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 NewsFoot the bill: Smelly foreigner limps away from Thai massage tab

    Foot the bill: Smelly foreigner limps away from Thai massage tab

    A massage shop owner in the northern province of Lampang reported yesterday that a smelly foreigner with a limp leg fled without paying a bill of 700 baht after receiving a two-hour massage. The owner of the Kanthika massage shop, Ann, stated that she was not the first victim, according to information from officers at Mueang Lampang Police Station. Ann…

  • Thailand NewsThai man finds body in abandoned house after nature calls

    Thai man finds body in abandoned house after nature calls

    A Thai man told local news agencies that he almost lost control of his bowels after stumbling upon a man’s body in an abandoned house in the central province of Kanchanaburi. The man, whose name remains undisclosed, alerted officers at Lin Thin Police Station to the abandoned house in the Thong Pha Phum district of Kanchanaburi province to investigate the…

  • Chiang Mai NewsChinese dating scammer arrested for targeting foreign men in Chiang Mai

    Chinese dating scammer arrested for targeting foreign men in Chiang Mai

    Police yesterday arrested a Chinese man at Chiang Mai International Airport for operating scams using a dating app to approach foreign men in the province. Two victims filed complaints with officers at Mueang Chiang Mai Police Station on Sunday, March 16 and March 19, stating that a Chinese man they had met on a dating application stole their valuables and…

  • Thailand NewsCannabis vendor found dead with more than 30 stab wounds

    Cannabis vendor found dead with more than 30 stab wounds

    Police are hunting for a murderer after a cannabis vendor was found dead with more than 30 stab wounds on his body in a rented room in the northern province of Nakhon Sawan. His roommate was conspicuous by his absence when police descended on the scene. A 25 year old Thai man, Few, was the first person to discover the…

  • Thailand NewsDrunk British man allegedly insults Thais in restaurant (video)

    Drunk British man allegedly insults Thais in restaurant (video)

    A drunk British man reportedly insulted Thai workers and customers at a restaurant in the Isaan province of Nakhon Ratchasima after his favourite alcoholic beverage was not available. The restaurant’s owner, Thai man, Apinan, called officers from Phimai Police Station to the scene in the Phimai district of Nakhon Ratchasima on Sunday, March 16. The 49 year old restauranteur was…

  • Pattaya NewsIsraeli defecates in Pattaya taxi, tries to resolve it with 300 baht

    Israeli defecates in Pattaya taxi, tries to resolve it with 300 baht

    An Israeli man in Thailand once again brought shame on his nation by defecating in a taxi and refusing to compensate the Thai driver involved in Pattaya. Police intervened in the matter, which was eventually resolved with 1,500 baht in compensation. The Thai taxi driver, 32 year old Norraphat, called officers from Mueang Pattaya Police Station yesterday, March 19, to…

  • Thailand NewsAlcohol act revamp: Thailand raises the bar on booze ads

    Alcohol act revamp: Thailand raises the bar on booze ads

    The Thai Cabinet agreed to revise the Alcohol Beverage Control Act, allowing businesses to advertise their alcohol products and enabling the public to share pictures and videos of alcoholic beverages without legal punishment. The draft of the revised Alcohol Beverage Control Act was discussed during the Cabinet meeting yesterday, March 19. At the end of the meeting, 365 Parliament members…

  • Bangkok NewsThai taxi driver hits rock bottom, then throws rocks at Bangkok cab

    Thai taxi driver hits rock bottom, then throws rocks at Bangkok cab

    Police yesterday arrested a Thai taxi driver for throwing rocks at another taxi driver’s car in Samut Prakan province near Bangkok. The suspect claimed he committed the offence out of stress after his business went bankrupt. A 58 year old taxi driver named Pornsawat rushed to Mueang Samut Prakan Police Station in a state of fright on Tuesday, March 18,…

  • Thailand NewsTomboy twins flee Pathum Thani after fatally stabbing Burmese man

    Tomboy twins flee Pathum Thani after fatally stabbing Burmese man

    Police are searching for Burmese tomboy twins who fatally stabbed a Burmese man outside an apartment in the central province of Pathum Thani on Sunday. The motive for the murder remains unknown. Officers from Lam Luk Ka Police Station investigated the fatal stabbing outside an apartment in the Lam Luk Ka district of Pathum Thani at around 7pm on Sunday,…

  • Thailand NewsLove at first swipe: Thai man loses motorcycle in dating app scam

    Love at first swipe: Thai man loses motorcycle in dating app scam

    Another dating application scam occurred in Nonthaburi province near Bangkok at the weekend when a Thai man lost his motorcycle to a woman he met online. The victim, 24 year old Phitchakorn Khamtan, sought help from his followers on Facebook after his red Yamaha Grand Filano went missing on Saturday, March 15. He shared pictures and a video of his…

