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 NewsThailand movie legend Sombat Metanee has died, aged 85

    Thailand movie legend Sombat Metanee has died, aged 85

    A close friend of one of Thailand’s best-known actors, Sombat Metanee, revealed he died peacefully in his sleep today. The 85 year old, who made more than 2,000 films and television shows, was hailed by Thai fans as a heroic actor. At one time, Sombat held a Guinness World Record for most film appearances at 617 times. The media reported…

  • Crime NewsTeen soldier murders cousin for allegedly raping his mother

    Teen soldier murders cousin for allegedly raping his mother

    A 19 year old soldier was arrested for murdering his cousin in an act of revenge for allegedly raping his mother in Southern Thailand. The soldier, Watcharapong Lakejit, murdered his cousin, 36 year old Niphat Sookmak, on Tuesday night by stabbing him in the head with a knife. The teenager was arrested for the offence at 3am yesterday at a…

  • Thailand NewsIndian man arrested for smuggling 17 live animals out of Thailand

    Indian man arrested for smuggling 17 live animals out of Thailand

    An Indian man was arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok on Tuesday for trying to smuggle 17 prohibited animals from Thailand to India. The Director of Thailand’s Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, Praset Sornsathapornkun, reported to the media that the 21 year old Indian man, Abilash Annadury, was arrested by the officers of the…

  • Thailand NewsThai man faces prison for growing & selling corals online

    Thai man faces prison for growing & selling corals online

    A Thai man faces up to ten years in jail after being arrested for selling coral online via Facebook. Police seized more than 300 types of corals from the man’s residence. The 31 year old man, Thitipong, was arrested today at his home in Soi Suwinthawong 13, Saen Saeb sub-district, Min Buri district, Bangkok. Thitipong turned his home into a…

  • Thailand NewsThai neitzens angry at SUV driver using a siren just to use toilet

    Thai neitzens angry at SUV driver using a siren just to use toilet

    Thai netizens made it known there were outraged by the owner of a black SUV car that traveled at high speed and used a siren – just to use a toilet. Dashcam footage of the SUV was posted on the Facebook page Let Me Know If You Want to Be Famous Return Part 3. The video was posted on August…

  • Thailand NewsRama 2 Road guilty of being a repeat accident offender

    Rama 2 Road guilty of being a repeat accident offender

    Another accident was reported on the Rama 2 Road where the U-turn bridge collapsed two weeks ago. Yesterday, an iron bar fell from a truck onto the road and almost hit a car. On July 30, at 8pm, the U-turn bridge over the Rama 2 Road collapsed onto four vehicles. One female passenger was killed at the scene by a…

  • Thailand NewsSon who tried to starve mother to death dies of TB in NE Thailand

    Son who tried to starve mother to death dies of TB in NE Thailand

    A Thai man who tried to starve his mother to death in the hope of getting her inheritance was found dead yesterday in the family home in Isaan of Buriram province. It is believed he died of Tuberculosis. Officers from Satuek Police Station and a Wang Krut Rescue team were called to investigate a one-story house in the Nikom sub-district,…

  • Thailand NewsEPL praises Thailand for crackdown on illegal footie sites

    EPL praises Thailand for crackdown on illegal footie sites

    Representatives from the English Premier League (EPL) yesterday met with the Deputy Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police to express gratitude for Thailand’s efforts to protect the copyright of the UK’s live football broadcasts. The Deputy Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police, Damrongsak Kittipraphat, welcomed representatives from the EPL, the General Manager of the AVIA Coalition Against Piracy, Aaron Herps,…

  • Transport NewsThailand Transport Ministry seeks foreign loans for new bridges

    Thailand Transport Ministry seeks foreign loans for new bridges

    The Thai Transport Ministry revealed it is seeking foreign loans to build two new bridges in the southern provinces of Pattalung, and Krabi. The Rural Road Department, under the Transport Ministry, reported yesterday that they met with the Public Debt Management Office, and the World Bank, about the budget for two huge bridge projects in the south of Thailand. The…

  • Road deathsMotorcycle rider killed in multi-vehicle pile-up near Bangkok

    Motorcycle rider killed in multi-vehicle pile-up near Bangkok

    A motorcycle rider died yesterday in a multi-vehicle pile-up in Nonthaburi province near Bangkok. Four vehicles were involved in the accident, including two motorbikes, two public buses, and a sedan car. The accident happened because a motorbike suddenly broke to allow an elderly person to cross the road, beneath a pedestrian overpass on Pibulsomgklam Road in the Mueng district of…

