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.
  • Visa Information“Covid” visa extension: Key details from the latest order from immigration

    “Covid” visa extension: Key details from the latest order from immigration

    A signed document from the Thai Immigration Bureau regarding the deadline for the 60-day “Covid” visa extension was leaked last night. While there has been no formal announcement, the document shows that the deadline to apply for the extension has been pushed from today to March 25. There are some key details included in the document that foreign residents in…

  • Thailand NewsWoman puts up billboard in Phuket to find missing cats, 30,000 baht reward for each

    Woman puts up billboard in Phuket to find missing cats, 30,000 baht reward for each

    A Japanese woman paid over 300,000 baht to put up billboards in Phuket in other to find her two cats which have both been missing since last November. She says she’ll pay a 30,000 baht reward for each cat Her Thai employee shared with Thai media that her Japanese employer brought four cats from Japan. One day, the delivery staff…

  • Thailand NewsWoman kidnapped from hotel quarantine allegedly by men posing as police officers

    Woman kidnapped from hotel quarantine allegedly by men posing as police officers

    A woman infected with Covid-19 was allegedly kidnapped from a quarantine hotel in Bangkok by a group of men posing as police officers. The 55 year old father file a report with police on Saturday, claiming that his 23 year old daughter was kidnapped from a hotel quarantine by a group of men claiming to be police. Apparently, one of…

  • Thailand News32 public toilets at Bali Hai Pier in Pattaya will be ready by this April

    32 public toilets at Bali Hai Pier in Pattaya will be ready by this April

    The Deputy City Mayor of Pattaya told Thai media that 32 public toilets at Bali Hai Pier will be finished and ready to use by April, admitting that construction for the 5 million baht restroom project had fallen a bit behind schedule. Deputy mayor Pattana Boonsawat told Thai media that the construction of the toilets fell behind schedule due to…

  • Thailand NewsMany criticise “soldier” coffee shop at southern Thailand military camp

    Many criticise “soldier” coffee shop at southern Thailand military camp

    “Sip a coffee and see cool soldiers”… That’s what an advertisement said for a new cafe opened up at the Thai Army 4 camp in the southern province Nakhon Si Thammarat. Chor Coffee at the Thep Satri Si Sunthon Military Camp made a post on Facebook with photos of drinks, desserts, and men in uniform. It caught people’s attention with…

  • Thailand NewsMcDonald’s Thailand offers ice cream sundae with chilli paste and pork floss

    McDonald’s Thailand offers ice cream sundae with chilli paste and pork floss

    McDonald’s is offering a special Thai-style ice cream sundae… with chilli paste and pork floss. The fast food company has teamed up with famous Thai sauce company Deksomboon, also known as the Healthy Boy brand, for the limited edition sundae with vanilla soft serve and the spicy and savory toppings. This unique combination costs 39 baht and will be available at participating…

  • Thailand NewsPolice seize lottery tickets allegedly smuggled by Thailand Post staff

    Police seize lottery tickets allegedly smuggled by Thailand Post staff

    Police seized more than 200,000 lottery tickets allegedly smuggled by a Thailand Post staff member in the Isaan province Loei. Apparently, an employee of the government-owned postal service was selling hundreds and thousands of lottery tickets to brokers when the tickets were reserved for local vendors. The Thai lottery tickets are technically supposed to be sold at 80 baht, but…

  • Pattaya NewsPattaya Walking Street renovation 80% complete, officials target visitors of all ages

    Pattaya Walking Street renovation 80% complete, officials target visitors of all ages

    Renovations to Pattaya’s famous Walking Street are about 80% complete, according to the city mayor Sontaya Khunpluem. The project aims to clean up the redlight district street and draw in tourists of all ages… yes, he said all ages. The mayor told Thai media that overhead electric and communication wires have been moved to the underground to make the street…

  • Crime NewsPolice search for drug suspects after one allegedly fired an M16 rifle at officers

    Police search for drug suspects after one allegedly fired an M16 rifle at officers

    After a gunfire exchange with more than 100 police officers, five drug suspects reportedly fled the scene as one fired an M16 rifle, evading arrest. Apparently, they had been tracked down by police and escaped arrest at least three times prior. Suspects, including alleged gang leader, 41 year old Pradit “Greg” Musikasong, are wanted on several charges. Dozens of police…

  • Thailand NewsThose who don’t report positive ATK results can face penalties – DDC director

    Those who don’t report positive ATK results can face penalties – DDC director

    Has your at-home Covid-19 test come out positive? If so, report the results to government health officials. Those who do not report their result can face charges. Speaking at a press conference, the director-general of the Department of Disease Control, Opas Karnkawinpong, warned that anyone who finds themselves infected with Covid-19 by using the ATK test and keeps it a…

  • Thailand NewsBangkok is blooming: Flora Festival takes over several public parks until July

    Bangkok is blooming: Flora Festival takes over several public parks until July

    Sunflowers are blossoming in Bangkok. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is organising the Bangkok Flora Festival where flowers will be planted in various parks in the capital from now until July. The first garden is a sunflower field at the Vachitabenjatas Park or Suan Rot Fai Park near the Chatuchak Weekend Market. Over 1.5 acres of Suan Rot Fai Park is…

  • Thailand NewsPhuket’s Patong Tunnel to be complete by 2027

    Phuket’s Patong Tunnel to be complete by 2027

    The Patong Tunnel will drill under the infamous hill that just about every tourist has to go over at some stage to get to Patong Beach. The windy road, up and down the hill, has been the scene of hundreds of fatal incidents with motorcycles, cars, trucks, vans and fully-loaded tour buses using the same patch of dangerous road. Efforts…

