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 NewsBangkok chief’s 2-year pledge to clean up capital’s cables | Thaiger

    Bangkok chief’s 2-year pledge to clean up capital’s cables

    “Let’s clean it up first because the underground cable project requires more budget and discussion,” said Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt who promises to clean up 800 kilometres of power lines within two years. The Bangkok Deputy Governor, Wisanu Subsompon, revealed Bangkok had to temporarily suspend the underground power line project due to a lack of budget. He did, however, promise…

  • Crime NewsActress’ rape complaint could expose political corruption in Thailand | Thaiger

    Actress’ rape complaint could expose political corruption in Thailand

    A Thai actress sought the help of a celebrity lawyer after police repeatedly ignored her claims she had been drugged and raped by the nephew of a prominent politician. The actress, singer, and songwriter made public the alleged rapist contacted her via Instagram to talk about work. They agreed to meet at a shopping mall on August 9 but at…

  • Bangkok NewsFloor collapses at Hua Mark Police Station in Bangkok | Thaiger

    Floor collapses at Hua Mark Police Station in Bangkok

    The job of a policeman is hard enough without having something to stand on, as officers discovered in Bangkok this week. The first floor collapsed of the 55 year old Hua Mark Police Station on Ramkamhaeng Road in the Bang Kapi district on Wednesday morning. Thankfully, no injuries were reported. At 11am, the first floor gave way which is used…

  • Politics NewsThai authorities search for graffiti activists insulting ex PM Prayut | Thaiger

    Thai authorities search for graffiti activists insulting ex PM Prayut

    Authorities are searching for a group of political activists who spray-painted offensive words disparaging Thailand’s suspended prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha in a number of public places throughout the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima. The media reported that the activists held a public expression of solidarity at several spots in Nakhon Ratchasima without permission on Wednesday, August 24. The activities were…

  • Thailand NewsThai Airways restructures plans to get back in black | Thaiger

    Thai Airways restructures plans to get back in black

    Thai Airways announced it is renting three more planes and hiring 600 more staff this year as part of its restructuring plans. After cutting costs, selling stock, chasing debts, and distributing plane seats, Thai Airways’ turnover rate in the third quarter of this year is expected to increase. Not only that, the President of the Reorganisation Committee of the Thai…

  • Thailand NewsPlastic bags and old water pumps cause flood in Bangkok | Thaiger

    Plastic bags and old water pumps cause flood in Bangkok

    Highway officers revealed plastic bags stuck in water pumps caused a flood inside the Pakkret Intersection Tunnel in Nonthaburi province near Bangkok. Officers from the Nonthaburi Highway District investigated the Pakkret Intersection Tunnel yesterday to determine the cause of the flood on August 21. After five hours, officers reported that many plastic bags and garbage were stuck in the propellers…

  • Thailand NewsElectricity cut, cars damaged as storm causes chaos near Bangkok | Thaiger

    Electricity cut, cars damaged as storm causes chaos near Bangkok

    Wind and rain brought carnage near Bangkok last night causing a domino effect of damage after 37 utility poles fell on vehicles and left families without electricity. It is a miracle no one was injured. The chaos was caused when the 37 utility poles fell over one kilometre along 304 Road in the Tha Thong Lang sub-district, Bang Khla district,…

  • Thailand NewsLucky Thai couple finds 1 million baht pearl in their dinner | Thaiger

    Lucky Thai couple finds 1 million baht pearl in their dinner

    It wasn’t so much the world’s your oyster for a young Thai couple but more a slow and steady pace winning the race after they found a rare pearl worth over 1 million baht inside a snail while eating seafood at a local BBQ restaurant. Sittidate Chaiwan was celebrating the birthday of his girlfriend, 27 year old Patjariya Gatip, on…

  • Thailand NewsGovt officials spend too much time online rage Thailand netizens | Thaiger

    Govt officials spend too much time online rage Thailand netizens

    A survey revealing Internet user behaviour among Thailand’s government officials has annoyed the nation’s netizens who believe they have too much free time on their hands. The Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) yesterday announced the results of a report on Thailand’s Internet User Behaviour, with government officials coming out on top. The ETDA collected the information from 46,348 participants between…

  • Pattaya NewsUPDATE: 16 Middle Eastern joyriders in Pattaya arrested | Thaiger

    UPDATE: 16 Middle Eastern joyriders in Pattaya arrested

    UPDATE Pattaya police arrested 16 Middle Eastern joyriders and seized 43 motorcycles on Monday night after complaints from locals. Police made known they are still on the lookout for the rest of the racers and that the relevant motorcycle rental shops would be charged too. Officers from the Provincial Police Region 2, and Mueng Pattaya Police Station, held a press…

