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 approves 7 places to protest under Public Assembly Act | Thaiger

    Bangkok approves 7 places to protest under Public Assembly Act

    Bangkok has announced 7 public places where people can protest under the Public Assembly Act but stipulated that protestors must inform the relevant authorities before using the venues. Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt today signed a law declaration to approve the 7 public places in Bangkok. According to the statement, clarifying the specific places in Bangkok would help the city avoid…

  • Northern Thailand News60% of new HIV cases in a northern Thai province are from high school students | Thaiger

    60% of new HIV cases in a northern Thai province are from high school students

    Healthcare workers from the northern province of Phitsanulok claim they discover 2 HIV cases every hour, and that 60% of HIV cases in that area are found in high school students. The statement was made yesterday at a healthcare meeting to discuss the silent danger of HIV at the Crystal Conference Room of The Park Hotel, Phitsanulok. The conference was…

  • Bangkok NewsPassengers still required to wear face masks on BTS Skytrain | Thaiger

    Passengers still required to wear face masks on BTS Skytrain

    Bangkok’s BTS Skytrain operator today insisted that all passengers still have to wear a face mask on their trains and around the platform area despite an announcement on the Royal Gazette platform that face mask wearing is now voluntary in Thailand. The Royal Gazette last night surprised people in Thailand with the official announcement that wearing masks is voluntary in…

  • Tourism NewsPattaya bans local vendors from Na Jomtien Beach | Thaiger

    Pattaya bans local vendors from Na Jomtien Beach

    Local authorities have banned vendors from operating on Na Jomtien Beach after they colonized a new stretch of the seaside resort in Pattaya to sell their products. The authorities issued the directive following a conflict over the public spaces on the popular beach between local sellers in Pattaya and visitors. In April, authorities added more sand to the seaside spot…

  • Bangkok NewsBangkok’s Bon Kai community fire victims provided free accommodation for a month | Thaiger

    Bangkok’s Bon Kai community fire victims provided free accommodation for a month

    The National Housing Authority has offered temporary accommodation for victims of a fire at Bon Kai Community in Bangkok. The authority says residents can stay free for a month and then pay 999 baht per month after that. The fire broke out on Tuesday at the Bon Kai Community on Rama 4 Road in the Pathumwan district of Bangkok. Fortunately,…

  • Thailand NewsThailand expects economy to grow 3% next year | Thaiger

    Thailand expects economy to grow 3% next year

    The Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council expects the Thai economy to grow by 3% next year, even if there is more tension between Ukraine and Russia. The council’s permanent secretary, Danucha Pitchayanan, says by coordinating with every country Thailand can grow despite the current choppy economical waters the world has to navigate. The 51 year old…

  • 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 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,…

  • Northern Thailand NewsFormer Thai public servant allegedly swindles 30.6 million baht from government | Thaiger

    Former Thai public servant allegedly swindles 30.6 million baht from government

    A former Ministry of Defence finance officer, with an online gambling addiction, has allegedly swindled 30.6 million baht from the Buntharik District Administration in the Isaan province of Ubon Ratchathani and is on the run from the police. The Mayor of the Buntharik District Administration, Worrapoj Bootnart, yesterday informed the media that the district office last year hired a financial…

  • 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.”…

  • 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…

  • Thailand NewsThailand’s private bus sector threatens to axe services by 80% | Thaiger

    Thailand’s private bus sector threatens to axe services by 80%

    Thailand’s private bus companies have threatened to axe services by up to 80% if the government does not allow them to raise fare prices in line with rising fuel costs. Twenty-seven of the nation’s private coach enterprises promised they will run a skeleton service of only 20% from July 1 unless the government allowed them to raise fares by 0.59…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • Thailand NewsThai government to launch info about privacy laws to help small business | Thaiger

    Thai government to launch info about privacy laws to help small business

    The government is to launch 8 law declarations before the end of the month regarding the Personal Data Protection Act, especially aimed at helping small and medium size enterprises. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha assigned the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, and relevant departments, to help the nation’s SMEs understand the PDPA because it’s new to Thailand. The PDPA was officially…

  • 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),…

  • 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 News2 Thai monks break habit of a lifetime to fight over offerings | Thaiger

    2 Thai monks break habit of a lifetime to fight over offerings

    The Buddhist vow of refraining from harmful actions was momentarily lost on one monk who beat up another for standing too close to him. The incident occurred early Wednesday morning in front of Bang Yai City Market when the pair got into a quarrel of which monk should stay and which monk should leave. Apparently, there is an unwritten agreement…

  • 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 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,…

  • Pattaya NewsChinese man swindled out of a million baht climbs 20 metre tsunami tower in Pattaya | Thaiger

    Chinese man swindled out of a million baht climbs 20 metre tsunami tower in Pattaya

    A Chinese man suffered a mental breakdown and climbed a 20 metre tsunami warning tower in Pattaya after being swindled out of a million baht. The 51 year old man, named Qin, climbed the warning tower, located on Jomtien Beach near Jomtien Night Market, because he was scared after being threatened by men with whom he’d conducted a business deal.…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • Crime NewsThai tourist robbed of more than 65,000 baht in assets in Pattaya | Thaiger

    Thai tourist robbed of more than 65,000 baht in assets in Pattaya

    A 24 year old woman was robbed while on a vacation with her family on Koh Larn Island in Pattaya. Nantapak Saelim’s shoulder bag containing over 65,000 baht in cash and jewellery was stolen from outside of her Airbnb holiday home on Friday night while she was inside the accommodation with her husband and 2 daughters. The Thai woman admitted…