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 NewsRussian fraud fugitive on Interpol list arrested in Phuket | Thaiger

    Russian fraud fugitive on Interpol list arrested in Phuket

    Police arrested a Russian national wanted under an Interpol warrant yesterday, January 29, after locating him hiding in the city centre of Phuket. Officers from the Phuket Provincial Immigration Office said they received an alert from the Foreign Affairs Division regarding the suspect, whose name was not disclosed. The Russian man was listed on an Interpol warrant after fleeing his…

  • Bangkok NewsJapanese tourist quits Bangkok trip after airport taxi rip-off | Thaiger

    Japanese tourist quits Bangkok trip after airport taxi rip-off

    A Japanese tourist said he booked a return flight home immediately after being overcharged nearly 2,000 baht by a Thai taxi driver at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok. The Japanese man shared his disappointment on his X account, @musasino231, at 3.52am on Sunday, January 18, writing that he was “ripped off by a taxi at Suvarnabhumi Airport.” According to the…

  • Bangkok NewsThai driver escapes serious injury as SUV hangs off parking building | Thaiger

    Thai driver escapes serious injury as SUV hangs off parking building

    A Thai woman and her passenger narrowly escaped serious injury after an SUV crashed through a wall and nearly plunged from the third floor of a car park building in the Khlong Toei area of Bangkok last night, January 20. Officers from Por Teck Tung Rescue Foundation were called to the seven-storey car park in Khlong Toei at around 9pm…

  • Crime NewsHua Hin hotel receptionist’s boyfriend witnesses murder via video call | Thaiger

    Hua Hin hotel receptionist’s boyfriend witnesses murder via video call

    The boyfriend of a hotel receptionist murdered during a night shift in Hua Hin revealed that he witnessed the brutal attack live through a video call. The victim, 35 year old Wirin, was beaten to death during a robbery at her workplace, a hotel in Soi Hua Hin 88/1, at around 3.15am on Monday, January 19. The suspect, 36 year old…

  • Hua Hin NewsThai man arrested in murder and robbery of Hua Hin hotel receptionist | Thaiger

    Thai man arrested in murder and robbery of Hua Hin hotel receptionist

    Hua Hin police officers arrested the murderer who killed and robbed a hotel receptionist, after tracking him down near a railway line around five kilometres from the crime scene. The brutal killing was reported at around 3.15am yesterday, January 19, at Best LD Hotel, located in Soi Hua Hin 88/1. The victim, 35 year old Wirin, was working as a…

  • Thailand NewsThai influencer demands probe into sister’s death in Sisaket | Thaiger

    Thai influencer demands probe into sister’s death in Sisaket

    A Thai social media influencer demanded a thorough investigation into the death of his younger sister after her body was found in a canal in Sisaket province, saying the discovery of her bloodstained underwear and a hidden mobile phone raised doubts. Officers from Mueang Sisaket Police Station were alerted to a suspected suicide at White Bridge above the Samran Canal…

  • Thailand NewsDJ-photographer held over sexual assault claims from models and DJs | Thaiger

    DJ-photographer held over sexual assault claims from models and DJs

    Officers from the Investigation Division of the Metropolitan Police Bureau (IDMB) arrested a DJ and photographer in Ayutthaya this afternoon, January 20, following complaints from five models, female DJs, and an ex-girlfriend who accused him of sexual assault and physical abuse. The case came to public attention after the victims appeared on the Channel 3 news programme Hone Krasae yesterday,…

  • Thailand NewsBuriram election under scrutiny after unpaid vote-buying complaint | Thaiger

    Buriram election under scrutiny after unpaid vote-buying complaint

    A Thai woman sparked widespread backlash and an official investigation after she publicly complained that a sub-district chief candidate in Buriram province failed to pay her the promised 500 baht for her vote in the recent local election. Sub-district chief elections were held nationwide on January 11, with official results already announced. However, controversy later erupted in Buriram province in…

  • Thailand News5 women accuse Thai DJ-photographer of sexual assault and abuse | Thaiger

    5 women accuse Thai DJ-photographer of sexual assault and abuse

    Five Thai women accused a man who worked as both a photographer and DJ of sexually assaulting and physically abusing them after luring them into sexy photoshoots or DJ training sessions. The allegations came to light after one of the victims, a female DJ known as Aris, publicly exposed the man’s behaviour on social media on January 16. Aris said she…

  • Pattaya NewsSouth Korean man reports pickpocketing by Pattaya transwoman and woman | Thaiger

    South Korean man reports pickpocketing by Pattaya transwoman and woman

    A South Korean tourist filed a police complaint after losing his mobile phone, cash, and credit cards in a pickpocketing incident involving a Thai transwoman and another woman in Pattaya. The complaint was lodged at Mueang Pattaya Police Station at around 11.30pm last night, January 19. The victim, a 64 year old South Korean man identified as Hong, was accompanied…

  • Hua Hin NewsManhunt launched after hotel receptionist beaten to death in Hua Hin robbery | Thaiger

