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.
  • Covid-19 NewsTuesday Covid Update: 19,982 new cases; provincial totals | Thaiger

    Tuesday Covid Update: 19,982 new cases; provincial totals

    101 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 26,289 with 4,591 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 19,982 new Covid-19 cases and 28,057 recoveries. There are now 237,399 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…

  • Covid-19 NewsThailand’s DDC to reduce quarantine for high-risk cases from 7 days after Songkran | Thaiger

    Thailand’s DDC to reduce quarantine for high-risk cases from 7 days after Songkran

    Thailand’s Department of Disease Control, or DDC, has agreed to reduce the quarantine period for people residing in the kingdom who are at “high-risk” of infection after being in contact with confirmed cases of Covid-19. Starting after the Songkran festival, the quarantine period for high-risk people in Thailand will be reduced from 7 days to “5+5” days. This means those…

  • Bangkok NewsUPDATE: Bangkok airport claims Test & Go crowding was temporary, problem already fixed | Thaiger

    UPDATE: Bangkok airport claims Test & Go crowding was temporary, problem already fixed

    Suvarnabhumi International Airport has responded to the complaint from a Thai YouTuber about the seemingly chaotic crowds of international travellers arriving under the Test & Go entry scheme on Sunday. He said that people coming into the arrivals hall didn’t know where to go, couldn’t find their hotel transport, the awaiting hotel shuttles were randomly crowded behind barriers and it…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket shuts down ATK checkpoints at Bangla Walking Street from tomorrow | Thaiger

    Phuket shuts down ATK checkpoints at Bangla Walking Street from tomorrow

    The ATK checkpoints at the entrance of Bangla Walking Street in Phuket will be shut down from tomorrow onwards, according to the Patong Entertainment Association. The checkpoints have been operating since January this year. Today, the President of Patong Entertainment Association shared with Thai media that the two ATK checkpoints at the entrance and exit of Bangla Road or Bangla…

  • Thailand NewsMonday Covid Update: 22,387 new cases; provincial totals | Thaiger

    Monday Covid Update: 22,387 new cases; provincial totals

    105 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 26,188 with 4,490 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 22,387 new Covid-19 cases and 27,680 recoveries. There are now 245,575 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…

  • World NewsBusinesses blame high ‘entry fees’ for deterring travellers at Thai-Malaysia border | Thaiger

    Businesses blame high ‘entry fees’ for deterring travellers at Thai-Malaysia border

    The reopening of the Thai-Malaysian border this month raised the hopes of local business owners around the border areas, who thought it would boost the economy in southern Thailand, and the northern states of Malaysia as well. However, things seem to be moving more slowly than expected, with merchants blaming the 5,000-7,000 baht “entry fees” as being too expensive for…

  • Thailand NewsThai YouTuber complains about Test & Go: ‘Foreigners won’t come back if facing this…’ | Thaiger

    Thai YouTuber complains about Test & Go: ‘Foreigners won’t come back if facing this…’

    After reportedly seeing crowds of tourists left waiting for hotels at Suvarnabhumi International Airport, a Thai YouTuber has voiced his discontent about Thailand’s unpopular Test & Go entry scheme. He said the system was a mess, with hotel staff having to shout to finding their guests, while tourists searched for the logos of their hotels, “as if they were playing…

  • Thailand NewsFriday Covid Update: 25,140 new cases; provincial totals | Thaiger

    Friday Covid Update: 25,140 new cases; provincial totals

    89 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 25,877 with 4,179 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 25,140 new Covid-19 cases and 24,854 recoveries. There are now 248,254 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…

  • Covid-19 NewsATK solution can cause blindness, Thailand’s fact checking centre confirms | Thaiger

    ATK solution can cause blindness, Thailand’s fact checking centre confirms

    ATK testing solution should NOT be used as eyedrops. That’s the takeaway from a warning Thai netizens are passing around, claiming that a harmful chemical compound called sodium azide found in ATK test kits could make people’s eyes go blind. The Anti-Fake News Centre of Thailand, together with the Department of Medical Science, has investigated the claim and confirmed it…

  • Thailand NewsCall centre scammers make deepfake video of Chon Buri police officer to lure in victims | Thaiger

    Call centre scammers make deepfake video of Chon Buri police officer to lure in victims

    Scam call centres are now using ‘deepfake’ videos to make their scams look more realistic. In a ‘deepfake’ clip circling online, a policeman from Chon Buri appears to be talking, but his strange mouth movements give away that the video is not real. A netizen posted the clip online to warn others not to fall for the scam. The clip…

  • Thailand NewsThailand can welcome Russian travellers back this Saturday, really?@! | Thaiger

    Thailand can welcome Russian travellers back this Saturday, really?@!

