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.
  • Politics NewsFate of digital wallet scheme unclear after Srettha’s departure | Thaiger

    Fate of digital wallet scheme unclear after Srettha’s departure

    The future of the 10,000 baht digital wallet scheme has become unclear after the departure of former Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin. The Pheu Thai Party secretary-general insisted that it would continue, while the former deputy finance minister expressed doubts. The Constitutional Court, yesterday, August 14, removed former PM Srettha from office following a serious violation of political ethics. The former…

  • Thailand NewsChiang Mai baht bus driver condemned for kicking locals off for foreigners | Thaiger

    Chiang Mai baht bus driver condemned for kicking locals off for foreigners

    A Thai woman took to social media to condemn the wrongful behaviour of a baht bus driver in Chiang Mai after the driver kicked her off the vehicle to accommodate a group of foreigners. However, the foreigners declined the driver’s service. The 63 year old victim, Sri, shared the baht bus incident in a Facebook group, @ChiangMai, on August 13.…

  • Politics NewsThai politics in Cabinet fever as PM race heats up, 7 candidates | Thaiger

    Thai politics in Cabinet fever as PM race heats up, 7 candidates

    Following the removal of former Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, several media outlets are closely watching the selection of the next PM and the formation of the new Cabinet with seven potential candidates from five coalition government parties. According to Section 159 of the Constitution, the appointment of the PM of Thailand involves five conditions: The House of Representatives must appoint…

  • Thailand NewsThai PM Srettha removed over serious political ethic violation | Thaiger

    Thai PM Srettha removed over serious political ethic violation

    The Constitutional Court of Thailand today removed Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin from office after ruling that he seriously violated political ethics by appointing a former criminal as a minister. The now-former PM Srettha appointed Pichit Chuenban, a renowned lawyer associated with the Shinawatra family, as the Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office. This decision raised concerns among 40 Senators, as…

  • Thailand NewsDisney fights Thai doctor’s death lawsuit, citing husband’s agreement | Thaiger

    Disney fights Thai doctor’s death lawsuit, citing husband’s agreement

    Multinational conglomerate Walt Disney dismissed a lawsuit filed by the husband of a Thai doctor who died after dining at a Disney restaurant in Florida, claiming that her husband agreed to settle any disputes with Disney outside of court when he signed up for the Disney+ streaming service. The Thai doctor, 42 year old Kanokporn Tangsuan, died following a severe…

  • Pattaya NewsBolt rider arrested for raping 18 year old passenger in Pattaya | Thaiger

    Bolt rider arrested for raping 18 year old passenger in Pattaya

    More than 10 teenagers yesterday apprehended a Thai Bolt motorcycle rider for raping an 18 year old friend while drunk in May. Officers from Mueang Pattaya Police Station were later called to detain the rapist. Officers from Meuang Pattaya Police Station were called to arrest the rapist, 37 year old Prakob Singhplod, at a car park on Marine Road at…

  • Thailand NewsGerman man critically injured in leap from 3rd floor of Pattaya hotel | Thaiger

    German man critically injured in leap from 3rd floor of Pattaya hotel

    A German man yesterday sustained a severe injury after an alleged suicide attempt from the third floor of a hotel in Pattaya. Officers from the Mueang Pattaya Police Station were called to the luxury hotel on Pattaya Sai Song Road in the Bang Lamung district at approximately 2.36am yesterday, August 13, to investigate the fall of a 21 year old…

  • Thailand NewsHat Yai in southern Thailand hailed Asia’s most affordable travel destination | Thaiger

    Hat Yai in southern Thailand hailed Asia’s most affordable travel destination

    One of the globe’s most popular online travel platforms hailed Hat Yai district in the southern province of Songkhla as the most affordable travel destination in Asia. Agoda released a ranking of cities that offer the most affordable stays in Asia, providing suggestions for users seeking budget-friendly holidays or those wishing to extend their trips within a limited budget. The…

  • Thailand NewsChinese-owned smelting plants raided for hazardous aluminium waste | Thaiger

    Chinese-owned smelting plants raided for hazardous aluminium waste

    Police raided two illegal aluminium smelting plants owned by a Chinese investor in the central provinces of Pathum Thani and Samut Sakhon on Sunday and Monday, August 11 and 12, after discovering potential negative impacts on human health and the ecosystem. The raids on the two plants were carried out following the discovery of aluminium dross, a dangerous waste product…

  • Thailand NewsThai man caught for Bangkok rape after 3 week-manhunt (video) | Thaiger

    Thai man caught for Bangkok rape after 3 week-manhunt (video)

    Police arrested a Thai man who evaded capture for three weeks after raping a 59 year old woman at an apartment in the Srinakarin neighbourhood of Bangkok. The suspect, 38 year old Surapong, also known as Bang Pakchong, escaped arrest after sexually assaulting the victim on July 23. Surapong reportedly sneaked into the victim’s apartment and placed a pillow over…

