Petch Petpailin

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 NewsSamut observation tower to finally open after 10 years

    Samut observation tower to finally open after 10 years

    Construction work in Bangkok is historically slow, whether it is burying cables underground, opening new roads, or, in this case, the reopening of Samut Prakarn Observation Tower. Thirteen years after plans were drawn up and 10 years after construction work began the building will finally open to the public on August 22. Last month, a Facebook page, Must Share, ต้องแฉ…

  • Thailand NewsThai influencer suffers 2 years abuse by sex pest security guard

    Thai influencer suffers 2 years abuse by sex pest security guard

    A Thai influencer hopes that two years of being sexually harassed by an obsessive stalker is now over after seeking help from a lawyer. The female influencer, Mintra “Pare” Cheuwangkam, aka Mintan, met a Thai lawyer Ratchapon Sirisakhon, yesterday to discuss two years of hell after being hounded by a security guard with an alleged rape and drugs charge on…

  • Thailand NewsGovt wants Thailand to be No.1 in Asian business market by 2027

    Govt wants Thailand to be No.1 in Asian business market by 2027

    The Deputy PM and Commerce Minister, Jurin Laksanavisit, has set an ambitious target for Thai brands and businesses to be top of the Asian market by 2027. The Deputy Spokesperson of the PM Office, Ratchada Thanadirek, yesterday reported that Commerce Minister Jurin was working on a project called “Promoting Thai Brands to the World” to develop Thai brands and businesses…

  • Central Thailand NewsChinese man allegedly murders Thai wife for 70 million baht business

    Chinese man allegedly murders Thai wife for 70 million baht business

    A Chinese man was arrested last week in the central province of Pathum Thani for allegedly murdering his Thai wife and covering it up. The man, Guang Chan, was arrested for the alleged murder and conspiracy to cover up her death on July 18. The 48 year old took his wife, Parawee, to a hospital last month and told staff…

  • Thailand NewsLeading academics & doctors in Thailand demand govt to pause cannabis bill

    Leading academics & doctors in Thailand demand govt to pause cannabis bill

    Some 851 doctors and alumni of the Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, launched a campaign to get the Thai government to pause its cannabis decriminalisation bill for the safety of its children. Yesterday, the President of the Forensic Physician Association of Thailand, Smith Srisont, posted a document with a list of requests to the government demanding a “cannabis…

  • World NewsThailand & Cambodian netizens row over lamduan flower

    Thailand & Cambodian netizens row over lamduan flower

    A row has broken out between Thai and Cambodian netizens over Cambodia’s national flower, which is featured on posters promoting the historical Thai movie Love Destiny 2. The Thai film studio GDH uploaded the poster on its official Facebook page on Saturday inviting audiences to reserve the tickets in advance as the film would be screened in five days on…

  • Pattaya NewsPattaya bar owner makes official complaint after foreigner goes kung-fu on front door

    Pattaya bar owner makes official complaint after foreigner goes kung-fu on front door

    An owner of a bar in Pattaya has filed a complaint to police after a drunk Australian smashed a bar’s sliding front door and “urinated over it”. The bar owner requested 170,000 baht as compensation which was later agreed to by the attacker. Last Saturday, Nattida Ha-im, a 28 year old female owner of a bar in Soi Bua Khao,…

  • Central Thailand NewsBenevolent Thai monk gives away 300,000 baht & gold rings on birthday

    Benevolent Thai monk gives away 300,000 baht & gold rings on birthday

    To celebrate his 35th birthday a benevolent Thai monk gave away 300,000 baht and 78 gold rings that cost 800 baht each to residents in the central province of Phitsanulok. The 35 year old monk, Sittichok Virarote, aka Khu Ba Boon Lom, is loved and praised by locals because of his charity work and help in developing communities near his…

  • Central Thailand NewsEx Thai military man shoots his mother in law after drunken row

    Ex Thai military man shoots his mother in law after drunken row

    A former military man shot his mother in law in a drunken rage last night after a row with a next door neighbour. Chaluay Karnjiakjorn, a former paramilitary officer from a Volunteer Defense Corpse, stole an M16 rifle and fired randomly at houses in the Nong Chang district of the central province of Uthai Thani. His 78 year old mother-in-law…

  • Thailand NewsThai tourism ministry to get 2 billion baht ‘booster shot’

    Thai tourism ministry to get 2 billion baht ‘booster shot’

    The Tourism and Sports Minister, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, yesterday revealed his department expects to get a 2 billion baht “booster shot budget” to push Thai tourism this year after complaining to the prime minister. Phiphat revealed he approached PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and asked for the extra cash after being ignored by the man in charge of allocating additional funds, the Director…

  • Northern Thailand NewsUPDATE: Officials raid religious cult, no illegal action found