  • Thailand NewsThai officer transferred for hitting the stage instead of the beat

    Thai officer transferred for hitting the stage instead of the beat

    A Thai police officer is under scrutiny for singing on stage while on duty at an entertainment venue in the central province of Ayutthaya. Thai netizens’ opinions are divided. Several partygoers shared videos last week of a policeman singing in his uniform on stage with the house band. He performed the song 191 by the Thai pop rock trio Labanoon,…

  • Thailand NewsTourist, not monk: Thai man surrenders after dangerous snake ride

    Tourist, not monk: Thai man surrenders after dangerous snake ride

    A Thai man dressed in a monk robe surrendered to the police after a video of his dangerous ride on a Pattaya road with a snake draped over his shoulder went viral. He insisted that he was a tourist, not a monk. The 40 year old witness, Bang-on Chom-ngam, shared the video of the motorcyclist riding recklessly with a snake on…

  • Pattaya NewsIndian gang no match for Belgian MMA fighter in Pattaya

    Indian gang no match for Belgian MMA fighter in Pattaya

    Four Indian men gang attacked a Belgian mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter over a parking issue outside a condominium in Pattaya at the weekend but were no match for the Belgian man’s skills. The Belgian fighter, 22 year old Maxim Arbille, and his Thai girlfriend shared the details of the altercation with Channel 8 today, March 19. The couple explained…

  • Thailand News2 German models steal from Koh Pha Ngan shop twice in one day

    2 German models steal from Koh Pha Ngan shop twice in one day

    The Thai owner of a handcrafted home goods store on Koh Pha Ngan in the southern province of Surat Thani refused to compromise with two German male models who stole products from her store twice on the same day yesterday, March 18. The owner of the Sprout store, Ploy, took to Facebook and Instagram to expose the two German thieves after…

  • Krabi NewsGerman tourist’s love for Thai salted mackerel goes viral on TikTok

    German tourist’s love for Thai salted mackerel goes viral on TikTok

    A German man went viral among Thai TikTok users after sharing a video of his favourite Thai dish, bought from a market in the southern province of Krabi, in an attempt to discover its exact name from Thai netizens. The German tourist, Manuel Calumet, shared a video of himself and his family visiting a market in Krabi on Friday, March…

  • Bangkok NewsWalking the talk: Bangkok chief to revamp Asoke footpaths by July

    Walking the talk: Bangkok chief to revamp Asoke footpaths by July

    Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt plans to renovate footpaths along Asoke Montri Road, with the project expected to start by July this year. Governor Chadchart, accompanied by Deputy Governor Wissanu Subsomphon, inspected the footpath along Asoke Montri Road on Sunday, March 16, to assess pedestrian issues in the area. He also livestreamed his visit on his Facebook page. The governor revealed…

  • Pattaya News6 thieves, including foreigner, wanted for robbing Laotian woman in Pattaya

    6 thieves, including foreigner, wanted for robbing Laotian woman in Pattaya

    Six thieves, one a foreigner, robbed and brutally slashed a Laotian woman’s face with a knife in Pattaya. The Laotian woman reached out to a famous Thai social media influencer for help as there has been no developments since the attack a month ago. Guntouch “Gun” Pongpaiboonwet accompanied the Laotian victim, Waewta, to Mueang Pattaya Police Station to follow up…

  • Pattaya NewsHoly serpent! Monk spotted cruising Pattaya with a snake

    Holy serpent! Monk spotted cruising Pattaya with a snake

    A Thai woman captured a monk riding a motorcycle with a snake draped over his shoulder on a Pattaya road. The video has since exploded on social media, instantly going viral. The 40 year old woman, Bang-on Chom-ngam, witnessed the alleged monk’s reckless riding and recorded a video of him, sharing it with local media outlets. She hoped to verify…

  • Thailand NewsBroken jaw blunder: Botched surgery leaves Thai man unable to eat

    Broken jaw blunder: Botched surgery leaves Thai man unable to eat

    A botched operation on a Thai man’s broken jaw has left him unable to eat. The Thai man reached out to the Social Security Office (SSO) after suffering from a broken jaw but the operation went horribly wrong. The 42 year old Thai man, Sommai, reached out to the non-profit organisation Saimai Survive after failing to receive proper medical treatment…

  • Thailand NewsLandslide at pipe installation site claims 2 lives in South Thailand

    Landslide at pipe installation site claims 2 lives in South Thailand

    A landslide during a pipe installation in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat claimed the lives of two workers and injured another. Officers from Khanom Police Station investigated the fatal accident at 2.30pm yesterday, March 17, at a construction site on Pu Chao Saming Road in the Khanom district of Surat Thani. Upon arrival, officers encountered the landslide at…

