Thai man arrested with 26 migrant workers in his car

– Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community

PHUKET: Highway Police early yesterday morning rounded up 26 migrant workers packed into an SUV in Kanchanaburi’s Phanom Tuan district and arrested the Thai driver.

Following a tip-off, police near the Ban Pu Namron border checkpoint tried to search the suspicious SUV at 5am but it failed to stop, so they gave chase until the driver pulled over and ran for it. Police found nine women and 17 men – all undocumented – crammed into the vehicle designed to carry up to 10 passengers.

They managed to catch the driver, identified as Somkuan Sida, 42, who claimed to have been paid 500 baht to take the workers to Tha Maka district.

Mr Somkuan was charged with aiding, hiding or harboring migrants who illegally entered the country and his SUV was impounded.

The workers were sent to Muang Police Station for processing and repatriation.

— Phuket Gazette Editors