Apologise

Tesla and SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk apologized Wednesday to a British diver who was involved in the Thai cave rescue for calling him “pedo guy.”
Musk lashed out at Vern Unsworth on Twitter on Saturday after Unsworth criticized a mini-submarine sent by Musk to help assist in the rescue of the 12 boys and their coach who were trapped in a flooded cave in northern Thailand for more than two weeks. Tesla shares fell following Musk’s attack. Unsworth said he was considering taking legal action against Musk.


 Musk tweeted Wednesday that “his actions against me do not justify my actions against him, and for that I apologize to Mr. Unsworth and to the companies I represent as leader. The fault is mine and mine alone.”


The Wild Boars youth soccer team and their 25-year-old coach were trapped in the Tham Luang cave complex on June 23 by flooding after they went exploring there following a game. Divers found them after 10 days and the last team members were freed by an international team of rescuers on July 10, 17 days after they went missing. A former Thai navy diver died during the rescue operation.
Musk made the defamatory tweet after Unsworth called his submarine "a PR stunt” in an interview with CNN.
"He can stick his submarine where it hurts," Unsworth said. "It just had absolutely no chance of working.”
More: 'We’re going to eat fried chicken at KFC': Classmates, teachers await return of boys trapped in Thai cave
Musk responded: "We will make one of the mini-sub/pod going all the way to Cave 5 no problemo. Sorry pedo guy, you really did ask for it." The tweet was later deleted.
The boys are expected to be released from the hospital where they have been recovering in the city of Chiang Rai on Wednesday, before they take part in a news conference with their coach in the evening.


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Tesla Inc. founder Elon Musk apologized to British caver Vern Unsworth for comments he made about him following the rescue of a dozen Thai schoolboys and their football coach from a cave in northern Thailand.
“His actions against me do not justify my actions against him, and for that I apologize to Mr. Unsworth and to the companies I represent as leader,” Musk said in a tweet. “The fault is mine and mine alone.”
Unsworth, who played a leading role in the rescue, said on Tuesday that he has been approached by British and American lawyers and will seek legal advice after Musk directed abuse at him on Twitter.

Nonetheless, his actions against me do not justify my actions against him, and for that I apologize to Mr. Unsworth and to the companies I represent as leader. The fault is mine and mine alone.

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Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk has apologised to a British cave diver he called "pedo guy" in a row over the cave rescue in Thailand.

He said he had "spoken in anger" after Vern Unsworth ridiculed a mini-submarine he had commissioned for the rescue effort as a "PR stunt".
"His actions against me do not justify my actions against him, and for that I apologise," Mr Musk said.
Mr Unsworth told reporters on Monday he was considering legal action.

Twelve boys and their football coach were rescued from deep within a cave earlier this month after being trapped for more than two weeks.
Mr Unsworth's knowledge of the cave complex is said to have played a key role in the rescue effort.
He travelled into the caves in the first days after the boys went missing and helped bring in top international cave rescue experts for the mission.
Mr Musk, head of the SpaceX and Tesla companies, visited the command centre in Thailand during the rescue, announcing he had left the rescuers a mini-submarine.

What did Musk say?

In a reply to another user on Twitter on Wednesday, referring to an article about his involvement in the rescue mission, he wrote that he was apologising to both Mr Unsworth and the companies he led.
"The fault is mine and mine alone," he declared.
At the same time, he accused Mr Unsworth of telling "untruths" about his mini-submarine, which was not used in the rescue.

As this well-written article suggests, my words were spoken in anger after Mr. Unsworth said several untruths & suggested I engage in a sexual act with the mini-sub, which had been built as an act of kindness & according to specifications from the dive team leader.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 18, 2018

Nonetheless, his actions against me do not justify my actions against him, and for that I apologize to Mr. Unsworth and to the companies I represent as leader. The fault is mine and mine alone.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 18, 2018

How did the row erupt?

Mr Unsworth had said the mini-sub would have had "absolutely no chance of working" - and suggested Mr Musk could "stick his submarine where it hurts".
The entrepreneur fired back with a now deleted tweet where, without using Mr Unsworth's name, he referred to a "British expat guy who lives in Thailand".
He said he would make a video showing the mini-sub making it deep inside the cave "no problemo", adding, "Sorry pedo guy, you really did ask for it."



The tweets, sent to his more than 22 million followers, were later deleted.
Asked if he would take legal action against Mr Musk, Mr Unsworth told AFP news agency: "If it's what I think it is yes."
No charges or complaints had ever been filed against Mr Unsworth, Reuters news agency quoted an unnamed police officer in the Chiang Rai area as saying.
Separately, Mr Musk attacked the Thai official in charge of the command centre, Narongsak Osotthanakorn, for saying the mini-sub had been "not practical", though "technologically sophisticated".
Mr Musk said Mr Osotthanakorn had been "described inaccurately as 'rescue chief'" and was "not the subject matter expert".
He also tweeted an earlier email from Richard Stanton - one of two British caving experts called in to front the rescue - who had urged the business leader to build the capsule as quickly as possible.


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Elon Musk has apologised to the British cave diver he labelled "pedo guy".
Mr Musk suggested that he was still hurt after the diver, Vern Unsworth, had mocked him over his attempt to build a tiny submarine to bring the boys out of the cave. But he said that did not excuse the bizarre and angry insults he launched at the diver in the wake of the rescue.
The SpaceX and Tesla boss said that he apologised to his own companies as well as to the diver for the tweets.

The bitter fallout between the pair began when Mr Musk travelled to the Tham Luang caverns in Chiang Rai, while the rescue operation to save the Thai boys was still ongoing. He presented rescue workers with a specially built "kid-sized" submarine that he claimed would allow the children to be saved.

 But the plan was rejected by the chief of the rescue mission, who described it as "not practical". Mr Musk then attacked Narongsak Osatanakorn over the comment, saying he did not have the expertise to decide.


After that, cave diver Vern Unsworth – who was central to the discovery and rescue of the Thai boys – said in an interview that Mr Musk's submarine was just a "PR stunt", and that it "had absolutely no chance of working" because the billionaire "had no conception of what the cave passage was like". He said Mr Musk could "stick his submarine where it hurts".
Mr Musk then attacked Mr Unsworth on his Twitter page, claimed it was suspect that Mr Unsworth lived in Thailand, labelled him "pedo guy" apparently without any grounds at all and suggested that the diver had invited the attack on himself
Now the Tesla founder has said that the bizarre tweets were posted because he was hurt by Mr Unsworth's jokes. But he admitted that the attacks were wrong and apologised both to the diver and to his companies.
"My words were spoken in anger after Mr. Unsworth said several untruths & suggested I engage in a sexual act with the mini-sub, which had been built as an act of kindness & according to specifications from the dive team leader," he wrote on Twitter.