  • Thailand NewsParents and teachers protest against ATK test and face mask mandates at schools

    Parents and teachers protest against ATK test and face mask mandates at schools

    A group of Thai parents and teachers against mandates for ATK tests and face masks at schools held a protest outside of the Ministry of Education and Public Health yesterday. Many schools and universities in Thailand are back to on-site classes again, but under the Covid-19 prevention measure set by the Public Health Ministry. Every student has been asked to…

  • Thailand NewsHungarian wanted overseas arrested in Bangkok, overstayed visa by 10 years

    Hungarian wanted overseas arrested in Bangkok, overstayed visa by 10 years

    Thai Immigration police arrested a 48 year old Hungarian suspect who is wanted in his home country for alleged insurance fraud and has been staying in Thailand illegally for more than 10 years. Immigration police say the man is on 4,254 days overstay after entering Thailand in 2010 on a 60 day tourist visa. Officers say the man was arrested…

  • Thailand NewsChinese New Year on Bangkok’s Yaowarat Road cancelled again due to Covid-19

    Chinese New Year on Bangkok’s Yaowarat Road cancelled again due to Covid-19

    Chinese New Year is expected to be celebrated on February 1 to welcome the Year of the Tiger. But with the raising Covid-19 infection rate, especially in Bangkok, the Chinese New Year event on the Yaowarat Road, known as Chinatown, is cancelled again this year. The Royal Jubilee Gate, or Odeon Gate, will still be decorated, and people are allowed…

  • Tourism NewsOfficials considering Sandbox destinations in every region – Health Minister

    Officials considering Sandbox destinations in every region – Health Minister

    Along with pushing for the resumption of the Test & Go scheme, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says the ministry is discussing adding more Sandbox destinations to have the entry scheme open in every region of Thailand. The ministry will make formal proposals, including lowering the Covid-19 alert level to level 3, at the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration general…

  • Thailand NewsSuvarnabhumi Airport’s passenger terminal to be extended for future tourists

    Suvarnabhumi Airport’s passenger terminal to be extended for future tourists

    In the next 10 years, Thailand could rank as the world’s ninth busiest travel hub welcoming 200 million passengers each year, according to a forecast from the International Air Transport Association. To prepare for the anticipated post-pandemic uptick, Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport is extending its east side of the main passenger terminal. The government approved an initial budget of 7.8 billion…

  • Thailand News7 people rescued after speedboat from Koh Chang hits rocks, sinks

    7 people rescued after speedboat from Koh Chang hits rocks, sinks

    A group travelling by speedboat from Koh Chang had to be rescued after the boat hit rocks, causing it to take on water and sink. The seven people on board the speedboat, including the skipper, were floating in the Gulf of Thailand off the coast of Trat’s Koh Lim for around two hours. The group had been travelling from the…

  • Pattaya NewsAnother Pattaya nightclub raid… this time police get a locksmith

    Another Pattaya nightclub raid… this time police get a locksmith

    In another nightclub raid in Pattaya, police called a locksmith to open the venue, which officers say, was still operating after the 9pm cutoff time for alcohol sales, but had the doors closed and locked to make it appear that it was closed. Police say that The Box 69 Club in Soi Bong Kot of Southern Pattaya turned off some…

  • Thailand NewsThailand’s Health Ministry to propose reopening Test & Go registration

    Thailand’s Health Ministry to propose reopening Test & Go registration

    The Public Health Ministry plans to make a proposal to reopen registration for the Test & Go quarantine exemption scheme. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul told Thai media today of his plan to make the proposal to the CCSA for this week’s meeting. The proposal needs approval from Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration before travellers can register for the entry…

  • Thailand News413 Bars in Bangkok ask permission to reopen as restaurants

    413 Bars in Bangkok ask permission to reopen as restaurants

    More than 400 bars, nightclubs, and entertainment venues in Bangkok have applied for permission to reopen as restaurants. The venues have been closed since April due to strict disease control measures. The government delayed its plan to allow bars and nightclubs to reopen in mid-January due to the Omicron outbreak in Thailand, but decided to allow the venues to apply for…

  • Thailand NewsDeputy PM tells Thais to stay positive about price hike for pork, other goods

    Deputy PM tells Thais to stay positive about price hike for pork, other goods

    Pork prices aren’t the only costs rising. Prices for chicken prices, eggs, public boat fees, and toll fees are also increasing and Deputy PM Supattanapong Punmeechaow is now encouraging Thais to stay positive with the price hikes and is saying that it is temporary. He says the price increases are normal due to the law of supply and demand. In…

  • Crime NewsNarcotics Control Board clarifies cannabis laws after Health Minister’s statements

    Narcotics Control Board clarifies cannabis laws after Health Minister’s statements

    While Thailand’s pro-cannabis Public Health Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, just insisted to Thai media that cannabis is not narcotic and even asked authorities to let residents grow and sell cannabis as it is another way for people to earn more income, the Narcotics Control Board just held a press conference yesterday saying that yes, it is still a narcotic. And only…

  • Cannabis NewsHealth Minister insists cannabis is not a narcotic, high-inducing THC still illegal

    Health Minister insists cannabis is not a narcotic, high-inducing THC still illegal

    Cannabis is not a narcotic drug… at least that’s what Thailand’s Public Health Minister is saying. In an interview with Thai media, Anutin Charnvirakul said cannabis (not with the high-inducing component THC) is legal and can be grown as well as used for medical purposes, adding that authorities should let residents grow the once-criminalised plant and sell cannabis as a…