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.
  • Phuket NewsSwedish man arrested in Phuket over alleged rape of fellow tourist | Thaiger

    Swedish man arrested in Phuket over alleged rape of fellow tourist

    Police arrested a Swedish man at a hotel in Phuket for the alleged rape of a woman from the same country, following a complaint filed earlier this week. The arrest was confirmed on Wednesday, February 5, after officers from Patong Police Station tracked down the suspect at a hotel on Na Nai 8 Road in Kathu district, Phuket. The 32…

  • Thailand NewsThai TikToker claims followers can visit Mars and Japan through meditation | Thaiger

    Thai TikToker claims followers can visit Mars and Japan through meditation

    A Thai man sparked widespread online controversy after claiming he possesses supernatural abilities and trains children to perform spiritual practices for “out-of-body travel“. The man shared multiple videos on his TikTok account @ongdum, where he presented himself and his followers practising meditation techniques for out-of-body experiences. In each clip, he claimed participants were able to leave their physical bodies and…

  • Phuket NewsFilipina woman arrested at Phuket over theft and forged documents | Thaiger

    Filipina woman arrested at Phuket over theft and forged documents

    Police arrested a Filipina woman at the Phuket Immigration Office after discovering that she was wanted under an arrest warrant for theft and the use of forged documents while she was attempting to renew her visa. The incident occurred on Tuesday, February 3, when the woman visited the Phuket Immigration Office to apply for a visa renewal and extend her…

  • Thailand NewsConstruction site manager claims gun accident in worker’s death | Thaiger

    Construction site manager claims gun accident in worker’s death

    A construction site manager fatally shot a worker in Ubon Ratchathani and claimed the shooting was accidental, saying the gun discharged when he tried to slap the victim with the firearm. Officers from Mueang Ubon Ratchathani Police Station were called to investigate the fatal shooting at a construction site on Tuesday, February 4, after receiving a report from workers at the…

  • Thailand NewsThai teen shoots neighbour dead over alleged affair with mother | Thaiger

    Thai teen shoots neighbour dead over alleged affair with mother

    A 17 year old Thai boy fatally shot his neighbour in Pathum Thani province, blaming the victim for having an affair with his mother and causing ongoing conflict within his family. Police from Thanyaburi Police Station were alerted to the shooting at around 1pm yesterday, February 4, by a local community leader, Thanee Suekui. The incident occurred in the Thanyaburi…

  • Bangkok NewsBangkok taxi driver confesses to raping intoxicated passenger | Thaiger

    Bangkok taxi driver confesses to raping intoxicated passenger

    A Thai taxi driver confessed to raping a female passenger, who was intoxicated and unable to defend herself, at a love hotel in Bangkok on Tuesday, February 3, saying, “I don’t know what an evil spirit possessed me that night”. The victim, a university student studying in Bangkok, filed a formal complaint with police after waking up naked inside a…

  • Thailand News15 year old boy arrested over 2.4 million baht gold theft in Hat Yai | Thaiger

    15 year old boy arrested over 2.4 million baht gold theft in Hat Yai

    Police arrested a 15 year old boy for a gold shop robbery at a supermarket in Hat Yai district, Songkhla province, in which gold accessories worth more than 2.4 million baht were stolen. The robbery occurred at around 6.30pm inside a gold shop located within Lotus’s supermarket in Hat Yai. CCTV footage showed the suspect dressed entirely in black and…

  • Thailand NewsIsraeli and El Salvadoran men rescued from Koh Pha Ngan forest | Thaiger

    Israeli and El Salvadoran men rescued from Koh Pha Ngan forest

    Tourist Police officers, together with local administrative officials, successfully rescued two foreign tourists, Israeli and Salvadoran men, who became lost in a forest on Koh Pha Ngan in Surat Thani province last night, February 4. According to authorities, Koh Pha Ngan Tourist Police received an emergency call via the tourist police hotline 1155 from two foreign men who reported that…

  • Thailand NewsThai taxi driver wins hearts after sharing desserts with Australian tourists | Thaiger

    Thai taxi driver wins hearts after sharing desserts with Australian tourists

    An Australian couple shared a video of a friendly service from a Thai taxi driver, who warmly welcomed them despite a language barrier and treated them to traditional Thai desserts during their journey. The video was shared on January 9 via the couple’s TikTok account, TikTok user @whatamidoing.retired. In the caption, the couple wrote… “We met the kindest taxi driver,…

  • Thailand NewsThai woman says friend claims her baby to scam over 1 million baht | Thaiger

    Thai woman says friend claims her baby to scam over 1 million baht

    A Thai woman issued a public warning after her close friend claimed her baby as her own in order to swindle more than 1 million baht from her husband and his family. The victim shared her story on the television news programme Hone Krasae on Channel 3, saying she almost lost custody of her three month old child as a result…

