leave. In her post, she asked for help identifying them…

  • Bangkok NewsLaotian man kills and dismembers girlfriend in Bangkok | Thaiger

    Laotian man kills and dismembers girlfriend in Bangkok

    A Laotian man denied killing and dismembering his Laotian girlfriend after her body parts were discovered in Nonthaburi province yesterday, March 24. He claimed the woman committed suicide. Officers from Pak Kret Police Station were alerted at about 8pm yesterday after human remains were found in a water supply canal. Police said a woman’s head was placed inside a black…

  • Thailand NewsForeign man searches for Thai wife and son with letter and photos from 1966 | Thaiger

    Foreign man searches for Thai wife and son with letter and photos from 1966

    A foreign man is searching for his Thai wife and their son after receiving an old letter and photographs from the woman about 60 years ago. A Facebook user, Bubba Homes, posted an old letter and photos in the group ที่นี่..”ขอนแก่น” (This is Khon Kaen) today, March 23. In the caption, the user said a man named Abel wanted to…

  • Phuket NewsForeigner attacked and robbed by 3 men at Phuket ATM | Thaiger

    Foreigner attacked and robbed by 3 men at Phuket ATM

    Phuket police are yet to issue a statement after a foreigner was attacked and robbed by three men in front of an ATM in Patong. The incident was captured on CCTV. The footage was shared by several news outlets last week. A timestamp on the video indicates the incident took place at about 5am on March 19. KhaoSod English reported…

  • Pattaya NewsRussian man charged after cash withdrawals linked to call centre scam | Thaiger

    Russian man charged after cash withdrawals linked to call centre scam

    Police in Chon Buri arrested a Russian man while he was withdrawing cash linked to a call centre scam operation from an ATM in Chon Buri on March 19. Chon Buri Provincial Police said officers launched a crackdown on a call centre scam gang after noticing suspicious behaviour involving foreign nationals withdrawing money from multiple ATMs across the Na Jomtien…

  • Eastern Thailand NewsChinese man injured after falling from pickup transporting fridge in Rayong | Thaiger

    Chinese man injured after falling from pickup transporting fridge in Rayong

    A Chinese man was injured after falling from the back of a pickup truck carrying a refrigerator that was reportedly travelling at high speed on a road in Rayong province. Rescuers were called to an incident at the Marp Toei–Khu River intersection on Road 3191 in Pluak Daeng district at about 5pm on Saturday, March 21. At the scene, they…

  • World NewsUS issues alert urging Americans to exercise increased caution | Thaiger

    US issues alert urging Americans to exercise increased caution

    The US Department of State issued a worldwide security alert advising US citizens to exercise increased caution, citing an escalating US-Israel-Iran war. In the alert issued yesterday, March 22, the department urged US citizens, particularly those in Middle Eastern countries, to take extra precautions and follow security guidance provided by the nearest US embassy or consulate. The department said US diplomatic…

  • Pattaya NewsIranian motorcyclist kills Finnish tourist on Pattaya zebra crossing | Thaiger

    Iranian motorcyclist kills Finnish tourist on Pattaya zebra crossing

    An Iranian motorcyclist crashed into and killed a Finnish man while the victim was crossing a road at a zebra crossing in Pattaya on Saturday, March 21. Mueang Pattaya Police Station officers investigated the crash on Na Jomtien Sai Song Road near Rom Pho Market at about 9.40pm. Police found two injured foreigners at the scene: 55 year old Finnish…

  • Pattaya NewsJapanese tourist attacked by group of Thai men on Pattaya road | Thaiger

    Japanese tourist attacked by group of Thai men on Pattaya road

    Police are investigating an assault on a Japanese tourist after viral footage showed a group of Thai men, including a motorcycle taxi rider, repeatedly punching and kicking him on a road in Pattaya on Saturday, March 21. Mueang Pattaya Police Station said the case came to light after clips of the incident circulated on Thai social media. In one video,…

  • Bangkok NewsFilipina woman caught dumping newborn in Bangkok mall bathroom | Thaiger

    Filipina woman caught dumping newborn in Bangkok mall bathroom

    Police arrested a Filipina woman after a newborn boy was found in a rubbish bin inside a women’s bathroom at a shopping mall in Khlong Toei district of Bangkok on Friday, March 20. Thong Lo Police Station officers were notified at about 4.20pm on March 20 after a cleaner discovered the infant’s body inside a black rubbish bag placed in a…

  • Bangkok NewsThai man rapes and blackmails ex-girlfriend over unpaid debt | Thaiger