    Manhunt launched after hotel receptionist beaten to death in Hua Hin robbery

    A manhunt is under way after a hotel receptionist was brutally beaten to death with an iron bar during a robbery at a hotel in Hua Hin, Prachuap Kiri Khan province. The killing was reported to officers at Hua Hin Police Station at around 3.15am yesterday, January 19. The murder took place at Best LD Hotel, located in Soi Hua…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket hotel worker in DJ room break-in case released on 50,000 baht bail | Thaiger

    Phuket hotel worker in DJ room break-in case released on 50,000 baht bail

    Phuket Provincial Court granted bail to the hotel security employee accused of attempting to break into a female DJ’s room, allowing his release on 50,000 baht yesterday, January 19. The attempted break-in at Holiday Inn Resort Surin Beach came to public attention after a Thai female DJ, Mirinda Malinrattanawadee, shared details of the incident on he Facebook account on Friday,…

  • Thailand NewsThai mother says hospital delay leads to death of her newborn baby | Thaiger

    Thai mother says hospital delay leads to death of her newborn baby

    A 23 year old Thai woman demanded accountability from a state hospital in Udon Thani province, claiming medical staff left her waiting in critical condition for more than three hours, a delay she believed led to the death of her newborn son. The grieving mother, Nattawadee “Nan” Komonwanich, reached out to Thai social media influencer Phanumart “Piak” Jitwasinkul, in an…

  • Thailand NewsThai musician killed on Korat road after conflict with rival band | Thaiger

    Thai musician killed on Korat road after conflict with rival band

    Police today, January 19, arrested five suspects in connection with the murder of a drummer in Nakhon Ratchasima province, following a long-running conflict between their music bands. The victim, 47 year old Phichate, the drummer and leader of the Rai Kart music band, was found dead at 4.47am on Saturday, January 18, on Dan Khuntod–Thepharak Road in the Dan Khuntod…

  • Thailand NewsThai police caught taking bribes and freeing Chinese suspects | Thaiger

    Thai police caught taking bribes and freeing Chinese suspects

    One Thai police officer was dismissed from service, while four others remain under investigation, over allegations of taking bribes and unlawfully releasing Chinese suspects wanted by Chinese authorities. The corruption scandal came to light after Ma Guangxu, also known as Ah-hang, disappeared from a detention facility earlier this month. The Chinese national was held in custody pending deportation to China, where…

  • Chiang Mai NewsThai woman and 2 Chinese men arrested over nominee hotel in Chiang Mai | Thaiger

    Thai woman and 2 Chinese men arrested over nominee hotel in Chiang Mai

    A Chinese woman fled arrest while two Chinese partners and a Thai nominee were taken into custody during a raid on an illegally operated hotel in Chiang Mai province on Thursday, January 15. Officers from the Chiang Mai Provincial Immigration Office raided a hotel on Chang Klan Road in the city centre following an investigation into suspected nominee business practices.…

  • Phuket NewsDanish woman breaks arm and leg while hiking in Phuket | Thaiger

    Danish woman breaks arm and leg while hiking in Phuket

    A Danish couple sought assistance from rescuers after the woman suffered broken bones to her arm and leg during a hiking trip along the Ton Sai–Bang Pae route in Phuket. Rescuers from Guardians of Life Medical & Rescue received a distress call from the foreign couple on Friday, January 16, reporting an accident on the popular hiking trail. The incident…

  • Phuket NewsThai man loses diamond ring in Phuket EDM festival, ruining proposal plan | Thaiger

    Thai man loses diamond ring in Phuket EDM festival, ruining proposal plan

    A Thai man lost a diamond ring worth about 300,000 baht and multiple credit cards to a pickpocket at an EDM music festival in Phuket on Saturday, January 17, shattering his plan to propose to his girlfriend. The victim’s girlfriend shared details of the incident on her Facebook account, Acare Alice, yesterday, January 18. The theft reportedly occurred during the…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket hotel security guard arrested for attempted break-in of DJ’s room | Thaiger

    Phuket hotel security guard arrested for attempted break-in of DJ’s room

    Police arrested the head of a hotel’s security guards in Phuket on Saturday, January 18, after he attempted to break into the room of a female DJ late at night earlier this week. The victim, Thai DJ Mirinda Malinrattanawadee, took to her Facebook account to demand accountability from a hotel in Phuket after an unidentified man tried to enter her…

  • Thailand NewsNigerian drug dealer arrested on Koh Pha Ngan after skipping court | Thaiger

    Nigerian drug dealer arrested on Koh Pha Ngan after skipping court

    Police arrested a Nigerian drug dealer on Koh Pha Ngan in Surat Thani on Wednesday, January 14, after he skipped court proceedings following an earlier arrest. Officers from the Koh Pha Ngan Tourist Police received a tip-off that the suspect, 38 year old Nigerian national Ukoma Jefta Nuzbech, who was wanted in a drug case, was travelling along a road…

