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.
  • Bangkok NewsMotorbike rider dies in crash after argument with another rider | Thaiger

    Motorbike rider dies in crash after argument with another rider

    A motorbike rider crashed into an electric pole on a sidewalk and died after arguing with another rider on a road in Bangkok. Piyapong Suwarot got into an argument with a teenage motorbike rider, who accused the older man of cutting him off, on Pracha Uthit Road in the Tung Kru district of Bangkok. As a consequence, the 47 year…

  • Bangkok NewsPrison doctor allegedly threatened to shoot his female patient | Thaiger

    Prison doctor allegedly threatened to shoot his female patient

    A prison doctor allegedly threatened to shoot his female patient because he does not believe in her political beliefs. Political activist, Natchanit “Baipor” Duangmusit, was jailed on May 3 after being charged on April 28 with defamation of the Thai royal family under Section 112 of the nation’s criminal code, also known as lèse majesté laws. Baipor, and another female…

  • Thailand NewsThai police say plan to change uniforms ‘a waste of money’ | Thaiger

    Thai police say plan to change uniforms ‘a waste of money’

    Plans to change the uniforms of parliament police, 6 months after they were issued with new ones, have been put on hold after officers objected, calling it “a waste of taxpayers’ money.” Sixty parliament police officers gathered at the parliament building, in Dusit district, yesterday to submit a letter to the President of the National Assembly, Chuan Leekpai, to oppose…

  • Thailand NewsThais face death penalty if they take cannabis-related products into Indonesia | Thaiger

    Thais face death penalty if they take cannabis-related products into Indonesia

    The Royal Thai Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, cautioned Thai people against taking cannabis and hemp into Indonesia as they could face the death penalty. The official Facebook page of the Royal Thai Embassy in Jakarta today uploaded a picture with a message saying, “The Royal Thai Embassy in Jakarta would like to warn Thai people not to carry cannabis, hemp,…

  • Bangkok NewsBangkok’s plan to become the Venice of the East… again | Thaiger

    Bangkok’s plan to become the Venice of the East… again

    Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt yesterday met with the Federation of Thai Industries president to plan a grand project to turn the Hua Lamphong Canal into an example of the Venice of the East, an oft-mentioned nickname for Bangkok in the past. The 56 year old Chadchart met with Kriengkrai Thiennukul to discuss a solution to improving the city’s water quality,…

  • Thailand NewsEnergy Ministry encourages consumers to use charcoal stoves to combat gas hike | Thaiger

    Energy Ministry encourages consumers to use charcoal stoves to combat gas hike

    The Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency has a solution to solve the recent gas hike: use a charcoal stove if cooking gas is too expensive. The department’s official Facebook page yesterday uploaded a picture of a stove, with a caption saying ‘a charcoal stove is durable, helps save money, uses less charcoal, and offers a lot of heat.”…

  • Bangkok NewsMan dies after being hit by SRT Dark Red Line train in Bangkok | Thaiger

    Man dies after being hit by SRT Dark Red Line train in Bangkok

    An unidentified man was reported dead after being hit by a Dark Red Line train, of the State Railway of Thailand, between Lak Hok and Don Mueng Stations. The train operator, SRT Electrified Train Company Limited, insisted that the man wasn’t a passenger and sneaked into the restricted area for some other unknown reason. The official Facebook page of the…

  • Thailand NewsThailand offers 5-year income tax exemption for foreign actors | Thaiger

    Thailand offers 5-year income tax exemption for foreign actors

    The cabinet approved a 5-year personal income tax exemption for foreign film stars who earn income from foreign movies shot in Thailand. The government revealed they wanted to attract more film crews and expected the movie industry to generate about 17.5 billion baht over those 5 years. The PM’s Deputy Spokesperson, Ratchada Thanadirek, says that the government wants to encourage…

  • Crime NewsJealous policeman murders wife and daughter before committing suicide | Thaiger

    Jealous policeman murders wife and daughter before committing suicide

    A police lieutenant driven by a jealous rage murdered his wife and teenage daughter before committing suicide. Officers from Tung Kru Police Station were called to a resident’s home, in Soi Pracha Uthit 54 in Bangkok, yesterday morning and found the body of 57 year old Pongsakorn Thawekaew and his 39 year old wife, Benjawan Wuttisarn, in one bedroom, and…

  • Bangkok NewsNew passenger terminal and driverless trains at Suvarnabhumi will be ready next year | Thaiger

    New passenger terminal and driverless trains at Suvarnabhumi will be ready next year

    The Airport of Thailand announced that the new passenger terminal at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok will be ready for use by April 2023. The Automated People Mover train, which will be the nation’s first driverless electric train used in Thai airports, will be available for passengers to travel between each terminal at the same time too. The President of the…