    UPDATE: Officials raid religious cult, no illegal action found

    UPDATE The new religious cult that caught the globe’s imagination for allowing followers to drink alcohol got raided yesterday. But officials from Chiang Yuen district in Mana Sarakham province in northeast Thailand found no illegal activity. Chiang Yuen’s District’s Chief, Somporn Kuankamkong, officers from Internal Security Operations Command, Buddhism Office, and Public Health Department, yesterday visited the cult temple, Phra…

  • Thailand NewsBangkok aquarium owner faces backlash after hiring sexy mermaids to swim with his fish

    Bangkok aquarium owner faces backlash after hiring sexy mermaids to swim with his fish

    A newly-opened aquarium at Chatuchak Weekend Market in Bangkok has been criticized by netizens after the shop owner hired some sexy models to swim in the tanks with the exotic fish. The aquarium fish shop, Arowana Mall, hired 20 sexy models for its grand opening event on Wednesday. Each model wore a bikini while two of the sexy girls climbed…

  • Chiang Mai NewsChiang Mai’s 1-month pledge to clear dead power cables

    Chiang Mai’s 1-month pledge to clear dead power cables

    Chiang Mai Municipality promises to remove all of the city’s dead wires and cables within a month. When they finish burying the new cables underground is another matter. Following residents’ complaints, the municipality began tidying power and communication lines around the Wang Sing Kham community yesterday while another project to transfer cables underground continued near Chiang Mai University. Since the…

  • Chiang Mai NewsNok Air to make Chiang Mai a new global destination hub

    Nok Air to make Chiang Mai a new global destination hub

    Nok Air announced it is turning Chaing Mai International Airport, in the northern province of Chaing Mai, into a new hub of domestic and global routes. The airline yesterday invited Chaing Mai Governor, Wuttiphum Julangkun, and the media to a press conference at Chiang Mai City Hall, at the Chang Phueak in the Mueng Chiang Mai District, to discuss the…

  • Pattaya NewsBang Saen Beach near Pattaya to ban drinking and smoking

    Bang Saen Beach near Pattaya to ban drinking and smoking

    Officials in Chon Buri province plan to ban the drinking of alcohol and smoking on Bang Saen Beach so they can develop the stretch as a model tourist attraction. The Thai Health Promotion Foundation, Saensuk Municipality of Muenf Chon Buri District, and the National Institute of Development Administration yesterday announced the project to upgrade Bang Saen Beach into a tourist…

  • Bangkok NewsSeveral roads flooded as heavy rain hits Bangkok

    Several roads flooded as heavy rain hits Bangkok

    Bangkok suffered from heavy rainfall last night. Several communities and roads were swamped due to the high water levels, which reached more than 30 centimetres. The Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt visited several different flood areas last night to find solutions to prevent and solve future floods in the capital. At 1am today, the media reported that more than five roads…

  • South Thailand News18 passengers rescued after ferry explodes off South Thailand coast

    18 passengers rescued after ferry explodes off South Thailand coast

    Eighteen people were rescued after a ferry exploded on its way from Chumpon to Koh Tao today at about 2.30pm. All 18 passengers suffered injuries. The ferry, named Lom Phraya, caught fire about 4-5 kilometres off the coast of the Haad Sai Ree sub-district, Mueng district in Chumpon province in the south of Thailand. The rescue team reported on its…

  • Thailand NewsPlan underway to screen Thailand’s no-confidence vote

    Plan underway to screen Thailand’s no-confidence vote

    Four universities and four free TV channels in Thailand are working together to find a way to screen this week’s censure debate for the public. The idea is to give the nation’s citizens a vote on each cabinet member’s performance from 6pm on Friday, the last day of the censure motion. The vote result won’t be taken into account, but…

  • Bangkok NewsDriver surrenders to police after dumping injured 5 year old boy in front of hospital

    Driver surrenders to police after dumping injured 5 year old boy in front of hospital

    The pickup truck driver who fled the scene after dumping an injured 5 year old boy outside a Bangkok hospital has finally surrendered himself to police. The 5 year old boy was dropped in front of Suksawat Hospital in Rat Burana district at about 3pm yesterday by pickup driver Arnon Nantra. The boy was suffering from a broken hip, wounds,…

  • World NewsGovernment angry Thailand came last in ‘Land of Smiles’ poll

    Government angry Thailand came last in ‘Land of Smiles’ poll

    Thai and foreign netizens have been left stunned after seeing Thailand ranked at the bottom of a Land of Smiles poll conducted by Gallup Global Emotions 2022. The controversial poll even upset the Thai government who hit back, saying the topic wasn’t even included in the official survey report. Singaporean media platform, Southeast Asia Stats, posted a “Southeast Asian Country…