"Nonetheless, his actions against me do not justify my actions against him, and for that I apologize to Mr. Unsworth and to the companies I represent as leader," he continued. "The fault is mine and mine alone."
Mr Musk had initially doubled down on the tweets, despite intense criticism. "Bet ya a signed dollar it's true," he wrote to one user who questioned him over the posts.
But soon after they went up, Mr Musk deleted the tweets and then went completely silent. But shareholders in Tesla had demanded he apologise, arguing that the posts could undermine the work of the company.

--

Elon Musk apologized to the British cave diver who was the subject of a slew of insults following last week’s rescue of 12 boys and their coach from a Thai cave. 

Musk said his comments against Vernon Unsworth, which included the use of the term “pedo,” were said in anger “after Mr. Unsworth said several untruths & suggested I engage in a sexual act with the mini-sub.”

“The fault is mine and mine alone,” Musk said. 

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO had engineers build a mini-submarine to be used to extract the boys since they didn’t know how to swim. The head of the rescue mission Narongsak Osottanakorn declined the offer for assistance, calling Musk’s technology “not practical.”

Professional rescuers ultimately got the boys out using stretchers but Musk decided to leave the sub in Thailand “in case it may be useful in the future.”

Musk’s ire likely stemmed from an interview Unsworth did with CNN during which Unsworth criticized Musk’s idea, calling it “just a PR stunt.”

“He can stick his submarine where it hurts,” Unsworth said. “It just had absolutely no chance of working. He had no conception of what the cave passage was like.”

Tesla investors had requested that Musk apologize. James Anderson, a partner at Baillie Gifford, Tesla’s fourth-largest shareholder, told the Guardian that it was “frustrated that the real steps towards this are being overshadowed and undermined by this saga.”

Loup Ventures, a venture capital firm, also published an open letter calling upon Musk to apologize.

“The exchange with Vern Unsworth crossed the line,” said the letter, written by managing partner Gene Munster. “I suspect you would agree given you deleted the string from Twitter, but it will take more than that to regain investor confidence. Your behavior is fueling an unhelpful perception of your leadership – thin-skinned and short-tempered. Thankfully, the road to regaining investor confidence is well traveled. It starts with an apology.”

Elon Musk has issued an apology for his remarks about a UK diver involved in the rescue of the Thai soccer team and their coach after he called Vern Unsworth a "pedo" on social media.

Key points:

• Elon Musk said the words were spoken in anger
• Mr Unsworth told reports that he was considering legal action over the comments
• The tech billionaire made the "pedo" comment in response to the diver's claim that Mr Musk's rescue submarine was a PR stunt

"I apologise to Mr Unsworth and to the companies I represent as leader. The fault is mine and mine alone," he tweeted.
"My words were spoken in anger after Mr Unsworth said several untruths and suggested I engage in a sexual act with the mini-sub."
Mr Musk wrote a series of tweets attacking Mr Unsworth, with one saying the expat living in Thailand was "sus".
He then wrote: "Sorry pedo guy, you really did ask for it".
Mr Unsworth is reportedly aware Mr Musk has apologised but would not comment further about settlement or legal action.
Mr Unsworth told reporters on Monday he was considering legal action.
"His actions against me do not justify my actions against him, and for that I apologise," Mr Musk said.

Monk

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)
(THE CONVERSATION) After their dramatic rescue from Nang Non cave, 12 Thai boys and their soccer coach are mourning the loss of a Thai Navy SEAL, Saman Gunan, who died during the rescue efforts. The father of one of the boys said that in order to pay tribute to the Navy SEAL, many boys are considering temporarily becoming monks.
Ordaining as a full monk – known as “bhikkhu” in Pali, the religious language of the Theravada Buddhism – is only available to men over 20. The boys would instead be ordained as novices, or “nen,” who undergo fewer restrictions. Additionally, at least one of the boys is Christian, and would likely not be ordained as a monk.
But in the wake of the rescue efforts, the act of ordaining is not surprising. In Theravada Buddhist practice, ordaining to be a monk and donating the merit thus gained is one of the greatest honors that a person can give to another.
Monasticism in Thai life
Monks in Southeast Asia, with their saffron robes and shaven heads, are iconic. They can be seen on the roadside with alms bowls, accepting handfuls of rice from villagers in early morning processions, or gathered in the evenings chanting Pali scriptures in the Buddhist temples that lie at the heart of most Thai villages. In my ownresearch, I spent hours talking with monks – from abbots of major temples to those who had been ordained for a short period.
I also met monks engaged in “magical” activities such as healing, to those who saw their role as scholars. My first impression, like that of many travelers, was of a group of men seeking enlightenment through isolation from the world.
Indeed, this isolation is at the core of Buddhist teachings. For Buddhists, worldly desires lead to suffering. Therefore, cessation of desires can lead to happiness and eventually enlightenment.
But monks are not a homogeneous group. Buddhists join the monkhood – the sangha - for many different reasons, only some of which are related to achieving transcendence and enlightenment. While some may choose to remain monks for their entire lives, most Buddhists ordain for a limited period. Thai Buddhists with whom I’ve worked have ordained for a few months during childhood, for the length of the rainy season, or even just for a day before undertaking a dangerous journey or following the death of a parent.
Buddhism, as it is practiced in Thailand, addresses many worldly needs. It takes into consideration the lives of people who are not necessarily ready to renounce the world quite yet.
Monastic education
Before the advent of government-run schools in the late 19th century, the Buddhist temple was the key institution for the education of young boys in Thailand. Boys as young as 5 entered the temple to learn to read and write, and to study the basics of Buddhism.
When Theravada came to Southeast Asia from India in the second millennium A.D., replacing local versions of Hinduism and Mahayana Buddhism, this religious focus on promoting education within the village was revolutionary, as it became a central part of village life.
Theravada was focused not on the trappings of kingship and rule, but on serving communities. The temple in the center of the village served as the school, fairgrounds, hostel and welfare office in addition to its role as a religious center.
Today, this role of educating Thai boys has largely been replaced by government-run schools. This transition has allowed for the education of girls.
But some Buddhist schools remain, especially in Thailand’s North, that keep a focus on mostly men’s religious education. They teach the local Northern Thai script (distinct from Central Thai and largely fallen out of use) in addition to the religious languages of Pali and Sanskrit.
Karma and merit
But education is not the only reason to seek to be ordained.
Most Thai men get ordained in order to make merit – known as “tham bun.” Devoting oneself to the study of the Buddha’s teachings, the dharma, is one of the most holy acts that one can do. Buddhists who get ordained are believed to acquire a great deal of bun, or merit.
For Buddhists, this life is but one in a cycle of deaths and rebirths, where the good deeds one does in the past determine where and in what form – human, animal, divine being – one is reborn. Eventually, over many lifetimes, enough knowledge and merit will allow for escape from this cycle and transcendence.
But as anthropologist Lucien Hanks described, in Thai religious system, practitioners can donate and receive merit from others. Normally, the recipient of the merit are parents. It is a way to thank them for their sacrifices.
In the case of the 12 boys and their coach, however, they are offering the merit they will make to Officer Saman, in order to ensure a better rebirth in his next life.
The obligation of a debt
Like many languages, Thai has certain concepts that do not translate well into English. One of these, “krengjai,” refers to the feeling of obligation toward someone who has given a gift too great to repay. It is a heavy feeling.
For observers, it is easy to imagine the gratitude that the boys must feel to Officer Saman, but it is just as easy to overlook the sense of responsibility that must weigh on the boys as well. As the classic anthropological theorist Marcel Mausspointed out, gifts come with obligations, and the sacrifice of a life is no different.
In this way, the boys are likely becoming monks not to reflect upon their own fate or experience in the cave. Rather, they are doing this to repay Saman’s sacrifice with the greatest gift that they can offer.
This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article here: http://theconversation.com/the-rescued-thai-boys-are-considering-becoming-monks-heres-why-99992.

