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 NewsPolice ignore cheating antics of drunk Bangkok cabbie

    Police ignore cheating antics of drunk Bangkok cabbie

    An outraged Thai woman took to social media after police refused to punish an allegedly drunk, chain-smoking Bangkok cabbie who guzzled alcohol while driving and overcharged her brother. Supunsa Hombanyen posted videos of the slovenly drunk taxi driver on her TikTok account, @mildhom, yesterday. She said… “On September 27, 2022, my brother took a taxi from Morchit in Bangkok to…

  • Thailand NewsThai woman says she will kill herself unless compensated

    Thai woman says she will kill herself unless compensated

    An angry Thai woman stormed into City Hall yesterday and screamed at Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt that she would kill herself if she didn’t get 500,000 baht compensation for an injury she sustained four years ago. The furious woman, Sutasinobon (surname reserved), told Chadchart she got her leg stuck in one of the city’s sewers, she is still in pain,…

  • Northern Thailand NewsWoman’s body in luggage found floating in Mekong River

    Woman’s body in luggage found floating in Mekong River

    Royal Thai Marine Corps police yesterday found a suitcase stuffed with the body of a dead woman floating in the Mekong River in the Isaan province of Nakhon Phanom. Officers from Nakhon Phanom Provincial Marine Police Station fished the luggage out of the Mekong about 20 metres away from the station’s dock. Officers from That Phanom Police Station, That Phanom Crown…

  • Thailand News2 Thai knights in shining armour aid lost foreign child in Pattaya

    2 Thai knights in shining armour aid lost foreign child in Pattaya

    Two Thai men became knights in shining armour when they went to assist a young foreign girl lost, wandering alone late at night down a dark quiet road in Pattaya. Thai netizens hailed their efforts to overcome a difficult situation and help a frightened child. One of the men, 23 year old Phoommiphat Chaichana, posted a video of the incident…

  • Crime NewsBMA reveals Bangkok druggies buy yaba online

    BMA reveals Bangkok druggies buy yaba online

    The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) yesterday revealed that the majority of the capital’s drug users are of a young working age and they buy their illegal narcotics online. The Deputy Permanent Secretary of the BMA, Wantanee Wattana, reported that the statistics gathered between October 2020 and August 2022 showed that most drug users among the capital’s residents were aged between…

  • Thailand NewsThailand pays 3.8 billion baht for first train hub in hospital

    Thailand pays 3.8 billion baht for first train hub in hospital

    A budget of 3.8 billion baht has been approved to build Thailand’s first train station inside a hospital. The train station is intended to serve as a transportation hub with a medical centre at Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok. The deputy spokesperson of the Prime Minister’s Office, Ratchada Thanadirek, reported yesterday that the very first train station for health and public…

  • Pattaya NewsThai lotto winners reward ghosts with pricey Japanese feast

    Thai lotto winners reward ghosts with pricey Japanese feast

    Two 10-million baht lottery winners spent 300,000 baht of their fortune turning a graveyard in Chon Buri into a Japanese restaurant to reward ghosts for giving them the lucky numbers. The couple yesterday evening transformed the Tri Kunnatham Foundation graveyard in the Nong Ree sub-district of Chon Buri province into a pop-up sushi bar and served Japanese food to 5,000…

  • Thailand NewsKnife-wielding tuk tuk driver says he is the victim in brawl over passengers

    Knife-wielding tuk tuk driver says he is the victim in brawl over passengers

    An 84 year old tuk tuk driver claimed that he was attacked by younger drivers because of a row over passengers. The alleged offenders defended themselves saying they were threatened by a knife first. The elderly tuk tuk driver, Pichit Sawanwijit, filed a complaint at Mueng Udon Thani Police Station saying he was attacked by three younger tuk tuk drivers…

  • Northern Thailand NewsNaga Fireball Festival is coming to Isaan on October 10

    Naga Fireball Festival is coming to Isaan on October 10

    Organisers of the annual Naga Fireball Festival are hoping the gala will once again recapture the imagination of all visitors after a couple of barren Covid-19 pandemic years. The festival is back in the Isaan province of Nong Khai on October 10 and promotors are predicting a bonanza event that will help boost the provincial economy by 70% to 80%.…

  • Thailand NewsOff-duty officer fires shots & fights with Bangkok cabbie

    Off-duty officer fires shots & fights with Bangkok cabbie

    A road rage incident between a Bangkok taxi driver and an allegedly drunk off-duty police officer saw shots fired and a bout of fisticuffs on the hard shoulder of a motorway. The taxi driver, Thongchai Baanyam, filed a complaint with the police soon after the incident in Bangkok last night. The 42 year old told police that the reportedly drunk…