  • World NewsThailand lends Cambodia 983 million baht for road project | Thaiger

    Thailand lends Cambodia 983 million baht for road project

    The Thai Cabinet approved a 983 million baht loan for Cambodia to improve its roads on condition they use construction materials and advisory engineers from Thailand. The Deputy Spokesperson of the PM Office, Trisuree Trisaranakun, reported yesterday that the Cabinet agreed to support Cambodia’s road repair project. The enterprise would improve the NR67 Road, which connects Siem Reap province with…

  • Thailand NewsFloods in Thailand claim 3 lives, affecting 14,657 households | Thaiger

    Floods in Thailand claim 3 lives, affecting 14,657 households

    The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) revealed the floods in 28 of Thailand’s provinces between August 15 to 23 claimed the lives of three people and affected 14,657 households. The government department also warned that heavy rain and flash floods would continue in many areas. According to the report, the floods between August 15 to 23 killed three…

  • Crime NewsPolice probe illegal tree felling in NE Thailand worth 1 million baht | Thaiger

    Police probe illegal tree felling in NE Thailand worth 1 million baht

    Police last night revealed they are trying to get to the bottom of a conundrum after the illegal felling of state trees worth 1 million baht in the Isaan province of Nong Kai. Officers from Tha Bor Police Station, and officials from the Tha Bor District Office, seized the expensive wood from a forest along Tha Bor – Baan Pue…

  • Thailand NewsThailand’s motorists face jail time for splashing pedestrians | Thaiger

    Thailand’s motorists face jail time for splashing pedestrians

    A Thai government warning that drivers face jail time and fines if they splash pedestrians has drawn an unusual response from the nation’s strollers – fix the roads! The threat is all the more bizarre given Thailand is in the midst of its monsoon season and it is almost impossible to drive on the kingdom’s roads without splashing through pools…

  • Bangkok NewsHomeless man recovers from mental illness & gets job with help from kind taxi rider | Thaiger

    Homeless man recovers from mental illness & gets job with help from kind taxi rider

    A homeless man with mental health problems in the Asoke area of Bangkok who reunited with his family in March thanks to the help of a thoughtful motorcycle taxi rider, now has a job. The compassionate motorcycle taxi rider, Chaiyoot Kasron, managed to connect the destitute man, named Pond, with his father after posting pictures and videos of him on…

  • Bangkok NewsAngry woman taxi driver fined for racing a bus in Bangkok | Thaiger

    Angry woman taxi driver fined for racing a bus in Bangkok

    An emotionally-charged taxi driver appeared to lose her mind and forget her responsibilities as she turned into a joyriding thrill seeker as she played a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a bus coach. A video of three university students in the back of the crazed taxi driver’s car was posted last Friday, August 19, and went viral on…

  • Pattaya NewsLocals angry as Middle Eastern joyriders race through Pattaya | Thaiger

    Locals angry as Middle Eastern joyriders race through Pattaya

    Middle Eastern joyriders have turned Sukhumvit Road in Pattaya into a racing track… again, and locals are sick of it. Locals urged police to use the full force of the law and impose serious measures as the number of racers on Sukhumvit Road has increased over the past two months. Last night, Thai media reported that a group of more…

  • Thailand NewsCops tell Thai TikTokers to quit roadside dancing | Thaiger

    Cops tell Thai TikTokers to quit roadside dancing

    The Royal Thai Police warned the nation’s TikTokers to stop dancing to a truck’s horn by the roadside. Truck drivers have also been threatened with a fine of up to 500 baht if they join in the activity. During the past couple of months, videos of people dancing by the roadside to a truck’s horn have become a viral trend…

  • Bangkok News2 teenagers from Klong Toey slum praised for capturing a thief | Thaiger

    2 teenagers from Klong Toey slum praised for capturing a thief

    Two teenagers from the Klong Toey slum in Bangkok were praised by Thai netizens after they rode for 37 kilometres to help capture a thief who stole a motorbike from a resident in the community. The story of the teens’ heroic ride was highlighted on a Facebook page named Klong Toey Land (คลองเตยแลนด์) yesterday. The two teenagers, identified as Rin…

  • Bangkok NewsTaiwanese YouTuber loses items worth 154,000 baht in Bangkok | Thaiger

    Taiwanese YouTuber loses items worth 154,000 baht in Bangkok

    Taiwanese YouTuber Alisasa was robbed of items worth about 154,000 baht while travelling in Bangkok last week. The popular YouTuber announced to fans that she was disappointed her camera and bag were snatched, resulting in lost videos recorded for her channel, but insisted she still enjoyed her trip to the Thai capital city. On August 16, the female YouTuber posted…

