Petch Petpailin

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 News

    Ayuttaya featured in Forbes’s Top 50 Best Places to Visit Post-Pandemic

    Forbes magazine has featured Thailand’s central province of Ayutthaya in their list of 50 best places to travel to post-pandemic. Forbes selected the province for its historical and cultural significance as well as its expansive scenery. Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha says he is thankful for Thailand’s spot on the list and expects the feature will attract tourists into Ayutthaya…

  • Bangkok News

    Man breaks into restricted areas at Suvarnabhumi Airport, one injured – VIDEO

    An armed man, apparently high on drugs, was arrested yesterday after driving a motorbike onto the runway area of Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. One officer was slightly injured in pursuit of the man. Yesterday, the Director of Suvarnabhumi Airport, Kittipong Kittikachon, explained in a statement saying the man accessed the restricted areas, including the tarmacs, taxiing areas and runways, about 11.50am.…

  • Thailand News

    Thai PM Prayut warns about fake 1000 baht banknotes

    Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is warning about fake 1000 baht banknotes and is urging anyone who finds them to hand them back to any commercial banks nearby. The PM’s spokesperson also gave details about how to detect the counterfeit bills. Locals in the central province of Nonthaburi have found lots of the fake 1000 baht notes. One female victim told…

  • Thailand News

    Pattaya police invite media to inspect the Walking Street makeover – safer, better, more secure

    Business owners and staff along Pattaya’s high profile Walking Street are ready to to welcome visitors, both Thai and foreigners, after waiting for over 2 years. Pattaya police have paid a visit the street in a media stunt to declare the street is now ready, and safe, for visitors to return. They’ve been setting up checkpoints and urging security guards…

  • Thailand News

    Phuket Taxi driver assaults 15 year old Australian passenger

    An Australian father has filed an official complaint to Phuket police saying a local taxi driver assaulted his 15 year old daughter at a parking area in a shopping centre in the middle of the island. The driver was released after an investigation and confessing to police that he just wanted to admire the passenger’s short pants. Phuket taxis are…

  • Thailand News

    8 year old Thai-Ukrainian child bitten by ‘shark’ in Phuket

    An 8 year old half Thai, half Ukrainian child was reported as being bitten by an unknown sea animal at Kamala Beach on Phuket’s west coast. The officer from the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources believes the animal could have been a shark. On April 1, Thai media reported that the child travelled with 6 other family members. He…

  • Covid-19 News

    A solution for infected people to vote during Bangkok’s governor election

    Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health insists that the voice of even Covid-19 infected people won’t go unnoticed. The ministry says they’ve got a solution for infected residents to vote for their new Bangkok governor. The 11th election for the governorship of Bangkok will be held on May 22. It will take place 9 years after the last Governor election in…

  • Thailand News

    Scalpers resell Justin Bieber concert ticket at more than one million baht

    Justin Bieber Justice World Tour tickets have been scalped and resold for more than one million baht. The promoter’s official account says… “This is too much!” and warns of the cancellation of scalped tickets. Justin Bieber announced his Justice World Tour in Bangkok, and it will hit Rajamangala National Stadium on November 6. The ticket prices started at 2,500 baht,…

  • Crime News

    UPDATE: Police arrest taxi driver who robbed drunken foreigner asleep on sidewalk

    Following the report of a drunken foreigner who got robbed by a taxi driver while sleeping on the sidewalk in Bangkok, police have already arrested the suspect. The taxi driver said he meant to just wake the foreigner up, but the man’s assets ‘enticed’ him. Last Sunday, a local Thai news Facebook page reported that a taxi driver had robbed a…

  • Thailand News

    Friday Covid Update: 14,053 new cases; provincial totals

    129 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 28,400 with 6,702 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 14,053 new Covid-19 cases and 16,782 recoveries. There are now 155,910 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of the new cases recorded…

  • Thailand News

    Thailand’s Department of Health reveals 5-10% of population refuse to wear face masks