Release Media

A news conference with the 12 boys and their coach was being arranged for the evening in the northern city of Chiang Rai, where the boys have been recovering in a hospital since last week.

A conference hall that was being prepared as the venue for the news conference was decorated as a football field.

Government spokesman Lt. Gen. Sansern Kaewkamnerd said doctors, social workers and psychologists would participate in the news conference to filter questions and ensure the boys' well-being. The media will not be allowed to interview the boys after the news conference.

The Wild Boars teammates had entered the Tham Luang cave on June 23 for a quick, relaxing excursion after football practice. But rain began falling while they were underground, and the water filled the caverns, cutting off their escape.

Divers found the group huddling on a spot of dry ground deep inside the cave 10 days later, hungry but generally healthy. An international team of rescuers using diving equipment and pulleys extracted the 12 boys and coach through the tight, flooded passageways over three days, concluding July 10.

Some of the boys were treated for minor infections during their hospital stay, but all 13 have been described as recovering well.

The family of one of the boys was preparing their home for his return Wednesday night.

Banphot Konkum, an uncle who has raised 13-year-old Duangpetch Promthep, said he'll have a renovated bedroom and gifts awaiting him.

"We'll do whatever he wants. If he wants anything we'll buy it for him as a present as we promised that when he gets out, whatever he wants we'll do it for him," Banphot said.

CHIANG RAI, July 18 (TNA) – Twelve boys and their soccer coach are ready to be released from hospital today and they will speak to the media for the first time after being rescued from the cave.
Chiang Rai provincial Governor Prachon Pratsakun said the group is now in good mental and physical health after they completed a seven-day course of antibiotics.
They are scheduled to speak to the media for the first time in a press conference at 6pm today. The event will be broadcast live on the government TV pool programme “Thailand Moving Forward.”
The reporters are not allowed to ask questions to the group directly but they have submitted the questions earlier, so psychologists can screen the questions to avoid any adverse impacts on their mental health recovery. The governor reiterated that they are victims of the unpredictable natural disaster.
More than 100 questions were submitted by both Thai and international journalists. Most questions are about what they did to survive when they were trapped in the cave.
CNN has asked about their feeling after learning that people worldwide follow their news and the benefit of meditation, they practiced in the cave.
BBC has asked about the time when they were discovered by British divers, their communication in English with the divers and whether they will accept the invitation to visit the Manchester United Football Club Stadium. (TNA)

The 12 Thai boys and their football coach who were rescued from a cave complex last week are set to be discharged from hospital a day early on Wednesday, before addressing the media for the first time since their dramatic ordeal.
It is a week since the last of the last of the Wild Boars football team were rescued from the Tham Luang cave complex in northern Thailand, in a mission that gripped the world’s attention.
After being brought out of the cave one by one by an international team of diving experts, the boys have been recovering in the Chiang Rai Prachanukroh hospital, near the border with Myanmar.
Some of the boys had pneumonia but last week the health minister confirmed they were recovering quickly. At a video played at a press conference over the weekend, the boys appeared in good spirits, thanking those involved in their rescue.
The boys and their coach were due to be discharged on Thursday but have recovered so quickly they are being let out early.

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The boys, aged 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old coach got into difficulties after exploring the Tham Luang cave complex after football practice on 23 June. But a rainy season downpour flooded the tunnels, trapping them as they took shelter on a shelf of the dark cave.
The worst was feared after eight days of searching yielded no signs of life, but on 2 July they were discovered by two British divers. The 12 boys and their coach were eventually rescued in an operation that took three days, in which the boys were dressed in scuba gear and sedated as they were brought through the tunnels and into safety.
Thai authorities hope the press conference will satisfy huge media interest in the boys’ story. They have been concerned about the impact of sudden fame and media attention on the boys’ mental health, so Wednesday’s news conference will be carefully controlled. Journalists will submit questions in advance, which will be vetted by a psychologist. Approved questions will be put to the boys by a moderator.
“We want to reduce public curiosity,” the government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd told Reuters on Tuesday. “We arrange it so that, after that, the boys can go back to their regular lives,” Sansern said.