  • Thailand NewsA monk dies in yet another day of Buddhist shame in Thailand

    A monk dies in yet another day of Buddhist shame in Thailand

    A history of bad blood between two monks yesterday resulted in the death of one on yet another day of shame for the Buddhist faith. There has been an endless number of monastic scandals over the past year in Thailand involving Buddhist monks being caught engaging in inappropriate and criminal acts in violation of their monastic vows from fornication to…

  • Thailand Protest NewsNearly 1,000 locals protest over fatal road in central Thailand

    Nearly 1,000 locals protest over fatal road in central Thailand

    About 1,000 residents gathered on the Pluak Daeng-Bor Win Road in the central province of Rayong to protest against a five-year unfinished road project that has been the scene of ten fatal accidents. Last Sunday, a local representative, Chairat Ngentuam, invited residents affected by the incomplete Pluak Daeng-Bor Win Road to protest in the project area. Residents turned out in…

  • Road deathsFrenchman dies after being hit by sailor’s car in Phang Nga

    Frenchman dies after being hit by sailor’s car in Phang Nga

    A Frenchman was killed on a zebra crossing in the southern province of Phang Nga after being hit by a sedan car driven by a Thai sailor. The suspect driving the vehicle denies he hit and killed the Frenchman despite a security camera clearly showing otherwise. Officers from Khao Lak Police Station were notified on Saturday night about the accident…

  • Bangkok NewsBenevolent Bangkok cabbie drives 12 hours to take destitute family home

    Benevolent Bangkok cabbie drives 12 hours to take destitute family home

    A benevolent Bangkok taxi driver drove 12 hours for free to take a family of three to their hometown in the Isaan province of Udon Thani after they were evicted from a rental room in the capital because they couldn’t afford to pay the rent. The taxi driver, Anurak Nakgamthong, posted the heartwarming story and pictures of his passengers on…

  • World NewsMonkeypox variants renamed to avoid offending people

    Monkeypox variants renamed to avoid offending people

    The World Health Organisation renamed the monkeypox variants from the Congo Basin, and West Africa to Clade I, and Clade II to avoid offending different sections of society. The WHO is also inviting the public to suggest a new name for the monkeypox disease. The WHO announced the two new variants of the monkeypox disease on Friday. The organisation reported…

  • Central Thailand NewsThai doctor slaps a 3 year old for swearing & refuses to treat him

    Thai doctor slaps a 3 year old for swearing & refuses to treat him

    The family of a three year old boy filed a complaint to the police after a male doctor slapped the child in the face and refused to give him treatment. The doctor said he refused to treat the boy because he had insulted him. The child’s 24 year old mother, Sutharat, shared the story on the Facebook page Let Me…

  • Northern Thailand News48 year old Thai man gets first ID card after a lifetime of trying

    48 year old Thai man gets first ID card after a lifetime of trying

    A 48 year old Thai man finally got his first ID card after a lifetime of trying, thanks to a little help from the Thai media. The man, Sena Sriphet, is from the Koh Chan district in Chon Buri province, but he moved to live with his wife in the Nong Bua sub-district, Pa Kam district, in the Isaan province…

  • Crime News1 dead, 4 injured as gunmen rampage at a Bangkok wedding

    1 dead, 4 injured as gunmen rampage at a Bangkok wedding

    Police are on the lookout for rampaging gunmen on motorbikes who shot and killed one man and injured another four people yesterday at a marriage ceremony in Din Daeng district of Bangkok. The families of 25 year old groom, Fahlan, and 24 year old bride, Jinsujee, held a marriage ceremony at the bride’s home in Soi Sutthipong 1/1 on Sutthisan…

  • Road deathsUPDATE: Chon Buri police couldn’t find victim of car crash… on the back seat

    UPDATE: Chon Buri police couldn’t find victim of car crash… on the back seat

    UPDATE The daughter of the victim who died in the recent car accident in Chon Buri has filed a complaint against the Highway Department and its relevant officers. She says she is furious with the highway police rescue team for not checking to see whether her father was still in the vehicle. She believes her father might still be alive…

  • Bangkok NewsBangkok OAP arrested after slapstick armed robbery of gold shop

    Bangkok OAP arrested after slapstick armed robbery of gold shop

    An old-aged pensioner dramatically gasped “It’s the end of the road” after police arrested him for the armed robbery of a gold shop which was pure slapstick in the Bang Kae District of Bangkok. The 70 year old man stole 17 gold necklaces from the Yaowarat MGold store in what was arguably the slowest robbery and getaway in stickup history.…