  • Thailand News169 Thai police officers dismissed for serious violations

    169 Thai police officers dismissed for serious violations

    The Royal Thai Police (RTP) revealed that 169 officers were dismissed this year due to serious disciplinary violations while another 215 officers were punished and disciplined. The Office of the Police Commission met with caretaker Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan yesterday for an overview of the RTN’s fiscal year for the last meeting of 2022. The meeting discussed human resource management, salaries,…

  • Thailand NewsAmerican told to stop riding go-kart in Chiang Mai

    American told to stop riding go-kart in Chiang Mai

    Police and residents in Chiang Mai urged an American man to stop riding his yellow single-seat go-kart on a public road after highlighting the danger he poses to himself and others. A dash cam video of the yellow single-seat go-kart was uploaded to Thai social media on September 21. The kart is seen dashing down the left lane of the…

  • Thailand NewsDogs abandoned by foreigner in Chiang Mai are adopted

    Dogs abandoned by foreigner in Chiang Mai are adopted

    UPDATE The two Thai ridgeback dogs, which were said to have been abandoned by a foreign owner in Chiang Mai, were adopted by a Thai family. The dogs will be moved to a new home in the nearby province of Lampang. Thai dog lovers who live in the same village, Nam Pueng Village, contacted the owner of the house where…

  • Thailand NewsVegetarian Festival on Yaowarat Road starts today

    Vegetarian Festival on Yaowarat Road starts today

    Great news for those living on the veg, the Vegetarian Festival is back on Yaowarat Road in Bangkok after a two-year pandemic absence. Vegetarians from all over “vegiverse” can get down to the “beet” and “shake the mushroom” from today until October 4. Thai-Chinese people all over the country celebrate the vegetarian festival, or Kin Jay in Thai, every year…

  • Thailand NewsFather allegedy kills daughter’s cat for stealing his meatballs

    Father allegedy kills daughter’s cat for stealing his meatballs

    A Thai father faces up to three-years in prison for allegedly killing his daughter’s cat for stealing his meatballs. The man’s daughter filed a complaint with the Watchdog Thailand Foundation (WDT) to teach her father a lesson. The 25 year old May accused her father, 69 year old Paisarn, of killing her cat last Saturday, September 24. The young woman…

  • Northern Thailand NewsViral video: American man joins Thai dance in Isaan rite

    Viral video: American man joins Thai dance in Isaan rite

    A TikTok video has gone viral of a twinkle-toed American man taking part in a traditional Thai dance routine at a religious ceremony in the Isaan province of Sisaket. Thai netizens hailed his nimble footwork, dancing skills, and endeavour. A Thai TikToker, Ryansdiary, posted a video of the 36 year old American man, Scott Spyway, taking part in the parade…

  • Thailand NewsForeigner caught stealing luggage at Bangkok airport

    Foreigner caught stealing luggage at Bangkok airport

    A foreign woman stole a Thai woman’s luggage with about 300,000 baht worth of luxury items at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok. The 45 year old Thai woman, Pornrat, shared the story of her stolen suitcase with Thai media because it still hasn’t been returned. Pornrat was travelling from Dubai and arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport on September 11 at 4pm. She…

  • Thailand NewsRail operators deny passengers were trapped for 4 hours

    Rail operators deny passengers were trapped for 4 hours

    UPDATE Asia Era One’s Public Relations team denied any passengers were trapped in an Airport Rail Link train after a power failure last month. Asia Era One, who is responsible for the operation of the Airport Rail Link train, wants to clarify what happened when the power went down on Saturday, September 24. There were no passengers trapped inside the…

  • Thailand NewsSchoolgirl raped in a school dormitory in front of friends

    Schoolgirl raped in a school dormitory in front of friends

    A 17 year old girl was raped in front of her friends by a 15 year old boy while she was in a Covid-19 quarantine dormitory at Rajaprajanugroh 57 School in the central province of Phetchabun. When the teenager filed a complaint to the school’s director, he allegedly told her to accept compensation, agree the sex was consensual, and move…

  • Thailand NewsFormer MP jailed after casting votes for colleagues

    Former MP jailed after casting votes for colleagues

    A former Member of the House of Representatives from the Pheu Thai Party, Narisorn Thongtirat, was sentenced to 16 months in jail after he was found guilty of signing and casting votes for colleagues. The Criminal Division for Politicians under the Supreme Court yesterday sentenced Narisorn, the former MP of the northeastern province of Sakon Nakhon. An investigation found Narisorn…