    Thailand’s Department of Health says a survey on face masks conducted during Songkran reveals that more than 90% of the population in Thailand wears face masks in public spaces. However, another 5-10% “refused” to wear face masks, saying they are “uncomfortable”. Deputy Director-General of the Department of Health Ekkachai Piensiwatchara reported that 5-10% of the Thai population didn’t wear face…

  • Thailand News

    Overhead traffic sign strikes car, passengers escape unscathed

    As if Thailand’s roads weren’t dangerous enough, now drivers have another hazard to watch out for: falling objects from aging highway infrastructure. In recent weeks, there have been numerous reports of signs and concrete striking vehicles. The latest incident happened on Thursday, when a massive overhead traffic sign fell and struck an SUV on Phahonyothin Highway in the central province…

  • Thailand News

    BTS urges passengers not to cross their legs while sitting

    Bangkok’s BTS Skytrain is asking for cooperation from the passengers to avoid crossing their legs while sitting on the train during a rush hour to avoid annoying people… Yesterday, the official Facebook page รถไฟฟ้าบีทีเอส (BTS Skytrain) published a post saying… “We ask for your cooperation, please do not cross your legs while sitting on the skytrain. Admin would like to…

  • Thailand News

    80 year old noodle shop in Bangkok temporarily closed due to expensive ingredients

    A well-known noodle shop named Look Chin Pla Ban Tad Thong in Bangkok has temporarily closed after 80 years in service. “We have to close all branches temporarily. We have never seen ingredients this expensive before,” said the shop’s owner. Since the pandemic hit, many businesses have closed down. Areas that were previously bustling have become quiet. Businesses hoped that…

  • World News

    China reports world’s first H3N8 bird flu case in human

    China confirmed the world’s first H3N8 bird flu case in humans was found in the country. China’s National Health Commission insisted the disease was unlikely to spread to others. The patient was reported to be a four year old child in Henan province who had touched pet chickens and ravens at home. The child had a fever on April 5…

  • Thailand News

    Thursday Covid Update: 14,887 new cases; provincial totals

    127 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 28,271 with 6,573 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24 hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 14,437 new Covid-19 cases and 18,509 recoveries. There are now 158,768 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. The trend in daily infections continues…

  • Thailand News

    Doi Suthep’s controversial land and houses returned to treasury department

    After almost 4 years of waiting, protests and arguments, the Court had returned the controversial land and housing project at the foot of Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai to the Treasury Department. The Department’s Director-General revealed 45 houses would be demolished, and land would be adjusted for the “benefit of the residents”. For the other 9 condominiums in the area,…

  • Northern Thailand News

    Isaan province Khon Kaen maintains alcohol curfew at 9pm starting May 1

    Last week the CCSA meeting agreed that Thailand provinces in the Blue and Yellow zones could serve alcohol until midnight (an hour later than the earlier curfew set at 11pm). However, the provincial governor of the Isaan province Khon Kaen believes it wouldn’t be safe for his residents and has decided to renew the alcohol curfew at 9pm starting on…

  • Thailand News

    Dog owners prosecuted for bathing dogs at waterfall inside Thai national park

    The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation has prosecuted dog owners who brought dogs and bathed them at a waterfall inside the Khao Luang National Park in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat. The authorities said pets were banned from entering the national parks in Thailand to prevent the spread of diseases from the urban area. One…

  • Thailand News

    UPDATE: Police identify foreigners involved in shooting at Pattaya’s Harley-Davidson shop

    Following a report on the shooting at a Harley-Davidson motorcycle shop in Pattaya, police expected that influential Thai residents and foreigners were involved. The officers say the group might have had some sort of conflict over the business and personal issues between members of two influential groups. The Harley-Davidson motorcycle shop located on Sukhumvit Road in Pattaya was the location…

  • Bangkok News

    Don’t get sick at Suvarnabhumi Airport! Emergency response can be pricey.