  • Thailand NewsThai Army lifts ban on Lazada to help country boost economy | Thaiger

    Thai Army lifts ban on Lazada to help country boost economy

    The Royal Thai Army has lifted a boycott of the e-commerce platform Lazada. The company, owned by the Alibaba Group, was banned from delivering parcels to military premises all over the country for 42 days because of an offensive advert that insulted the Thai Royal Family, and disabled people. Last month Lazada goods were banned from entering Royal Thai Army…

  • Bangkok NewsBMTA bus driver uses umbrella to keep rain out of his cab | Thaiger

    BMTA bus driver uses umbrella to keep rain out of his cab

    A bus driver has embarrassed his bosses at Bangkok Mass Transit Authority by driving his vehicle while holding an umbrella over his head to keep the rain off. The bus driver uploaded the picture of himself on Facebook to show his bosses the old bus he drives desperately requires some much-needed maintenance. Unsurprisingly the post went viral. The picture was…

  • Bangkok NewsChadchart’s plan to complete a cable project started in 1984 | Thaiger

    Chadchart’s plan to complete a cable project started in 1984

    Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt revealed a plan to complete a project to rid the metropolis of its eyesore cables that was first started in 1984. Chadchart revealed a 2-part plan to finish the 38 year old project to remove the city’s messy power cables, replace them with new, and bury them beneath the ground. The 56 year old governor yesterday…

  • Bangkok NewsBangkok police hoodwinked by crafty anti-government protestors | Thaiger

    Bangkok police hoodwinked by crafty anti-government protestors

    Crafty anti-government protestors hoodwinked police into thinking they were holding a “car mob” rally at the Democracy Monument while they gathered to demonstrate instead at Victory Monument, some 6 kilometres away and a 20 minute drive. Knowing police watch their every move on social media, dissident groups Lai Lung Tu (Prayut Get Out) and Kon Daeng Patiwat (Red Shirt Revolution),…

  • Tourism NewsFare hike on ferries to Koh Samui and Koh Pha Ngan from July 1 | Thaiger

    Fare hike on ferries to Koh Samui and Koh Pha Ngan from July 1

    Surat Thani province in the south of Thailand announced that fares of ferry services to Koh Samui and Koh Pha Ngan would increase from July 1 onwards due to the rising diesel price. The report revealed that fares had not been raised in more than 14 years. Following the meeting between Surat Thani officials and representatives from ferry businesses on…

  • Thailand NewsThai hackers target high-ranking official in 200,000 baht swindle | Thaiger

    Thai hackers target high-ranking official in 200,000 baht swindle

    Cyber police yesterday swooped to arrest a Thai hacker group who targeted a high-ranking government official in a more than 200,000 baht swindle. The cyber punks managed to gain access to a Facebook account belonging to former government official, Suthee Pattanayongyot, who used to serve the Judiciary of Thailand. One of the hackers, Somchai Saenthilert, pretended to be Suthee, contacted…

  • Thailand NewsThai female lawyers fight for right to wear trousers to court | Thaiger

    Thai female lawyers fight for right to wear trousers to court

    The Human Rights Lawyers Association today will submit another letter to the Office of the Thai Bar Under the Royal Patronage after Thai female lawyers failed to get a response to their right to wear trousers in court petition. The group of Thai female lawyers addressed a petition, for their right to wear trousers in court, to the Thai Bar…

  • Thailand NewsThai family’s dream holiday turns into cockroach-infested nightmare | Thaiger

    Thai family’s dream holiday turns into cockroach-infested nightmare

    An extravagant vacation home infested with worms, rats and cockroaches, turned one family’s dream holiday in Pattaya into a nightmare. A Thai woman paid 47,000 baht for 2 nights’ accommodation at an 8-bedroom luxury villa in the Palm Spring Housing area of Pattaya but the stay turned into a disaster from the moment the family crossed the threshold. Primnapaphas Aite…

  • Thailand NewsThai national football coach apologises for inappropriate touching | Thaiger

    Thai national football coach apologises for inappropriate touching

    Thailand national football team assistant manager, Vitoon Chomchaypol, has apologised after a video emerged of him on social media touching his players inappropriately and using sexual language. The incident happened at a party on June 14 held in honour of the team after they failed to qualify from the group stage at the AFC U-23 Asian Cup in Uzbekistan. The…

  • Thailand NewsMuslim groups discuss legislation contrary to their religious beliefs | Thaiger

    Muslim groups discuss legislation contrary to their religious beliefs

    Twenty-five Muslim organisations met yesterday to discuss the government’s new cannabis law and other legislation contrary to their religious beliefs. The religious groups met at Baan Nuer Mosque Hall in the southern province of Songkla, to set up an Unethical Laws and Regulations Opposition Association, in opposition to the new law to decriminalise cannabis on June 9, same-sex marriage proposals,…

