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.
  • Thailand NewsDrunken monk with an axe causes chaos smashing cars | Thaiger

    Drunken monk with an axe causes chaos smashing cars

    Another day of shame for the Buddhist faith after a drunken monk was arrested for causing chaos in the central province of Kamphaeng Phet. The monk went on the rampage smashing cars in the community with a beer can in one hand and an axe in the other. The arrested monk, 49 year old Prayoon, defended his actions by claiming…

  • Thailand NewsMan electrocuted while walking on Bangkok pavement | Thaiger

    Man electrocuted while walking on Bangkok pavement

    A Thai man warned pedestrians to watch their step while walking on a pavement in Bangkok after being electrocuted when he trod on a live, broken power cable left exposed to the elements. The man, Jarawi Rujirasawai, posted a video sharing his unexpected electrocution experience on TikTok account @jarawi_ yesterday. The video shows a picture of the broken power line,…

  • World NewsSouth Korean drug mule dies after ingesting narcotics from split condom | Thaiger

    South Korean drug mule dies after ingesting narcotics from split condom

    A South Korean drug mule died after the condoms he ingested carrying illegal narcotics ripped open in his stomach. The South Korean media platform Hankook Ilbo reported last Wednesday, October 12, that the drug courier died while smuggling narcotics from Thailand to Malaysia and his home country. The South Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) confirmed that they found the 50…

  • Thailand NewsDeputy PM says criticising government is not a big deal | Thaiger

    Deputy PM says criticising government is not a big deal

    Criticising the government or Thai monarchy is generally punished with a lese majeste charge and time in prison as three critics discovered last week. Yet this week, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan hailed Thai comedian Udom Taepanich’s satire adding that the funnyman’s criticisms of the government are not a big deal. Udom Taepanich, aka Nose Udom, is a Thai stand-up…

  • Thailand NewsPhuket light rail project derailed once again | Thaiger

    Phuket light rail project derailed once again

    The light rail project planned for the Thalang district of Phuket has been derailed once again. Thai Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchop revealed the project will be delayed because it needs to be revised by a specialist. The Thai Cabinet approved the project in the Thalang district of Phuket in 2016 and charged the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA)…

  • Thailand News3,500 police officers in Chiang Mai take drug tests | Thaiger

    3,500 police officers in Chiang Mai take drug tests

    Chiang Mai plans to ask 3,500 officers from every police station in the province to take a drug test to build confidence and trust in the community after the daycare centre massacre in Nong Bua Lamphu. The Commander of the Chiang Mai Provincial Police, Thawatchai Pongwiwattanachai, reported to Thairath today that the police are to kick off a project called “Clean…

  • Thailand News3 men jailed for insulting PM Prayut & Deputy PM Prawit | Thaiger

    3 men jailed for insulting PM Prayut & Deputy PM Prawit

    Three men face eight months in prison for spreading fake news about Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan. The incident happened four years ago in 2018 when Prayut served as Thai PM and Head of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), and while Prawit served as the Deputy PM and Defence Minister. A court…

  • Thailand NewsThai PM demands investigation into lost 50 million baht budget | Thaiger

    Thai PM demands investigation into lost 50 million baht budget

    Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha urged Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan to investigate the disappearance of a 50 million baht government budget. PM Prayut attended the Cabinet meeting at the Parliament House of Thailand yesterday to discuss the flood situation across the country. At the end of the meeting, the Deputy Minister of the Finance Ministry, Santi Promphat, suggested PM Prayut…

  • Thailand NewsAbusive husband murders estranged wife & commits suicide | Thaiger

    Abusive husband murders estranged wife & commits suicide

    An abusive husband murdered his estranged wife in the car park of a condominium in Bangkok before later committing suicide at his house in the southern province of Pattalung. The man’s estranged wife, 47 year old woman Klongkamon Sooksawat, was shot dead at the underground car park of a condominium in the Huay Kwang district of Bangkok at about 6.30pm,…

  • Thailand NewsNew MRT Yellow Line monorail train starts trial run today | Thaiger

    New MRT Yellow Line monorail train starts trial run today

    The new MRT Yellow Line monorail train in Bangkok and Samut Prakarn province starts its trial run without passengers today and is expected to be fully operational by June next year. The Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) announced yesterday that the new MRT Yellow Line would be on trial today from 10am to 5.30pm. The trial is running…