    Thai man rapes and blackmails ex-girlfriend over unpaid debt

    A Thai man surrendered to Bangkok police after he raped his ex-girlfriend in a public bathroom and later blackmailed her with the explicit videos to pressure her over an unpaid debt of about 700,000 baht. The suspect, 28 year old Jirapas Kangwankrai, turned himself in at Tha Kham Police Station on Wednesday, March 18, after public attention intensified over a…

  • World NewsMum on the run in Asia TikToker jailed after return to UK from Thailand | Thaiger

    Mum on the run in Asia TikToker jailed after return to UK from Thailand

    A British TikToker known online as “Mum on the run in Asia” was sentenced to 26 months in prison for drug offences after returning to the UK from Thailand. The TikTok user, Ellis Matthews, left the UK in 2021 and travelled to Thailand while pregnant. She later attracted attention online for a controversial video posted last year on her TikTok…

  • Phuket NewsForeign woman attacked by transwomen on Phuket’s Bangla Road | Thaiger

    Foreign woman attacked by transwomen on Phuket’s Bangla Road

    A group of Thai transwomen physically assaulted a foreign woman on Bangla Road in Patong, Phuket, after the foreigner allegedly caused a disturbance and provoked conflicts. The video of the incident did not specify the date or time, but showed a foreign woman, believed to be Russian, confronting several Thai transwomen on the street. The foreigner, wearing an elephant-pattern skirt, is…

  • Pattaya NewsNaked foreigner held for public disturbance and property damage in Pattaya | Thaiger

    Naked foreigner held for public disturbance and property damage in Pattaya

    Police arrested a naked foreigner in Pattaya after causing a roadside disturbance and damaging a decorative statue outside a resident’s home. Officers from Mueang Pattaya Police Station were called to Thap Phaya Road near Soi Phra Tamnak 5 after reports of a naked foreign man walking along the street and appearing heavily intoxicated. His identity and nationality were not disclosed. Police said the…

  • Pattaya NewsForeigner breaks left leg in off-road bike accident in Pattaya | Thaiger

    Foreigner breaks left leg in off-road bike accident in Pattaya

    Thai rescue workers spent more than four hours helping a foreign man who broke his leg after crashing his off-road bike in a remote area in Pattaya yesterday, March 19. The incident happened near the Huai Khun Jit Reservoir in the Khao Mai Kaew area of Bang Lamung district, Pattaya. Rescuers from the Sawang Borriboon Dhammasatan Foundation walked more than…

  • Bangkok NewsNetherlands Embassy Bangkok relocation set for August | Thaiger

    Netherlands Embassy Bangkok relocation set for August

    The Embassy of the Netherlands in Thailand announced it will relocate its Bangkok office to Dusit Central Park in August, ending its long-standing presence on Wireless Road, one of the city’s prime areas. The embassy is currently based on a 32,000-square-metre plot in Soi Tonson off Wireless Road (Witthayu Road), an area known for its greenery and concentration of major…

  • Aviation NewsThai woman reports missing accessories after Bangkok to Shanghai flight | Thaiger

    Thai woman reports missing accessories after Bangkok to Shanghai flight

    A Thai woman shared her experience online to warn other travellers after she said designer accessories went missing from her suitcase during a flight from Bangkok to China. The woman posted in the Facebook group เที่ยวเองเซี่ยงไฮ้ Shanghai (travel to Shanghai on your own) on Monday, March 16. She said the incident happened on a trip from Suvarnabhumi International Airport to…

  • World NewsLabour Ministry confirms Thai worker killed in attack in Israel | Thaiger

    Labour Ministry confirms Thai worker killed in attack in Israel

    A Thai national working in Israel was killed yesterday, March 18, amid escalating conflict in the region, prompting Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to urge Thai citizens to move away from high-risk areas for safety. Labour Minister Trinuch Thienthong said today, March 19, that officials at the Royal Thai Embassy in Tel Aviv confirmed the death of the Thai worker, Chaiwat…

  • Thailand NewsLoei Hospital theft uncovered after ventilator stands found in river, a year later | Thaiger

    Loei Hospital theft uncovered after ventilator stands found in river, a year later

    Parts of medical equipment found in the Loei River led police to uncover a theft of ventilators from Loei Hospital. A medical worker is named as the suspect and remains at large. Residents reported to officers at Mueang Loei Police Station on March 17 after discovering parts of medical equipment in the river under a bridge in Kud Pong sub-district. Later,…

  • Politics NewsParliament elects Anutin as Thailand’s 32nd Prime Minister | Thaiger

    Parliament elects Anutin as Thailand’s 32nd Prime Minister

    Bhumjaithai Party leader Anutin Charnvirakul was elected Thailand’s 32nd Prime Minister (PM) during a Parliamentary vote held today, March 19. Anutin previously served as PM after former PM Partongtar Shinawatra was removed from office over a leaked phone conversation with Hun Sen. He later announced the dissolution of Parliament on December 11 last year, leading to the General Election on…

