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.
  • Aviation NewsSuvarnabhumi Airport ranks 12th among world’s most connected airports | Thaiger

    Suvarnabhumi Airport ranks 12th among world’s most connected airports

    Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok is ranked 12th in the world’s 50 most connected airports in 2025, according to the Official Airline Guide (OAG). Airports of Thailand (AOT) announced the news following the release of OAG Megahubs 2025. Suvarnabhumi Airport is placed 12th in the Global Airport Megahubs category and fifth in the Asia-Pacific region in the Top International by…

  • Thailand NewsDSI clears African man of call centre scam links after parliament discussion | Thaiger

    DSI clears African man of call centre scam links after parliament discussion

    The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) confirmed that a South African accused of involvement with a call centre scam gang based in Cambodia has no record of legal violations, according to its database. The South African, Benjamin Mauerberger, also known as Ben Smith, drew attention from Thai political enthusiasts after being mentioned by two Members of Parliament (MPs) from the…

  • Phuket NewsBrave parasailing assistant jumps into sea to save tourist off Phuket beach | Thaiger

    Brave parasailing assistant jumps into sea to save tourist off Phuket beach

    A brave parasailing assistant made a split-second decision to drop into the sea off Phuket to save a tourist after a parasailing boat capsized near Kata Beach yesterday, October 16. A sudden storm hit Kata Beach in Phuket’s Karon district at around 3pm, overturning a parasailing boat. The tourist, along with the parasailing staff member controlling the parachute, was still…

  • Pattaya NewsPattaya locals beat drunk foreign man for assaulting disabled victim | Thaiger

    Pattaya locals beat drunk foreign man for assaulting disabled victim

    Locals attacked a drunk foreign man in Soi Buakhao in Pattaya on Wednesday, October 15, after he allegedly assaulted a disabled person and spat on a police officer. Officers from Mueang Pattaya Police Station revealed details of the incident to Matichon yesterday, October 16. They reported that the disturbance occurred in the popular nightlife area of Soi Buakhao at around…

  • Thailand NewsThai woman loses 30,000 baht in foreign husband matchmaking scam | Thaiger

    Thai woman loses 30,000 baht in foreign husband matchmaking scam

    A 50 year old Thai woman in the Isaan province of Udon Thani lost 30,000 baht after hiring a fraudulent matchmaker to find her a foreign husband. The victim, identified only as Jip, filed a complaint against the scam agency at Mueang Udon Thani Police Station on October 13. She also handed over CCTV footage showing her discussions with a…

  • Bangkok News2 Chinese men arrested in Bangkok for illegal hostel and drug business | Thaiger

    2 Chinese men arrested in Bangkok for illegal hostel and drug business

    Police today, October 16, arrested two Chinese nationals during a raid on two houses in Bangkok for illegally operating a hostel and distributing unregistered food supplements and Viagra. Officers from Sutthisan Police Station, together with officials from the Department of Employment, Immigration Police, and Din Daeng District Office, raided a property in Soi Inthamara 49, Ratchadaphisek sub-district, Din Daeng district,…

  • Thailand NewsThai woman rescued after spending 3 days in parked car in Samut Songkhram | Thaiger

    Thai woman rescued after spending 3 days in parked car in Samut Songkhram

    A resident rescued a Thai woman who was reportedly having suicidal thoughts after she spent three days sitting in her car parked on the roadside in the central province of Samut Songkhram. Ab owner of a nearby PVC pipe shop, 58 year old Chaiyaphat Weerawat, called officers from Mueang Samut Songkhram Police Station yesterday, October 15, to investigate a white…

  • Thailand NewsThai housemaid and husband arrested for stealing gold and cash from blind employer | Thaiger

    Thai housemaid and husband arrested for stealing gold and cash from blind employer

    Police yesterday, October 15, arrested a Thai housemaid and her husband for stealing cash and gold worth nearly 1.2 million baht from a blind employer. The blind victim, 25 year old Kitsiri, filed a theft complaint with officers at Rattanathibet Police Station on August 6. She explained that she had travelled to another province and stayed there for several days.…

  • Thailand NewsThai man arrested for murdering neighbour allegedly over lottery dispute | Thaiger

    Thai man arrested for murdering neighbour allegedly over lottery dispute

    Police yesterday, October 15, arrested a Thai man who murdered a woman and dumped her body in a pond in Phetchaburi province. He was arrested while hiding in Krabi. The body of 55 year old Thai woman, Ladda Dodesang, was discovered tied to a wooden log in a pond in Phetchaburi province on September 29. Her neck was wrapped with…

  • Pattaya News3 transwomen attack Indian men and hotel guard in Pattaya | Thaiger

    3 transwomen attack Indian men and hotel guard in Pattaya

    A group of three Thai transwomen attacked two Indian men and a hotel security guard in Pattaya, stealing approximately 24,000 baht in cash from the tourists yesterday, October 15. An Indian tourist, accompanied by his friend and the hotel security guard, reported the assault and theft to Meuang Pattaya Police Station at 11pm. They also brought CCTV footage as evidence.…

