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 News11 foreign tourists injured in Kanchanaburi bus accident caused by tree cutting

    11 foreign tourists injured in Kanchanaburi bus accident caused by tree cutting

    Police in the central province of Kanchanaburi arrested a Thai man on January 3 for a tree cutting that caused a bus accident that injured 11 foreign tourists. The accident involved a public bus on the Kanchanaburi-Erawan route in the Wang Dong sub-district, Mueang district of Kanchanaburi. Rescue teams provided first aid to 11 injured foreigners, four men and seven women,…

  • Pattaya NewsChinese family survives Pattaya yacht capsize, seeks compensation

    Chinese family survives Pattaya yacht capsize, seeks compensation

    A Chinese family of nine is seeking justice after a travel agency denied responsibility for a yacht capsize at Na Jomtien Bay in Pattaya on January 3. They claim the operator violated a red flag, leading to their near-death experience and a loss of nearly 200,000 baht. The 42 year old Chinese man, identified only as Geng, and his eight…

  • Thailand NewsKind foreign man praised for assisting Thai rescue team in traffic jam

    Kind foreign man praised for assisting Thai rescue team in traffic jam

    A Thai rescue team expressed their gratitude towards a kind foreign man who assisted their operation by clearing a path for their emergency van on Phahurat Road in Bangkok on Saturday, January 4. A member of the rescue team, Chaiyapon Chanchua, shared a video of the foreigner on social media to commend his support. In the footage, the foreigner, dressed…

  • Thailand NewsHygiene concerns after foreigner films dishwashing in Thai canal (video)

    Hygiene concerns after foreigner films dishwashing in Thai canal (video)

    Restaurants at the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market in the central province of Ratchaburi have come under criticism after a foreigner filmed staff washing dishes in a canal filled with murky, greyish water. Esor News reposted the video on January 3, showing the foreign woman, whose nationality was not disclosed. The page administrator wrote in the caption: “A foreigner visited a floating…

  • Thailand NewsThai university student crashes car, damages 12 electricity poles

    Thai university student crashes car, damages 12 electricity poles

    A 20 year old university student crashed his car into electricity poles along Kanchanaphisek Road, damaging 12 poles and three cars, due to drowsiness caused by antihistamines, a medicine used to treat allergy symptoms. Officers from Phetchakasem Police Station were alerted to the accident at a curve on Kanchanaphisek Road yesterday, January 5. Upon arrival, officers found a damaged blue…

  • Thailand NewsThaksin sparks outrage with racist remarks in Chiang Rai

    Thaksin sparks outrage with racist remarks in Chiang Rai

    The former Prime Minister of Thailand, Thaksin Shinawatra, delivered a controversial speech containing racist remarks about international models from Africa while supporting his daughter and Pheu Thai Party members in the Provincial Administrative Organisation chief election campaign in the northern province of Chiang Rai. Thaksin has taken a prominent role in the local election campaign in Chiang Rai as his…

  • Thailand NewsThai teenagers attack couple with knife at Pathum Thani mall

    Thai teenagers attack couple with knife at Pathum Thani mall

    Police in Pathum Thani pledged to bring three teenagers to justice after they conspired to attack a couple with a knife at a shopping mall on December 31, last year. The story came to public attention when the Facebook page Social Hunter 2022 posted images of the injured couple and the altercation on January 2. The victims later recounted the…

  • Thailand NewsBurmese man stabs Thai colleague to death in wage dispute

    Burmese man stabs Thai colleague to death in wage dispute

    A Burmese man stabbed a Thai colleague to death and fled the scene in the central province of Nakhon Pathom allegedly over a wage dispute. On New Year’s Day, January 1, an owner of a rented property in the Sam Khwai Phuak district of Nakhon Pathom alerted rescue services to assist a 43 year old Thai tenant, Ekkaluck. The man sustained…

  • Phuket NewsForeign men attack Phuket taxi driver over fare dispute (video)

    Foreign men attack Phuket taxi driver over fare dispute (video)

    A viral video showed two foreign men attacking a Thai taxi driver outside a supermarket in Phuket, allegedly over a fare dispute. Several Facebook news pages in Phuket shared the video of the physical assault today, December 3. In the video, one of the two foreign men, both wearing white T-shirts, is seen kicking the taxi driver, who was standing…

  • Thailand NewsThai woman seeks justice after lantern sets her car ablaze

    Thai woman seeks justice after lantern sets her car ablaze

    A lantern released on New Year’s Day landed on a parked car at a house in the northern province of Phayao and set the vehicle ablaze. The car owner is now struggling to find those responsible for her loss. A witness, Sophon Panyod, rushed to alert his neighbour, 35 year old Saowaluck Jainak, after spotting a fire on the roof…

