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 NewsChinese investors linked to cadmium tailings trade in Thailand

    Chinese investors linked to cadmium tailings trade in Thailand

    The Thai authorities have confirmed that Chinese investors were accountable for the trading of 13,832 tonnes of cadmium tailings in Thailand. Further cadmium waste has been uncovered in the provinces of Samut Sakhon and Chon Buri, with 5,358 tonnes of the chemical waste still unaccounted for. The Industrial Commission of the Secretariat of The House of Representatives received a tip-off…

  • Thailand NewsMajor online gambling operation in Chiang Rai shut down, 3 arrests

    Major online gambling operation in Chiang Rai shut down, 3 arrests

    Digital Economy and Society Ministry (DE) officers arrested two Thai men and one Thai woman in the northern province of Chiang Rai for an online gambling operation which had a monthly circulation of over 600 million baht. The arrests took place during raids at various locations in Chiang Rai on April 4. These raids followed the execution of nine search…

  • Thailand NewsThai woman fakes kidnapping to extort money from folks to pay gambling debts

    Thai woman fakes kidnapping to extort money from folks to pay gambling debts

    A Thai woman in the central province of Pathum Thani faked a kidnapping in order to extort 100,000 baht from her parents to repay her online gambling debts. A Thai mother, 51 year old Noi, reported her daughter’s kidnapping at Bang Sri Mueang Police Station on April 3. She recounted that an alleged criminal sent videos of her 30 year…

  • Thailand NewsMysterious death: Naked body of Thai man found hanging from tree

    Mysterious death: Naked body of Thai man found hanging from tree

    Friends and family suspect foul play after discovering the naked body of a Thai man hanging outside his home in the northern province of Kamphaeng Phet. A 35 year old Thai man, Somkid Saokaew, discovered the dead body of his manager, Rapin, outside the deceased’s home in the Mueang district of Kampaengphet yesterday, April 4, and reported the death to…

  • Thailand NewsRussian man arrested in Pattaya for illegal trade linked to a suicide

    Russian man arrested in Pattaya for illegal trade linked to a suicide

    Economic Crime Suppression Division (ECD) officers arrested a Russian man at a luxury penthouse in Pattaya yesterday for allegedly running an illegal trade, which led to the suicide of a Thai woman. ECD officers arrested the 40 year old Russian man, Alexey Vegman, at his penthouse yesterday, April 4 on an accusation of illegally trading. Vegman reportedly denied all allegations…

  • Thailand News15,000 tonnes of cadmium found in Samur Sakhon, no health scares yet

    15,000 tonnes of cadmium found in Samur Sakhon, no health scares yet

    Acting on a tip-off, the Thai authorities yesterday discovered 15,000 tonnes of cadmium in a warehouse in the Mueang district in the central province of Samut Sakhon. No adverse health effects have been reported by residents thus far. The Industrial Commission of the Secretariat of The House of Representatives received a complaint alleging that a company in the northern province…

  • Thailand NewsBangkok repays 2.3 billion baht in debt owed to BTS Skytrain

    Bangkok repays 2.3 billion baht in debt owed to BTS Skytrain

    Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt announced yesterday that the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) had repaid its 2.3 billion baht in debt to the Bangkok Mass Transit System, commonly known as the BTS. It is hoped that this debt repayment will give the private sector confidence to invest in future projects with the BMA. The debt owed by BMA to the BTS…

  • Thailand NewsThai monk arrested for drinking alcohol and approaching nuns

    Thai monk arrested for drinking alcohol and approaching nuns

    Thai police arrested a Thai monk last night and forced him to quit the monkhood after he was caught drinking alcohol and trying to enter the rooms of two nuns at a temple in the Isaan province of Buriram. Two nuns at the unidentified temple in Buriram sought help from Satuek Police Station in the middle of the night after…

  • Thailand NewsThai PM hooked on Kaeng Tai Pla despite TasteAtlas critique

    Thai PM hooked on Kaeng Tai Pla despite TasteAtlas critique

    Kaeng Tai Pla may not have tickled the taste buds of international food critics on the TasteAtlas platform but it still won the hearts of the Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and many locals in Thailand. Surprisingly, its title as the world’s worst food sparked a surge in sales of the dish, particularly in Thailand’s southern provinces, proving that even…

  • Thailand NewsChinese tourist asks govt when 21-day Songkran Festival begins

    Chinese tourist asks govt when 21-day Songkran Festival begins

    When does the 21-day Songkran Festival in Thailand begin? A Chinese tourist raised the question as he launched a video of himself getting ready for a water fight in Bangkok without any Songkran events, asking the Thai government when it would start. The Ministry of Tourism and Sports, along with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), and the National Soft…

