Thai soccer boys have a long way to go before life is back to normal
They're out of the cave, and doing just fine — considering what has transpired — but the 12 "Wild Boars" soccer team members and their coach have a way to go yet before their lives return to a semblance of normalcy.
The group of 13 lost an average of 2 kilograms during their 17-day ordeal, but were generally doing well and showed no signs of stress, a senior health official said on Wednesday.
Thais reacted with relief and exhilaration after the last of the young soccer team were rescued from the cave on Tuesday night, bringing to an end the drama that gripped Thailand and the world.
The final four boys and their 25-year-old coach were evacuated from the cave by a team of Thai Navy SEALs and international cave diving experts with just a few hours to spare before pumps holding the floodwaters failed. They were flown by helicopter to join their teammates in quarantine at the Chiang Rai hospital.
Dr Thongchai Lertwilairattanapong, an inspector from the Ministry of Public Health, said all of the most recently rescued group are in good condition, both physically and mentally.
One of the boys is showing signs of pneumonia, but doctors are not concerned. All of them have higher leukocyte (white blood cell) levels than normal, but they have been given antibiotics to treat any infection. They were all also given vaccinations for rabies and tetanus.
"From our assessment, they are in good condition and not stressed," Thongchai said. "The children were well taken care of in the cave. Most of the boys lost an average of 2kg."
The three Thai Navy SEALs and Thai doctor who were with the children for the full eight days from their discovery to the rescue are fine as well, he said.
But it will still be up to a week before all of the boys can hug their mums and dads.
Parents of the first four boys freed on Sunday have been able to visit them, but had to wear protective suits and stand two metres away as a precaution. A glass wall separates the other parents from their children due to fears of infection.
Adisak Wongsukchan, the father of 14-year-old Akarat Wongsukchan who was rescued on Monday, said all he wants to do now is give his boy a hug.
Speaking to CNN, an emotional Wongsukchan said he had spent 16 days worrying about his son, and he was "so happy and appreciative" of the rescue effort.
"I want to hug him... and I want to tell him that I'm happy," he said.
The cave evacuation wasn't the first time some of the boys had faced and escaped a great peril.
It's emerged three of the trapped soccer players, as well as their coach, Ekkapol Chantawong, are stateless ethnic minorities. One of the boys, 14-year-old Adul Sam-on, escaped a dangerous territory in Myanmar at the age of six when his parents slipped him over the border to Thailand.
It was Adul, the stateless descendant of a Wa ethnic tribal branch once known for headhunting, who played a critical role in the rescue, acting as interpreter for the British divers.
The resilient young soccer players and their coach have proven an inspiration for people the world over — from Hollywood to the FIFA World Cup.
The Wild Boars were offered free tickets to the FIFA World Cup final in Russia on Sunday, but unfortunately they will still be under observation in hospital and are unable to attend.
Meanwhile, at least one film production company has already landed in Chiang Rai with plans to interview the boys, coach and their rescuers – all in good time.
"I see this as a major Hollywood film with A-list stars," Michael Scott, managing partner of Pure Flix films, told AAP in Chiang Rai. He said he's not pressing people to speak about their ordeal just yet.
"I've told them once this has died down let's really sit down and have a more in-depth interview on what's really happening," he said.
with AAP, New York Times