    The Russian PM, Mikhail Mishustin, has revealed that Russia would open its sky to 52 “friendly” countries from April 9 onwards after being closed to prevent the spread of Covid-19. And that other matter. On the list is Thailand who says they’re ready to welcome the Russian travellers back. Given the current situation with the ongoing war between Russia and…

  • Covid-19 NewsThursday Covid Update: 26,081 new cases; provincial totals | Thaiger

    Thursday Covid Update: 26,081 new cases; provincial totals

    91 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 25,788 with 4,090 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 26,081 new Covid-19 cases and 26,011 recoveries. There are now 248,057 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…

  • Covid-19 NewsWednesday Covid Update: 24,252 new cases, provincial totals | Thaiger

    Wednesday Covid Update: 24,252 new cases, provincial totals

    94 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 25,697 with 3,999 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 24,252 new Covid-19 cases and 26,225 recoveries. There are now 248,078 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…

  • Thailand NewsTAT promotes Thailand as top Indian wedding destination, no elephants included | Thaiger

    TAT promotes Thailand as top Indian wedding destination, no elephants included

    To register on the romantic radar of soon-to-be-wed couples from India, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, or TAT, invited 15 Indian wedding planners to highlight popular wedding destinations in the Land of Smiles. The wedding planners visited seminars in Bangkok, Phuket, Koh Samui in Surat Thani province and Khao Lak in Phang Nga province from March 15 to 22. The…

  • Thailand NewsThai netizens share video of mysterious woman standing still on Pattaya sidewalk for hours | Thaiger

    Thai netizens share video of mysterious woman standing still on Pattaya sidewalk for hours

    A Thai TikTok user has shared a video of a woman standing still on the sidewalk in Pattaya in the middle of the night. Thai netizens commented on the post, saying she might be homeless, and she only took one or two steps then stood without moving for hours. Many people urged authorities to take care of her to prevent…

  • Thailand NewsWoman wields sword, tries to slash man who refused threesome | Thaiger

    Woman wields sword, tries to slash man who refused threesome

    Armed with a Samurai sword, a deranged woman knocked on the door of her male friend after he and his wife reportedly refused to have a threesome with her. At least, that’s what he said. The couple shared that they were threatened several times until they had to flee from Bangkok, but the woman could still stalk them. Thai netizens…

  • Thailand NewsSongkran: MOPH to measure blood alcohol levels during festival’s ‘7 Dangerous Days’ | Thaiger

    Songkran: MOPH to measure blood alcohol levels during festival’s ‘7 Dangerous Days’

    The Ministry of Public Health plans to use blood testers to measure the alcohol level of drivers during the “Seven Dangerous Days of Songkran”. Authorities say the blood test would be used in addition to the standard breathalyzer test. If anyone refuses to get tested, officers will assume them to be drunk. The crowded roads during the annual Songkran Festival…

  • Thailand NewsBank of Thailand updates 20 baht banknote for improved hygiene and longevity | Thaiger

    Bank of Thailand updates 20 baht banknote for improved hygiene and longevity

    The Bank of Thailand has launched a new 20 baht banknote made of polyester. The banknote is said to resist moisture and grime, resulting in a longer shelf-life. The central bank began distributing the shiny new baht greenbacks on March 24. The Bank of Thailand announced that people used the 20 baht banknote the most frequently, making them dirty and…

  • Thailand NewsTeenage boy trampled to death by wild elephant in Hua Hin forest | Thaiger

    Teenage boy trampled to death by wild elephant in Hua Hin forest

    The body of a teenage boy was found lying on the road near Kaeng Krachan National Park in Hua Hin district of the southern province Prachuap Khiri Khan in the early hours of Saturday morning. Local residents reported seeing a wild elephant wandering around the community foraging for food. They say the teenage boy might have been riding his motorbike…

  • Bangkok NewsThai netizens complain election banner forces Western woman in wheelchair into street | Thaiger

    Thai netizens complain election banner forces Western woman in wheelchair into street

    A video of a wheelchair user who got stuck on the sidewalk due to Bangkok’s governor election ads and had to take a dangerous detour into the street has gone viral on Thai Twitter. The incident follows many more complaints about the election banners, which have been blocking almost every sidewalk in Bangkok. The city’s banner bombardment has given Thai…

