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 NewsBingo! Gambian arrested for 7-year illegal stay on Koh Pha Ngan

    Bingo! Gambian arrested for 7-year illegal stay on Koh Pha Ngan

    Tourist Police arrested a Gambian man on Koh Pha Ngan, an island in the southern province of Surat Thani, on Friday, July 19, for illegally entering Thailand and staying on the island for more than seven years. He reportedly shouted “Bingo!” after being caught. Koh Pha Ngan Tourist Police were conducting a crackdown on illegal foreigners when they encountered the…

  • Thailand NewsChinese passport sale billboard in Bangkok raises legal concerns

    Chinese passport sale billboard in Bangkok raises legal concerns

    Police and Thai government officials are investigating a puzzling billboard in Bangkok‘s Huai Kwang district advertising the sale of passports from different countries in Chinese. A Thai Facebook user shared a picture of the billboard with the caption, “This is at Huai Kwang Intersection. I guess it’s about passport sales. You’re committing a crime, obviously. In case you don’t know,…

  • Thailand NewsThai man kills 2 month old baby girl after failing to rape her mother

    Thai man kills 2 month old baby girl after failing to rape her mother

    A Thai man killed a two month old baby in a rage by throwing the infant to the ground after he failed to rape the child’s mother at her home in the northern province of Chiang Rai. Officers from Wiang Kaen Police Station arrested the 40 year old alleged murderer, Lee Saeyang, at his home, which was located opposite the…

  • Thailand NewsAlleged drunk American stabs Australian man to death in Krabi

    Alleged drunk American stabs Australian man to death in Krabi

    A reportedly drunk American man stabbed an Australian man to death in the southern province of Krabi, following a heated argument at a bar on Ao Nang Beach. Officers from Ao Nang Police Station investigated the stabbing, which occurred on the roadside near Nopparat Thara Beach at 2am on July 22. Rescuers had already taken the injured Australian man, later…

  • Thailand NewsThai man commits murder-suicide, kills 4 family members of ex-wife

    Thai man commits murder-suicide, kills 4 family members of ex-wife

    A Thai man committed murder-suicide in the Isaan province of Sisaket, killing four family members of his ex-wife before taking his own life in his car. Only a 10 year old boy survived the incident. Officers from Mueang Sisaket Police Station were alerted to a shooting at a house in Nong Phai sub-district, Mueang district, Sisaket province, at approximately 9.30pm…

  • Thailand NewsDrunk Thai man stabs taxi rider with scissors to avoid paying fare

    Drunk Thai man stabs taxi rider with scissors to avoid paying fare

    A drunk Thai man stabbed a motorcycle taxi rider in the neck with a pair of scissors outside a village in Nonthaburi province near Bangkok on July 17 because he could not pay the fare after spending all his money on booze. Bang Bua Thong Police Station officers were alerted to the stabbing and rushed to the scene with Poh…

  • Thailand NewsThai man with epilepsy crashes and kills student on Bangkok road

    Thai man with epilepsy crashes and kills student on Bangkok road

    A Thai man with epilepsy yesterday crashed his pickup into a sedan car and two motorcycles on Ratchadapisek Road in Bangkok, injuring three motorists and killing a university student. Officers from Phahonyothin Police Station and rescuers from the Portektung Rescue Foundation rushed to the accident scene on Ratchadapisek Road in the Chatuchak district of Bangkok yesterday afternoon, July 18. Officers…

  • Thailand NewsSouth Korean man faces jail for hiding illegal Thai worker’s body

    South Korean man faces jail for hiding illegal Thai worker’s body

    A South Korean court sentenced a pig farm owner to 18 months in prison, suspended for three years, for concealing the body of a Thai worker who had been working illegally at the farm for 10 years and died last year. The body of 67 year old Boonchu was discovered on a mountain in Pocheon City, Gyeonggi province, South Korea,…

  • Thailand NewsInjured Thai man warns motorists after staged accident, extortion

    Injured Thai man warns motorists after staged accident, extortion

    A Thai man is warning fellow motorists in the Isaan province of Udon Thani after two suspects staged an accident in an attempt to extort 30,000 baht from him. The thugs then beat him up when he refused to pay. The 44 year old victim, Sarn, told Channel 3 that the incident occurred on the Don Kloy-Dongyang-Phibunrak Road in Udon…

  • Thailand NewsThai teenager killed while making homemade bomb in Isaan

    Thai teenager killed while making homemade bomb in Isaan

    A 16 year old Thai teenager lost his life while making a homemade bomb at his friend’s house in the Isaan province of Surin. The boy, identified only as A, was found dead outside his friend’s home in the Khwao Sinrin district of Surin at around 11.40am on Tuesday, July 16. Officers from Khwao Sinrin Police Station were called to…

  • Thailand NewsVietnamese murder-suicide: Cryptic letter found, tour guide questioned

