As the search-and-rescue efforts within Chiang Rai's Tham Luang Cave enter their sixth day Friday, the task of finding the 12 boys and their football coach continues to be hampered by the extreme conditions of the cave environment -- rising water levels and flooding in deeper areas.
With help arriving from across Thailand and other countries, this challenging mission needs something that has been missing right from the start -- a highly organised and well-coordinated command centre with someone in charge who has the necessary experience and abilities in emergency and disaster response.
It is obvious that Chiang Rai governor Narongsak Osotthanakorn, who has been at the helm for the past five days, is not that person. The operation under his leadership has been sloppy and disorganised without a proper "war room". As time runs out to save the lives of the boys, aged 11-16, and the 26-year-old coach, the operation, which has expanded and become relatively large in recent days, needs to be run better.
It should start with the governor taking a back seat and providing a supporting role such as dealing with local logistics.
A new central commander should be assigned to ensure timely coordination and communications among the different search and rescue teams.
Since the football team went missing on Saturday, many state agencies including Navy Seals, the army, local administrative organisations, the police, geologists and the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation have become involved.
On Sunday, local rescuers went inside the cave only to be forced to turn back by rising water, a development believed to have forced the football team to venture further into the cave and become trapped. Even though the Seals, who led the search, later successfully managed to traverse several flooded areas, they were eventually pushed back by the water.
It appears too many people have repeated the same tasks and collectively sucked the oxygen out of the cave.
The underground rescue operation should have been planned and directed by cave experts who have specialised skills and knowledge. Cavers from the UK's Cave Rescue Organisation are now at the site to help along with divers and rescue teams from Laos and the US Indo-Pacific Command. But the operation has not made the best use of their expertise, let alone give them the necessary briefings and information upon their arrival.
Geologists and officials from the national park should lead the drilling teams as there are efforts under way to bore shafts down into the cave. A communications team should be set up to ensure all parties including medical teams and the media are updated in a timely manner on the progress and challenges faced.
All of these and other tasks need to be supervised by a capable central commander.
Too many people have become involved at the rescue site, and those who have no relevant skills in such operations or who have no direct responsibility should not be there at all. They provide no added value to the operation and only unhelpful publicity.
For example, deputy national police chief Srivara Ransibrahmanakul visited the area only to point the finger of blame at local officers for not having asked the parents of the boys to report them as missing. Similarly, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will also show up Friday without any vital task. Local officials were preoccupied Thursday in tidying up the site and the road for his entourage.
Thailand should have been better prepared to handle this rescue operation given that the country has suffered several emergencies and natural disasters including the 2004 tsunami and the 2011 mega-flooding in the capital. It should have been a given that the first rule of crisis management is a strong central command which would lead to optimal results while avoiding confusion and duplication of tasks.
There is still time to organise the rescue operation better to save the boys and their coach -- but the clock is ticking.