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 NewsLost 6 year old boy helped home after 6-kilometre cycle ride

    Lost 6 year old boy helped home after 6-kilometre cycle ride

    A six year old boy who had cycled nearly 30 kilometers from his grandparents to his mother’s home in another district of Udon Thani returned home safely after getting lost. He was helped home by a government official after six kilometres of cycling. A community chief in the Baan Chiang sub-district of Udon Thani revealed the boy’s story to Thai…

  • Northern Thailand NewsMan lying on a roadside for 6 days survives accident

    Man lying on a roadside for 6 days survives accident

    A man who was injured in a motorcycle accident survived for six days while lying on the roadside before being rescued in Udon Thani’s Isaan province. The injured man, Withawat Nanthapetch, went missing on December 29 of last year after he went to a bar to drink with friends. A bar security camera captured the 22 year old walking out…

  • Thailand NewsFurious passengers on Thai Smile Airways flight grounded for 2 hours

    Furious passengers on Thai Smile Airways flight grounded for 2 hours

    Furious Thai Smile Airways passengers filed a complaint with the Airport of Thailand (AOT) after they were made to wait on a plane at Suvarnabhumi Airport for two hours because of a lack of shuttle buses and drivers. One of the passengers, Amornrat Viriyaroj, shared her experience on Facebook. On Monday, Amornrat travelled from Chaing Rai to Bangkok with Thai Smile…

  • Northern Thailand NewsFamous dance teacher arrested for sexual assault allegation

    Famous dance teacher arrested for sexual assault allegation

    Police arrested a well-known Thai dance instructor, Chutidate Thongyoo after sexual assault allegations were made by an underage teenage boy. The teacher denied the allegations. The teenager filed a complaint with the police alleging that he had been sexually harassed by the 60 year old teacher, also known as Thiam, on September 16 last year. The boy revealed he was…

  • Pattaya NewsMonk under fire over bizarre pebbles ritual

    Monk under fire over bizarre pebbles ritual

    A monk from a temple in Chon Buri is under fire over his bizarre ritual of putting small pebbles onto the eyes of his followers. The monk believes the stones are relics of the Lord Buddha, have magical powers, and do not hurt anyone. A video and pictures of the strange ritual emerged on Facebook and TikTok. It shows 69…

  • Thailand NewsTaxi driver arrested for beating a motorcycle rider with baseball bat

    Taxi driver arrested for beating a motorcycle rider with baseball bat

    Police arrested a taxi driver in the Isaan province of Khon Kaen after he beat a motorcycle rider with a baseball bat and fled the scene. The victim was hit by another car as he lay on the road in the central province of Pathum Thani and remains in hospital. The taxi driver claimed he attacked the victim in self-defence.…

  • Thailand NewsMan arrested for stealing Royal Thai Armed Forces bus

    Man arrested for stealing Royal Thai Armed Forces bus

    Police arrested a man for stealing a Royal Thai Armed Forces (RTARF) bus and driving it to Don Mueang and Suvarnabhumi Airports to pick up some imaginary diplomats. Police reported the thief has a criminal history of drugs but did not reveal the result of his drug test. An officer from the Support Services Department under the RTARF filed a complaint…

  • Thailand News218 killed and 1,647 injured over 4-day new year holiday

    218 killed and 1,647 injured over 4-day new year holiday

    According to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), 218 people were killed and 1,647 were injured in road accidents during the four-day new year holiday from December 29 to January 1. The Director of the DDPM, Boontham Lertsukheekasam, reported yesterday, January 2, that there were 1,664 road accidents across the country during the holiday break, causing 218 deaths and…

  • Thailand NewsPattaya bar security guard slaps Indian tourist in the face

    Pattaya bar security guard slaps Indian tourist in the face

    A group of Indian tourists filed a complaint with Pattaya Police after a bar-restaurant security guard assaulted one of them and accused them of scamming the joint in the early hours of this morning. The Pattaya Tourist Police invited the Indian tourists to the Pattaya Police Station today, December 30, at 1am, to provide more details on the fracas. The…

  • Thailand NewsWedding turned into a bloodbath after groomsman shoots his friend

    Wedding turned into a bloodbath after groomsman shoots his friend

    A wedding is supposed to be one of the happiest days of your life but for one couple it will be memorable for another reason after a groomsman turned the ceremony into a bloodbath by shooting another groomsman after their girlfriends started fighting. The gunman and his girlfriend are now on the run in Trang, southern Thailand An officer from…

  • Thailand NewsWoman who tried to murder her aunty is hospitalised after hit-and-run incident