Though the boys and coach are said to be in good mental and physical health, health officials will provide additional psychological monitoring to detect lingering trauma.
Families of the youngsters are eagerly awaiting the homecoming.
Khameuy Promthep, the grandmother of 13-year-old Dom, one of the boys rescued from the cave, told AFP in an interview at their family shop in Mae Sai near the Myanmar border on Wednesday that she was very excited.
“This is the happiest day of my life,” she said.
The daring Thai-led international effort to rescue the team captivated the world after the football team walked into the cave on June 23 and were trapped by rising floodwaters.
After nine days without a steady supply of food or water they were found emaciated and huddled in a group on a muddy ledge by British divers several kilometres inside Tham Luang.
Rescuers debated on the best plan to bring them out but ultimately decided on a risky operation that involved diving them through waterlogged passages while they were sedated to keep them calm and carrying them out in military-grade stretchers.
Not even the foreign cave diving specialists who took part were sure the mission would work and many expressed relief when it was all over after the final five were rescued on July 10.




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Twelve boys and their football coach who survived a highly dangerous and dramatic rescue from a flooded cave in Thailand are preparing to leave hospital and speak to the media for the first time.
The “Wild Boars” football team are being discharged a day earlier than announced, with authorities hoping a question and answer session will satisfy — at least temporarily — the intense media speculation that has accompanied their epic underground ordeal, before they head home later Wednesday.
“The reason to hold this evening press conference is so media can ask them questions and after that they can go back to live their normal lives without media bothering them,” Thailand’s chief government spokesman Sunsern Kaewkumnerd told AFP.
But with experts warning of possible long-term distress from the ordeal inside the Tham Luang cave in northern Thailand, the briefing will be closely watched.
The public relations department in Chiang Rai province solicited questions from news outlets in advance and they will be forwarded to psychiatrists for screening.
Called “Sending the Wild Boars Home” and broadcast on major television channels, the session will last for about 45 minutes, Sunsern said, adding that it would be conducted in an informal style with a moderator.
“They are likely to return home immediately after the press conference,” he said.
Thailand’s junta leader Prayut Chan-O-Cha urged media Wednesday to be “cautious in asking unimportant questions” that could cause unspecified damage.
“Today everything is already good, including the perception in foreign countries,” he told reporters in Bangkok. “Nothing is better than this so we should not make it get worse.”
Doctors have advised families of the boys, aged 11 to 16, that they should avoid letting them contact journalists for at least one month after they are discharged.
But interest in the saga is unlikely to abate, with film production houses already eyeing a Hollywood treatment of the readymade drama.

CHIANG RAI: The 12 rescued Wild Boars and their football coach will meet the press for the first time today (July 18), on the eve of their hospital discharge to return home to their families.
Read more at https://www.thephuketnews.com/time-for-cave-boys-to-meet-the-press-67921.php#RlKGkoFyh443Xo4v.99

The government will allot 45 minutes airtime on a TV program that will be broadcast on channels 5, 9 and 11 immediately after the national anthem is played at 6pm, said Lt Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd, a government spokesman.
The show is called Dern Nah Prathet Thai (Thailand Moves Forward). It will be hosted by a senior reporter and all of the questions will be screened beforehand. Doctors, psychiatrists, family members and Navy Seals will also participate, he said.
Chiang Rai Governor Prachon Prachsakul suggested the team would only be talking to the media for a short part of the program. Afterwards, the boys, their coach and their parents have been advised to avoid the media spotlight, the spokesman said.
A multidisciplinary team has been formed to address their needs and ensure all 12 boys, who are under 16, and their 25-year-old coach receive due legal protection, Mr Prachon said.
Public health permanent secretary Jessada Chokdamrongsuk said the doctors treating the 13 footballers at Chiangrai Prachanukroh Hospital reported that their health has improved considerably, with each gaining 2-3 kilograms.
Dr Jessada said they all are expected to return home tomorrow (July 19) so they can be reunited with their families.
The first group of four boys was admitted for treatment on July 8 and has now completed a seven-day course of antibiotic treatment. Their state of health was described as “normal”.
The second group of four boys admitted on July 9 are also in good health and now eating normally, doctors said. Chest X-rays showed no inflammation in their lungs.

The third group are still on antibiotics but no health threats have emerged yet, Dr Jessada said.
The 13 entered Tham Luang cave in Chiang Rai on June 23 and were trapped inside by rising floodwater. An international rescue operation located them after 10 days and brought them out in batches over a three-day period from July 8-10.
The Thai Navy SEALs posted a statement on their official Facebook account from Bill Whitehouse, vice chairman of the British Cave Rescue Council (BCRC), praising the SEALs’ efforts during the rescue operation, which has been praised by others involved as “unprecedented” and “miraculous”.
“BCRC officers supporting and following the rescue operation from the UK have been in awe of the courage displayed by the Thai Navy SEALSs and what they managed to achieve without the specialist equipment, knowledge and experience we all know to be necessary to operate safely in the harsh environment of a cave diving situation,” it said.
“We were all devastated and saddened when one of the SEALs lost his life ... I do hope the Thais have medals big enough for those guys!”
Chris Jewell, a BCRC diver who took part in rescue mission, said: “The SEALSs were extremely brave and talented divers – they simply aren’t used to operating in caves. However, it is a testament to their skill and adaptability that they managed to achieve what they did in an unfamiliar environment.”

https://www.campaspenews.com.au/@world/2018/07/18/157894/thai-cave-boys-to-hold-televised-address

The 12 Thai boys and their soccer coach rescued from a flooded cave will make their first public appearance when they hold a nationally-televised news conference in Chiang Rai later on Wednesday.
The boys, aged 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old coach sparked an international rescue effort after they became trapped inside the flooded Tham Luang cave complex.
The boys and their coach have been in hospital in Chiang Rai since they were rescued.
The Thai government will allot 45 minutes' airtime on its "Thailand Moves Forward" for the soccer team's news conference.
The show, which will be recorded at Chiang Rai's provincial hall at around 6 pm local time (9pm AEST) after the evening national anthem, will also be broadcast live across dozens of channels.
Some Thai television personalities joked that the boys will help ratings of the otherwise dull television show, which is usually reserved for monotonous conversations about the military government's performance.
"This is the story all Thais want to hear. Don't switch it off, don't put it on mute," joked a presenter VOICE TV, a television station that is often critical of the military government.
The soccer team's rescue operation drew global media attention and hundreds of journalists to the scene.
Many journalists left after the last four boys and their coach were brought out safely last week. But the sleepy, northern town of Chiang Rai kicked into action again on Wednesday ahead of the boys' much-anticipated appearance.
The boys, their coach and some rescuers will be asked a series of carefully-vetted questions submitted by journalists in advance, officials said.
They have asked the media and the public to respect the boys privacy after they are discharged, citing concerns about the sudden impact of media attention on the boys' mental health.
"The media know that the children are in a difficult situation, they have overcome peril and if you ask risky questions then it could break the law," Tawatchai Thaikaew, deputy permanent secretary at the Justice Ministry, told reporters.
"We don't know what wounds the kids are carrying in the hearts."