    Vietnamese murder-suicide: Cryptic letter found, tour guide questioned

    Police discovered a suspicious message written in Chinese on the phone of the alleged killer of the Vietnamese nationals poisoned in a Bangkok hotel. A Vietnamese tour guide who bought medicine for one of the deceased is also under suspicion and is currently being questioned by police. Metropolitan Police Bureau officers are continuing their investigation into the murder-suicide case, which…

  • Thailand NewsThai man arrested for gold necklace theft after 4-hour standoff

    Thai man arrested for gold necklace theft after 4-hour standoff

    Police arrested a Thai man at an apartment in the central province of Samut Sakhon for the theft of a gold necklace worth nearly 130,000 baht, following a four-hour police operation. The gold thief, 35 year old Nitirat “Mac” Rangnoi, committed the crime at a som tam restaurant in the central province of Nakhon Pathom at 3pm on July 12.…

  • Thailand NewsPhone fiend: Thai woman calls out thief in Nonthaburi (video)

    Phone fiend: Thai woman calls out thief in Nonthaburi (video)

    A Thai woman is demanding police arrest a thief who repeatedly stole mobile phones in the Nonthaburi province near Bangkok. In her case, she admitted falling victim to the serial thief after leaving the front door of her home open while she slept. The victim, 30 year old Sunanta, took to social media to warn others about the theft, which…

  • Thailand News2 runaway horses killed in car accident on road near Bangkok

    2 runaway horses killed in car accident on road near Bangkok

    A car accident today on Borommaratchachonnani Road in Pathum Thani province, near Bangkok, resulted in the deaths of two horses and damage to three vehicles. The horses escaped from a nearby restaurant today, July 18. The accident occurred at approximately 7.20am on Borommaratchachonnani Road in the Sampran district of Pathum Thani province. Three vehicles were involved in the accident: a…

  • Thailand NewsDeputy PM Anutin opposes PM Srettha’s cannabis reclassification

    Deputy PM Anutin opposes PM Srettha’s cannabis reclassification

    The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, Anutin Charnvirakul, declared his opposition to Prime Minister (PM) Srettha Thavisin‘s policy to reclassify cannabis as a Narcotics Category 5 drug. The Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) agreed last week to reclassify cannabis, which has been permitted for health-related purposes for over two years. This new policy is expected…

  • Thailand NewsForeign man caught on viral video urinating on Phuket road (video)

    Foreign man caught on viral video urinating on Phuket road (video)

    A viral video shared on a news Facebook page showed a foreign man urinating in the middle of the Patong Beach Road in Phuket during a traffic jam, despite many motorists staring at him. The Facebook page, 1วันพันกว่าเรื่อง ภูเก็ต (meaning over 1,000 things happen in a day), shared a video of the foreign man, whose identity was not disclosed, yesterday,…

  • Thailand NewsBox of joy: Thai woman rescues abandoned newborn in Rayong

    Box of joy: Thai woman rescues abandoned newborn in Rayong

    A Thai woman yesterday rescued an abandoned newborn baby boy found in a cardboard box on the roadside in the eastern province of Rayong. The 33 year old woman, Wanida, reported the discovery to officers at Pluak Daeng Police Station. She explained that she noticed the abandoned baby while picking up her child from school. Wanida said her child found…

  • Thailand News15 year old Thai teenager stabbed to death over love triangle

    15 year old Thai teenager stabbed to death over love triangle

    A 16 year old Thai teenager surrendered to police after stabbing a 15 year old boy to death in the central province of Pathum Thani over a love triangle. Officers from Ladlumkaew Police Station were alerted to the death of the teenage boy, Sarawut, at 5.44pm yesterday, July 17. They visited the scene with a rescue team and medical workers.…

  • Thailand NewsVietnamese tour guide reveals more on Bangkok hotel murder-suicide

    Vietnamese tour guide reveals more on Bangkok hotel murder-suicide

    Further questioning of a Vietnamese tour guide, who served the six Vietnamese nationals before their deaths, revealed that another tour guide, named Tiger, may have known the source of the cyanide and been able to identify others involved in the murder-suicide case. Six Vietnamese nationals died from cyanide poisoning at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Bangkok, with their bodies discovered…

  • Thailand NewsCat-nabbed: Thai man’s purr-fect crime outside Phuket bank (video)

    Cat-nabbed: Thai man’s purr-fect crime outside Phuket bank (video)

    Police arrested a Thai man for stealing a cat from outside a bank in the Wichit district of Phuket. The man claimed he intended to pet the cat but many Thai netizens suspected he intended to eat it. The cat’s owner posted CCTV footage on social media showing the thief, identified as 32 year old Nattaphon, taking her white cat named…

  • Thailand NewsBeach horror: Lower body find sends shockwaves in central Thailand