  • Thailand NewsUPDATE: Police arrest Asoke gold necklace thief, trans woman wanted to pay gambling debt | Thaiger

    UPDATE: Police arrest Asoke gold necklace thief, trans woman wanted to pay gambling debt

    Police have arrested a transgender woman who allegedly stole a gold necklace off the body of a farang in Bangkok’s Asoke neighbourhood last week, after a video of the incident went viral. The thief reportedly said she stole the golden accessory because she’d lost her job and had to pay off a gambling debt. CCTV footage of the incident shows…

  • Thailand NewsMonday Covid Update: 24,892 new cases; provincial totals | Thaiger

    Monday Covid Update: 24,892 new cases; provincial totals

    97 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 25,512 with 3,814 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 24,892 new Covid-19 cases and 27,254 recoveries. There are now 256,667 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…

  • Thailand NewsOfficers from Thailand’s cybercrime police allegedly involved in kidnap for ransom plot | Thaiger

    Officers from Thailand’s cybercrime police allegedly involved in kidnap for ransom plot

    A woman claims officers from the cybercrime investigations department were involved in a kidnap for ransom plot after she had won 2 million baht in gambling. The woman is seeking help from a celebrity lawyer and claims that she, her husband, and her 11 year old child were kidnapped by a group of 15 people, including police officers, and were…

  • Thailand NewsPantip admin seeks help from netizens, after scammers swindle bank account | Thaiger

    Pantip admin seeks help from netizens, after scammers swindle bank account

    After losing all of his money to a scam call centre, one unfortunate Pantip admin has sought help from the best source he knows: Thai netizens. The male admin — who goes by the alias “Latte” — recently shared his sorry story on Pantip’s official Facebook page, saying he had 0.00 baht left in his bank account after the scam…

  • World NewsThais being trafficked to Myanmar rescued from house on “No Man’s Land” | Thaiger

    Thais being trafficked to Myanmar rescued from house on “No Man’s Land”

    Eleven Thais were reportedly lured into work for a call centre scam and were rescued by Thai authorities, with some of them being held at a home on a small, isolated island known as “No Man’s Land” near Myanmar. Two Chinese men were arrested for allegedly luring the Thais to work for illegal call centres in Myanmar. Four of the…

  • Covid-19 NewsFriday Covid Update: 28,379 new cases; provincial totals | Thaiger

    Friday Covid Update: 28,379 new cases; provincial totals

    92 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 25,222 with 3,524 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 28,379 new Covid-19 cases and 23,843 recoveries. There are now 251,214 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…

  • Thailand NewsPolice in Thailand warn that some April Fool’s Day jokes break the law | Thaiger

    Police in Thailand warn that some April Fool’s Day jokes break the law

    It’s no joke. April Fools jokes could land you in Thai jail. The Royal Thai Police is warning the public to be careful with their pranks today, saying that any jokes that cause danger or widely spread fake news can lead to jail time. The Deputy Spokesperson of The Royal Thai Police, Suwat Deepor, warned residents about the jokes and…

  • Crime NewsMan arrested at Bangkok airport for allegedly attempting to smuggle drugs | Thaiger

    Man arrested at Bangkok airport for allegedly attempting to smuggle drugs

    A man was arrested at Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok while he was allegedly about to bring illicit drugs onboard. He confessed that he tried to bring drugs from Bangkok to sell in Hat Yai District of southern province Songkla. The 31 year old alleged drug dealer, Noppawit “Kram” Nithipaiboonsarn, was arrested with various drugs, including 206.75 grams of…

  • Thailand NewsCockle Wars: Fishers sentenced to jail over clash with officers, freeing suspect | Thaiger

    Cockle Wars: Fishers sentenced to jail over clash with officers, freeing suspect

    Four fishermen involved in a clash with authorities back in 2019, where fishers ganged up to against officers to release a suspect and a boat full of shellfish the officers seized, have been sentenced to a year in jail. The fishermen were found guilty of operating a cockle farm illegally and violently threatening officers which led to the escape of…

  • Thailand NewsThai-Malaysian border checkpoint reopens tomorrow, Test & Go travellers welcome | Thaiger

    Thai-Malaysian border checkpoint reopens tomorrow, Test & Go travellers welcome

    After being closed for around two years due to the pandemic, the major checkpoint along the Thai-Malaysian border will reopen tomorrow. Those travelling from Malaysia will be able to enter Thailand’s Songkhla province through the Sadao Border Checkpoint. Reports say the residents and businesses in the region hope reopening the border will benefit the local economy. Vaccinated travellers entering Thailand…