KANCHANABURI- A soldier, 26 illegal migranta and a Thai driver were injured when an army Humvee and the pickup truck it was chasing both plunged off the road and into a dry creek in Muang district on Thursday night.
The incident occurred in tambon Pak Phraek about 9pm, Pol Lt Col Bamrung Wasuntharanitikul, deputy superintendent at Muang police station, said on Friday morning.
Police and rescue workers found both the army truck and the pickup on the creek bed, which was about 3 metres deep.
The Humvee had landed on top of the pickup, which has a Phangna licence plate. The illegal migrants, all from Myanmar, had been thrown from the pickup during the accident.
One soldier in the Humvee and all 27 people on board the pickup were injured and rushed to a nearby hospital. The pickup driver, identified as Tonrak Chamroonchotkobjit, 37, had serious injuries.
The injured migrants included a child aged 2-3 years.
Col Sutthipong Phuetmongkhon, deputy chief of staff at the 9th Infantry Division, said the pickup was taking illegal Myanmar migrants from an area on the border near Ban Bong village in Sai Yok district of this western province.
The vehicle sped through a military checkpoint, and soldiers took off in pursuit in the Humvee. In the dark, they both missed a corner and ploughed into the creek, Col Sutthipong said.
He said the migrant workers had been destined for Samut Sakhon province.
Mr Tonrak had been caught smuggling migrants several times previously by Sai Yok police, most recently on May 5, he said.