    Beach horror: Lower body find sends shockwaves in central Thailand

    A hotel employee yesterday discovered the lower part of a human body on Laem Sadet Beach in the central province of Chanthaburi. Police are struggling to identify the deceased due to the missing upper half, including the head. The 39 year old hotel worker, whose name has not been disclosed, told Matichon that he found the human remains at approximately…

  • Thailand NewsBangkok bike bungle: Drunk taxi driver’s crash leads to two injuries

    Bangkok bike bungle: Drunk taxi driver’s crash leads to two injuries

    A drunk Thai taxi driver crashed his car into four motorcycles in Soi Ratchadaphisek 66 in Bangkok resulting in two injuries. He initially claimed he was not drunk and that the bottles found in his car contained milk, not alcohol. Ratchadaphisek neighbourhood residents stopped the 52 year old taxi driver, Udon, on Saturday, July 13, who had fled the scene…

  • Thailand NewsThai tattoo artist allegedly rapes client, leading to attempted suicide

    Thai tattoo artist allegedly rapes client, leading to attempted suicide

    A Thai mother is seeking justice for her 20 year old daughter, who attempted suicide after being raped by a tattoo artist in Bangkok. The victim is in a critical condition and the alleged rapist has not yet been apprehended. The victim’s mother told Channel 7 that her daughter sent a message saying, “Mother, I love you” on July 12,…

  • Thailand NewsMurder-suicide: 6 Vietnamese deaths linked to 10 million baht debt

    Murder-suicide: 6 Vietnamese deaths linked to 10 million baht debt

    Following the suspicious deaths of six Vietnamese nationals at a hotel in Bangkok, Thai police discovered that one of the deceased, a Vietnamese-American woman, allegedly poisoned her friends before committing suicide with the toxin over a 10 million baht debt. The Metropolitan Police Bureau of Thailand revealed more details of the case in a press conference, today, July 17, following…

  • Thailand NewsBurmese man wanted for murder of Iranian-Thai couple in Pattaya

    Burmese man wanted for murder of Iranian-Thai couple in Pattaya

    Police in Pattaya are searching for a Burmese man suspected of murdering his employees, an Iranian man and his Thai wife. Their bodies were discovered in a bedroom above their Iranian restaurant on July 16. The victims, 63 year old Mojtaba Ghanbariazad and his wife Thanaporn Poonprakone, were found by a relative who had a dream about Thanaporn and was…

  • Thailand NewsNaked truth: Victims pursue legal action against ‘cancer-curing’ hermit

    Naked truth: Victims pursue legal action against ‘cancer-curing’ hermit

    More victims have stepped forward to pursue legal action against a hermit and his wife in the southern province of Surat Thani, who allegedly claim they can cure cancer through naked massages. A Thai man claimed that his wife died in May as a result of the hermit’s treatment. The first victim to seek assistance from the Ministry of Social…

  • Thailand NewsCyanide poisoning suspected in deaths of 6 Vietnamese nationals

    Cyanide poisoning suspected in deaths of 6 Vietnamese nationals

    A Thai academic suspects that cyanide poisoning may have been used in the deaths of six Vietnamese nationals at a hotel in Bangkok. The deaths of the six Vietnamese visitors came to light at approximately 7.30pm, yesterday, July 16. They were found lifeless in the same room on the fifth floor of a luxury hotel, reported to be the Grand…

  • Thailand NewsBREAKING: 6 Vietnamese nationals found dead at hotel in Bangkok

    BREAKING: 6 Vietnamese nationals found dead at hotel in Bangkok

    Six Vietnamese nationals mysteriously died today at a luxury hotel in Bangkok after allegedly drinking tea and coffee mixed with poison. Police believe there may be a seventh Vietnamese but that individual has not been located. The deaths of the six foreigners were reported to the Metropolitan Police Bureau at approximately 7.30pm today, July 16. They were reportedly found lifeless…

  • Thailand News17 year old girl brutally assaulted by ex-boyfriend in Chon Buri

    17 year old girl brutally assaulted by ex-boyfriend in Chon Buri

    A Thai woman sought justice for her 17 year old daughter after she became a victim of a brutal knife attack by her ex-boyfriend at his home in Chon Buri. The teenage girl’s ears and a finger were cut off in the frenzied attempted murder attack. The girl’s 55 year old mother, Malisorn, urged non-profit organisation Saimai Survive to seek justice…

  • Thailand NewsPattaya police deny collusion in Chinese tourist extortion scandal

    Pattaya police deny collusion in Chinese tourist extortion scandal

    One of the police officers accused of extorting 700,000 baht from Chinese tourists in Pattaya denied involvement in the act, claiming he was in the car the entire time and did not know what had happened to the foreigners. A dashcam video showed a group of men introducing themselves as police, raiding the car of the Chinese victims and later…