  • Cannabis NewsDemocrat MP gives blessing for party-goers to get high | Thaiger

    Democrat MP gives blessing for party-goers to get high

    Democrat Party MP, Kanok Wongtrangarn believes the nation’s party zones should be allowed to throw “ganja parties” to draw in more tourists in a bid to boost the Thai economy. Kanok, who quit as deputy leader in April after the party failed to take stronger action over a sex-abuse case, says specific areas, like the Koh Pha Ngan Full Moon…

  • Thailand NewsThai Public Health recommend a Covid booster every 4 months | Thaiger

    Thai Public Health recommend a Covid booster every 4 months

    The Ministry of Public Health recommended that vaccinated residents should get a booster every 4 months. The Director-General of the Disease Control Department, Opas Kankawinpong, today recommended that Thai people should get at least 3 Covid-19 vaccinations and then keep topping up. Opas says everyone has antibodies but they decrease every 3 to 4 months, no matter what vaccine people…

  • Thailand NewsLabour Minister confirms 300 jobs axed by Shopee Thailand | Thaiger

    Labour Minister confirms 300 jobs axed by Shopee Thailand

    The Labour Minister, Suchart Chomklin, confirmed yesterday’s report on the Shopee redundancies was accurate. He says 300 jobs are being axed, but insisted the Labour Ministry would help ensure sacked workers are looked after in accordance to employment legislation. The Singaporean company Sea announced during a town hall meeting yesterday of the planned layoff for one of its core businesses,…

  • South Thailand NewsMuslim students in southern Thailand protest against decriminalisation of cannabis | Thaiger

    Muslim students in southern Thailand protest against decriminalisation of cannabis

    Students, teachers, and the board of Santiwit Songkla Technological College, in the southern province of Songkla, have condemned the government’s decision to decriminalise cannabis in Thailand. The college yesterday called upon all MPs, especially Muslims, and relevant agencies, who supported the bill to decriminalise cannabis on June 9, to reconsider their decision and think about the future effects the drug…

  • Pattaya NewsPattaya residents unhappy with new storm drainage project | Thaiger

    Pattaya residents unhappy with new storm drainage project

    Pattaya residents are unhappy with the launch of a new project to solve flooded roads during Thailand’s rainy season. The city government plans to install the storm drainage system along Sukhumvit Road, with the first phase expected to start next month. The Pattaya Public Relations Department’s official Facebook page yesterday announced the first phase of the storm drainage system begins…

  • World NewsLaos to ban public from holding foreign currencies | Thaiger

    Laos to ban public from holding foreign currencies

    The Central Bank of Laos plans to ban residents from holding foreign currencies to address problems such as inflation, and the depreciation of the Kip. The Laotian Times yesterday reported that the Governor of the Central Bank of Laos, Sonexay Sitphaxay, promised to solve foreign exchange problems during a press conference on May 27. The governor acknowledged public concern regarding…

  • Bangkok NewsBMTA promises to solve public bus shortage | Thaiger

    BMTA promises to solve public bus shortage

    Bangkok Mass Transit Authority promises to solve the public bus shortage after people in the city made complaints on social media. The BMTA director responded to the criticism and called for patience. He says they are working to improve bus routes and increase bus staff and added commuters will see an improvement in a month. รถเมล์ไทยแฟนคลับ Rotmaethai, which means public…

  • World NewsShopee fires 50% of its Thai staff | Thaiger

    Shopee fires 50% of its Thai staff

    E-commerce platform Shopee today announced 50% of its Thai staff are being fired alongside employees from Indonesia and Vietnam. The company, under the Singaporean tech group Sea, did not give a reason for the mass redundancies. DealStreetAsia reported that Shopee has informed all staff on the redundancy hit list to pack up their stuff and wait for an official termination…

  • Pattaya NewsThai woman drowns while taking diving lessons in Chon Buri | Thaiger

    Thai woman drowns while taking diving lessons in Chon Buri

    A 35 year old Thai woman drowned yesterday while taking a diving lesson near Koh Juang in the Sattahip district of Chon Buri. The woman, Hathaya Rimpanawet, was diving with other students offshore when a strong current pulled her beneath the water with a 10 kilogram counterweight attached to her wrist. The woman’s diving instructor, Tararat Thianpajeekun, says he, and…

  • Northern Thailand NewsThai OnlyFans couple who turned holiday resort into a porn shoot wanted by police | Thaiger

    Thai OnlyFans couple who turned holiday resort into a porn shoot wanted by police

    Police are looking for a Thai OnlyFans couple who turned the popular holiday resort of Wang Nam Khiao into a porn shoot setting. Three of the couple’s sex tapes were circulated online yesterday in secret group chats in the popular Thai Line application. The videos, which soon went viral, feature the couple having sex in a resort room with a…