diff --git a/src/helpers/channels/threads/start_private_thread.ts b/src/helpers/channels/threads/start_private_thread.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f43078459
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/helpers/channels/threads/start_private_thread.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+import { cacheHandlers } from "../../../cache.ts";
+import { rest } from "../../../rest/rest.ts";
+import { StartThread } from "../../../types/channels/threads/start_thread.ts";
+import { Errors } from "../../../types/discordeno/errors.ts";
+import { endpoints } from "../../../util/constants.ts";
+import { requireBotChannelPermissions } from "../../../util/permissions.ts";
+import { channelToThread } from "../../../util/transformers/channel_to_thread.ts";
+import { snakelize } from "../../../util/utils.ts";
+
+/** Creates a new private thread. Returns a thread channel. */
+export async function startPrivateThread(channelId: bigint, options: StartThread) {
+  const channel = await cacheHandlers.get("channels", channelId);
+  if (channel) {
+    if (!channel.isGuildTextBasedChannel) throw new Error(Errors.INVALID_THREAD_PARENT_CHANNEL_TYPE);
+
+    if (channel.isNewsChannel) throw new Error(Errors.GUILD_NEWS_CHANNEL_ONLY_SUPPORT_PUBLIC_THREADS);
+
+    await requireBotChannelPermissions(channel, ["USE_PRIVATE_THREADS"]);
+  }
+
+  return channelToThread(await rest.runMethod("post", endpoints.THREAD_START_PRIVATE(channelId), snakelize(options)));
+}
diff --git a/src/helpers/channels/threads/start_thread.ts b/src/helpers/channels/threads/start_thread.ts
index fcb3e7117..7d76ab1e5 100644
--- a/src/helpers/channels/threads/start_thread.ts
+++ b/src/helpers/channels/threads/start_thread.ts
@@ -1,36 +1,25 @@
 import { cacheHandlers } from "../../../cache.ts";
 import { rest } from "../../../rest/rest.ts";
-import { ChannelTypes } from "../../../types/channels/channel_types.ts";
 import { StartThread } from "../../../types/channels/threads/start_thread.ts";
 import { Errors } from "../../../types/discordeno/errors.ts";
 import { endpoints } from "../../../util/constants.ts";
 import { requireBotChannelPermissions } from "../../../util/permissions.ts";
 import { snakelize } from "../../../util/utils.ts";
 
-/**
- * Creates a new public thread from an existing message. Returns a channel on success, and a 400 BAD REQUEST on invalid parameters. Fires a Thread Create Gateway event.
- * @param messageId when provided the thread will be public
- */
-export async function startThread(channelId: bigint, options: StartThread & { messageId?: bigint }) {
+/** Creates a new public thread from an existing message. Returns a thread channel. */
+export async function startThread(channelId: bigint, options: StartThread & { messageId: bigint }) {
   const channel = await cacheHandlers.get("channels", channelId);
   if (channel) {
-    // TODO(threads): perm check
-    if (![ChannelTypes.GuildText, ChannelTypes.GuildNews].includes(channel.type)) {
+    if (!channel.isGuildTextBasedChannel) {
       throw new Error(Errors.INVALID_THREAD_PARENT_CHANNEL_TYPE);
     }
 
-    if (!options.messageId && channel.type === ChannelTypes.GuildNews) {
-      throw new Error(Errors.GUILD_NEWS_CHANNEL_ONLY_SUPPORT_PUBLIC_THREADS);
-    }
-
-    await requireBotChannelPermissions(channel, options.messageId ? ["USE_PUBLIC_THREADS"] : ["USE_PRIVATE_THREADS"]);
+    await requireBotChannelPermissions(channel, ["USE_PUBLIC_THREADS"]);
   }
 
   return await rest.runMethod(
     "post",
-    options?.messageId
-      ? endpoints.THREAD_START_PUBLIC(channelId, options.messageId)
-      : endpoints.THREAD_START_PRIVATE(channelId),
+    endpoints.THREAD_START_PUBLIC(channelId, options.messageId),
     snakelize(options)
   );
 }