  • Thailand NewsThai motorcycle taxi rider rips off Malaysian tourist | Thaiger

    Thai motorcycle taxi rider rips off Malaysian tourist

    A Thai motorcycle taxi rider in the southern province of Songkla said he ripped off a Malaysian tourist because his washing machine was broken. The rider claims it is the first time he overcharged a customer after demanding 500 baht from the stranded tourist for a trip that is only two kilometres. A member of the Hat Yai Municipality Council…

  • Thailand NewsWoman arrested for operating illegal dental clinic from her car | Thaiger

    Woman arrested for operating illegal dental clinic from her car

    A woman was arrested yesterday for operating an illegal dental clinic out of her car in a parking lot outside of a shopping mall in Bangkok. Officers from the Consumer Protection Police Division (CPPD) were notified about the illegal dental clinic and its adverts on Thai social media. The fake clinic, named the Fashionable Brace Shop, by sister Ploy from…

  • Thailand NewsDrug-addled cabbie faces jail for driving under the influence | Thaiger

    Drug-addled cabbie faces jail for driving under the influence

    A drug-addled cabbie faces time in jail for dangerous driving while allegedly under the influence of narcotics in the Kathu district of Phuket. A motorcycle rider brought to light the drug-taking cab driver’s antics after becoming a victim of his erratic behaviour on the road. The taxi driver scolded the motorcycle rider after the latter complained. He said… “Don’t butt…

  • Thailand NewsBMTA replaces mushroom seat on Bangkok public bus | Thaiger

    BMTA replaces mushroom seat on Bangkok public bus

    UPDATE The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) today apologised to the city’s passengers after a story of mushrooms growing out of a public bus seat went viral on Thai social media. The picture of the mushroom-growing seat, posted by political activist Jatuporn “New” Saenueng, drew complaints from Thai netizens. The BMTA responded to the criticism on its official Facebook page…

  • Northern Thailand NewsNon profit donates cremation ceremony uniforms to child massacre victims | Thaiger

    Non profit donates cremation ceremony uniforms to child massacre victims

    A non-profit organization is donating dream job uniforms to the children who lost their lives last Thursday as a result of the daycare centre massacre in Nong Bua Lamphu province. The gunman, Panya Kamrab, a 34-year-old former policeman, killed 37 people including his wife and son before turning a gun on himself. Those who survived the killing spree are in…

  • Thailand NewsPickup driver arrested after killing Bangkok road sweeper | Thaiger

    Pickup driver arrested after killing Bangkok road sweeper

    UPDATE Police arrested a pickup driver involved in the hit-and-run incident that killed a Bangkok road sweeper yesterday morning. Officers managed to get the man after the driver took his vehicle to get repaired at a local garage in the area. Police revealed three pieces of evidence were left at the scene, a black bumper bar and broken parts from…

  • Northern Thailand NewsFlooding in Ubon Ratchathani province is dangerous | Thaiger

    Flooding in Ubon Ratchathani province is dangerous

    Thai media today reported the flood situation in the Isaan province of Ubon Ratchathani is deadly serious and dangerous. The flood situation in Ubon Ratchathani is getting worse said reports. The water level is quickly increasing and almost the whole province is affected. Agricultural areas, roads, and bridges have been destroyed while some houses are underwater. Yesterday, one of the…

  • Thailand NewsRoom to shroom on Bangkok public buses | Thaiger

    Room to shroom on Bangkok public buses

    A fungi picture of mushrooms growing out of the seat of a public bus in Bangkok has gone viral on Thai social media. Some netizens made fun of pictures saying shitake happens while others were more serious saying enough is enough, time to refurbish Thai public buses. Political activist Jatuporn “New” Saeoueng posted the picture of the mushrooms growing out…

  • Bangkok NewsThai man arrested for posing as police officer | Thaiger

    Thai man arrested for posing as police officer

    A Thai man was arrested on Friday after he tried to fulfil his dream job – impersonating a police officer. The 30 year old man, Kamfon Kunlachart, in full police uniform, reported himself ready for work to the superintendent at a police station in the Din Daeng district of Bangkok at 9.30am on Friday, October 7. Kamfon met with the…

  • Thailand NewsThai man robbed by cannabis dealer at knife-point in Pattaya | Thaiger

    Thai man robbed by cannabis dealer at knife-point in Pattaya

    A Thai man filed a complaint with police after he was allegedly forced to strip naked as he was being robbed at knife-point by a cannabis dealer in Pattaya. The suspect was arrested but denied all allegations, saying they were friends and he would never rob a friend. Anukun Sichan filed the complaint at Mueng Pattaya Police Station yesterday at 8pm.…

  • Northern Thailand NewsBritish man & wife gives 50,000 baht to massacre victims | Thaiger