* News conference to be broadcast nationwide
* Airtime of 45 minutes set aside on govt programme
* Group will answer questions submitted in advance
* Thailand plans party to thank rescue participants, PM says (Updates with TV tag in slug keyword used by media clients)
By Amy Sawitta Lefevre
CHIANG RAI, Thailand, July 18 (Reuters) - The 12 boys and their soccer coach rescued from a flooded cave in Thailand are set to make their first public appearance on Wednesday, at a nationally-broadcast news conference in the northern province of Chiang Rai.
The boys, aged 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old coach have been in hospital following a successful international effort to rescue them last week after they became trapped in the flooded Tham Luang cave complex.
The government has allotted a 45-minute slot to Wednesday's news conference on its "Thailand Moves Forward" programme, which will also be televised live on dozens of channels around 6 p.m.
The boys, their coach and some rescuers will be asked a series of carefully vetted questions submitted by journalists in advance, officials said.
"We don't know what wounds the kids are carrying in their hearts," said justice ministry official Tawatchai Thaikaew, who asked for the boys' privacy to be respected, citing worries over the impact of media attention on their mental health.
"The media know the children are in a difficult situation, they have overcome peril and if you ask risky questions then it could break the law," he told reporters.
Some Thai television personalities joked that the boys' appearance would boost ratings for an otherwise dull show that usually features discussions of the military government's performance.
"This is the story all Thais want to hear. Don't switch it off, don't put it on mute," joked a presenter of Voice TV, a broadcaster that is often critical of the military government.
"It should help the Thailand Moves Forward show's ratings shoot through the roof."
The rescue effort drew global media attention and hundreds of journalists, many of whom left after it wrapped up, but excitement picked up again in the usually sleepy town of Chiang Rai ahead of the boys' much-anticipated appearance.
"The reporters are back. I had to pick up a Japanese reporter from the airport at 2 a.m.," said tour operator Manop Netsuwan.
A cartoon of the group with its rescuers, captioned, "Our Heroes", was displayed on a welcome screen at the airport.
"I pass the hospital where the children are staying every day and I say a prayer to thank Lord Buddha for their return," said Duang, a noodle vendor, who asked to be identified only by her first name.
King Maha Vajiralongkorn has permitted use of the Royal Plaza, a public square in Bangkok's old town, for a party to thank the Thai and foreign participants in the rescue, said deputy prime minister Wissanu Krea-ngam.
Announcing the celebration, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha had earlier told reporters, "There will be a banquet, there will be performances arranged for all groups," without specifying a date. (Additional reporting by Panarat Thepgumpnat and Pracha Hariraksapitak in BANGKOK; Editing by Michael Perry and Clarence Fernandez)
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Parents dialog

"I'm so happy and so thankful to see my son again. Thank you so much to everyone that has been praying for us and the boys and helping us; thank you," added the parents, who attend Maesai Grace Church in Thailand's Chiang Rai province.
"Thank you to God who helps us to see our son very soon. We are so happy to hear that our son is out of the cave and to welcome him home. It's the love that God gives to our family. God is great love and there's nothing He can't do," they added.

"Thank you to God. I'm really thankful that they found my son and all 13 are alive," the parents of the boy, who is sponsored through Christian charity Compassion, said, according to The Christian Institute.

Thai rescue: Boys' parents reveal their sons' harrowing ordeal inside cave 

 https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=12088892

Banphot Konkum, father of 13-year-old Duangpetch Promthep, told The Associated Press his son — better known by his nickname, Dom — said the team members didn't know rain had started falling after they had entered the cave on June 23. But the rain caused flooding in the cave, blocking them from exiting.

"After an hour when they wanted to leave, the water level was rising. They ran further inside the cave to escape from the water. The water flow was strong," said Banphot.

In their search for a safe haven, the boys were reported to have used their hands to feel the walls for an opening to take them to a higher, safer spot. Searchers later found what they thought were the boys' handprints, giving them confidence the boys were alive and that the searchers were on the right path.

"They, all 13 of them, saw a small passage or a crawl space, so they all dug the hole to get through to another spot, until they found Nen Nom Sao," Banphot said, referring to the sandy slope on which they ended up sheltering. There was nowhere else to go.

Dom's grandmother, Kameay Promthep , said she would tell Dom never to go near the cave or water again because she doesn't want anything to happen to him or for him to cause trouble to others again.

 "I will tell Dom that he has to thank all the Thai people from all over the country and people from all over the world who were kind enough to come and help Dom. Without the (Thai navy) SEALs, the officials, and everyone who came and helped, Dom wouldn't be here today. He would not be seeing his Grandma, and Grandma wouldn't see his face again. From now on, Dom will have to be a good person."

Banphot said all 13 rescued team members will enter the monkhood to pay tribute to Saman Kunan, a former Thai navy SEAL who died while diving to place essential supplies along the rescue route. Becoming a monk at a temple for at least a short period is a way of making merit in Thai Buddhist tradition.

"We are planning the date and will do it whenever all the families are all ready," said Banphot

The mother of the youngest Wild Boar teammate, 11-year old Chanin Wiboonrungruang, told a Bangkok newspaper that her son told her the team did not make a special point of bringing along food since they were only planning a short trek into the cave.

"After the first three nights with no food in the cave, my son felt extreme hunger and cried," Aikhan told the Bangkok Post. "He had to rely only on water dripping from the rock. It was very cold at night and pitch dark. They had to lie huddled together.

She said her son, nicknamed Tun, said the boys' 25-year-old soccer coach Ekapol "Ake" Chanthawong, told them to meditate to ease their hunger and save their energy.

One of the two British divers who found the group said the rescue operation was "completely uncharted, unprecedented territory," and that he had not been certain the boys would be found alive.

"Nothing like this has been done," Rick Stanton said at a news conference Friday at London's Heathrow airport after returning from Thailand.

Recalling the moment on July 2 when he and his diving partner John Volanthen found the boys on their 10th day inside the cave, he said his initial reaction was "of course, excitement, relief that they were still alive."