  • Thailand NewsThai man prevents disaster after dog mistakes bomb for toy

    Thai man prevents disaster after dog mistakes bomb for toy

    A pet dog mistook a bomb for a toy, brought it back to her family home in the Isaan province of Udon Thani, and gave it to a four year old boy. Fortunately, the boy showed it to his father before it could explode and cause a tragedy. Officers from Non Sung Police Station were called to investigate the bomb at…

  • Thailand News7 killed in Surat Thani pickup accident including 2 year old twins

    7 killed in Surat Thani pickup accident including 2 year old twins

    A family of seven, including two year old twins, lost their lives when their pickup crashed into a tree on the side of Asian Highway 41 in the southern province of Surat Thani yesterday, December 2. The crash site was just 4 kilometres from the location of a fatal bus accident the previous day. Rescuers from the Kusol Sattha Surat Thani…

  • Pattaya News32 injured in Russian tourist bus crash at Pattaya toll gate (video)

    32 injured in Russian tourist bus crash at Pattaya toll gate (video)

    A Russian tourist bus crashed at a toll gate in Pattaya yesterday, December 2, resulting in 32 injuries. The incident is suspected to have been caused by a brake system failure. The Sawang Borriboon Dhammastan Rescue Foundation and Mueang Pattaya Police Station were alerted to the accident at the Pong Toll Gate at around 6.50pm. Two vehicles were damaged at…

  • Thailand NewsMP demands answers on income and legality of Chinese police training

    MP demands answers on income and legality of Chinese police training

    A Member of Parliament (MP) from the People’s Party raised questions to the Royal Thai Police (RTP) regarding the income generated from a special training programme for Chinese volunteer police, as well as the legality and effectiveness of the training, which took only three days to complete. The MP, Sasinan Thamnithinan, shared her concerns on her Twitter account yesterday, January…

  • Bangkok NewsThai woman shares Bolt driver watches porn throughout her ride

    Thai woman shares Bolt driver watches porn throughout her ride

    A Thai woman took to a Facebook group to issue a warning and seek legal advice after her Bolt motorcycle rider watched porn videos throughout her journey. The 18 year old victim shared her story on the Facebook group คนขับ Bolt drivers Thailand มอเตอร์ไซค์ (เท่านั้น), which translates to Thailand Bolt Motorcycle Riders (Only), yesterday, January 1. She recounted the incident…

  • Thailand NewsFamily disputes suicide claim in security guard’s mysterious death

    Family disputes suicide claim in security guard’s mysterious death

    The family of a missing Thai security guard is seeking justice following his mysterious death at an abandoned house in the central province of Kanchanaburi, which police officers ruled as suicide. The family of the 57 year old security guard, Daeng, reached out to Channel 8, urging a further investigation into his death. Daeng had reportedly been missing for seven…

  • Thailand NewsMentally ill ex-boxer arrested for fatal punch on security guard

    Mentally ill ex-boxer arrested for fatal punch on security guard

    Police arrested a mentally ill former Thai boxer after he fatally punched a security guard during a party in the Isaan province of Sakon Nakhon yesterday, January 1. A video of the fatal incident was shared on Facebook by the account ดอกสะแบง คืนถิ่น, accompanied by the caption, “Where are you from? Why are you such a thug?” The video depicted…

  • Thailand NewsPolice trainee accidentally shoots and kills himself and relative

    Police trainee accidentally shoots and kills himself and relative

    A police trainee in the northern province of Chiang Mai accidentally shot and killed himself and a relative while drinking alcohol and playing with a firearm on December 29, last year. Officers from Fang Police Station were called to a house in the Mae Ka sub-district, Fang district, Chiang Mai, to investigate the accidental fatal shooting. Upon arrival, officers found…

  • Thailand News5 dead and 33 injured in Surat Thani coach bus accident

    5 dead and 33 injured in Surat Thani coach bus accident

    A coach bus driver crashed into a tree along the Asian Highway 41 in the southern province of Surat Thani, resulting in the deaths of five passengers and injuries to 33 others. Three of the injured are reported to be in critical condition. The accident occurred in Chaiya district at approximately 7.30pm yesterday, January 1. The severely damaged green coach…

  • Thailand NewsThai-foreign couple lose 3 million baht in Phuket home robbery

    Thai-foreign couple lose 3 million baht in Phuket home robbery

    A Thai woman and her foreign husband in Phuket sought help from the police after losing 3 million baht in cash and gold during a home robbery on New Year’s Eve, December 31. The local news Facebook page Phuket Hotnews reported the robbery yesterday, January 1. The theft reportedly occurred in a village on Soi Nayai in the Chalong sub-district,…

  • Thailand NewsJapanese man vows to behave after arguing with Thai police over lantern ban

