The 17-day operation to rescue 12 young footballers and their assistant coach came to an end last Tuesday, bringing joy to people around the world.
Cheers and applause were heard outside Tham Luang cave complex in Mae Sai district of Chiang Rai when reports emerged that the 12 boys and their assistant coach had successfully made the dangerous journey from inside the mountain to the surface over a three-day recovery mission that started on Sunday.
Media outlets from around the world turned out at the cave complex to report live on television, Twitter, Facebook about the historic rescue operation which has gripped a global audience.
Anucha Charoenpo is news editor, Bangkok Post.
Parents waiting outside the cavern complex said they were so glad to hear their kids were safe. The kids were taken straight to Chiangrai Prachanukroh Hospital in Muang district. Parents said they also felt grateful for the domestic and international support which poured in for the rescue operation, and thanked the rescue team for speeding up efforts to extract their children.
The rescue operation at Tham Luang cave was performed under life-threatening conditions for both Thai and foreign divers alike.
Oxygen levels in the cavern were getting dangerously low. The passageways inside the cave are long, narrow and twisting. Worse, they were submerged with muddy water and strong currents. Divers had to battle low visibility and tight areas within the cave system, with heavy rains increasing water levels inside the cave, increasing the risk to the rescue team.
Throughout the 17-day operation the Thai and foreign rescue teams worked tirelessly to locate and rescue the Moo Paa (Wild Boar) Academy Football Club. The team was found by British divers on July 2, taking shelter on Nern Nom Sao slope, around 5 km from the cave entrance.
Without the efforts of the Navy Seal divers and rescuers, the 12 boys aged 11-16 and their 25-year-old coach would not have escaped. All showed patience and bravery to get out in one piece. I feel they have been been given a new chance at life and their rescue has overwhelmed me with joy and excitement. I respect the courage, determination, bravery, nobility and sacrifice of the Navy Seal divers and rescuers who plucked the team from the cave. They are rightly hailed as heroes.
One of those is Saman Gunan, 38, the former Thai Navy Seal who lost his life on July 6 during the rescue operation. Petty Officer 1st Class Saman must be remembered forever. His family must not be left behind. He is a good example of a person with a public spirit.
He worked with the Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) overseeing security at Suvarnabhumi airport for 12 years after he left the navy. When he heard about the missing kids, he sought permission from AoT to travel to the cave to help the 12 boys and their coach.
Nitinai Sirismatthakarn, president of AoT, said his agency will give 4 million baht in compensation to the family of Petty Officer 1st Class Saman who died from a lack of oxygen during the rescue mission.
Since the Moo Paa soccer team and their assistant coach were trapped inside the flooded cavern on June 23, some have asked whether the the boys and their coach should be punished for entering the cave and putting the country to so much bother.
In my view, they should be spared, as they didn't do anything wrong. They were stuck inside the cave because sudden heavy rain locked them in, bringing flash floods submerging its passageways. Nobody would want to be caught in such a situation.
But as a fellow Thai I would like them to think about how they could give something back to society or their local area by helping those in need if they have the chance.
The 12 young footballers and their coach are in quarantine for seven days because of their weakened immune systems.
They will be allowed to return home when doctors are sure they are strong enough. Once they feel better, they should give back to society by performing community service.
The boys should volunteer to work in the community or initiate social projects and invite their friends to take part. They could even teach their friends how to survive this sort of ordeal.
I believe people around the world who monitored the 17-day rescue operation will be keen to see these boys do something useful to society to say thanks for getting them out.