  • Thailand NewsPhallic faux pas: Thai man gets penis stuck in plastic bottle

    Phallic faux pas: Thai man gets penis stuck in plastic bottle

    A randy 65 year old Thai man sought help from a rescue foundation in the Taling Chan district of Bangkok after making a dick of himself by getting his penis stuck in a plastic bottle for a day. The leader of the Thawi Wattana Ruam Katanyu Rescue Foundation, Thawatchai Sintumongkhon, told Channel 7 that he and his team were alerted…

  • Thailand NewsThai ferry fire: Authorities blaze into action saving all aboard (video)

    Thai ferry fire: Authorities blaze into action saving all aboard (video)

    The Thai authorities successfully rescued 97 passengers and 11 crew members after a fire broke out on an overnight ferry travelling from the mainland in the southern province of Surat Thani to Koh Tao. ThaiRath reported that the fire started in the engine room of the Koh Charoen 2 ferry at around 6.30 am today, April 4, when the boat…

  • Thailand NewsKaeng Tai Pla from southern Thailand voted worst dish in the world

    Kaeng Tai Pla from southern Thailand voted worst dish in the world

    TasteAtlas, one of the globe’s most famous food guide platforms, declared Kaeng Tai Pla from southern Thailand as the worst dish in the world in its 100 Worst Rated Foods in the World. Multiple Thai dishes have made their names on the world’s best dishes by TasteAtlas but there is no chance to shine for Kaeng Tai Pla, which is…

  • Thailand NewsThai man runs naked after Buddha statue grants conscription exemption

    Thai man runs naked after Buddha statue grants conscription exemption

    A Thai man honoured his vow to a Buddha statue at a shrine in the central province of Ang Thong by running naked after the statue granted conscription exemption. The Royal Thai Army (RTA) summons Thai men aged over 21 years old for military conscription every year. Failure to attend the conscription draw can result in imprisonment for up to three…

  • Thailand NewsSmokin’ scuffle: Foreigner’s taxi tantrum goes viral in Phuket

    Smokin’ scuffle: Foreigner’s taxi tantrum goes viral in Phuket

    A video of a foreign man attacking a Thai taxi driver on a road in the Thalang district of Phuket this morning went viral on Thai social media. The physical assault was reportedly sparked after the driver asked the foreigner to stop smoking in the cab. The Facebook page, Newshawk Phuket, shared a video of the incident at about 9.40am…

  • Thailand NewsFamily fraud: Thai woman’s stolen identity crisis sparks media plea

    Family fraud: Thai woman’s stolen identity crisis sparks media plea

    A Thai woman is seeking help from the media after a distant relative impersonated her and committed multiple crimes under her name for more than three years. The victim appealed to Channel 7 to shed light on her story with the public to clarify that she has never engaged in any illegal activities. She aims to clarify that it was…

  • Thailand NewsLaotian monks harassed by Thai ladyboy during pilgrimage (video)

    Laotian monks harassed by Thai ladyboy during pilgrimage (video)

    A Thai ladyboy is facing a backlash after she persistently offered sex to two Laotian monks and one of their male followers on a pilgrimage in the central province of Nakhon Sawan. The Laotian monk, Lin Sujitto, was visiting a temple in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat to speak to Thai Buddhists before the unfortunate approach. Lin and…

  • Thailand NewsKnife-wielding Portuguese lady refuses to pay taxi in Phuket (video)

    Knife-wielding Portuguese lady refuses to pay taxi in Phuket (video)

    A Portuguese woman refused to pay a taxi fare and threatened the female driver with a knife at a hotel in the Rawai neighbourhood of Phuket on April 1. The female taxi driver, 35 year old Ladda Saengthong, shared a video of the incident on several social media platforms to warn other taxi drivers in the area. In the video, the foreign…

  • Thailand NewsForeign man asks netizens to weigh in on dowry conundrum

    Foreign man asks netizens to weigh in on dowry conundrum

    A foreign man sought opinions from netizens after paying a 230,000 baht dowry to his Thai wife‘s family. He posed the question, “Was I stupid to agree to the dowry?” Around two weeks ago, the foreigner took to Reddit to share his marriage experience, asking fellow users to weigh in on whether his decision was right or wrong. His post…

  • Thailand NewsThai man, not foreigner, fined for driving sedan on Kamala Beach

    Thai man, not foreigner, fined for driving sedan on Kamala Beach

    A motorist who flouted the rules by driving a black sedan on Kamala Beach in Phuket yesterday was a Thai man, not a foreigner, contrary to initial assumptions. He received a fine of 1,000 baht for his action. A local in Phuket posted a video of a black Toyota Camry Hybrid sedan on Kamala Beach on Facebook yesterday, April 1,…