  • Bangkok News3 Mongolians arrested in Bangkok for smuggling crystal meth using capacitors | Thaiger

    3 Mongolians arrested in Bangkok for smuggling crystal meth using capacitors

    Police arrested three Mongolian nationals at a hotel in Bangkok’s Sukhumvit area for smuggling crystal methamphetamine from Thailand to their home country by concealing the drugs inside electronic components (capacitors). Officers from the Narcotics Suppression Bureau began the investigation after discovering a suspicious parcel at a logistics company office on New Phetchaburi Road in Bangkok on January 9. The parcel…

  • Thailand NewsElection Commission to summon Fastwork CEO over vote-buying claim | Thaiger

    Election Commission to summon Fastwork CEO over vote-buying claim

    The Election Commission of Thailand (ECT) planned to summon the CEO of freelance marketplace Fastwork for questioning after he publicly claimed that a political party bought a vote from his grandmother for 2,000 baht. The Thai-Chinese CEO of the Fastwork, Chikit “CK” Cheong, is not only well-known as a businessman but also as a content creator who regularly discusses business,…

  • Phuket NewsRussian runner protests Phuket race organiser, throws medal away | Thaiger

    Russian runner protests Phuket race organiser, throws medal away

    A Russian runner criticised the organiser of a running event in Phuket after being accused of following the wrong route and being disqualified, insisting that the mistake was caused by the organiser rather than by him. The Russian runner, Sergey Zyryanov, shared a video on social media showing himself throwing a medal from the Running@Wichit event into a rubbish bin.…

  • Bangkok NewsChinese man arrested in Bangkok for 32 year old murder in Hong Kong | Thaiger

    Chinese man arrested in Bangkok for 32 year old murder in Hong Kong

    Thai police arrested a Chinese man in Bangkok who had been evading arrest for 32 years in connection with a murder case in Hong Kong dating back to 1992. The arrest took place on Monday, February 3, after authorities in Hong Kong coordinated with Thailand’s Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) to track down the long-wanted suspect. The man was identified as…

  • Bangkok NewsThai man disappears, car found outside abandoned house in Chon Buri | Thaiger

    Thai man disappears, car found outside abandoned house in Chon Buri

    A Thai man with a history of depression disappeared from his home in Bangkok late last month, with his car later found outside an abandoned house in Chon Buri province. The missing man’s older sister turned to an online community for help on Monday, February 2, sharing a photo and details of her brother, 37 year old Keerati “Golf” Nattirakiat,…

  • Thailand NewsThai woman flees naked after rape in Chon Buri abandoned house | Thaiger

    Thai woman flees naked after rape in Chon Buri abandoned house

    A Thai woman ran naked from an abandoned house in Chon Buri province to seek help after she was raped on Sunday evening, February 1. Police are continuing their search for the suspect, who remains at large. According to a report by Channel 7, the incident occurred at an abandoned house along a road on Jao Mae Sakhon Mountain in…

  • Bangkok News2 gunmen surrender after 2 victims injured in Khao San Road shooting | Thaiger

    2 gunmen surrender after 2 victims injured in Khao San Road shooting

    Two people were injured after a shooting broke out at an entertainment venue on Khao San Road in Bangkok early on Friday, January 30. Police later confirmed that two suspects had contacted authorities, saying they intended to turn themselves in. According to a report by Channel 7, the shooting occurred at a bar on Khao San Road at around 1.30am.…

  • Thailand NewsThai family welcomes foreigners who mistake funeral feast for restaurant | Thaiger

    Thai family welcomes foreigners who mistake funeral feast for restaurant

    A Thai family in Nakhon Si Thammarat province warmly welcomed and served food to two groups of foreigners who mistakenly believed that the family’s funeral event was a restaurant. The incident was shared online by a Thai man named Charantorn Chareomkiad, who posted videos from his family’s funeral ceremony held on Saturday, January 31, in Nakhon Si Thammarat province. In…

  • Pattaya NewsThai man clings to moving SUV in Pattaya allegedly to stop car thief | Thaiger

    Thai man clings to moving SUV in Pattaya allegedly to stop car thief

    Thai netizens called for further investigation after a viral video showed a Thai man clinging to the bonnet of a moving electric SUV on a road in Pattaya, allegedly in an attempt to stop a thief from stealing his vehicle. A Thai woman shared the video on her Facebook account on Sunday, February 2, along with a caption claiming the…

  • Thailand News‘Mr Spray’ wanted for defacing Koh Pha Ngan with political graffiti | Thaiger

    ‘Mr Spray’ wanted for defacing Koh Pha Ngan with political graffiti

    Residents and local business operators on Koh Pha Ngan in Surat Thani province called on police to take action against “Mr Spay“, a foreign man who spray-painted political slogans on public and private property across the island. Residents told reporters that the man spray-painted messages such as “Save Gaza” and “Libre” on traffic signs, electricity poles, and walls belonging to…

