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 News3 Thai political activists tried to commit suicide in prison | Thaiger

    3 Thai political activists tried to commit suicide in prison

    Bangkok Remand Prison yesterday reported that 3 Thai political activists, jailed according to the lèse majesté laws, tried to commit suicide in prison due to stress. Two male prisoners slashed their wrists with a piece of metal while a third prisoner tried to overdose on 60 paracetamol tablets. Thai human rights lawyer, Arnon Nampa, yesterday announced the news on his…

  • Tourism NewsFake voucher victims demand action against Pattaya travel agent | Thaiger

    Fake voucher victims demand action against Pattaya travel agent

    Angry victims lured into buying fake vouchers worth millions of baht are demanding immediate police action against a Chon Buri-based travel company after six months of procrastination. Sixty victims yesterday submitted a letter to the Central Investigation Bureau commissioner asking him to follow up on their complaints about being conned into buying fake vouchers from the Colour Ocean Group. A…

  • Thailand NewsThai Health Minister Anutin tests positive for Covid-19 | Thaiger

    Thai Health Minister Anutin tests positive for Covid-19

    The Thai Deputy PM and Minister of Public Health, Anutin Charnvirakul, has tested positive for Covid-19 after arriving back from a UNAIDS meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. The minister was reported to have only mild symptoms at this time as he had already completed 6 doses of the Covid vaccine. Autin and other authorities from the Ministry of Public Health, Foreign…

  • Crime NewsSchool director fired after allegedly covering up rape of 11 year old girl | Thaiger

    School director fired after allegedly covering up rape of 11 year old girl

    An investigation has been launched to discover why the female director of a school in the central province of Kanchanaburi allegedly asked an 11 year old schoolgirl to keep quiet over her rape ordeal. The 11 year old girl was raped by a 12 year old boy in the classroom at a school in the Wichian Buri district on Tuesday,…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket’s Central Patong shopping mall plans reopening and recruitment drive | Thaiger

    Phuket’s Central Patong shopping mall plans reopening and recruitment drive

    Central Patong shopping mall in Phuket is launching a large-scale recruitment drive on the back of plans to reopen after a year of closure due to the pandemic. Central Department Store, the managers of the shopping centre, informed stores in the Central Patong shopping mall of the temporary closure on February 1 last year. But on Saturday, the Thai department…

  • Thailand NewsPop star demands to know why her pet dog died on Thai flight | Thaiger

    Pop star demands to know why her pet dog died on Thai flight

    Thai pop star Prompwilai “Mimi” Leesiriroj has demanded an explanation from Thai Airways, and China Eastern, as to why her pet dog, Melody, died while travelling on a flight from Thailand to China on Friday. The 22 year old singer, also known as Mimi Lee, found stardom in China after she won a reality TV show called Produce 101 China,…

  • Bangkok NewsUPDATE: Owner of fire building in Bangkok Chinatown to sue electric authority | Thaiger

    UPDATE: Owner of fire building in Bangkok Chinatown to sue electric authority

    UPDATE Stall sellers and the owners of the Ratchawong Rungrueng packaging shop building, which caught fire in Bangkok’s Chinatown on Saturday, say they are going to sue the Metropolitan Electricity Authority for negligence after a broken transformer caused the blaze that killed 2 people. The faulty transformer caught fire and quickly ripped through the 3-story building on Ratchawong Road in…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • Crime News8 Burmese allegedly confess to murder of Thai man | Thaiger

    8 Burmese allegedly confess to murder of Thai man

    Eight illegal Burmese immigrants have allegedly confessed to the murder of a Thai man in the Hat Yai district of Songkla province in the south of Thailand. The suspects allegedly admitted to the murder of Maddol Binson because he extorted money from them and tried to kidnap a woman from the group. The body of the 40 year old, a…

  • 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,…

  • 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…