The accident left five women and two men dead, including the driver, Suwicharn Boonmen from Sukhothai, as well as injuring 12 other migrant workers sitting in the open back of the vehicle, Ban Phraek police said.
Rescue workers spent two hours retrieving the Sukhothairegistered vehicle from the fourmetredeep canal.
Most of the victims were identified as Burmese migrant workers.
Preliminary investigations have revealed that the vehicle was bringing the workers from Mae Sot, in the ThaiBurmese border province of Tak, and was heading to the central province of Lop Buri via the Asian Highway.
The Nation