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 NewsThailand ranked 4th least corrupt country in Asia

    Thailand ranked 4th least corrupt country in Asia

    Thailand – a nation run by a semi-elected military government – was ranked 35th in the world and 4th in Asia in the U.S. News‘ “Least Corrupt Countries” list. Yesterday, American media company U.S. News released its annual “Best Countries” ranking, featuring 73 countries all over the world. Data was collected from a worldwide survey with more than 17,000 participants.…

  • Thailand News7 killed and 2 injured in floods in southern Thailand

    7 killed and 2 injured in floods in southern Thailand

    Seven people died and two more are injured as a result of floods in the southern provinces of Thailand. The water level has gradually decreased today. The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) reported today that heavy rain and strong winds from December 18 to 21 caused flash floods and landslides in nine provinces including Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat,…

  • Crime NewsPolice arrest 7 men for robbery of Chinese man’s house in Pattaya

    Police arrest 7 men for robbery of Chinese man’s house in Pattaya

    Police arrested seven Thai men over the robbery of a Chinese man and his Thai wife’s house in Pattaya earlier this month. The suspects said they were hired by three Thai men who believed the Chinese man was keeping 200 to 400 million baht inside the house. The robbery occurred on the night of December 11 at the couple’s house…

  • Pattaya NewsWoman and Thai-Turkish daughter dumped on roadside in Pattaya

    Woman and Thai-Turkish daughter dumped on roadside in Pattaya

    A Thai husband dumped his wife and her six year old Thai-Turkish daughter on the roadside in Pattaya in Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand, on Saturday. Left alone with no money or belongings, the pair waited on the roadside for three days for him to come back, but he never returned. Last night, a 28 year old woman named Sasiporn…

  • Road deathsMotorbike driver killed by bus after skidding on oil stain in Bangkok

    Motorbike driver killed by bus after skidding on oil stain in Bangkok

    A motorist fell from his motorbike after skidding on an oil stain on Bangkok‘s busy Sukhumvit Road yesterday morning. He was struck and killed by an oncoming public bus. The man, whose identity has not been reported, was hit by public bus No.98 from Huai Kwang to Bang Na near the entrance of Sukhumvit Soi 53 and Thong Lor BTS…

  • Thailand NewsThai taxi drivers receive record amount of complaints

    Thai taxi drivers receive record amount of complaints

    The Department of Land Transport received 93,474 complaints about public transport in Thailand this year. Taxi drivers were complained about the most, receiving an impressive 14,158 complaints. Most of the complaints were about bad manners, dangerous driving, refusing passengers, illegal licenses, and illicit taxi metres. Between October 1, 2022, and September 30, 2022, the department’s Passenger Protection and Complaint Centre…

  • Thailand NewsDrivers switch places in moving bus in western Thailand, 11 tourists injured

    Drivers switch places in moving bus in western Thailand, 11 tourists injured

    Ten foreign tourists and one Thai passenger were injured in a bus crash in Phetchaburi province in western Thailand at around 3am yesterday. Two drivers tried to switch seats while the vehicle was still moving, causing the bus to crash into a power pole, they admitted to the police. The white tour bus, travelling from Surat Thani to Bangkok, was carrying…

  • Thailand News2 Chinese and 17 Thais arrested for illegal money lending apps

    2 Chinese and 17 Thais arrested for illegal money lending apps

    On Thursday, Thai police reported the arrests of two Chinese citizens and 17 Thais for operating several illegal money lending applications charging interest rates of 2,080 percent per year. The Center for Countering Abuse by Loan Sharks of the Royal Thai Police investigated more than 40 illegal money lending applications after numerous victims filed complaints in the last 12 months.…

  • Pattaya NewsTaxi drives off forgetting Norwegian tourist at petrol station in Thailand

    Taxi drives off forgetting Norwegian tourist at petrol station in Thailand

    A Norwegian man took a taxi from Trat to Bangkok yesterday afternoon. After stopping at a petrol station in Chon Buri province to buy snacks, the driver drove off without him. The cabby drove 60 kilometres before realising his passenger had vanished. A Thai woman at the petrol station on the Setthakit Chon Buri – Baan Bueng Road saw the…

  • Thailand NewsDining carriages and catering trolleys return to Thai trains

    Dining carriages and catering trolleys return to Thai trains

    Dining carriages and catering trolleys are back in service on Thailand’s trains after a two-year hiatus, according to the State Railway of Thailand (SRT). The SRT suspended all food and drink services in April 2020 to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Certain busy routes stop running completely to prevent outbreaks of the virus. However, Thailand is slowly but surely moving…