"As they were coming down the slope we were counting them till we got to 13. Unbelievable," he said. "They looked in good health, but of course when we departed all we could think about was how we were going to get them out. And so there was relief tempered with uncertainty."

The British divers who blazed the trail were praised by Australian doctor-diver Richard Harris, who stayed in the cave for three days to oversee the medical care of the boys while they were waiting to be rescued.

"Rick and John not only found the children and coach alive, but conveyed the gravity of the situation to the rest of the world and thus the rescue started in earnest," he wrote on his Facebook page on Friday, as he was flying home on an Australian air force plane with his countrymen who also worked at the cave. "The 4 Brits then did further supply dives to the soccer players, the coach and the four Thai Navy Seals which allowed them to prepare and sustain themselves for the rescue ultimately."

Thai authorities had contacted the British Cave Rescue Council for help when the boys disappeared. The British divers left London on June 26 with special rescue equipment, including radios designed to work in caves.

An international team of cave divers and Thai navy SEALs extracted the 12 boys and coach in a high-risk, three-day mission that concluded Tuesday.

"None of the tasks were easy," Thai navy SEAL commander Rear Adm. Arpakorn Yookongkaew said Thursday after his men flew back to their base at Sattahip on the Gulf of Thailand.

"We were working on many tasks and we had to plan well. Our troops were taking risks, working in dangerous conditions and risking their lives. Many had to go to hospitals after the dives and many were sick. But we didn't mention it because it could affect morale."

Harris also acknowledged the contribution of the many who were not directly involved with the diving operations, "swarms of men and women" from Thailand and the international community who provided "everything from catering, communications, media and of course the huge teams of workers filling the cave with tonnes and tonnes of equipment to try and lower the water and sustain the diving operations."

"I have never seen anything like it with man battling to control the natural forces of the monsoon waters. Local climbing and rope access workers rigged the dry cave section for that part of the rescue and scoured the bush for more entrances to the cave. Drilling teams attempted to get through nearly a km of rock to the boy's location. And all this time 4 brave Navy Seals sat with the Wild Boars knowing they were in as much danger as the kids."

- AP

The 12 boys who were trapped in a cave in northern Thailand for almost three weeks paid tribute to the Navy SEAL who lost his life during the rescue operation.
Wiping away tears, the boys wrote messages of thanks on a portrait of the former Navy SEAL Saman Kunan, who died July 6 during an operation to deliver oxygen tanks to the trapped teens and their coach.
Kunan, 38, ran out of air while underwater, an official said at the time.
His death came at a pivotal moment in the rescue operation, as teams ramped up their efforts to free the boys ahead of forecast monsoonal rain and dropping oxygen levels in the cave.
Doctors decided last week to ask the boys' relatives to tell them about the death of Kunan, according to the Thai Public Health Ministry's permanent secretary Dr. Jedsada Chokedamrongsook.
A team of psychiatrists was also on hand to monitor their mental health, the doctor said.
The boys, ages 11 to 16, wrote messages of thanks and promised to be "good guys" on a portrait of Kunan.
All the members of the Wild Boars soccer team are in good health and are expected to be discharged from hospital by Thursday, the Health Ministry said in a statement Saturday.
"I understand that everyone is worried and have good wishes for them," Dr. Chokedamrongsook said.
"(We) don't want to blame or accuse anyone (of their ordeal). I want this time to become a period to help or support each other -- to be a beautiful moment for all people across the country," Chokedamrongsook added.
The boys and their 25-year-old coach were freed over three days last week, bringing to an end a complex rescue mission involving hundreds of experts from across the world.
The soccer team became trapped deep inside the Tham Luang cave network during an outing on June 23, after a sudden rush of flood water cut them off.
They were discovered nine days later by two British divers, perched on a small ledge of dry land about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) from the cave's entrance.

Boys 'just wanted to visit the cave for an hour'

Tanawat Viboonrungruang, the father of the youngest boy, 11-year-old Chanin, told CNN on Friday that his son had just wanted to "visit the cave for an hour."
But after the flash floods, the boys and their coach ran deep inside the cave, where they became trapped.
READ MORE: Who are the Wild Boars soccer team?
Viboonrungruang said his son, nicknamed Titun, had told him their coach, Ekkapol Ake Chantawong, had told the boys to run away from the water and go to higher ground.
Inside the freezing cave, the coach and another boy hugged Titun to keep him warm, said his father.
After more than week trapped in the cold and dark, they finally saw a flash light. The boys came down from a small hill inside the cave and shouted for help.
Parents of the boys have since been advised by doctors not to speak to the press for at least a month, as they recover from the traumatic experience.


Parents of the 12 members of the Thai soccer team who survived a grueling 17-day ordeal inside a cave are finally being allowed to see their children.
Doctors said the parents of the first eight boys who were rescued will be allowed to visit their sons’ bedsides while they remain quarantined.
This means that parents must wear hazmat suits and keep a 6.5-foot (2 meter) distance.
Doctors said the 12 boys and their 25-year-old coach are in a “good condition” but will be staying in bed for now.
Parents of the 12 members of the Thai soccer team who survived a grueling 17-day ordeal inside a cave will finally be allowed to see their children.
Thai media has reported that the parents of the first four boys who were rescued on Sunday will be allowed to visit their sons’ bedsides while they remain quarantined, on condition that they wear hazmat suits and keep a distance of 6.5 feet (2 meters).
Parents of the second group of four boys rescued Monday will also be able to make a bedside visit later today, General of the Public health ministry Thongchai Lertwilairattanapong told reporters.
The remaining team members were rescued Tuesday night after a week-long rescue mission which gripped the world.
Doctors have said the 12 boys and their 25-year-old coach are in a “good condition” but will be staying in bed and in quarantine for now.
The children will remain in hospital for at least a week, and appear to be in good mental and physical health. The first eight boys are able to talk, and most of the boys were eating well.
“We will do our very best to treat the kids and coach and return them to their families in the best condition,” Lertwilairattanapong told reporters. “We will continue keeping you posted.”
Doctors are also continuing to take care of the Thai navy SEALs and doctors that stayed with the kids.

Graduate High School

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2018/07/15/accolades-galore-as-minister-susi-graduates-from-high-school.html

Accolades galore as Minister Susi graduates from high school

Several prominent figures have conveyed their congratulations to Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti over the weekend for finishing high school.

Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo commented on his Twitter account on Saturday, jokingly telling her not to paint her uniform on her graduation celebration, as high school students usually do.
In a reply tweet, Susi assured Ganjar she would not celebrate the achievement in that style, because she had not graduated with her friends. “But if I may, I want to request a six-month holiday from the President. I would be very happy,” she wrote on Twitter Saturday.




Susi also received compliments from other figures.
"Congratulations, Bu Susi, what an achievement," Jakarta Deputy Governor Sandiaga Uno congratulated the minister on Friday.
Deputy House of Representatives Speaker Fahri Hamzah, a member of the opposition’s Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), wrote in his Twitter account that he wished Susi a shining career ahead.
The secretary-general of the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), meanwhile, promised to send Susi flowers for her achievement. “She is a figure of extraordinary achievement,” Hasto Kristiyanto said Friday, as quoted by tempo.co.
Susi received her high school diploma on Friday. She had taken a high school equivalency examination at SMA 1 state senior high school in Pangandaran regency, West Java, on May 11-13. Susi passed the test with 429 points from seven subjects, giving her the highest score among the 569 participants in the exam.
Susi had registered for the exam in 2015. However, given her busy schedule as a minister, she only got down to taking the exam this year, Antara news agency reported.
Her personal assistant, Fika Fawzia, explained the story behind Susi’s decision to take the exam on her Instagram account on Saturday. After a Cabinet meeting on June 16, 2015, Anies Baswedan, then Education and Culture Minister, had approached Susi and asked whether she was interested in taking a high school equivalency test in the following year.
Susi responded to that with a joke, but Anies kept persuading her until she agreed to heed his advice.
"I was walking behind them and only heard their conversation faintly, but finally Pak Anies turned to me, 'You're the witness, right. Ibu [Susi] said 'yes', so next year we'll arrange it,'" Fika said.




Fika added that she hoped what Susi did would encourage school dropouts across the country and inspire others to keep learning and going to school.
On Saturday, Anies congratulated Susi, saying, “I am very proud, Bu Susi is a learner.”
Her effort to get a diploma was not seen as a positive thing by everyone. Indonesian artist Sudjiwo Tejo tweeted that her move would reinforce "the [glorification] of schooling and higher education institutions" in the country, as reported by tribunnews.com. "Without those diplomas," Sudjiwo added, "Bu Susi has proven [her worth]."
Susi replied with a tweet, saying, "If we don't have a diploma, meaning we have no value."
Susi often joked about her education track record, saying “I am the minister with the lowest education.”
Susi was born on Jan. 15, 1965 in Pangandaran, where she went to school until junior high school. Later she continued to study at SMA 1 state high school in Yogyakarta, but dropped out when she was in second grade. She later became a successful businesswoman in fishing and aviation with Susi Air.
In 2014, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo appointed Susi as the maritime affairs and fisheries minister. Susi is famously known for her decision to blow up boats used for illegal fishing in Indonesian waters.
She was named on the BBC's 2017 list of inspirational and innovative women, as the only Indonesian on the list.
In November last year, Susi received an honorary doctorate from state university Sepuluh November Technology Institute in Surabaya for “her success in developing the fishery and maritime sectors.”
In April this year, a group calling itself Joss, which stands for Jokowi and Susi Pudjiastuti, touted Susi as Jokowi’s running mate for the 2019 presidential election.
However, Article 169 of Law No. 7/2017 on general elections says that a presidential and vice presidential candidate must have at least a high school degree or formal education of the same level. (stu/evi)

Divers

The British divers who found the Thai boys and their football coach who were trapped in a flooded cave have revealed they had doubts over whether they would get the boys out alive.
Rick Stanton was among the first divers to discover the missing boys more than a week after they went missing on June 23, it then took a further week to successfully get the boys out of the Tham Luang cave complex.

During a news conference as they flew back to the UK today, Mr Stanton revealed that there were moments he feared that it would be an impossible mission.
“This was uncharted, unprecedented territory. Nothing like this has been done so of course there were doubts.

“But I knew we had a good team we had good support from the Thai Authority and the national caving community and rescue organisation so we had the best we could do to make a plan work.”
Speaking about the moment the boys were discovered, Mr Stanton said he felt mixed emotions.
“Initially (I felt) excitement, relief that they were still alive.
“As they were coming down the slope we were counting them until they got to 13, unbelievable, we gave them some extra light, they still had light and they looked in reasonably good health.

“But when we departed all we could think about was how are we going to get them out, so there was relief tempered with uncertainty.”


There have been calls for Mr Stanton and John Volanthen, the diver who was with him when he discovered the children, to be honoured for the role they played in the successful rescue mission.

Speaking to press after he touched down in Heathrow airport on Thursday, Mr Volanthen said: “We were very pleased and we were very relieved that they were all alive but I think at that point we realised the enormity of the situation and that's perhaps why it took a while to get them all out”
He added: “We are not heroes. What we do is very calculating, very calm. It's quite the opposite."

 

Hero diver: John Volanthen returns to the UK after the cave rescue in Thailand (BBC)

Mr Volanthen also paid tribute to Thai navy diver Saman Kunan, who died while replenishing oxygen canisters, saying his death brought a "bittersweet" taste to an otherwise "excellent" operation.
The final four boys and their 25-year-old coach were brought to safety on Tuesday, having entered the network for exploration before it became flooded by monsoon rains.

One of the British divers who helped save 12 schoolboys and their football coach from a flooded cave in Thailand has downplayed claims the team are "heroes".

John Volanthen has returned to Britain after the successful mission to reach the stranded group in an underground network in Chiang Rai province.
After landing at Heathrow Airport, Mr Volanthen spoke of the relief he felt at seeing the boys rescued after an 18-day ordeal in the Luang Nang Non cave, but was modest about his extraordinary feat.
"We were very pleased and we were very relieved that they were all alive but I think at that point we realised the enormity of the situation and that's perhaps why it took a while to get them all out," he told Sky News.
He added: "We are not heroes. What we do is very calculating, very calm. It's quite the opposite."



