Exactly one year ago, 12 young footballers and the coach of Wild Boar Football Club in Chiang Rai province walked into the Tham Luang Cave to relax after a long practice session.
A flash flood stranded them in the darkness for almost two weeks before they were rescued by a team of renowned cave diving and rescue experts from around the world.
The courageous mission in Tham Luang Cave not only saved all of their lives but turned the relatively unknown cave complex into a famous natural site.
Before June 23 last year, only local people and cave experts knew about Tham Luang Cave, which is part of Tham Luang-Khun Nam Nang Non Forest Park in Mae Sai district.
Now, it is one of the most popular forest destinations, on par with Khao Yai National Park, the country's most popular national park in terms of tourist numbers, according to the Department of National Parks (DNP).
Most visitors go there with a fascination to see where the boys and coach were rescued. The cave is not just a magnificent complex with stalactites and stalagmites but now has its own rescue history.
Tham Luang is a cave with an amazing story. The rising number of tourists persuaded the DNP to upgrade Tham Luang-Khun Nam Nang Non forest into a new national park. The site covers 12,000 rai of land.
DNP deputy chief Chongklai Worapongsathorn said the department wants to make the site different from other parks.
"We want to send a message that this is a place where all hands worked together to complete the rescue mission," Mr Chongklai told the Bangkok Post.
Rescue reflected in art
One year later, Tham Luang has transformed into an art space that tells the heroic tale of help and sacrifice.
Visitors will not only be attracted to natural scenery and the strange shapes of stalagmites in the cave.
Art objects, such as paintings and sculptures, will remind visitors about the 13-day rescue mission, and well as its heroes and unsung heroes.
Near the cave is a double-life-size sculpture of Petty Officer 1st class Saman Kunan, 37, also known as "Ja Sam", who died during the throes of the rescue mission.
The sculpture was created by national artist Chalermchai Kositpipat, who spent his own money making the piece.
Mr Chalermchai, a native of Chiang Rai, also led the creation of a large painting, The Hero, in an attempt to remind people of what happened at Tham Luang.
The artwork, about three metres wide and 13m tall, is painted in sepia tones, portraying the 12 members of the Under-16 football team and shows the collaboration of Thai and foreign rescuers in the mission.
Even Rawinmat Lueloet, who offered a free laundry service to tend to the mud-stained clothes of rescuers kept hectic for almost two weeks, is among the heroes portrayed on the canvas.
All efforts -- large or small -- are counted in the artwork.
New landmark in Chiang Rai
Last October the Prayut Chan-o-cha government agreed to allocate 3.8 billion baht to develop Tham Luang-Khun Nam Nang Non Forest Park and nearby areas into a new tourist destination.
A link between the memories of the rescue operation and natural sightseeing will be the heart of the attraction.
"We're now drafting development plans to build facilities and serve tourists," Kamonchai Khotcha, chief of the department's Protected Area Regional Office 15, said.
Officials are deciding whether to remove all rescue equipment from the cave. In March they found 370 oxygen tanks inside and had an idea that some of them should be left there as a reminder of the event for tourists.
The department is also studying a safe trail for visitors who want to explore the cave. But the route will be a short walk, not to Noen Nom Sao, the high, small area where the football team took refuge from the flood water.
For safety, tourists will only be allowed 2.5 kilometres in from the cave entrance.
Ban Pha Mi will be another site to help complete the picture of this new landmark.
The village is near Doi Pha Mi, a hill which became known as the spot rescuers marked as an alternative route to access Tham Luang, which is more than 10km long.
"The rescue event has brought tourism to the village. Houses have been converted into homestays and coffees from our village are now famous," said Phakakan Rungpracharat, deputy chairman of community enterprises for Doi Pha Mi tourism.
Villagers, who mostly grow coffee beans, are taking this opportunity to promote their products with support from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).
In the past, their coffees could not compete against other makers. But the name of Doi Pha Mi and the story of the Tham Luang Cave Rescue have helped boost the reputation of the brand.
Now the village sells its site as a small village where visitors can take a break, and sip the unique taste of Pha Mi coffee.
Visitors on the rise
The Tham Luang Cave is a must-visit destination for tourists in Chiang Rai province.
During New Year holidays, up to 10,000 tourists opted to celebrate the festival at Tham Luang-Khun Nam Nang Non Forest Park. The number is on par with or, on some days, outpaces visitors to Khao Yai National Park in Nakhon Ratchasima.
The TAT also noticed the remarkable rate of visits. On daily average the number of visitors stands at 2,000, increasing to between 4,000 and 5,000 during holidays and up to more than 10,000 on special long weekends.
