Clad in simple white clothes, 11 of the 12 boys who were rescued from a flooded Thai cave in a drama that gripped global audiences have taken their first steps to be ordained as Buddhist novices.
The Wild Boars football team and their coach prayed in front of ancient relics and offered drinks and desserts placed in gilded bowls to spirits at a temple in northern Thailand.
Broadcast live on Facebook by local authorities, today’s occasion starts a process whereby the boys will live for nine days in a Buddhist temple.
Chanin Vibulrungruang (right) lights a candle with members of the rescued soccer team during a Buddhist ceremony that is believed to extend the lives of its attendees as well as ridding them of dangers and misfortunes, in Mae Sai district on Tuesday, July 24
Chanin Vibulrungruang walks with his other soccer team members in the Mae Sai district, Chiang Rai province, northern Thailand
Soccer coach Ekkapol Chanthawong, front, and members of the soccer team who were rescued from a flooded cave last week attend a Buddhist ceremony as they prepare to be ordained as Buddhist monks and novices
This is in keeping with a promise made by their families in thanks for their safe return and in memory of a former Thai navy SEAL diver who died in the cave while making preparations for their rescue.
The 12th team member who was trapped in the cave, fourteen-year-old Adul Sam-on, will not be ordained because he is not Buddhist.
‘The eleven boys will be ordained as novices, whereas Coach Ek will be ordained as a monk,’ Rachapol Ngamgrabuan, an official at Chiang Rai’s provincial press office, told viewers on Facebook. The coach had spent time in a monastery as a novice before today’s ceremony.
Members of the Wild Boars soccer team, who were rescued from Tham Luang cave, offering prayers next to Thai Buddhist monks during a religious worship ritual at Wat Phra Thart Doi Wao temple in Mae Sai district
The recued soccer team performed a traditional Thai greeting in front of a backdrop with a banner reading ‘Thanks to the world’ during a religious worship ritual at the temple
The thirteen members of Wild Boar child soccer team, including their assistant coach, were safely rescued after being trapped in Tham Luang cave in Thailand
‘Ordinations are supposed to give us peace of mind,’ said Sangiemjit Wongsukchan, mother of Ekarat Wongsukchan, 14, one of the boys who was trapped in the cave.
‘We can only do this for nine days because then he will have to go back to study and prepare for exams. Back to his normal life.’
The ordination is intended to be a ‘spiritual cleansing’ for the group.
‘They should spend time in a monastery. It’s for their protection,’ Seewad Sompiangjai, grandfather of Night, one of the rescued boys, told the BBC, adding: ‘It’s like they died but now have been reborn.’
Staying in various monasteries until August 4, they will spend nine days – nine is considered a lucky number in Thailand – praying, meditating and cleaning their temple.
Wearing simple white clothes, the boys pressed their palms together in prayer during the morning ceremony as a saffron-robed monk gave thanks for their safe rescue.
The boys and their coach lit yellow candle sticks at the Wat Phra That Doi Wao, a scenic temple in Chiang Rai’s Mae Sai district, where the boys are from.
Trays of sweets, fruits and sugary drinks were placed in front of Buddha statues wrapped in shiny gold cloth.
The boys will live as monks for nine days starting on Wednesday, Chiang Rai officials said in a statement on Sunday.
Soccer coach Ekkapol Chantawong, front, and members of the rescued soccer team arrive to attend a Buddhist ceremony that is believed to extend the lives of its attendees as well as ridding them of dangers and misfortunes
Soccer coach Ekkapol Chantawong, center, lights a candle as he and members of the rescued soccer team attend a Buddhist ceremony
The young soccer teammates and their coach who were trapped in a Thai cave have attended a Buddhist ceremony as they prepare to be ordained to become Buddhist novices and monks
Along with their coach, they will have their hair shaved on Tuesday afternoon ahead of the main ordination ceremony on Wednesday.
Buddhism is Thailand’s main religion and is followed by more than 90 per cent of the population.
Traditionally, many Thai men are ordained as Buddhist monks once they came of age – a practice thought to bring blessings and honour to Thai Buddhist families.
The 12 boys, aged 11 to 16, were discharged from a hospital last week and have been spending time at home. They spoke of their ordeal last week at a news conference organised by the Thai government.
The rescue involved divers and volunteers from all over the world and ended on July 10 when the last of the group was brought to safety from inside Chiang Rai’s Tham Luang Cave in Northern Thailand.
The boys and their 25-year-old coach Ekapol Chanthawong had gone to explore the caves on June 23, where they became trapped. They survived for nine days on water dripping from rocks before they were discovered on a muddy mound by divers.