  • Thailand NewsFormer PM Thaksin may be released on parole in May | Thaiger

    Former PM Thaksin may be released on parole in May

    The former Prime Minister (PM) of Thailand, Thaksin Shinawatra, may be eligible for release on parole in May, according to the Department of Corrections. Thaksin returned to Thailand in August and was taken into custody before being transferred to the 14th floor of the Police General Hospital under special detention arrangements. His hospital stay triggered widespread public debate, with critics…

  • Phuket NewsSteel bar dropped from condo crane pierces through Phuket home | Thaiger

    Steel bar dropped from condo crane pierces through Phuket home

    A steel bar reportedly fell from a crane at a high-rise condominium construction site and pierced through a home near Surin Beach in Phuket on the night of Wednesday, January 14. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, despite the close call. The female homeowner shared a video of the shocking incident on social media, showing a long steel bar embedded through…

  • Thailand NewsPM Anutin orders termination and blacklisting of Italian-Thai Development | Thaiger

    PM Anutin orders termination and blacklisting of Italian-Thai Development

    Thailand’s Prime Minister (PM) Anutin Charnvirakul ordered the Ministry of Transport to terminate construction contracts with Italian-Thai Development (ITD) and blacklist the contractor, following a series of deadly infrastructure accidents that sparked intense public backlash. The decision comes in the wake of two high-profile tragedies: the crane collapse onto a passenger train in Nakhon Ratchasima and the crane accident on Rama…

  • Thailand NewsSouth Korean man and Thai wife die in crane collapse one day after marriage | Thaiger

    South Korean man and Thai wife die in crane collapse one day after marriage

    A South Korean man and his Thai wife lost their lives in the Nakhon Ratchasima crane disaster on Wednesday, January 14, one day after their marriage. Authorities confirmed that a German national and a South Korean man were among 32 people killed when a construction crane collapsed onto a moving passenger train in Korat on Wednesday. While the German man’s…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket unveils ‘Dheveena’ sea goddess sculpture as new landmark | Thaiger

    Phuket unveils ‘Dheveena’ sea goddess sculpture as new landmark

    Phuket unveiled a new landmark, “Dheveena,” a large-scale public sculpture installed along the seafront at Saphan Hin Park in the Wichit sub-district, as part of the Thailand Biennale 2025. The fourth edition of the Thailand Biennale returned to Phuket on November 29 last year and will run for five months until April 30 this year. Under the theme “Eternal Kalpa,”…

  • Pattaya NewsChinese man spotted roaming around Pattaya after robbing real estate agent | Thaiger

    Chinese man spotted roaming around Pattaya after robbing real estate agent

    Pattaya police are continuing their manhunt for a Chinese man wanted for robbing a fellow Chinese woman, after the suspect was spotted on CCTV at a convenience store near Jomtien Beach today, January 15. The victim, 35 year old Chinese real estate agent Yang Wang, filed a complaint with Nong Prue Police Station after the robbery occurred at around midnight…

  • Pattaya NewsSuicide suspected after Canadian man dies in Pattaya condo fall | Thaiger

    Suicide suspected after Canadian man dies in Pattaya condo fall

    Police are investigating the death of an elderly Canadian man who fell from a condominium in Pattaya today, January 15, with officers suspecting the incident to be a suicide. Officers from Mueang Pattaya Police Station were called to investigate the death of 86 year old Canadian national George Eugene at a condominium located along Jomtien Beach this morning. Rescuers from…

  • Thailand NewsThai man shares final moment with girlfriend killed in Korat crane collapse | Thaiger

    Thai man shares final moment with girlfriend killed in Korat crane collapse

    A Thai man shared heartbreaking footage of the final moments he spent with his girlfriend before she was killed when a construction crane collapsed onto a passenger train in Nakhon Ratchasima yesterday, January 14. The woman, Chananya Wongchan, was among 32 victims who lost their lives after a crane from the elevated Bangkok–Nong Khai high-speed railway construction fell onto a…

  • Pattaya NewsUAE tourist loses 14,500 baht to foreign pickpockets in Pattaya | Thaiger

    UAE tourist loses 14,500 baht to foreign pickpockets in Pattaya

    A tourist from the United Arab Emirates lost around 14,500 baht in cash after being pickpocketed by two foreign men in Pattaya yesterday, January 14. The victim, 45 year old Mohamed Abdelkaliq Abdalla Khadim Almaazmi, filed a complaint with Mueang Pattaya Police Station at around 7am on Tuesday, January 13, after realising that cash had gone missing from his trouser…

  • Thailand NewsPeople’s Party MP candidate arrested over alleged online gambling links | Thaiger

    People’s Party MP candidate arrested over alleged online gambling links

    Police arrested a Member of Parliament (MP) candidate from the People’s Party yesterday, January 14, at his home in Bangkok over alleged involvement in an online gambling network and money laundering. Officers from the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) raided the residence of 32 year old Ratchapong “Pond” Soisuwan at around 5.30pm. The property is located in Nuan Chan Village,…