Thai boys out of hospital and sharing ‘lessons learnt’ in cave
● Healthy-looking football team enter press room to applause
The 12 boys and their football coach rescued from a cave in northern Thailand left the hospital where they had been recuperating and appeared at a news conference yesterday, saying the ordeal made them stronger and taught them not to live carelessly.
The group, looking healthy, entered the news conference to applause from reporters and classmates and put on a quick demonstration of their ball skills on a miniature football field set up in the hall where they met journalists from around the world.
They then hugged their friends before taking seats up front with doctors and members of the Thai navy Seal unit who dived to help bring them out, along with others who helped them during their ordeal, which ended after more than two weeks when they were rescued last week.
The boys, whose ages range from 11 to 16, and their 25-yearold coach answered questions submitted in advance by the media, including about the lessons they had learned during their experience.
“I feel stronger, I have more patience, endurance, tolerance,” said 13-year-old Mongkol Boonpiam.
Adul Samon, 14, said: “This experience teaches me not to live life carelessly.”
Several said they want to become professional football players, while four said they now wanted to emulate the heroes who saved them.
“I want to be a navy Seal because I want to help others,” said one.
All said that they want to apologise to their parents, most of whom they had not informed in advance about the trek to the cave after football practice.
“I know my mum is going to punish me and I am in big trouble with my mother,” one of the boys said when asked what he expected to happen when he got home.
Doctors said the 13 were healthy in body and mind.
They said the boys had gained around 6.6 pounds on average since they were rescued from the cave.
They were said to have lost an average of nine pounds during the more than two weeks they were trapped in the cave.
The news conference was the first opportunity the members of the team had to speak directly to the media, though video of them was released previously.
Officials reviewed a range of questions in advance to make certain none might cause damaging psychological effects to the boys or their coach.
They were asked about the moment when two British cave divers first found them and also the circumstances of how they entered the cave and got trapped there.
The Wild Boars team-mates had entered the Tham Luang cave on 23 June for what was to be a quick, relaxing excursion after football practice.
But rain began falling while they were underground, and water filled the caverns, cutting off their escape route.
The British divers found the group huddling on a spot of dry ground deep inside the cave nearly ten days later, hungry but generally healthy.
An international team of rescuers using diving equipment and pulleys extracted the 12 boys and their coach through the tight, flooded passageways over three days, concluding the rescue mission on 10 July.
Some of the boys were treated for minor infections during their hospital stay, but all 13 have been described as recovering well.
The family of one of the boys was preparing their home for his return last night.
Banphot Konkum, an uncle who has raised 13-year-old Duangpetch Promthep, said he’ll have a renovated bedroom and gifts awaiting him on his return.
“We’ll do whatever he wants,” Banphot said.
“If he wants anything we’ll buy it for him as a present as we promised that when he gets out, whatever he wants we’ll do it for him.”