Rescued boys take tour through tunnel in mall
The narrow tunnel twists and turns in darkness, its knobbly contours, ridges and .9 metres height posing a challenge as I bump and crawl through on all fours, to the repetitive sound of dripping water.
It could be an unnervingly claustrophobic replay of the perilous conditions that confronted the international rescuers of 12 Thai schoolboys and their football coach trapped inside a flooded cave complex two months ago – but I am followed by a group of giggling children.
After just nine metres, I tumble inelegantly out into the glare and glamour of an upmarket Bangkok shopping centre.
Welcome to Tham Luang Incredible Mission: The Global Agenda, an exhibition about the rescue operation, housed in the incongruous setting of a temple to high-end consumerism.
The fake tunnel, moulded from polystyrene and painted the dark grey of the Tham Luang caves in northern Thailand, is the centrepiece of the impressive display of memorabilia, equipment and exhibits about the saga that gripped the world in July.
Those clambering through the replica last week included a particularly interested group – the rescued boys.
The young footballers from the Wild Boars team were trapped underground for 18 days after a torrential downpour flooded the caves. This time, their journey lasted perhaps 30 seconds.
Child psychologists have advised that the boys should be given a lengthy respite from discussing or reliving their ordeal, but they emerged with broad grins for the clicking cameras.
Thailand’s military government has engaged in a protracted period of national celebration, extending the feelgood factor of the rescue at a time when it is facing criticism over long-delayed plans to restore democracy.
The boys were also guests of honour at a lavish government ‘‘thank you’’ gala, sponsored by King Rama X, for thousands of guests, including many associated with the rescue.
Now back at school after a brief interlude as Buddhist novice monks, the boys said their lives are little changed.
‘‘My daily activities are still the same: I ride my bike to school and play football with my friends,’’ said Duangpetch Phromthep, 13 – though he now has more than 350,000 followers on Instagram.
The location of the exhibit about their rescue, staged by the culture ministry, might at first glance seem jarring. The brightly lit hallways of the Siam Paragon mall, with its luxury stores selling Dior perfumes and Swarovski jewels, could not be more different from the dank cave complex where the boys were entombed.
But in a country where shopping malls are air-conditioned retreats from the tropical heat or monsoon rains outside, a place where people come not just to shop and eat, but stroll and hang out, it makes much sense.
‘‘Here in Bangkok, we had no real understanding of what they went through,’’ said Jithinya Ratanaswetvat, 68, a retired office worker. ‘‘It was a great idea to hold the exhibit in the mall as it’s such a popular place to visit.’’ – Sunday Times