    British man & wife gives 50,000 baht to massacre victims

    A philanthropic British man and his Thai wife donated 50,000 baht to support the victims of the daycare centre massacre in the northeastern province of Nong Bua Lamphu. Joseph Nice, his Thai wife Nipaporn, and two year old child visited the help centre in the Na Klang district of Nong Bua Lamphu province yesterday to make their contribution. Nipaporn told the…

  • Thailand NewsThai woman & foreign men charged for child sex trafficking in Pattaya | Thaiger

    Thai woman & foreign men charged for child sex trafficking in Pattaya

    Police arrested a Thai woman and three foreign men for rape and sex trafficking teenagers aged under 15 years old in Pattaya. Officers from Mueng Pattaya Police Station reported yesterday that the teenagers, aged between 12 and 15, were trafficked from Beer Bar in Soi Bua Khao on September 11. According to a Police TV report, Beer Bar secretly offers…

  • Thailand NewsLove rat Thai soldier threaten’s Israeli husband of adulterous wife | Thaiger

    Love rat Thai soldier threaten’s Israeli husband of adulterous wife

    An Israeli man sought help from a famous Thai lawyer after getting no satisfaction from the police after a Thai soldier threatened and fired shots at him after he discovered the soldier was having an affair with his wife. The 53 year old Israeli Rudy Bahar, his children and a lawyer, Sittra Beerbangkird, held a press conference to make the…

  • World NewsWoman’s body in suitcase identified as Lao millionaire | Thaiger

    Woman’s body in suitcase identified as Lao millionaire

    UPDATE The dead woman’s body in a suitcase, which was found in the Mekong River in the Isaan province of Nakhon Phanom last week, has been identified as a Laos business owner and millionaire. Her five year old daughter and husband are also missing. Thai police tried to identify the woman from her designer clothing while her body was sent…

  • Thailand NewsThais unhappy with Prawit’s response to daycare centre massacre | Thaiger

    Thais unhappy with Prawit’s response to daycare centre massacre

    The Thai people were not impressed with the insensitive statement delivered by Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan about the daycare centre massacre yesterday. Thai reporters asked Deputy PM Prawit how he planned to prevent a similar scenario in the future. He said… “What can I do about it? He is a drug addict.” Prawit offered his condolences to the victim’s…

  • Thailand NewsThailand’s 5 national parks raise entry fees for foreigners by 100% | Thaiger

    Thailand’s 5 national parks raise entry fees for foreigners by 100%

    Thailand’s five national parks announced new entry fees to their attractions and they’re stinging foreigners in the pocket, increasing entrance costs by 100%. Entry fees for Thai people remain the same. The Department of National Park, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation Facebook page posted a two-page document about the new entry fees last Friday, September 30. Khao Yai National Park in…

  • Thailand NewsReported Bangkok VIP casino vanishes into thin air | Thaiger

    Reported Bangkok VIP casino vanishes into thin air

    A Thai television news channel yesterday reported that a VIP casino was throwing dice in an entertainment building on Ratchada Road in the Huay Kwang district of Bangkok. The police raided the building on the back of the breaking news but said there was no casino when they got there. The story was reported on several Thai news agencies after…

  • World News9 Thais arrested in South Korea for smuggling drugs | Thaiger

    9 Thais arrested in South Korea for smuggling drugs

    Nine illegal Thai workers were arrested in South Korea yesterday after they smuggled drugs worth 264 million baht into the country. The Korean news agency, Yonhap, reported that officers from Chungcheong Province, South Korea, held a press conference to announce the arrest details of the Thai drug smugglers. The police revealed that they were arrested in the South Chungcheong Province…

  • Thailand NewsAngry American man smashes up a Thai man’s car | Thaiger

    Angry American man smashes up a Thai man’s car

    An American man was arrested yesterday after smashing up a Thai man’s car and threatening his family in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat. The Thai man, Sunthorn, notified officers from Kanom Police Station that an American man, 45 year old Andigo, threatened his mother and daughter and threw rocks at his pickup truck. The video of the incident…

  • Thailand NewsJealous husband allegedly kills wife | Thaiger

    Jealous husband allegedly kills wife

    A man was arrested yesterday after he allegedly murdered his wife with a hammer at a house in Nonthaburi province, near Bangkok. Officers from the Nonthaburi Police Station were notified about the death of 31 year old Sararat Ratchasin on Monday, October 3, and immediately connected the murder to her missing husband, 44 year old Pairoj Singthong. Pairoj’s sister, 68…