  • Thailand NewsNavy rescues German man with heart failure from cruise ship in Gulf of Thailand

    Navy rescues German man with heart failure from cruise ship in Gulf of Thailand

    Officers from the Royal Thai Navy battled against strong waves to help a German man who suffered from heart failure on a cruise ship in Thailand‘s waters last night. The MEIN SCHIFF 5 cruise ship departed from Chon Buri province and was headed for Singapore when 73 year old passenger Bernd Joachim Max Thiele, of German nationality, fell unwell about…

  • Thailand NewsOnline system to control cannabis bud sales will be ready next year

    Online system to control cannabis bud sales will be ready next year

    The Department of Thai Traditional and Complementary Medicine (DTAM) is launching an online system to control the sale of cannabis buds next year. Buyers must be over 20 years old and present their ID cards before purchasing. While the official Cannabis Act was under process, different rules and restrictions were gradually introduced to prevent people under the age of 20,…

  • Thailand News6 year old girl sexually assaulted by classmate

    6 year old girl sexually assaulted by classmate

    The mother of a 6 year old girl filed a complaint with a non-profit organization after her daughter was sexually assaulted by a classmate at Wat Sri Kongkaram School in the central province of Samut Prakarn. The 31 year old mother, Nuch, yesterday informed the Pavena Foundation for Children and Women about her daughter’s sexual assault on November 30. Nuch…

  • Northern Thailand NewsEmotional man holds daughter hostage in bid to win back his estranged wife

    Emotional man holds daughter hostage in bid to win back his estranged wife

    An emotional man tried to hold his eight year old daughter hostage at school in the Nang Rong district in the Isaan province of Buriram in a bid to win back his estranged wife after she asked for a divorce. A teacher notified the police when the 35 year old father broke down crying in the classroom. Police managed to apprehend…

  • Thailand NewsThai navy officer arrested for drug smuggling in Isaan

    Thai navy officer arrested for drug smuggling in Isaan

    A Thai navy officer was arrested in the Sattahip district of Chon Buri after the police found he was involved in a drug smuggling ring in the Isaan province of Nong Khai. The president of the Help Crime Victim Club, Atchariya Ruangrattanapong, filed a complaint to the commissioner of the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) on October 25 pointing out that…

  • Thailand NewsRatchaburi locals urge foreign tourists to wear face masks

    Ratchaburi locals urge foreign tourists to wear face masks

    Residents in the central province of Ratchaburi urge foreign tourists to wear face masks while travelling in Thailand because the Covid-19 situation is expected to be more serious during the High Season. Channel 3 reported that they received a complaint from locals in Ratchaburi about the use of face masks among foreign tourists. Locals said that most Thai people still…

  • Thailand NewsSecurity guard accidentally shot dead by his pen gun

    Security guard accidentally shot dead by his pen gun

    A Hua Hin Airport security guard accidentally shot and killed himself with a pen gun in the western province of Phetchaburi last night. He accidentally dropped the gun on the floor and it went off, shooting him dead. Officers from Cha-am Police Station and medical workers from Cha-am Hospital rushed to the house in the Cha-am district of Phetchaburi after…

  • Northern Thailand News13 online gambling houses raided, 1 billion baht assets seized

    13 online gambling houses raided, 1 billion baht assets seized

    Cyber police raided 13 online gambling houses in Bangkok and Chiang Rai and seized money and assets worth over 1 billion baht including cash, luxury cars, watches, designer bags, and plots of land. Police reported details of the arrests at a press conference yesterday, December 13. The ball started rolling on smashing the illegal operation when the officers spotted a…

  • Thailand NewsChiang Mai officials steal Thai Identity for Chinese woman

    Chiang Mai officials steal Thai Identity for Chinese woman

    A district chief, village chief, community leader and a resident in the Chiang Dao district of Chiang Mai province have been charged with stealing a Thai identity to create a Thai ID card for a Chinese woman. Each member of the fraudulent group received 800,000 baht for processing the ID card. Police stumbled on the stolen identity case while investigating…

  • Thailand NewsGrabTukTuk to be launched in Phuket next year

    GrabTukTuk to be launched in Phuket next year

    GrabTukTuk revealed it will be launching a new app in Phuket at the beginning of next year to provide about 100 tuk tuk cars for the beach resort’s locals and tourists. Phuket tuk tuk driver Suchart Nitiwaranuluck was hailed by tourists and criticised by his peers in April after he offered a very affordable 50 baht for a round trip…

  • Thailand News7 year old girl falls from mum’s bike, killed by oncoming public bus in Bangkok

