Tha Chatchai Police confirmed the arrests occurred at about 8:30am at the inbound lane of the Phuket Checkpoint on Thepkrasattri Rd in Mai Khao.
Police identified the drivers as Kittipod Saeyang, 28, from Mueang District in Chiang Rai, and Sittichai Leotrattamit, 27, from Mae Fah Luang District. Both were driving white Toyota Revo pickups registered in Bangkok.
According to the police report, officers stopped the vehicles for inspection and discovered 12 Myanmar nationals and eight ethnic Shan hidden in the back of the two trucks ‒ 11 women and nine men in total.
Initial investigations found the group had been picked up from a construction site in Pattaya, Chonburi, and were being transported to a construction site in Thalang District.
All 20 migrants were taken into protective custody, with multidisciplinary officers ‒ including Myanmar-speaking interpreters ‒ completing preliminary screening at around 11am the same day.
Tha Chatchai Police coordinated with the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, officials from the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare, Phuket Immigration, and officers from the Central Labour Protection and Welfare Centre to conduct victim identification and NRM (National Referral Mechanism) procedures.
Both drivers have been charged and legal proceedings are now underway, Tha Chatchai Police confirmed.
The case has been reported up the chain of command in accordance with protocol, said Tha Chat Chai Police Chief Pol Col Kantchawit Phoprasit, the incident report noted.