  • Phuket NewsIranian tasered after trying to stab Phuket hotel workers with syringe

    Iranian tasered after trying to stab Phuket hotel workers with syringe

    Thai police officers used a stun gun to subdue an Iranian man who went on a rampage yesterday at a hotel in the Karon area of Phuket and attempted to stab hotel workers with a syringe. Officers from Karon Police Station were alerted to the foreign man’s rampage at 6.11pm yesterday, March 17, and rushed to the scene. The suspect…

  • Bangkok NewsBangkok road sweeper gains fame as model after portrait by Russian man

    Bangkok road sweeper gains fame as model after portrait by Russian man

    A Thai road sweeper went viral on social media after a Russian photographer shared her portrait from a street photoshoot in Bangkok’s Chinatown on his TikTok account on Friday, March 14. The Russian photographer, Semyon Rezchikov, typically shares videos of himself taking portraits of people he meets on the street in each country he visits. The video shows the reaction…

  • Thailand NewsThai tomboy breaks up with girlfriend for refusing to back false assault

    Thai tomboy breaks up with girlfriend for refusing to back false assault

    A Thai tomboy broke up with her girlfriend last night after the woman refused to support her false claim of physical assault at an entertainment venue in Samut Prakan province near Bangkok. Officers from Bangpu Police Station and rescuers from the Ruam Kusol Samut Prakan Foundation were alerted to a physical assault at a bar in Soi Bang Lam Phee…

  • Thailand NewsThai woman loses hand after shirt caught in motorcycle wheel

    Thai woman loses hand after shirt caught in motorcycle wheel

    A Thai woman lost her left hand at the weekend after her shirt was caught by the wheel of a motorcycle while travelling on a road in the southern province of Songkhla. CCTV footage of the motorcycle accident circulated on Thai social media platforms after it occurred on Saturday, March 15. The video showed the victim, 55 year old Sudarat…

  • Pattaya NewsBaht luck: German and Indian tourists pickpocketed in Pattaya

    Baht luck: German and Indian tourists pickpocketed in Pattaya

    A German man yesterday lost about 6,000 baht in cash while an Indian man lost over 13,000 baht in a pickpocketing incident in Pattaya. The 67 year old German victim, Manfred Frey, along with his Thai wife and his friend, visited Mueang Pattaya Police Station yesterday, March 16, to report the theft. He stated that he was pickpocketed outside a…

  • Pattaya NewsForeigner assaults Thai man after alleged hit-and-run in Pattaya

    Foreigner assaults Thai man after alleged hit-and-run in Pattaya

    A viral video surfaced showing a foreigner physically assaulting a Thai man in the middle of a road, following an alleged hit-and-run incident in Pattaya. The Thai motorist who witnessed the incident shared the video on his Facebook account yesterday, March 16, with a caption that read, “The assault was caused by a motorcycle crash. They ended up at a…

  • Thailand NewsThai couple bring 24kg of cannabis to Japan in luggage mix-up

    Thai couple bring 24kg of cannabis to Japan in luggage mix-up

    A Thai couple and their tour guide narrowly avoided charges after the couple mistakenly took the wrong luggage, belonging to a foreigner, and entered Japan with 24 kilogrammes of cannabis, which is illegal in the country. A Thai tour guide posted in a Facebook group called กลุ่มคนชอบตะลอนเที่ยวญี่ปุ่น (meaning a group for anyone who loves travelling around Japan) on Friday, March…

  • Pattaya NewsCzech man falls to death from 30-metre cell tower on Koh Larn

    Czech man falls to death from 30-metre cell tower on Koh Larn

    A Czech man yesterday fell to his death from a 30-metre cell tower on Koh Larn, an island in Chon Buri province. Officers from Mueang Pattaya Police Station were alerted to the death of a foreign man at about 11.30am yesterday, March 16. They rushed to the scene with a medical team from Ban Koh Larn Hospital and rescuers from…

  • Thailand NewsBritish woman missing after fire on diving boat off Koh Tao (video)

    British woman missing after fire on diving boat off Koh Tao (video)

    A British woman went missing yesterday after a fire broke out on a boat during her diving trip off Koh Tao, an island in the southern province of Surat Thani. The fire on the diving boat, named David Jones’ Locker, was reported to Koh Tao Police Station at about 9am yesterday, March 16. The boat was carrying 22 people, including…

  • Thailand NewsThai woman rewards honest collector with job after cash return

    Thai woman rewards honest collector with job after cash return

    A Thai woman rewarded a garbage collector with a job at her rubber store in the Isaan province of Udon Thani after he found her lost cash totalling 100,000 baht and returned the entire amount to her. The 28 year old garbage collector, Boonkong “Namfon” Manmueangpak, arrived at Klang Yai Police Station on his bicycle yesterday, March 13, asking officers…