    A Thai man has posted the story about his father, saying his father was a taxi driver and became ill while waiting for passengers at Suvarnabhumi Airport. He claimed the airport allowed only their ’emergency response team’ to transport his father to a nearby hospital and charged him a hefty 13,000 baht for the pleasure! He added that poor people…

  • Crime News

    Taxi driver robs drunk foreigner, steals gold necklace, cash and passport

    A taxi driver robbed a foreigner who was passed out drunk on the floor in front of a convenience store in Thailand. The thief grabbed his gold necklace and a bag containing cash, passport and other important documents before fleeing the scene. The exact location of the crime hasn’t yet been reported. The victim’s Thai girlfriend handed the CCTV footage…

  • Thailand News

    Thai government promotes the 5 Fs: Food, films, fashion, fighting and festivals

    The Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Commerce responded to the policy to promote Thailand’s ‘soft power’ from PM Prayut and has launched Thailand’s “5 Fs soft power,” which aims to promote five major Thai cultures to international eyes… food, films, fashion, fighting and festivals. “Soft power” is indirect or spontaneous promotion of Thai culture by celebrities, sportspeople and…

  • Northern Thailand News

    Thai authorities warn of jail time for catching or selling protected geckos

    Rumours in Thailand saying geckos can sell for up to 1 million baht, depending on their size, might actually be true. Many Thai people have caught and sold geckos as a full-time job. But now the nation’s gecko hunters and sellers have to be more cautious since the authorities issued a warning, saying some geckos are on the wildlife preservation…

  • Thailand News

    Tuesday Covid Update: 13,816 new cases; provincial totals

    120 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA in Thailand today, raising the pandemic’s total death toll in Thailand to 28,019 with 6,321 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24 hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 13,816 new Covid-19 cases and 21,072 recoveries. There are now 167,124 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…

  • Thailand News

    More than 2,000 locals queue up to claim Covid-19 insurance after companies go broke

    More than 2,000 Thais queued up at Suan Lum Night Bazaar Ratchdapisek in Bangkok to claim money from their Covid-19 insurance. Thais use the phrase “Found-Paid-Done” for the collection of insurance monies owed to them. The office of the Thai Insurance Commission is adjacent to the Suan Lum Night Bazaar. Some people had slept in front of the building for…

  • Thailand News

    Thai government “E-Cigarettes won’t be legalised in Thailand”

    The Minister of Public Health, Anutin Charnvirakul, insists that the government won’t legalise e-cigarettes any time soon. He accepted that the current laws couldn’t control the spread or popularity of e-cigarettes at this time, but he said he had already assigned the National Tobacco Control Committee to work on the laws and revise them to control the use and sale…

  • Phuket News

    Phuket bar staff protest in support of outed party resort, extension of alcohol sales

    Nearly a hundred bar owners and staff gathered at Patong Bay Hill Resort in Phuket yesterday to protest the recent “extension” of official alcohol sales to midnight. The group said the operating hours of the entertainment zone in Phuket and Pattaya should be extended to 4 am. They also demanded the government stop calling them “restaurants” (after they apply for…

  • Thailand News

    Residents call for action after finding used condoms at Pattaya public park

    Residents exercising at Pattaya’s Khao Phra Tamnak Public Park today are demanding authorities put stricter measures and patrols after they found many used condoms and rubbish left there. The residents said that many Thais and foreigners visited the park, and the state of the park “spoiled Pattaya’s reputation”. Yesterday, a man who visited the park to exercise complained through Thai…

  • Thailand News

    Monday Covid Update: 14,994 new cases; provincial totals

    124 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 27,899 with 6,201 of those fatalities since the start of this year. The number of Covid-related deaths has been sitting stubbornly above 100 per day for the past 3 weeks. Meanwhile, in the last 24 hours, the CCSA reported 14,994 new Covid-19 infections and 23,524 recoveries. There…