  • Tourism NewsTransport Minister gives Koh Samui-Khanom Bridge thumbs up

    Transport Minister gives Koh Samui-Khanom Bridge thumbs up

    The Transport Minister, Saksayam Chidchop, approved a project to construct the Koh Samui – Khanom Bridge connecting the island with the mainland of Nakhon Si Thammarat province. The media reported yesterday that Saksayam gave the green light on five projects to develop and improve the motorways, rural roads, and expressways of Thailand. Koh Samui – Khanom Bridge is one of…

  • Thailand NewsPro-Prayut James Bond “008” posters mocked by opposition

    Pro-Prayut James Bond “008” posters mocked by opposition

    A pro-government Facebook page, Priang News, (เปรี้ยง) which created several James Bond-type 008, No Time to Die posters, in support of Cabinet members during this week’s censure debate, has been mocked by the opposition. Priang News created posters saying PM Prayut Chan-o-cha will not be “killed” stating the Bond movie No Time to Die and using the hashtag #FightEveryProblem. Pheu…

  • Bangkok NewsCash-strapped BMTA gets green light for 7.5 billion baht loan

    Cash-strapped BMTA gets green light for 7.5 billion baht loan

    The Thai Cabinet approved a more than 7.5 billion baht loan to the debt-ridden Bangkok Mass Transit Authority. Deputy Government Spokesperson, Trisuree Trisaranakul, yesterday reported that the cash-strapped BMTA would borrow 7.516 billion baht from the next year’s budget because it lacked financial liquidity. Trisuree added that BMTA has been facing cash-flow problems due to operational losses and lack of…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket to hold tsunami evacuation drill tomorrow

    Phuket to hold tsunami evacuation drill tomorrow

    The tourist resort of Phuket will be holding a tsunami evacuation drill tomorrow from 2pm. Warning alerts in five languages, including English, Japanese, Chinese, and Russian will be available, and 200 assembly points in three districts are prepared. The Director of Phuket’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, Udomporn Karn, informed the media that Phuket’s yearly tsunami evacuation drill would focus…

  • Crime NewsJealous husband slits wife’s throat after row over 500 baht

    Jealous husband slits wife’s throat after row over 500 baht

    A jealous husband slit his wife’s throat in a row over money in her restaurant in the middle of a market in the central province of Ang Thong before attempting to commit suicide. Ekkachai Lomrai used a chef knife to murder his wife, Patcha Poonthongkam, in Sawaeng Ha Market on Sawaeng Ha – Pho Thong Road in Ang Thong, after…

  • Thailand NewsThai military commanders asked to explain secret budget used by senior officers

    Thai military commanders asked to explain secret budget used by senior officers

    Senior officers from the Defence Ministry, and the Royal Thai Armed Forces, say its nearly 2,000,000,000 baht budget would be used reasonably to protect the country. But members of the Extraordinary Committee asked about the secret budget and urged senior officers to reveal more detail about the plan to the public. The Extraordinary Committee met this morning to consider the…

  • Central Thailand NewsMotorcycle taxi rider treats customer to farewell steak dinner

    Motorcycle taxi rider treats customer to farewell steak dinner

    A Thai motorcycle taxi rider treated one of his regular passengers to a farewell steak dinner in the central province of Sara Buri as a thank you for years of loyalty before she jetted off to university. The 20 year old female passenger, Thanyarate “Stamp” Rungklang, posted a video of the dinner she shared with 61 year old motorcycle taxi…

  • Northern Thailand NewsThai tutor arrested for making child porn with boys

    Thai tutor arrested for making child porn with boys

    An alleged pedophile wanted by the US and Thai Cyber police has finally been tracked down and arrested thanks to a local boxing gym owner. If found guilty the 20 year old part time teacher faces between three and 10 years imprisonment and a fine between 60,000 baht and 100,000 baht. The tutor, named Mai, sexually assaulted children between the…

  • Covid-19 NewsThai Health Ministry urges Bangkok to reduce activities to curb Covid spread

    Thai Health Ministry urges Bangkok to reduce activities to curb Covid spread

    The Ministry of Public Health will meet with Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt today to discuss a new Covid-19 prevention plan and whether public gatherings should be reduced to curb the recent spike in coronavirus cases in the city. The Public Health Permanent Secretary, Kiattiphum Wongrajit, and Chadchart will meet this afternoon and discuss a strategy to prevent the spread of…

  • Thailand NewsThai Cabinet to introduce rape and sexual harassment prevention plan

    Thai Cabinet to introduce rape and sexual harassment prevention plan

    Following the recent spate of sex scandals involving Thai politicians, the Cabinet announced it intends to introduce measures to cut out sexual harassment in the workplace. The former deputy leader of the Democratic Party, Prinn Panitchpakdi, was accused of rape and sexual abuse by more than 10 victims in April, with the case still ongoing. More recently, this week Move…