  • Thailand NewsThai teen allegedly shoots himself in face while playing with gun | Thaiger

    Thai teen allegedly shoots himself in face while playing with gun

    A Thai teenager in the southern province of Phattalung allegedly shot himself in the face while playing with a gun, but his father doubts this, believing that his son may have been attacked by someone. Officers from Kong Ra Police Station rushed to a wooden hut in the Kong Ra district of Phattalung after being notified of the shooting at…

  • Thailand NewsTransgender caretaker suspected after camera found in air-con | Thaiger

    Transgender caretaker suspected after camera found in air-con

    A transgender caretaker of an apartment in Chon Buri has become the prime suspect after a Thai woman found a hidden camera in the air-conditioning unit within her room. The transgender woman vanished from the apartment shortly after the discovery. The victim, identified only as Noon, shared the story on the Facebook group Volunteer Lawyers, Free Consultation in Groups by…

  • Thailand NewsThai fisherman sees South Korean discard cash, jump into river | Thaiger

    Thai fisherman sees South Korean discard cash, jump into river

    A resident in the northern province of Chiang Mai discovered the body of a South Korean man in the Ping River after he scattered cash and jumped into the water in front of a Thai fisherman on Sunday. A fisherman alerted officers from Chang Phueak Police Station after seeing a foreigner, later identified as 44 year old South Korean man…

  • Bangkok NewsBangkok taxi driver slashes passenger’s head after overcharge (video) | Thaiger

    Bangkok taxi driver slashes passenger’s head after overcharge (video)

    A shameful Thai taxi driver surrendered himself yesterday after trying to overcharge a passenger by 500 baht and subsequently attacking her with a knife on a footpath near Soi Lat Phrao 42/2 in the Huai Khwang district of Bangkok on Saturday, August 10. The victim’s sister, 29 year old Supawadee Khamsa-nga, met with Ekkaphop Luangprasert, the founder of the non-profit…

  • Thailand NewsSodium hydroxide suspected in deaths of Thai cop and 2 daughters | Thaiger

    Sodium hydroxide suspected in deaths of Thai cop and 2 daughters

    A tragic incident occurred on Mother’s Day when a Thai policewoman and her two daughters were found dead in the bathroom of their home in Chon Buri. Sodium hydroxide, commonly used in bathroom cleaning, is suspected to be the cause of their deaths. A Thai woman, identified only as Khaofang, sought help from officers at Mueang Chon Buri Police Station…

  • Thailand NewsThai man admits cutting off penis and killing victim in land dispute | Thaiger

    Thai man admits cutting off penis and killing victim in land dispute

    Police arrested a Thai man for brutally killing another man on a road in the northern province of Kamphaengphet by repeatedly slashing him and cutting off his penis. The murder stemmed from a land dispute. Officers from the Khlonglan Police Station on Thursday, August 8, were called to the scene in the Khlong Ngarn district at about 10pm. The crime…

  • Thailand NewsStroke leads Thai man to drowning while flirting with transwoman | Thaiger

    Stroke leads Thai man to drowning while flirting with transwoman

    A tragic love story unfolded today in the Isaan province of Nakhon Ratchasima when a Thai man drowned after suffering a heart attack while flirting with a transwoman by a moat. Mueang Nakhon Ratchasima Police Station officers investigated the death of the 30 year old man, whose name remains undisclosed, at the side of the moat on Kamhaeng Songkram Road.…

  • Thailand NewsPhuket hotel and police accused of covering up fatal electrocution | Thaiger

    Phuket hotel and police accused of covering up fatal electrocution

    The family of a Thai woman electrocuted to death in a Phuket hotel is seeking justice after they accused the hotel and police of attempting to cover up the cause of her death to avoid taking responsibility. The 26 year old woman, Kanokwan “Nam” Intachak, worked as an assistant chef at a well-known hotel in Phuket and died while working…

  • Phuket NewsForeign man in Phuket protests after Thais take over his home | Thaiger

    Foreign man in Phuket protests after Thais take over his home

    A foreign man in Phuket submitted a complaint to the Ministry of the Interior after a bunch of Thai people took over his home. The Phuket Times shared a picture of the foreign man, whose identity was not revealed, protesting on Cherngtalay Road on Wednesday, August 7. The foreigner was sitting outside Krungthai Bank with a sign written in four…

  • Politics NewsMFP dissolution leads to new political outfit: The People’s Party | Thaiger

    MFP dissolution leads to new political outfit: The People’s Party

    Members of the now-dissolved Move Forward Party (MFP) today launched their new political outfit, the People’s Party. Natthaphong “Teng” Ruengpanyawut, the former MFP Deputy Secretary-General, has been named the new leader of the rebranded party. The Constitutional Court ordered the dissolution of the MFP on Wednesday, August 7, accusing the party of posing a threat to both the monarchy and…