  • Bangkok NewsCCSA leaves entertainment venues in limbo over 4am closing | Thaiger

    CCSA leaves entertainment venues in limbo over 4am closing

    Hotels on Khao San Road in Bangkok were ready to offer special hotel room rates of 500 baht per night to guests if the government extended closing time to 4am. Unfortunately, no decision has been made and it’s left bar, restaurant, and hotel owners in limbo. The Tourism and Sports Minister, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, revealed last week that he would seek…

  • Thailand NewsUPDATE: Woman who allegedly abused a soldier is a police officer | Thaiger

    UPDATE: Woman who allegedly abused a soldier is a police officer

    UPDATE The employer who allegedly abused a female soldier and claimed to be a senator’s wife is actually a police officer. According to one media source, the woman is the mistress of a senator, not his wife. The Spokesperson of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, Teerapong Pattamasing Na Ayutthaya, confirmed yesterday that the victim was a real soldier. Teerapong said…

  • Thailand NewsRTN’s ocean conservation activity accused of spoiling ecosystem | Thaiger

    RTN’s ocean conservation activity accused of spoiling ecosystem

    A Royal Thai Navy marine conservation activity day has set social media on fire. Thai netizens heavily criticised RTN’s activity day, which charged people money to take part, saying it did not improve the environment or create environmental awareness, but it destroyed the ecosystem. The RTN and the Royal Thai Marine Corps came under fire after their conservation activity day…

  • South Thailand NewsUPDATE: BRN insurgents admits to Deep South bombings | Thaiger

    UPDATE: BRN insurgents admits to Deep South bombings

    UPDATE The insurgent group Barisan Revolusi Nasional Melayu Patani (BRN) announced on its Facebook page that they were behind this week’s bomb explosions in the Deep South provinces. The BRN group said it was an act against capitalism that affected local businesses. Yesterday, the official Facebook page of the group expressed condolences for the death and loss. They said group…

  • Thailand NewsHealth dept’s reply to rising food costs: ‘let them eat curry & rice’ | Thaiger

    Health dept’s reply to rising food costs: ‘let them eat curry & rice’

    The Health Department’s “Let them eat curry and rice” response to Thailand’s cost of living crisis is not quite Marie Antoinette’s ‘Let them eat cake’ quip to the starving peasants of France in the 17th century, but it’s not far off. The Thai Health Department urged people to buckle their belts and accept the fact that consumer products are more…

  • Thailand NewsFemale soldier seeks help after being abused by senator’s wife | Thaiger

    Female soldier seeks help after being abused by senator’s wife

    A soldier appealed to a Thai influencer for help after revealing she was almost driven to suicide after years of physical and mental abuse by the wife of a senator. The woman contacted Guntouch “Gun” Pongpaiboonwet, aka Gun Jom Palang, to share her story. In turn, Gun spread the news on Facebook and said helped her file a complaint against…

  • Thailand NewsThailand movie legend Sombat Metanee has died, aged 85 | Thaiger

    Thailand movie legend Sombat Metanee has died, aged 85

    A close friend of one of Thailand’s best-known actors, Sombat Metanee, revealed he died peacefully in his sleep today. The 85 year old, who made more than 2,000 films and television shows, was hailed by Thai fans as a heroic actor. At one time, Sombat held a Guinness World Record for most film appearances at 617 times. The media reported…

  • Crime NewsTeen soldier murders cousin for allegedly raping his mother | Thaiger

    Teen soldier murders cousin for allegedly raping his mother

    A 19 year old soldier was arrested for murdering his cousin in an act of revenge for allegedly raping his mother in Southern Thailand. The soldier, Watcharapong Lakejit, murdered his cousin, 36 year old Niphat Sookmak, on Tuesday night by stabbing him in the head with a knife. The teenager was arrested for the offence at 3am yesterday at a…

  • Thailand NewsThai man faces prison for growing & selling corals online | Thaiger

    Thai man faces prison for growing & selling corals online

    A Thai man faces up to ten years in jail after being arrested for selling coral online via Facebook. Police seized more than 300 types of corals from the man’s residence. The 31 year old man, Thitipong, was arrested today at his home in Soi Suwinthawong 13, Saen Saeb sub-district, Min Buri district, Bangkok. Thitipong turned his home into a…

  • South Thailand NewsUPDATE: 21 year old man found dead after Deep South bombing | Thaiger

    UPDATE: 21 year old man found dead after Deep South bombing

    UPDATE Following the bomb explosions in three Deep South provinces on August 16, officers found one man dead inside a 7-Eleven shop in the Su-ngai Golok district of Narathiwas province. Yesterday, officers from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal investigated a 7-Eleven store inside a petrol station that was bombed as part of the attack and found the charred body of a…