  • Pattaya News2 men leave 2 transwomen at Pattaya hotel without paying | Thaiger

    2 men leave 2 transwomen at Pattaya hotel without paying

    Two men escaped from a hotel in Pattaya, leaving behind two Thai transwomen at the accommodation without paying on March 17. The 52 year old woman, Wan, who runs a hotel in the Jomtien area, shared CCTV footage of the suspects with The Pattaya News. She said one man was Thai, while the second was believed to be Chinese. Wan…

  • Bangkok NewsBritish man dies in Bangkok after suspected spiked drink | Thaiger

    British man dies in Bangkok after suspected spiked drink

    A British music event organiser died at a hotel in Bangkok on March 6 after he and his girlfriend allegedly consumed drinks that were spiked with cocaine and heroin. The woman remains in a rehabilitation centre. The British event organiser and yoga instructor, 38 year old Tom Pardhy, had been holidaying in Thailand for about six weeks with his girlfriend, 31…

  • Tourism NewsThailand tourism overrated claim prompts debate online | Thaiger

    Thailand tourism overrated claim prompts debate online

    A foreign woman criticised Thai tourism, describing Thailand as “overrated” and citing high accommodation costs, food hygiene concerns, poor transport experiences, crowded islands, rubbish and unfriendly locals. The woman shared her experiences of travelling in Thailand in a video that was later reposted by local news outlet TravelNews. In the clip, she said she spent two weeks in the country…

  • Phuket NewsSingaporean driver charged after hitting traffic police in Phuket | Thaiger

    Singaporean driver charged after hitting traffic police in Phuket

    A Singaporean driver is facing charges after crashing a pickup truck into plastic traffic barriers at a roundabout in Phuket yesterday, March 18, causing the barriers to strike a traffic police officer before leaving the scene. A video of the incident, shared on Thai social media, showed a white Ford Ranger driving into the barriers, which then knocked into the…

  • Pattaya NewsPattaya taxi rider praised after helping disabled foreigner on blocked footpath | Thaiger

    Pattaya taxi rider praised after helping disabled foreigner on blocked footpath

    A Thai app-based motorcycle taxi rider made headlines after helping a disabled foreign man in Pattaya when a street light pole blocked a footpath and prevented a wheelchair from passing. A video of the incident circulated on Thai social media this week, showing the rider stopping his motorcycle to assist a foreign couple. The foreign man, who has a disability…

  • Central Thailand NewsThai man warns of petrol scam after paying 40,000 and getting water | Thaiger

    Thai man warns of petrol scam after paying 40,000 and getting water

    A Thai man in Phetchabun warned the public to be cautious when buying fuel during the ongoing shortage, after he paid 40,000 baht for petrol but received a container filled with water. The man posted videos on his Facebook account, อำนาจ โซล่าเซลล์, on Monday, March 16, showing him and his employees draining water from a well-drilling engine. His caption read,…

  • Bangkok NewsThai man accused of raping motorcycle crash victim | Thaiger

    Thai man accused of raping motorcycle crash victim

    A Thai woman accused a man of posing as a good Samaritan helping her in a motorcycle crash on a road in Bangkok, then taking her to his room instead of a hospital and raping her. The 29 year old woman, identified only as Fah, reported the case to Khukot Police Station and later publicised the allegations, saying police had…

  • Thailand NewsInfluencer questions condo security after heavy safe with gold bar missing | Thaiger

    Influencer questions condo security after heavy safe with gold bar missing

    A Thai influencer questioned condominium security in Nakhon Ratchasima after a large safe containing gold bars worth nearly 3 million baht went missing from her room, with no signs of forced entry. The 33 year old, Phannarai Khemmee, known online as Mod Oil, told followers on Facebook that the 250-kilogramme safe disappeared from her condominium room on March 14. She…

  • Phuket NewsBritish man found dead in drainage canal near Phuket beach | Thaiger

    British man found dead in drainage canal near Phuket beach

    A British man found dead in a drainage canal near Bang Tao Beach in Phuket on March 14 was seen on CCTV appearing restless outside a hotel shortly before his body was discovered. A Burmese national went to the canal in the Bang Tao area at about 12.30pm on March 14 to harvest morning glory and came across the body.…

  • Chiang Mai NewsForeign man jumps into Chiang Mai river after stealing police motorcycle | Thaiger

    Foreign man jumps into Chiang Mai river after stealing police motorcycle

    Chiang Mai police and rescue teams are searching the Ping River for a foreign man who stole a police motorcycle and jumped into the water to avoid arrest. Officers from Mueang Chiang Mai Police Station, along with rescuers from several foundations in the province, began searching the river today, March 16. As of the latest update, they had not located…