  • Bangkok NewsBMTA bus driver brawls with motorcycle rider in Bangkok

    BMTA bus driver brawls with motorcycle rider in Bangkok

    A bus driver and a motorcycle rider got into a brawl on Phetchaburi Road in Bangkok last week after the former honked his horn at him. A video of the scrap between the driver from the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) and the motorcycle rider started circulating on Thai social media last Tuesday, September 20. The video shows a male…

  • World NewsJapan to welcome visa-free tourists from October 11

    Japan to welcome visa-free tourists from October 11

    Japan announced it will resume visa-free entry for all travellers from October 11 and scrap the arrival cap of 50,000 visitors per day. Before the pandemic Japan allowed travellers from 69 countries to enter without visas and visitors could stay between 15 to 90 days, according to the conditions of each country. Japan had over 32 million arrivals in 2019…

  • Road deathsAmbulance runs a red light and kills a motorcycle rider

    Ambulance runs a red light and kills a motorcycle rider

    A 60 year old man was killed after a speeding ambulance run a red light and wiped out his motorcycle causing a huge ball of fire in Mahasarakham, northeastern Thailand. The ambulance from Yang Talad Hospital smashed into the motorcycle at the Chiang Yuen Intersection in Mahasarakham province yesterday at 6am. Video footage from a vehicle behind the motorcycle captures…

  • World NewsBurmese beauty queen arrested in Thailand

    Burmese beauty queen arrested in Thailand

    Former Burmese beauty queen, Han Lay was arrested in Thailand today. Han Lay, or Thaw Nandar Aung, winner of Miss Grand Myanmar in 2020, gave a speech against the Myanmar junta in the Miss Grand International 2020 final in Bangkok. The 23 year old talked about the political situation in Myanmar and how the people are suffering. She urged the…

  • Thailand NewsMan steals watch & diamond ring at car accident scene

    Man steals watch & diamond ring at car accident scene

    An opportunist thief was arrested today after pretending to help a driver involved in a car accident with a motorcycle rider before snatching a 6-million baht watch and a diamond ring from the scene. The driver of a Mercedes-Benz crashed into a motorcycle in front of the Poon Sub Market in the Mueng district of Pathum Thani in central Thailand…

  • Thailand NewsLamborghini driver scrambles from scene of egg seller crash

    Lamborghini driver scrambles from scene of egg seller crash

    A Thai woman has sought the help of a lawyer to help track down a reckless foreigner who crashed his Lamborghini into her pickup truck full of eggs worth nearly 200,000 baht before he scrambled from the scene, leaving a Thai man to take the blame. Kamlai Sisaengchan had just picked up 1,400 trays of eggs, worth 190,000 baht, when…

  • Pattaya NewsGuard arrested on murder of woman he has a crush on

    Guard arrested on murder of woman he has a crush on

    UPDATE The male security guard who stabbed a female colleague to death in Bangkok yesterday was arrested by police in Chon Buri today. Officers from Tung Mahamek Police Station cast their net far and wide for 57 year old Sing Jabairam who stabbed to death his 30 year old workmate, Anitta Yoosothana, in front of the Rajamangala University of Technology…

  • Pattaya NewsSiblings arrested on 3.5 million baht theft in Chon Buri

    Siblings arrested on 3.5 million baht theft in Chon Buri

    UPDATE The woman victim of a 3.5 million baht robbery outside a bank in Chon Buri has been arrested and charged in connection with the case. Police have charged the woman, Prapaporn Boonmesanom, with planning the robbery with her delivery driver brother because she has huge debts. The 29 year old Prapaporn is the finance officer of a furniture factory…

  • Bangkok NewsSecurity guard stabs woman who spurned his advances

    Security guard stabs woman who spurned his advances

    A security guard was stabbed to death by her colleague today after she spurned his advances at Rajamangala University of Technology Krungthep in the Sathon district of Bangkok. The pair’s work colleagues revealed that the alleged murderer fell in love with the victim but she rejected him. The rescue team tried to save the 30 year old Anitta Yoosothana, who…

  • Thailand NewsThai Buddhists ask 7-Eleven stores to separate halal labels

    Thai Buddhists ask 7-Eleven stores to separate halal labels

    A non-profit organization requested 7-Eleven convenience stores in Thailand to provide a special shelf for products without halal labels. The group said halal labels made goods more expensive. Yesterday, Thai Buddhists from Buddhism Protection for Peace (BPP) gathered in front of CP Tower on Silom Road in Bangkok to hand over a letter about halal labels to the executive board…