  • Thailand NewsPolice bust 5 illegal tour guides working for Israeli-Thai couple on Koh Pha Ngan | Thaiger

    Police bust 5 illegal tour guides working for Israeli-Thai couple on Koh Pha Ngan

    Police arrested five illegal tour guides for offering ATV trips to foreigners on Koh Pha Ngan in Surat Thani province and launched a further investigation into an Israeli man and his Thai wife, who are alleged to be behind the illegal business. Officers from the Koh Phangan Tourist Police and the Immigration Office monitored the area near the entrance to an…

  • Bangkok NewsPolice suspect suicide after foreign man falls to death from Bangkok hotel | Thaiger

    Police suspect suicide after foreign man falls to death from Bangkok hotel

    Police suspect suicide after a foreign man fell to his death from the 16th floor of a hotel in Silom, Bangkok, yesterday, October 15. Officers from Yannawa Police Station were alerted to the fatal fall at around 4.15pm. The body of a foreign man, whose identity remains under investigation, was found in the car park of a well-known hotel near…

  • Central Thailand NewsBody of pregnant woman found after tugboat capsizes in Ayutthaya river | Thaiger

    Body of pregnant woman found after tugboat capsizes in Ayutthaya river

    Volunteer divers discovered the body of a seven-month pregnant woman who went missing after a tugboat sank in the Pa Sak River in the central province of Ayutthaya on Tuesday, October 14. Her body was found about 200 metres away from the scene of the incident. The capsizing of the cargo tugboat was reported at around 3.30pm on Tuesday. The…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket transwoman assaulted and robbed by Polish client after sex service | Thaiger

    Phuket transwoman assaulted and robbed by Polish client after sex service

    A Thai transwoman called on Phuket officials to improve safety measures, claiming that a Polish man assaulted her and stole her bag after a sex service.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by The Thaiger (@thethaigerofficial) The transgender victim reached out to the Phuket Time Facebook page today, October 15, to report the robbery. She shared…

  • Pattaya News2 Thai influencers apologise for faking gold theft on Pattaya Beach | Thaiger

    2 Thai influencers apologise for faking gold theft on Pattaya Beach

    Two Thai social media influencers apologised after faking a gold necklace theft on Pattaya Beach to gain online engagement and promote their gold shop and food supplement products. The transgender influencers, 30 year old Pratchaya “Kong” Hirunrat and 45 year old Phet Kamutmart, appeared in a video claiming that Kong’s gold necklace had been stolen. Kong, well-known among her followers…

  • Phuket News2 foreign teens condemned for spray-painting Phuket building | Thaiger

    2 foreign teens condemned for spray-painting Phuket building

    Thai netizens condemned two foreign teenagers after they were caught in a viral video spray-painting the wall of a roadside accommodation in Phuket. The Phuket Times Facebook page shared pictures and a video of the teenagers today, October 15, with a caption that read… “Foreign teenagers climbed onto the roof to spray-paint the wall for video content. This happened last…

  • Thailand NewsThai agency denies forcing Chinese tourists to buy souvenirs after viral video | Thaiger

    Thai agency denies forcing Chinese tourists to buy souvenirs after viral video

    A Thai travel agency denied forcing Chinese tourists to buy souvenirs for commission or threatening to cancel their return trip, saying the Chinese tour guide seen in the viral video worked for the company’s partner agency in China. The video, showing the Chinese tour guide arguing aggressively with tourists on a tour bus, went viral on the Chinese social media…

  • Thailand NewsBlind German man unaware of Thai wife’s suicide until neighbour finds her | Thaiger

    Blind German man unaware of Thai wife’s suicide until neighbour finds her

    A blind German man was unaware that his Thai wife had committed suicide in their shared home in the central province of Chachoengsao until a neighbour visited yesterday, October 14. Officers from Mueang Chachoengsao Police Station investigated the death of a 53 year old Thai woman, Nissara, at a house in Khlong Udom Chonchon at around 6.30pm. At the two-storey…

  • Thailand NewsLebanese man becomes aggressive after arrest for illegal motorcycle rental shop | Thaiger

    Lebanese man becomes aggressive after arrest for illegal motorcycle rental shop

    A Lebanese man reportedly became aggressive towards police officers after he was arrested yesterday, October 14, for illegally operating a motorcycle rental shop on Koh Pha Ngan in Surat Thani province. Officers at Koh Pha Ngan Police Station are continuing a crackdown on foreign nationals who are illegally operating businesses or working without permits on the island. As part of…

  • Pattaya NewsMan goes viral after accidentally riding motorcycle into temple pond | Thaiger

    Man goes viral after accidentally riding motorcycle into temple pond

    A foreign man accidentally rode his motorcycle straight into a temple pond in Pattaya, giving locals a good laugh and earning the viral nickname “real-life divine help” after Thai monks came to his rescue. A Thai woman, Kalaya Modthong, witnessed the incident and shared a 35-second video on her Facebook account yesterday, October 14, which quickly became viral across Thai…

  • Phuket NewsRussian man allegedly stalks Phuket woman after being rejected | Thaiger