  • Thailand NewsChinese man suspected in death of Lao girlfriend in Chon Buri | Thaiger

    Chinese man suspected in death of Lao girlfriend in Chon Buri

    An overstaying Chinese man told police that his Lao girlfriend chased him from her condominium in Chon Buri and had nothing to do with her death. She was later found dead in the bathroom with a severe cut to her throat. The cause of her death remains unclear. A 25 year old woman, Nong, reported the death of her 28…

  • Thailand NewsTranswoman arrested for murder of Nonthaburi university student | Thaiger

    Transwoman arrested for murder of Nonthaburi university student

    Police arrested a Thai transwoman in the northern province of Nakhon Sawan for the murder of a university student at a dormitory in Nonthaburi province, Bangkok. The suspect claimed that financial issues motivated her crime. The 22 year old university student, Wissawa “Sun” Tamprasit, was found dead in his room on the sixth floor of a dormitory in Nonthaburi province…

  • Bangkok NewsBlood & brine: Meat throwers leave Thai couple in a pickle (video) | Thaiger

    Blood & brine: Meat throwers leave Thai couple in a pickle (video)

    A Thai couple today sought help from a news agency after police were unable to identify two men who threw bags of pork blood and pickled fish at their home on Soi Phetchaburi 31 in the Ratchathewi district of Bangkok on Monday. A Channel 3 team today, August 8, visited the victim’s home, a five-storey building on Soi Phetchaburi 31…

  • Thailand NewsBribe & ride: Gay Thai man’s 1 million baht cover-up hits dead end | Thaiger

    Bribe & ride: Gay Thai man’s 1 million baht cover-up hits dead end

    Police arrested a gay Thai man suspected of fatally poisoning his close friend, for offering a 1 million baht bribe to the police to conclude that his friend died in a motorcycle accident. The death of a 25 year old Thai woman, Chonlada “Tong” Kongdam, caught the attention of Thai netizens and news agencies last week, even though she died…

  • Thailand NewsThai cops trim crime: Israeli drug dealer & Russian barber snipped | Thaiger

    Thai cops trim crime: Israeli drug dealer & Russian barber snipped

    Pha Ngan Tourist Police in the southern province of Surat Thani reported the successful arrest of an Israeli drug dealer and a Russian man illegally operating a barbershop on the island. Pha Ngan Tourist Police launched an operation to arrest foreigners working illegally and committing crimes on the island following multiple complaints from locals in the area. The investigation into…

  • Thailand NewsNightclub owner denies attempted rape, claims victim wanted sex | Thaiger

    Nightclub owner denies attempted rape, claims victim wanted sex

    A Thai nightclub owner denied attacking and attempting to rape a female singer who worked at his club, claiming the alleged victim took off her clothes because she wanted to have sex with him. The victim’s boyfriend, Chaloemsak Maleerod, took to social media to seek justice for his 36 year old girlfriend, Nui. He posted pictures of Nui with wounds…

  • Thailand NewsDrill sergeants get rained on: 45 days in jail and pensions revoked | Thaiger

    Drill sergeants get rained on: 45 days in jail and pensions revoked

    The Royal Thai Army (RTA) sentenced two soldier drill sergeants to 45 days of imprisonment and revoked their pensions for ordering ten conscripts to stand naked in the rain. Their commander was also punished with 15 days of confinement. A younger sister of one of the conscripts urged non-profit organisation, Saimai Survive, to seek justice for her brother and the…

  • Thailand NewsThai university student stabbed and burned to death in Nonthaburi | Thaiger

    Thai university student stabbed and burned to death in Nonthaburi

    The Forensic Science Institute yesterday discovered hairs belonging to the suspected murderer of a Thai university student on the victim’s hands. The student was found stabbed and burned to death at his dormitory in Nonthaburi province, near Bangkok. Officers from Rattanathibet Police Station were alerted to a fire in room 611 on the sixth floor of a dormitory in Soi…

  • Thailand NewsUS Embassy concerned over dissolution of Move Forward Party | Thaiger

    US Embassy concerned over dissolution of Move Forward Party

    The United States of America Embassy issued an official statement of concern on Facebook after the Constitutional Court yesterday dissolved the Move Forward Party (MFP) over their attempts to alter the lese majeste law, also known as Section 112 of the Criminal Law. After five months of consideration, the Constitutional Court yesterday, August 7, deemed the MFP‘s campaign to reform…

  • Bangkok NewsThai thief gets his knickers in a twist over stolen briefs (video) | Thaiger

    Thai thief gets his knickers in a twist over stolen briefs (video)

    A Thai thief who stole underwear from a village in Nonthaburi province near Bangkok got his knickers in a twist and begged a victim to drop legal charges against him, fearing his wife would be hurt and think he liked other people’s underwear more than hers. The victim, a Thai woman named Bee, reported the theft to Chaiyaphruek Police Station…