    Japanese man vows to behave after arguing with Thai police over lantern ban

    A Japanese man issued an apology after arguing with and attempting to assault a Thai police officer who warned him against floating a lantern in the city centre of Chiang Mai. The attempted assault came to public attention after the Facebook page เจ๊มอย v+ (Jmoi v+) shared footage of the incident yesterday, January 1. The incident reportedly occurred on December 31,…

  • Bangkok News1 million baht to compensate families of Khao San Road hotel fire victims

    1 million baht to compensate families of Khao San Road hotel fire victims

    The Ministry of Tourism and Sports plans to compensate the families of those who died in a fire at a hotel near Khao San Road in Bangkok with 1 million baht each. Injured victims are expected to receive 500,000 baht each. Three deaths and seven injuries were reported in the fire, which broke out at The Ember Hotel in the…

  • Thailand NewsSocial media pressure leads to arrest of minibus driver in rape case

    Social media pressure leads to arrest of minibus driver in rape case

    A Thai minibus driver, who was arrested today, December 30, after he raped a passenger on a trip from Bangkok to the Isaan province of Surin, claimed that the 19 year old victim consented to sexual intercourse. The victim’s mother filed a complaint at Phanom Dong Rak Police Station in Surin after her 19 year old daughter was sexually assaulted by…

  • Thailand NewsThai woman allegedly drugged and robbed by Bangkok taxi driver

    Thai woman allegedly drugged and robbed by Bangkok taxi driver

    A female Thai tour guide accused a taxi driver of drugging and robbing her during a trip from Soi Sukhumvit 11 to Soi Sukhumvit 81 in Bangkok on December 26. The 47 year old Thai woman, Angkana “Oil” Rungpaisarn, sought help from the non-profit organisation Saimai Survive after she woke up on the roadside with injuries across her body and valuables…

  • Thailand NewsSouth Korean man missing after boat capsizes near Koh Pha Ngan

    South Korean man missing after boat capsizes near Koh Pha Ngan

    A South Korean man remains missing after a long-tail boat capsized at around 3am yesterday, December 29, in the sea near Koh Pha Ngan, an island in the southern province of Surat Thani. A boat driver was tested positive for drugs. The accident occurred on a long-tail boat named Phichitchai, which departed Rin Beach on Koh Pha Ngan and was…

  • Thailand News3 foreigners killed in fire at Khao San Road hotel in Bangkok

    3 foreigners killed in fire at Khao San Road hotel in Bangkok

    A fire broke out at a hotel on Thani Road near the Khao San Road neighbourhood of Bangkok last night, December 29, resulting in three fatalities and seven injuries. The fire started on the fifth floor of the six-storey Ember Hotel, at around 9.20pm. ThaiRath reported today, December 30, that the blaze originated in room 511, which was completely burned down…

  • Thailand NewsJeju Air plane crash death toll rises to 179, including 2 Thai women

    Jeju Air plane crash death toll rises to 179, including 2 Thai women

    The death toll from the Jeju Air plane crash at Muan International Airport in South Korea yesterday, December 29, has risen to 179, including two Thai women. Jeju Air flight 7C2216, which departed from Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok bound for Muan Airport in South Korea, reportedly crashed into a wall at the destination airport at around 9am yesterday. The…

  • Thailand NewsThai ‘wizard’ halts ritual after viral couple intercourse chanting video

    Thai ‘wizard’ halts ritual after viral couple intercourse chanting video

    A Thai “wizard” in the Isaan province of Udon Thani ended an explicit ritual after a video of him chanting in front of a foreign couple during sexual activity went viral on Thai social media. The ritual came to public attention after the Facebook page Esor News shared details on Wednesday, December 25. The page posted a picture of a…

  • Pattaya NewsThai tourist police arrest 20 foreign sex workers on Pattaya Beach

    Thai tourist police arrest 20 foreign sex workers on Pattaya Beach

    Thai tourist police officers arrested 20 foreign sex workers for illegally working and offering sexual services on Pattaya Beach in the early hours of today. Officers from the Pattaya Tourist Office announced the crackdown on foreign sex workers to the public. They revealed that the arrests were made at about 1am today following complaints from both locals and tourists in…

  • Crime NewsFrenchman loses 6,000 euros to foreign sex worker in Phuket

    Frenchman loses 6,000 euros to foreign sex worker in Phuket

    A Frenchman lost 6,000 euros in cash (approximately 210,000 baht) to a sex worker of colour in Phuket on Christmas night, December 25. The Facebook news page Phuket Times reported today that the French victim took a foreign sex worker to a hotel after a Christmas party in the Patong neighbourhood of Phuket. He was intoxicated and subsequently fell asleep.…