    Woman who tried to murder her aunty is hospitalised after hit-and-run incident

    A woman hospitalised after a hit-and-run incident was fleeing the scene of an alleged murder attempt, her victim claims. Netizens said was karma. The woman was hit by a car in the northern province of Nan only moments after she tried to kill her aunty to escape paying back a 1 million-baht debt. A witness startled the potential murderer while…

  • Thailand NewsPolice arrest boyfriend of murdered girlfriend dumped in a garbage bin

    Police arrest boyfriend of murdered girlfriend dumped in a garbage bin

    The man accused of murdering and dumping his girlfriend’s body in a garbage bin at the Khao Sok National Park at the border of Phang Nga and Surat Thani, surrendered to police yesterday. He allegedly admitted that jealousy drove him to lose his temper and commit murder. The murderer, Sukhon Kaewprapas, surrendered at Kapong Police Station in Phang Nga three…

  • World News21 Thai citizens reported dead in fire casino in Cambodia

    21 Thai citizens reported dead in fire casino in Cambodia

    The death toll has risen on the fire incident this morning at the Grand Diamonds City and Casino in Poipet city in Cambodia. Thai officials confirmed that 21 Thai citizens were killed and another 53 were injured in the fire. The Cambodian authorities have not yet confirmed a full report on the deaths and injuries. Officials from the Burapa Internal…

  • Thailand News110,000 traffic tickets issued to speeding drivers ahead of road safety campaign

    110,000 traffic tickets issued to speeding drivers ahead of road safety campaign

    The Highway Police Division revealed that 110,000 speeding tickets were issued ahead of Thailand’s seven-day road safety campaign. The Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, Damronsak Kittiprapas, launched the road safety campaign named Seven-day Dangerous (7 วัน อันตราย) today, December 29. The campaign aims to reduce the number of road accidents during the traditional holiday season when many Thais will…

  • Thailand NewsThailand to offer free Covid-19 booster shots to foreign tourists

    Thailand to offer free Covid-19 booster shots to foreign tourists

    The Ministry of Tourism and Sports Ministry (MOTS) announced its plans to provide free Covid-19 booster shots for foreign tourists entering Thailand next year. The disclosure will be welcomed by many who fear another Covid wave after China announced it will open its borders and relax quarantine measures. The MOTS also briefed the press that the government will introduce the…

  • Thailand NewsPolice track down suspect in murder of woman dumped in garbage bin

    Police track down suspect in murder of woman dumped in garbage bin

    Police believe the person responsible for the death of the woman dumped in a garbage bin in the Khao Sok National Park at the border of Phang Nga and Surat Thani is her boyfriend. Police reported they found evidence in the boyfriend’s home related to the murder of the woman, Suphattra Yodkaew, and is now on the run. Police identified…

  • World NewsAt least 10 dead & 30 injured in fierce casino fire in Cambodia

    At least 10 dead & 30 injured in fierce casino fire in Cambodia

    At least 10 people died in a fierce fire incident in the early hours of this morning at the Grand Diamonds City and Casino in Poipet city in Cambodia, on the border with Thailand. According to a report on Channel 3, the blaze started on the 7th and 8th floors of a 17-storey building in the Grand Diamonds City at…

  • Thailand NewsAnarchic passenger causes chaos on bus trip from Phuket to Bangkok

    Anarchic passenger causes chaos on bus trip from Phuket to Bangkok

    An anarchic passenger caused chaos for other travellers on a journey from Phuket to Bangkok today. The nuisance man annoyed his fellow passengers, illegally smoked, insulted staff members, and smashed a window with a fire extinguisher before leaping from the bus into busy oncoming traffic on Rama II Road in Bangkok. The driver of a Phuket-Bangkok coach bus, 51 year…

  • Thailand NewsCoach bus driver praised after giving free rides from central Thailand to Isaan

    Coach bus driver praised after giving free rides from central Thailand to Isaan

    Thai netizens hailed a bus driver for offering free rides to anyone wishing to spend the festive season with their families in the Isaan province of Sa Kaeo. The free trip was from Samut Prakarn province in central Thailand which was nearly 200 kilometres long. The Facebook page Spotlight Bangpoo (สปอร์ตไลท์บางปู) announced the free rides from Samut Prakarn to Sa Kaeo…

  • Thailand NewsThai shooting champion accused of murder

    Thai shooting champion accused of murder

    A Thai shooting champion was arrested yesterday in connection with a murder case six years ago in the southern province of Surat Thani. The marksman denied all allegations, claiming that he is a professional and wouldn’t have missed the target like those already charged. A kratom seller hired three gunmen to murder another kratom seller, 54 year old Thawatchai Wichianchai,…

