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 NewsThai taxi drivers receive record amount of complaints | Thaiger

    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 | Thaiger

    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 | Thaiger

    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.…

  • Thailand NewsBurmese workers in Bangkok protest for 600 baht minimum wage | Thaiger

    Burmese workers in Bangkok protest for 600 baht minimum wage

    Burmese migrants rallied in Bangkok yesterday, on International Migrants Day, to ask the government to increase the minimum wage to 600 baht per day and care about the rights of migrant workers in Thailand. More than 100 Burmese citizens under the group name “Bright Future” gathered outside the Embassy of Myanmar near Saint Louis BTS Station at 2pm. Burmese migrants…

  • Thailand NewsDining carriages and catering trolleys return to Thai trains | Thaiger

    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 | Thaiger

    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 | Thaiger

    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,…

  • Northern Thailand NewsMan savaged to death by three pit bulls | Thaiger

    Man savaged to death by three pit bulls

    A man was savaged to death by three pit bulls in the Isaan province of Udon Thani. The owner of the dogs is distraught and revealed he will find a new home for the dogs to avoid the same fate in the future. Pornchai Ritmaha was attacked by three pit bulls last night at about 8pm. The 47 year old…

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

    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 | Thaiger

    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 | Thaiger

    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…

  • Northern Thailand NewsMan faked death to break up with his wife | Thaiger

    Man faked death to break up with his wife

    A Thai man hated his wife so much that he faked his death to escape her unhappy clutches. A 35 year old married man named Bird, from Udon Thani in northeast Thailand, left a suicide note for his wife on Tuesday, December 13 saying he was going to end it all because he could not take any more of her…

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

    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 | Thaiger

    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 | Thaiger

    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 NewsA bikini thief spotted on CCTV arrested in Chiang Mai | Thaiger

    A bikini thief spotted on CCTV arrested in Chiang Mai

    An audacious bikini thief was arrested after breaking into a house and a builder’s merchant in Chiang Mai before making off with cash, an iPhone and other goods The owner of the builder’s merchants posted CCTV footage of the daring burglar on Facebook yesterday. The video reveals the woman climbing over a 3-metre gate behind the shop in a two-piece…

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

    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 | Thaiger

    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 | Thaiger

    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 NewsA sex-mad Thai couple fined 5,000 baht for fornicating inside a laundry | Thaiger

    A sex-mad Thai couple fined 5,000 baht for fornicating inside a laundry

    A sex-mad Thai couple were fined 5,000 baht after being caught on the security camera fornicating inside a 24-hour laundry shop in Bangkok. A 24-hour laundromat, Dr Tiger Laundry, in Soi Chueam Samphan 13 in the Nong Chok district of Bangkok, became a haven of copulation for the horny exhibitionists. The laundry’s owner, Jakkapong Chookhanthong, was angry with the sex-mad…

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

    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 | Thaiger

    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 | Thaiger

    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 NewsJailed politician erects billboard to wish voters Happy New Year | Thaiger

    Jailed politician erects billboard to wish voters Happy New Year

    A former Thai politician appears to be making a joke out of his current prison term by splashing the cash on a billboard to wish his constituents a Happy New Year. A picture of former Democrat MP Thepthai Senpong features on a Happy New Year billboard in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat. The billboard has drawn a mixed…

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

    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…

  • Thailand News23 military students hospitalised after being trained too hard | Thaiger

    23 military students hospitalised after being trained too hard

    Twenty-three military students of the Army Reserve Training Centre at Narathiwat School were sent to the hospital with serious muscle and kidney injuries due to being trained too hard. The army trainer has been relieved of his duties while the matter is investigated. Parents of the injured military students posted on Facebook on November 30 that their sons and some…

  • Thailand NewsLao star swindled by Thai celebrity, more than 500 million baht lost | Thaiger

    Lao star swindled by Thai celebrity, more than 500 million baht lost

    A Lao actress filed a complaint with the Justice Ministry of Thailand after a former Thai singing celebrity allegedly swindled 34 million baht from her. It is understood another 100 people have fallen victim to the celebrity swindler now hiding in Germany and over 500 million baht has been scammed. The Lao star, Wanmanee “Lilly” Ponsavan, handed over evidence of…

  • Thailand NewsFather chains up daughter and forces her to return to abusive husband | Thaiger

    Father chains up daughter and forces her to return to abusive husband

    A non-profit organization rescued a young woman who was chained up by her father last Saturday, December 3. Her father held her captive because he did not want her to divorce her husband. The founder of non-profit Saimai Survive, Ekkaphop Luengprasert, and his team raided a rental room on Suwin Thawong Road in the Nong Chok district of Bangkok last…

  • Thailand NewsThailand to celebrate its 10 millionth tourist on December 10 | Thaiger

    Thailand to celebrate its 10 millionth tourist on December 10

    Thailand expects to hit the 10 million tourist target on December 10 and Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is urging the nation’s airlines to add more flights to meet the growing demand. The Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Yuthasak Supasorn, reported the good news yesterday. From January to December 5 of this year Thailand welcomed more than nine…

  • Thailand NewsBritish man who loves Thailand banned for 5 years for overstaying | Thaiger

    British man who loves Thailand banned for 5 years for overstaying

    A British man was arrested for overstaying his welcome in the Isaan province of Sisaket yesterday. He admitted to immigration officers that overstaying in the country was wrong but he loved Thailand so much that he did not want to leave. The Sisaket Provincial Immigration Police were doing their rounds and checking on foreigners in the area when their database…