SONGKHLA: Ten illegal Myanmar migrants and their two guides, a Myanmar woman and Thai man, were arrested at a hotel in Hat Yai district on Monday.
They were taken into custody by a team of police and administrative officials about 2pm at the Chok-amnuay Hotel on Saeng Si road.
The raid was led by Pol Lt Col Pongsiri Pithak, chief of the Hat Yai immigration police, and Chawakij Suwannakhiri, the Hat Yai district chief.
They detained seven men and three women from Myanmar. None of them had travel documents. Also arrested were Sayam Promwichit, 42, from Buri Ram's Lam Plai Mat district, and another Myanmar woman, both hired by a trafficking ring to take the illegal migrants to the South.
An Isuzu pickup used to transport the migrants and nine mobile phones were seized as evidence.
Mr Sayam said he was hired to take them from from Samut Sakhon to the hotel in Hat Yai, from where they were to be taken to a destination country, which was probably Malaysia.
He said he was promised 1,000 baht for each of the migrants delivered to Hat Yai.
The 10 migrants were given Covid-19 antigen tests. One man returned a positive result. He was taken to Hat Yai Hospital for an RT CPR test to confirm the result.
The rest were taken to Hat Yai police station where they were charged with illegal entry and violating the emergency decree.
The two guides were charged with providing help and shelter for illegal migrants.