There have been calls for Mr Volanthen and Rick Stanton to receive awards for their efforts.
But Mr Volanthen credited the international team of military, navy and civilian divers who all "pulled together".
He also paid tribute to Thai navy diver Saman Kunan, who died while replenishing oxygen canisters, saying his death brought a "bittersweet" taste to an otherwise successful operation.
The IT consultant, in his 40s, who is based in Bristol, and Mr Stanton, a fireman from Coventry who is in his 50s, reached the group nine days after they went missing deep within the labyrinth.
The final four boys and their 25-year-old coach were brought to safety on Tuesday, having entered the network for exploration on 23 June before it became flooded by monsoon rains.
Their rescue was particularly treacherous because the boys, aged 11 to 16, had to swim through tight spaces despite having no previous diving experience. They were given a tranquilliser to keep them calm throughout the process.


''Thank you so much for your effort. It was a great rescue and we very appreciate it.
''Now, both of you, you will always be welcome, any time, you have so many friends here.''
Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith then shakes their hands and says: ''Consider it free tickets to Thailand, any time''.
Tourism Minister Kowsoorad added: ''Absolutely''.
The presentation didn't quite go to plan though, when the tourism boss gave them ''certificates of appreciation'' with their names mixed up.


John, 47, and fellow British diver Rick Stanton, 52, were the first people to discover the trapped boys and their coach in the flooded complex.
Both Brits caught an early morning Thai Airways flight to London and landed in London Heathrow at 7.07am this morning.
This comes as heartwarming footage showed the 12 rescued boys waving for the camera in hospital.


Two volunteer British divers who led the rescue of the boys’ soccer team trapped inside a Thailand cave this week downplayed their heroic efforts and brushed off suggestions that they should be knighted, according to a new report.
John Volanthen, 47, and Rick Stanton, 56, initially located the boys and their coach — whom not even special forces could find — and then led them two-and-a-half miles through a flooded, dungeon-like cave inside a mountain, The Daily Mail reported.
Now many are calling for the brave pair to be honored at Buckingham Palace.
Former Conservative Party treasurer Lord Ashcroft tweeted that the duo should be awarded the George Cross or the George Medal — which are given to reward acts of civilian courage.
But despite his selfless act, Volanthen insisted that he was not a national hero — and that anyone else would have done the same.
“It’s not like that – if you could do the same for someone else’s child, you would,” Volanthen, an IT consultant from Bristol, told the outlet. “The result is the important thing. The kids came out, the coach is good, the [Thai navy] Seals are good – job done.”
“I can’t explain why, but it’s not like that,” he added. “It’s just…it worked.”
Stanton, a retired Coventry firefighter, said that the rescue “seems to have lifted the whole country,” but gave all the credit to the soccer players themselves.
“It all went according to plan,” he said. “The boys did well.”
Volanthen and Stanton flew back to the UK after the rescue — despite the millions of Thai street parties in their honor, according to the report.
Volanthen’s mother, Jill, told the outlet that she is proud of her son — but “my sympathy is with the wife and family of the diver [Former Thai Navy SEAL Saman Gunan] who lost his life.”
Another British diver involved in the rescue, Jason Mallinson, 50, shared Volanthen and Stanon’s sentiments.
“We’re not heroes,” he told the Daily Mail. “It was a difficult mission but we succeeded and the results speak for themselves. I feel good – now it’s over. It will be good to get home.”
Mallinson’s mother, Anne, shared that her son “never wanted to be in the limelight.”
“That is exactly how he is – he has never wanted praise, he just sees it as something he has to do,” she said. “The fact there were children involved made this one extra special for him, and I can’t put into words my pride.”
The last four boys in the 12-member team — and their coach — were rescued on Tuesday from the cave where they’d been trapped by floodwaters for 18 days since going missing on June 23.


One of the divers who helped save 12 schoolboys and their football coach from a flooded cave in Thailand has played down his heroics as he returned to Britain.
There have been calls for John Volanthen and Rick Stanton to be honoured after they were the first divers to reach the stranded group in the Tham Luang cave complex.
After landing at Heathrow on Thursday, Volanthen spoke of the relief he had felt at making contact with the boys.
“We were very pleased and we were very relieved that they were all alive, but I think at that point we realised the enormity of the situation and that’s perhaps why it took a while to get them all out,” he told Sky News.

John Volanthen was the first voice the boys heard after nine days trapped in the underground network in Chiang Rai province.
This week, after an 18-day ordeal, they were all rescued from the cave complex.
Arriving at Heathrow Airport on Thursday, Mr Volanthen said it was a "relief" but played down his heroics.
Mr Volanthen, an IT consultant based in Bristol but who grew up in Brighton, was one of the first rescuers to discover the group huddled in the darkness of the Luang Nang Non Cave.

Arriving back in the UK, he said everybody had "pulled together" and was "very, very pleased it worked out quite so well".
"We're just very happy that the boys are out and safe," he said.
"We were very relieved that they were all alive but I think at that point we realised the enormity of the situation and that's perhaps why it took a while to get them all out."

birthday in cave will get a massive cake

 https://metro.co.uk/2018/07/12/thai-boy-birthday-cave-will-get-massive-cake-7706785/

One of the Thai footballers who spent his birthday trapped inside a cave will get ‘as big a cake as he wants’ when he is finally reunited with his family.
Duangpetch Promthep, also known as Dom, was one of four boys who celebrated their birthdays in the two weeks they were stranded underground.
While he continues to recover in hospital, his grandmother Kameuy Promtep told ITV News he’ll be able to celebrate his birthday whenever he is released from hospital, adding: ‘it doesn’t matter how much the party costs.’

Dom, the Wild Boars team captain, was one of the first to emerge from the flooded Tham Luang cave complex.
All 12 boys and their coach are convalescing in quarantine in hospital.
They are expected to be there for a week and will then spend another 30 days recovering at home.
New images have been released of them in their hospital beds wearing protective masks.

Two have contracted lung infections but are receiving medicine. Three also have ear infections.
Their families have been allowed to visit them but must wear protective gear so as not to spread germs.
Meanwhile new footage of the perilous rescue operation undertaken by the Thai Navy SEALS has been released.
The boys were held close to the divers and remained motionless for parts of the journey where they had to dive.


They were then carried on stretchers through dry parts to the cave’s entrance.
They were given anti-anxiety medication to prevent them from panicking during the rescue.
This morning, the head of a Thai navy SEAL diving team that helped lead the boys and their coach to safety urged them all to ‘make the most’ of their lives and be a force for good.


The Tham Luang cave complex will remain closed to the public for at least six months.
Rising water means that teams cannot go back to retrieve rescue equipment.
There are plans to turn the cave complex into a museum while at least one production company is planning a Hollywood film about the heroics of the divers, cavers and medics.