    7 year old girl falls from mum’s bike, killed by oncoming public bus in Bangkok

    A seven year old girl was tragically killed on a Bangkok road yesterday while travelling to school. The child fell from her mother’s white Yamaha Scoopy motorcycle and was run over by an oncoming public bus. The driver drove on without stopping, later saying he did not notice the girl. A rescue team and medical workers from Sirirat Hospital rushed…

  • Thailand NewsDriver suffers seizure, crashes into two motorcycles, killing 1

    Driver suffers seizure, crashes into two motorcycles, killing 1

    A sedan driver suffered a seizure this morning causing his car to crash into two motorcyclists, killing one, and injuring another on Setthakit 1 Road in Samut Sakhon province. The accident happened in rush hour today at 8.30am. The 51 year old driver, Wichian Chanla, was injured and sent to a hospital while his four passengers escaped unharmed. Wichian’s black…

  • Thailand NewsZookeeper seeks compensation after being bitten by wild monkeys

    Zookeeper seeks compensation after being bitten by wild monkeys

    A zookeeper is demanding compensation from Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chon Buri after she got bitten by wild monkeys at work. The animal keeper said she paid nearly 100,000 baht for treatment but got only 3,000 baht from her employer in return. A 54 year old woman named Mon, who worked at Khao Kheow Open Zoo, yesterday filed a…

  • Thailand NewsYoung bride-to-be dies in drink driving incident 17 days before wedding

    Young bride-to-be dies in drink driving incident 17 days before wedding

    A young bride-to-be died in a tragic drink driving incident 17 days before her wedding. The drunk driver crashed his 18-wheel truck into her boyfriend’s car, and the vehicle collided with the 27 year old as she stood on the roadside. The incident happened on National Highway Road No. 33 in front of a factory where the bride worked in…

  • Thailand NewsThai actress faints at the wheel, crashes into 9 motor vehicles & a shop in Pattaya

    Thai actress faints at the wheel, crashes into 9 motor vehicles & a shop in Pattaya

    A Thai actress blacked out and crashed her minivan into nine motor vehicles and a restaurant on Pattaya’s Klang Sai Sam Road on Sunday night. No injuries were reported, and no alcohol was found in the actress’ system. The incident happened on Sunday, December 11, in front of a late-night porridge shop on Pattaya Klang Sai Sam Road. The owner of…

  • Thailand NewsWoman goes bananas after children steal her fruit and sues them for 24,000 baht

    Woman goes bananas after children steal her fruit and sues them for 24,000 baht

    Eight children aged between five and 12 years old were fined 3,000 each after stealing and eating a bunch of bananas at a friend’s house in the Isaan province of Buriram. Parents of the children reported the issue to the media in the hope of seeking mercy for the children. Parents informed the press that the 33 year old woman,…

  • Thailand News9 year old boy rescued after falling into 2-metre deep well

    9 year old boy rescued after falling into 2-metre deep well

    A nine year old boy was rescued yesterday after he fell into a 2-metre-deep well on an abandoned strawberry farm in the central province of Nakhon Nayok. Fortunately, the boy, Tawan, had a mobile phone with him so he could alert his grandmother who then called a neighbour to help. The neighbour who took the call, 72 year old Thawee…

  • Thailand NewsGeminids meteor shower predicted to hit Thailand on December 14

    Geminids meteor shower predicted to hit Thailand on December 14

    The National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) invited locals, tourists, and stargazers in Chiang Mai, Nakhon Ratchasima, and Chachernsao to watch the Geminid meteor shower on December 14. According to the NARIT, the Geminid meteors will shower in Thailand from 8pm to 11pm while shooting stars are predicted to fire up to 150 drops per hour. The phenomenon is…

  • Thailand NewsTABBA requests 4am closing time during festive season

    TABBA requests 4am closing time during festive season

    The Thai Alcohol Beverage Business Association (TABBA) requested a 4am closing time trial for entertainment venues in nine tourist zones during the festive season. TABBA believe this would help businesses to attract more foreign tourists. TABBA advisor, Thanakorn Kuptajit, told Matichon that the association proposed two requests to the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports department.…

  • Thailand NewsA sexy Thai model exposed as an identity thief and transwomen

    A sexy Thai model exposed as an identity thief and transwomen

    A sexy Thai model became notorious almost overnight after becoming an identity thief. The model stole the identification card (ID card) of a former college friend for work, causing all sorts of problems for the innocent woman who was subjected to several police summonses. But there’s more! The identity theft revealed that the model is actually a transwoman, shocking her…