  • Phuket NewsFrench couple deported and blacklisted after sex on Phuket tuk tuk | Thaiger

    French couple deported and blacklisted after sex on Phuket tuk tuk

    A French couple are facing deportation and blacklisting from Thailand after being arrested for engaging in a sexual act while travelling on a tuk tuk in Phuket last month. The case came to light after a Thai motorist, who was driving behind a tuk tuk on Patong Hill in Phuket on January 29, noticed the inappropriate behaviour of a foreign…

  • Thailand NewsThief slashes vocational student’s neck and steals motorcycle in Chon Buri | Thaiger

    Thief slashes vocational student’s neck and steals motorcycle in Chon Buri

    Police in Chon Buri province are continuing a manhunt for a suspect who slashed the neck of a vocational student and stealing his motorcycle yesterday, February 2. The suspect initially pretended to be a hitchhiker before turning on the victim during the journey. Officers from Huay Yai Police Station were alerted to the knife attack and motorcycle theft in the…

  • Bangkok NewsYaowarat Chinese New Year cancelled to honour Queen Mother Sirikit | Thaiger

    Yaowarat Chinese New Year cancelled to honour Queen Mother Sirikit

    The Samphanthawong District Office announced the cancellation of this year’s Chinese New Year event along Yaowarat Road, also known as Bangkok’s Chinatown, citing the ongoing mourning period for Her Majesty Queen Mother Sirikit. In an official announcement issued today, February 2, the district office, which oversees the Chinatown area, confirmed that the Chinese New Year celebrations scheduled for February 17…

  • Thailand NewsChiang Rai man arrested for stalking TikTok star and issuing death threats | Thaiger

    Chiang Rai man arrested for stalking TikTok star and issuing death threats

    Police arrested a Thai man in Chiang Rai province for stalking a female TikTok star and issuing death threats against her and her family. The arrest took place on Saturday, January 31, following a complaint filed by the victim and her parents. The victim, a 19 year old TikToker identified only as A, along with her parents, reported the case…

  • Bangkok NewsThai man lures 16 year old boy into creating swinger sex videos | Thaiger

    Thai man lures 16 year old boy into creating swinger sex videos

    Police arrested an 18 year old man at a condominium in Bangkok for luring a 16 year old boy into creating pornographic videos and distributing them on the OnlyFans platform. Officers from the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) and International Protection Alliance (IPA) conducted an investigation into two X accounts after finding the accounts inviting online users to subscribe to an…

  • Thailand News3 Thai victims injured after 1-tonne traffic sign collapses in Saraburi | Thaiger

    3 Thai victims injured after 1-tonne traffic sign collapses in Saraburi

    A large traffic sign collapsed onto a motorcycle on the Friendship Highway in Saraburi province, leaving three victims in serious injuries. Police suspected that the incident was caused by stolen bolts securing the sign’s support pole. The accident occurred in the afternoon on Saturday, February 1, along the Friendship Highway in the Pak Phiao sub-district of Saraburi province. Police officers…

  • Aviation NewsRussian man jumps from plane after landing at Bangkok airport | Thaiger

    Russian man jumps from plane after landing at Bangkok airport

    A foreign man in underwear, believed to be a Russian national, caused chaos and jumped off an airplane from an emergency exit door shortly after it landed at Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok, following a journey from Vietnam. A Thai woman who was travelling on the same flight shared footage of the incident on her TikTok account, @piapornchamsri, on…

  • Bangkok NewsArmed thief steals over 10 million baht in gold from Sukhumvit mall | Thaiger

    Armed thief steals over 10 million baht in gold from Sukhumvit mall

    Police successfully identified a suspect in a late-night robbery at a gold shop inside a shopping mall on Soi Sukhumvit 50 in Bangkok, in which gold accessories worth more than 10 million baht and around 170,000 baht in cash were stolen. The commander of Metropolitan Police Division 5, Wittawat Chinkham, told the media that the robbery took place at around…

  • Thailand NewsPublic backlash erupts over ECT mistakes in advance voting | Thaiger

    Public backlash erupts over ECT mistakes in advance voting

    Public criticism mounted against officials from the Election Commission of Thailand (ECT) following a series of mistakes reported during Thailand’s advanced voting yesterday, February 1. The ECT scheduled February 1 for advance voting ahead of the official General Election on February 8. It is designed to allow eligible Thai citizens who live outside their registered home provinces, or who are…

  • Thailand NewsTruck snags wires and pulls down 70 power poles in Samut Prakan | Thaiger

    Truck snags wires and pulls down 70 power poles in Samut Prakan

    A truck snagged on communication wires and later pulled down more than 70 electricity poles along a road in the Bang Pu area of Samut Prakan province today, January 30, causing widespread power outages in the area and nearby. Officers from Bang Pu Police Station were alerted to the accident at around 1pm. The incident occurred on a bridge at…