  • Thailand NewsPaws for alarm: Thai woman’s wrong turn ends in tragic mauling

    Paws for alarm: Thai woman’s wrong turn ends in tragic mauling

    A dog tragically mauled a 74 year old Thai woman to death after she entered the wrong house in the Thawi Watthana district of Bangkok due to her Alzheimer’s condition. The incident was reported to Saladaeng Police Station and Por Teck Tung Foundation by a homeowner around 8pm on March 31. Police investigated the scene and found Prapaipit lying in…

  • Thailand NewsThai man murders granddaughter and commits suicide

    Thai man murders granddaughter and commits suicide

    A 78 year old Thai man in the central province of Phetchabun murdered his 12 year old granddaughter and committed suicide because he allegedly had romantic feelings for her. The dead body of the girl, Natticha, was found in a pond by a roadside forest in the Nong Phai district of Phetchabu province on Saturday, March 30, after she disappeared from her…

  • Thailand NewsThai man’s arm severed outside liquor store after smoking dispute

    Thai man’s arm severed outside liquor store after smoking dispute

    Two suspects embarked on a barbaric act of severing the arm of a Thai man after the victim warned the attackers against smoking cigarettes outside his liquor store in the Sriracha district of Chon Buri last night. The Sriracha Police Station received reports of the knife attack at the liquor store at around 8am yesterday, April 1. They met a…

  • Thailand NewsForeigner condemned for driving car on Kamala Beach in Phuket

    Foreigner condemned for driving car on Kamala Beach in Phuket

    Phuket residents and Thai netizens condemned a foreigner for ignoring warnings from lifeguards and vendors and driving a sedan on Kamala Beach. A Thai man shared the video of a black sedan, a Toyota Camry Hybrid, on Kamala Beach on Facebook yesterday, April 1. “Foreign tourists cause trouble every day! A foreign tourist, of unidentified nationality, driving a sedan on Kamala…

  • Thailand NewsThai woman’s fake robbery covers ex-marital money matters

    Thai woman’s fake robbery covers ex-marital money matters

    A Thai woman faked a robbery to hide from her new husband that she was previously married and was still sending money to her ex-husband and their child. The 30 year old woman, Walisa, filed a theft complaint at Pak Chong Police Station at 11.30pm yesterday, March 31. She reported that a thief stole 2,200 from her, the amount she…

  • Thailand NewsIsaan residents urged to avoid risky sex after 9 new Mpox cases

    Isaan residents urged to avoid risky sex after 9 new Mpox cases

    The Office of 9th Disease Prevention and Control Nakhon Ratchasima (ODPC 9) urged residents in the southern Isaan region to avoid engaging in any risky monkey business after nine new Mpox cases were reported between January 1 and February 13. The director of the ODPC 9, Thaweechai Wissanuyothin, said the number of Mpox cases (formerly monkeypox) in Thailand was decreasing…

  • Thailand NewsPattaya heroics: Thai man saves drowning Aussie

    Pattaya heroics: Thai man saves drowning Aussie

    A Thai man performed heroics to save an Australian man from drowning in the Pattaya sea but, in the aftermath, the foreigner remains in a critical condition. Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Foundation rescuers were notified about the drowning incident near Soi Jomtien 11 in Pattaya at about 3.15am today, April 1. Upon arrival, rescuers found a group of Thais and foreigners…

  • Thailand NewsThailand emerges as billionaire hotspot, ranked 12th in rich list

    Thailand emerges as billionaire hotspot, ranked 12th in rich list

    Hurun Research Institute released its prestigious 2024 Hurun Global Rich List, revealing that Thailand ranks 12th worldwide for having the highest number of billionaires. Hurun Research Institute is a leading research, luxury publishing and events group based in Shanghai, China, that focuses on the wealth of people around the world. The Hurun Global Rich List has made the institute famous,…

  • Thailand NewsRussian couple’s dine and dash attempt exposed in Phuket restaurant

    Russian couple’s dine and dash attempt exposed in Phuket restaurant

    A shameless cheating Russian couple insisted they had settled their bill at a Phuket restaurant after being accused of attempting to dine and dash. They later falsely incriminated a Thai waitress of theft but their deception was exposed by CCTV footage, forcing them to apologise and settle the bill. The restaurant shared security footage of the incident on a Facebook…

  • Thailand News3 year old Thai girl injured in Pink Line MRT liquid cement incident

    3 year old Thai girl injured in Pink Line MRT liquid cement incident

    A family of three narrowly avoided tragedy when liquid cement from a Pink Line MRT construction site spilt onto their sedan on Saturday. The incident damaged the car and caused injuries to a three-year-old girl. A Thai mother Saichol Charawatchala, shared the distressing account of her and her children’s experience on Facebook on Saturday, March 30. Saichol recalled that she…