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 NewsRescue worker shot dead after rival volunteer groups brawl in Bangkok | Thaiger

    Rescue worker shot dead after rival volunteer groups brawl in Bangkok

    A volunteer rescue worker has died, after reportedly receiving a lethal gunshot wound to the chest during a street brawl that broke out between two rival volunteer foundations on Sunday in Bangkok. Officers from Thonglor Police Station investigated Kasam Rat Road in front of Lotus’s Rama 4 branch in Bangkok yesterday, after receiving a report of a fight between two…

  • Phuket NewsThai man and 78 year old foreign stepfather arrested over child sex abuse in Phuket | Thaiger

    Thai man and 78 year old foreign stepfather arrested over child sex abuse in Phuket

    A Thai man and his foreign stepfather have been arrested for allegedly engaging in child sex crimes and sexual abuse in Phuket. Police say the Thai man pretended to be a swimming coach and lured male children less than 15 years old into swimming at his stepfather’s house for potential sexual exploits. More than 15 children were reportedly involved in…

  • Phuket NewsHotel and bar staff protest on Phuket’s Bangla Road after viral video prompts crackdown | Thaiger

    Hotel and bar staff protest on Phuket’s Bangla Road after viral video prompts crackdown

    The disgruntled staff of a Phuket hotel that was being used for late night parties have staged a protest on Phuket’s Bangla Road Walking Street, after their hotel was ‘outed’ for violating Thailand’s alcohol sales laws under current Covid-19 restrictions. The hotel had been operating as a defacto nightlife venue, assumedly away from the hustle bustle and attention of Bangla…

  • Thailand NewsMonday Covid Update: 16,994 new cases; provincial totals | Thaiger

    Monday Covid Update: 16,994 new cases; provincial totals

    124 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 27,006 with 5,308 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 16,994 new Covid-19 cases and 25,910 recoveries. There are now 205,514 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…

  • Songkran NewsDeputy PM’s illegal Songkran banners removed by highway officers on ‘Road to Isaan’ | Thaiger

    Deputy PM’s illegal Songkran banners removed by highway officers on ‘Road to Isaan’

    Thailand highway officers in the central province of Saraburi have been busy removing Songkran holiday banners from Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan on Tuesday. The officers said the banners, adorned with the smiley face of the 76 year old Deputy PM and party powerbroker, were not approved to be installed along the roadside and might annoy drivers and cause accidents. Aside…

  • Songkran NewsDrink driving claims 70% of traffic violations at start of Songkran’s ‘7 Dangerous Days’ | Thaiger

    Drink driving claims 70% of traffic violations at start of Songkran’s ‘7 Dangerous Days’

    The Department of Probation is releasing its statistics for the first day of driving violations administered by the court during the “Seven Dangerous Days of Songkran” from April 11 – 17. On Monday, the court issued 459 fines, 328 of which were for drink driving cases. The top three provinces with the most drunken drivers were Nonthaburi, Ubon Ratchathani and…

  • Thailand NewsFloods cause mass buffalo starvation at Thale Noi park in southern Thailand | Thaiger

    Floods cause mass buffalo starvation at Thale Noi park in southern Thailand

    More than 200 dead water buffaloes have been found floating today at the Thale Noi Waterfowl Park in the southern Thai province of Pattalung. Prolonged flooding in the region had destroyed the grasses that the buffalo rely on for food. Without it, they starved to death. Local authorities quickly rescued another 300 buffaloes, giving them dry grass and supplementary food…

  • 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…

  • 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 NewsOklahoma woman searches for Thai mother, nearly 50 years after US family adopts her | Thaiger

    Oklahoma woman searches for Thai mother, nearly 50 years after US family adopts her

    An American woman is searching for her Thai mother, who is believed to live in the Isaan province of Ubon Ratchathani. She says her father was an American soldier who met her mother when he was based in Thailand during the Vietnam War. In March of this year 49 year old Kristy Sinsara Hudsud, an American singer and songwriter, started…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • Thailand NewsBMC candidate reveals transparent ads to reduce car accidents, netizens disagree | Thaiger

    BMC candidate reveals transparent ads to reduce car accidents, netizens disagree

    One inventive candidate for the Bangkok Metropolitan Council has come up with a new design for campaign ads, saying his transparent banners would reduce car accidents. The candidate said such banners would not block the visibility of drivers, as they can see through the clear plastic material, unlike traditional banners. However, Thai netizens, who have been keen on clearing the…

  • 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 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…

  • Thailand NewsTourists ignore red flags on Samui beach, Thai man drowns, foreigner rescued | Thaiger

    Tourists ignore red flags on Samui beach, Thai man drowns, foreigner rescued

    Four Thai tourists ignored a red flag warning on the beach and went swimming anyway in strong waves at Chawaeng Beach of Koh Samui in the southern province of Surat Thani on Wednesday. One person drowned, but four others survived. Staff from a jet ski rental business on the beach reported that one foreigner was also saved not long before…

  • 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 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 NewsTuesday Covid Update: 21,088 new cases; provincial totals | Thaiger

    Tuesday Covid Update: 21,088 new cases; provincial totals

    91 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 25,603 with 3,905 of those fatalities since the start of this year. The daily infection numbers are a sharp drop from the steadily rising numbers over the past 2 – 3 weeks. But the Covid-related death numbers are still on a slow rising…

  • 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 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: Cybercrime police charged in kidnap for ransom plot, 2 former officers suspected | Thaiger

    UPDATE: Cybercrime police charged in kidnap for ransom plot, 2 former officers suspected

    The Royal Thai Police arrested two officers from the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau, or CCIB, on Sunday for allegedly kidnapping a gambling couple and their child last week. The wife claimed that officers from the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau kidnapped her and her family for ransom, after winning 2 million baht from online gambling. The woman said that she, her…

  • 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 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…