    Russian man allegedly stalks Phuket woman after being rejected

    A Thai woman accused a Russian man in Phuket of stalking, harassing, and threatening to harm her after she rejected his romantic advances. The woman, who works at a café in Patong, said she felt unsafe and decided to share her story with the Phuket Times Facebook page yesterday, October 14. She insisted that she had never encouraged the Russian…

  • Thailand NewsPregnant woman missing after tugboat capsizes in Ayutthaya river | Thaiger

    Pregnant woman missing after tugboat capsizes in Ayutthaya river

    A pregnant Thai woman remains missing after her husband lost control of a tugboat, which capsized in the Pasak River in the central province of Ayutthaya yesterday, October 14. Officers from Nakhon Luang Police Station received a report that a cargo tugboat had sunk in the middle of the Pa Sak River at around 3.30pm yesterday. The incident left one…

  • Thailand NewsThai taxi driver caught stealing 1,000 baht dropped in petrol station bathroom | Thaiger

    Thai taxi driver caught stealing 1,000 baht dropped in petrol station bathroom

    A Thai man condemned a taxi driver for stealing a 1,000-baht banknote that he accidentally dropped in a bathroom at a petrol station in Nakhon Pathom. The victim, 33 year old Top, took to the Facebook group, รวมพลคนขับแท็กซี่ (แห่งประเทศไทย), translating to Taxi Driver Thailand, to search for the taxi driver who reportedly took his money on Saturday, October 11. Top…

  • Thailand NewsMentally ill woman breaks into official’s house and makes herself at home | Thaiger

    Mentally ill woman breaks into official’s house and makes herself at home

    A mentally ill Thai woman broke into the home of a local government official in the Isaan province of Udon Thani and made herself comfortable by drinking alcohol, taking a shower, and cooking herself a meal.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by The Thaiger (@thethaigerofficial) The owner of the rented house, 50 year old Aoy,…

  • Thailand NewsBackhoe driver uncovers skeleton outside naval hospital in Chon Buri | Thaiger

    Backhoe driver uncovers skeleton outside naval hospital in Chon Buri

    A backhoe driver discovered a skeleton outside a naval base in Sattahip district, Chon Buri, yesterday, October 13. Officials believe the remains to be ancient human bones. Officers from Sattahip Police Station were alerted to the discovery outside Abhakornkiatiwong Hospital, located within the Sattahip Naval Base, at around 11am. The remains were found near the hospital’s entrance, where workers were…

  • Thailand NewsFrench tourist’s complaint leads to arrest of 4 Israeli soldiers in Koh Pha Ngan drug party | Thaiger

    French tourist’s complaint leads to arrest of 4 Israeli soldiers in Koh Pha Ngan drug party

    A complaint from a French national led to the arrest of four Israeli soldiers who threw a drug party at a villa on Koh Pha Ngan, an island in the southern province of Surat Thani.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by The Thaiger (@thethaigerofficial) Koh Pha Ngan Tourist Police received a complaint through the 1155…

  • Thailand NewsOver 120 year old stupa in Nakhon Phanom collapses after heavy rainfall | Thaiger

    Over 120 year old stupa in Nakhon Phanom collapses after heavy rainfall

    A 120 year old stupa, Phra That Non Tan, in the northern province of Nakhon Phanom, has collapsed shortly before its scheduled restoration work due to heavy and continuous rainfall. Residents of Tha Uthen district were seen crying in footage shared by Channel 7 after the collapse of Phra That Non Tan, located within Wat Phra That Phanom, on Sunday,…

  • Thailand NewsThai woman struck by lightning while hiking in Mae Hong Son | Thaiger

    Thai woman struck by lightning while hiking in Mae Hong Son

    A 30 year old Thai woman sustained serious injuries after being struck by lightning while hiking on Doi Pui Luang mountain in the northern province of Mae Hong Son on Saturday, October 11. The woman, Phattharaporn, travelled from her home province of Nakhon Si Thammarat in southern Thailand to hike through a trail on Doi Pui Luang mountain, located in the…

  • Phuket NewsIndian man wanted for attacking Phuket transwoman and stealing 10,000 baht | Thaiger

    Indian man wanted for attacking Phuket transwoman and stealing 10,000 baht

    An Indian man remains at large after attacking a Thai transwoman in her rented room in Phuket and stealing 10,000 baht in cash from her yesterday, October 13. The Thai transgender victim took to social media and shared her story with local news outlets to warn others and help locate the Indian suspect. In an interview with the Phuket Times…

  • Bangkok NewsIndian man caught after wielding fake gun at Siam Square in Bangkok | Thaiger

    Indian man caught after wielding fake gun at Siam Square in Bangkok

    An Indian man allegedly caused a disturbance while holding a gun-shaped lighter in a Bangkok shopping district yesterday, October 13. Authorities suspect he was under the influence of cannabis. Officers from Pathumwan Police Station were called to the Siam Square area near the Siam BTS Station at around 4pm. Thai and foreign shoppers panicked as a foreign man screamed and…