Thermal pads between thermal pads?

[Watth]

Hey everyone,
Out of curiosity, I am looking at the PCB guidelines for a module such as the ESP32-H2-MINI-1 & MINI-1U (datasheet).
On the modules' datasheet, recommandations for the PCB layout footprint thermal vias between thermal pads.

(page 38 of datasheet)
Note that these are not shown on the modules dimensions, including pads:

(page 35 of datasheet)

Are these pads to be implemented on the PCB, or are these present on the module?

EDIT: I now guess these are blind vias, since the PCB layout design guide  advises for 4 layers PCB, and GND plane to be on the 2d layer.
Thanks for reading!

[Niklas]

Add the 9 thermal pads in the footprint just as recommended in the datasheet.

Make a square copper polygon/copper fill that covers at least the same area as the 9 bottom pads. Connect it to GND and make sure that it is connected directly to SMD pads and vias, no thermal relief connections.

Now add ordinary drilled vias, as indicated by the red circles in the datasheet, in the areas covered with solder mask between the solder pads. No need for blind vias. Something between 0.2 and 0.3 mm drill will do. Make sure the vias are set to be tented (covered with solder mask).
If you have double sided assembly, then you can move the vias along the solder mask lines if there are clashes with components on the opposite side.

[Smokey]

Add the 9 thermal pads in the footprint just as recommended in the datasheet.

Make a square copper polygon/copper fill that covers at least the same area as the 9 bottom pads. Connect it to GND and make sure that it is connected directly to SMD pads and vias, no thermal relief connections.

Now add ordinary drilled vias, as indicated by the red circles in the datasheet, in the areas covered with solder mask between the solder pads. No need for blind vias. Something between 0.2 and 0.3 mm drill will do. Make sure the vias are set to be tented (covered with solder mask).
If you have double sided assembly, then you can move the vias along the solder mask lines if there are clashes with components on the opposite side.

The pads should be there, but I wouldn't worry too much about the vias in-between the pads.  If you were to just put vias on the outside of the grid that would almost certainly be fine.  Keep in mind these are system on modules and those pads are coming from their own board, not directly from the source chip.  12 vias on the outside of the pads is plenty of heat transfer, and plenty solid of a ground for a som.