  • Thailand NewsPolice arrest man high on drugs in Koh Chang after high-speed chase

    Police arrest man high on drugs in Koh Chang after high-speed chase

    In a scene reminiscent of a Quentin Tarantino movie, Thai police embarked on a high-speed car chase with a man high on drugs driving dangerously. The scene culminated in a man’s arrest after a two-hour standoff where shots were fired and police were threatened by a knife in Koh Chang in Trat, eastern Thailand. Koh Chang Police Station and Tourist…

  • Thailand NewsDestitute man walks 1,000 kilometres over 11 days with 2 daughters to find job

    Destitute man walks 1,000 kilometres over 11 days with 2 daughters to find job

    The heart-wrenching story of a destitute man who walked 1,000 kilometres over 11 days to find work to feed his two starving children has a happy ending. The jobless man, Norraphat, and his two daughters, aged 10 and 12 years old, began their long arduous journey from a relative’s house in the Tung Wa district of Satun on December 11.…

  • Thailand NewsGold thief begs for freedom after being trapped by security door

    Gold thief begs for freedom after being trapped by security door

    All that glitters is not gold, so the aphorism goes, as an ex-con found out when he returned to his old ways and tried to steal a gold necklace. He got trapped by the shop’s security door trying to steal the precious item and was sent back to jail despite pleading with the shop owner for his freedom. The owner…

  • Thailand NewsWoman arrested for keeping protected birds as pets

    Woman arrested for keeping protected birds as pets

    A woman in the southern province of Chumphon faces up to five years in jail and a fine of up to 500,000 baht for keeping 37 protected birds as pets without permission. The woman insisted that she did not buy or obtain the birds illegally, the birds came to her of their own free will so decided to care for…

  • Thailand NewsBody of dead woman dumped in garbage bin in southern Thailand

    Body of dead woman dumped in garbage bin in southern Thailand

    Kura Buri Highway Department officers in the southern province of Phang Nga found a dead woman’s body dumped in a garbage bin on the roadside near the Khao Sok National Park at the border of Phang Nga and Surat Thani yesterday. The murderer is still on the run. Highway department officer Makesuwan Suphannamok told the media that he and his…

  • Thailand NewsBangkok hailed one of the top 10 places in the world to spend New Year’s Eve

    Bangkok hailed one of the top 10 places in the world to spend New Year’s Eve

    Bangkok has been hailed as one of the top 10 places in the world to spend New Year’s Eve while riverside shopping mall ICONSIAM is recommended as the No.1 spot to enjoy a fireworks display and countdown to the upcoming new year. US multinational news channel CNN produced a list of 10 Great Places to Spend New Year’s Eve. The…

  • Thailand NewsPattaya’s New Year’s Eve fireworks extravaganza is back on!

    Pattaya’s New Year’s Eve fireworks extravaganza is back on!

    Pattaya reversed its decision to cancel a three-day new year fireworks event at Bali Hai Pier. The city Mayor Poramet Ngampichet confirmed the fireworks extravaganza will now go ahead. Pattaya last week cancelled the New Year’s Eve fireworks event, which was scheduled to take place from Thursday, December 29 to Saturday, December 31 without providing any specific reasons. Thai netizens…

  • Pattaya NewsFireworks cancelled at Pattaya’s New Year event

    Fireworks cancelled at Pattaya’s New Year event

    Pattaya’s three-day New Year event from December 29-31 at Bali Hai Pier is still going ahead but there will be no fireworks at all this year, even on the countdown into the New Year. Concerts and street food stalls will be available to enjoy as normal. Facebook page Pattaya City Mayor Hotline (สายตรงนายกเมืองพัทยา) posted about the cancellation of the annual fire…

  • Crime NewsSouthern Thai woman caught with 70 bizarre animal carcasses

    Southern Thai woman caught with 70 bizarre animal carcasses

    Police arrested a woman from Songkhla province in southern Thailand for selling protected wildlife carcasses as ingredients for “exotic dishes.” Officers seized nearly 70 animal carcasses including monitor lizards, pangolins, langur monkeys, squirrels, mouse-deers, and civets. Yesterday, the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Division was tipped off that a passenger was carrying protected wildlife on a train from Sukirin district in…

  • Thailand NewsVillage chief survives accidentally shooting himself while driving in central Thailand

    Village chief survives accidentally shooting himself while driving in central Thailand

    Somehow, a village chief accidentally shot himself in the leg and hand while driving through Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province in central Thailand yesterday. He tried to drive himself to the hospital but ended up crashing into a temple. At 12.22am, officers from Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Police Station received a report of a car accident at Phra Si Sanphet…