Police and emergency services were called to the university, located in Ratsada, north of Phuket Town, at about 1:30pm
The students were trapped in the elevator, which had stopped moving on the fourth floor of the Faculty of Management Sciences building.
An EMS Advance Unit from Vachira Phuket Hospital and rescue workers from the Phuket Kusoldharm Foundation soon arrived.
Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew also soon arrived to oversee operations and to provide support for the students.
A fan was used to blow air into the elevator. Concerned about the students being unable to breathe properly, an oxygen line was also inserted into the lift.
Attempts to get the elevator working again failed, and initial attempts to open the doors also failed.
Rescue workers were eventually forced to use hydraulic equipment to force the doors open so the students ‒ all first-year students at the Faculty of Science, Management and Health Tourism ‒ could climb out.
The 10 male and six female students were assessed by medical staff at the scene, with two taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital. The latter two’s medical condition was not reported.
One student at the scene said it was not the first time there had been problems with the elevator. Occasionally the lift would move up and down without any people pressing buttons to call it, the student said.