  • Thailand NewsCCSA to give thumbs up to 4am licensing in Thailand next week

    CCSA to give thumbs up to 4am licensing in Thailand next week

    The Tourism and Sports Minister yesterday revealed the department needs Centre of Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) approval before it can extend licensing hours from 2am to 4am. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn acknowledged that many people don’t want opening hours extended across the country but the minister insists it is necessary for the greater economic good of Thailand. The extended entertainment hours apply…

  • Pattaya NewsUPDATE: Chon Buri police couldn’t find victim of car crash… on the back seat

    UPDATE: Chon Buri police couldn’t find victim of car crash… on the back seat

    UPDATE The Director of the Inter-City Motorway Division, Highway Department, Thanasak Wongthanakijcharoen, defended his highway officers after they were criticised for their slapstick approach to a car crash investigation which couldn’t find the body of the dead driver in the rear of the vehicle. The director said his team didn’t look for the driver’s corpse because it is a department…

  • Thailand NewsOpposition to Thailand govt hosting former Sri Lanka president

    Opposition to Thailand govt hosting former Sri Lanka president

    The former president of Sri Lanka, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, is expected to travel from Singapore to Thailand today to seek temporary shelter. But an international relations expert suggests the Thai government shouldn’t host an official ceremony to welcome the ex-leader as the issue is politically sensitive. The 73 year old Rajapaksa was pressured to leave his position as president of Sri…

  • Northern Thailand News2018 Thai cave rescue inspires new attraction in Chiang Rai

    2018 Thai cave rescue inspires new attraction in Chiang Rai

    Taking inspiration from the 2018 cave rescue in the northern province of Chiang Rai, one billion baht will be invested in a new attraction and exhibition called The Caventure. A soft opening is expected in October next year. The 17-day rescue in 2018, or the Tham Luang cave rescue, at Tham Luang Nang Non Cave in Chiang Rai, was an…

  • Bangkok NewsMRT says Bangkok won’t suffer any Seoul-type metro flooding

    MRT says Bangkok won’t suffer any Seoul-type metro flooding

    The Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRT) insists passengers don’t have to worry about any South Korea-type flooding because each station is designed to cope with floods and emergencies. Seoul, and its surrounding areas, suffered the heaviest rainfall in 80 years on Monday, August 8. Several roads and metro stations in the capital were under water causing multiple power cuts…

  • Krabi NewsWhale shark washed up on a Krabi beach in Thailand

    Whale shark washed up on a Krabi beach in Thailand

    The carcass of a male whale shark washed up on Long Beach on Koh Lanta Island yesterday in the southern province of Krabi. Officials made it known that this is a first for Krabi, no dead whale sharks had washed ashore before. The manager of the Sayang Beach Resort on Koh Lanta, Somboon Kaengraeg, spotted the dead whale shark and…

  • Thailand NewsThailand’s new narcotics laws offers drug offenders treatment

    Thailand’s new narcotics laws offers drug offenders treatment

    The Thai Cabinet yesterday introduced a new set of narcotics laws, downgrading a number of acts to give people a second chance if they have committed minor offences. Some drug offenders will be offered drug treatment instead of prosecution. Yesterday, the prime minister’s deputy spokeswoman, Traisuree Traisaranakun, reported that the Cabinet approved the new laws under the Narcotics Act. The…

  • Bangkok NewsMan caught taking drugs inside a Bangkok police booth didn’t give a crap

    Man caught taking drugs inside a Bangkok police booth didn’t give a crap

    You might think taking drugs inside a police booth toilet was a loo-dicrous idea. But a Thai man in the Tung Kru district in Bangkok didn’t give a crap and just rolled with it. A video of the man taking drugs in the police toilet went viral on Thai social media. It was posted on a local Facebook news page…

  • Bangkok NewsSwedish Embassy hailed for giving 6-month parental leave to Thai staff

    Swedish Embassy hailed for giving 6-month parental leave to Thai staff

    The Swedish Embassy in Bangkok was praised by Thai netizens after providing six months of parental leave with full salary to its Thai male staff. Yesterday, the Embassy of Sweden in Bangkok posted a story of a Thai embassy driver, Somchart Sucheephet, on Facebook revealing he receives the same welfare privileges as his Swedish counterparts. The embassy said… “It’s time…

  • Phuket News9 year old boy kills a 7 year old girl with a police pistol in Phuket

    9 year old boy kills a 7 year old girl with a police pistol in Phuket

    A 7 year old girl was shot dead by a 9 year old boy with a policeman’s pistol at a house in Ratsada Sub-district, Mueng District in Phuket. The police officer, a relative of the homeowner, later said he forgot he had left a loaded gun at the house. The girl was sent to Phuket Provincial Administrative Organization Hospital with…