‘Your nation is so proud of you’: The two hero doctors who rescued the 12 boys and their coach trapped in a Thai cave receive a rare double honour for their roles – as the seven other Australians involved are also lauded
The heroic divers involved in the successful rescue of 12 Thai soccer players and their coach from an underwater cave have been awarded Australia’s highest honour.
Adelaide anaesthetist Dr Richard Harris and his dive partner Dr Craig Challen received the rare double honour of the Medal of the Order of Australia and the Star of Courage for their roles in the daring rescue.
They were among an international team of experts who freed the trapped boys and their 25-year-old coach from the cave complex in Tham Luang earlier this month.
Adelaide anaesthetist Dr Richard Harris and his dive partner Dr Craig Challen received the rare double honour of the Medal of the Order of Australia and the Star of Courage for their roles in the daring rescue
They were among an international team of experts who freed the trapped boys and their 25-year-old coach from the cave complex in Tham Luang earlier this month
Seven divers from the Australian Federal Police – Troy Eather, Robert James, Kelly Boers, Benjamin Cox, Matthew Fitzgerald, Justin Bateman and Chris Markcrow – were given a bravery medal.
Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove presented the medals to those involved in the mission, with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten in attendance at Tuesday’s ceremony at Government House in Canberra.
Sir Peter said the divers showed ‘Australian values and human qualities we cherish’ during their efforts, The Australian reported.
‘Our fellow Australians, along with Thai citizens and the men and women of other nations conducted a thrilling rescue of helpless young men, themselves strong and brave, and in doing so captivated the world,’ Sir Peter said.
‘We think that you were remarkable – skilful, tireless, compassionate and courageous. Your nation is so proud of you. Today, Australia salutes you.’
Secretary to the Governor-General, Mark Fraser, said the rescue required ‘character, grit and determination’.
Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove (front row, third from left) presented the medals to those involved in the mission, with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (front tow, second from right) and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten (front row, far left) in attendance at Tuesday’s ceremony at Government House in Canberra
‘They brought the faces of 13 young men back into the sunshine and into the arms of their loved ones,’ he said.
Speaking to those gathered at the ceremony, Mr Turnbull said the rescuers were ‘our heroes’, the ABC reported.
‘During the World Cup the most inspiring story about football was not in Russia, it was in Thailand. And the most inspiring teams were not Les Bleus but the Wild Boars, and you,’ Mr Turnbull said.
It is the first time the rescuers have been reunited since returning to Australia on July 13
‘Your first dives were done without a proper guide rope. There was no defined path through those dark waters. You had to feel your way through the twists and turns of the cave system, with the very real threat all the time of being tangled and trapped.
‘It’s impossible to overstate how dangerous was your task.’
Dr Harris emphasised how crucial teamwork was in the rescue.
‘We just went cave diving for a few days and were able to get the kids out … these awards have been completely unexpected and we’re just trying to emphasise how big a part so many people played in this,’ he said.
Thailand’s ambassador to Australia and Australia’s ambassador to Thailand, along with the acting chief of the Defence Force and acting Australian Federal Police commissioner were also in attendance
It is the first time the rescuers have been reunited since returning to Australia on July 13.
Sydney-based Chief Petty Officer Eather was a key figure in Operation Thailand Assist, having been involved in a number of significant mission since joining the Navy in 1991.
Thailand’s ambassador to Australia and Australia’s ambassador to Thailand, along with the acting chief of the Defence Force and acting Australian Federal Police commissioner were also in attendance.
Thai cave rescue: a timeline of events in Tham Luang
– Saturday, June 23 – The youngsters, aged between 11 and 16, and their 25-year-old coach enter the Tham Luang cave in northern Thailand during heavy rains after football practice.
They are reported missing after the boys do not come home that night.
Local officials find bicycles locked to a fence and shoes and football boots close to the entrance.
– Sunday, June 24 – Park officials and police find handprints and footprints believed to belong to the boys. Relatives start to keep vigil outside the cave.
– Monday, June 25 – Thai Navy SEAL divers enter the cave searching for the boys. Makeshift shrines are set up for parents to pray and make offerings as heavy rains continue.
– Tuesday, June 26 – Divers are forced out of the cave by rushing floodwaters as they try to reach an air pocket called ‘Pattaya Beach’, where the boys are believed to have retreated.
– Wednesday, June 27 – A team of more than 30 American military personnel from the US Pacific Command arrive and are joined by three British diving experts who start to probe the cave.
Thai rescue team members walk inside the cave where the 12 boys and their soccer coach first became trapped on June 23, in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai province
– Thursday, June 28 – Downpours create fast-moving floods inside the cave forcing a suspension of the rescue. Water pumps start draining rising, murky floodwaters.
– Friday, June 29 – Thailand’s junta leader Prayut Chan-O-Cha visits the site and urges relatives not to give up hope.
– Saturday, June 30 – A break in the rain allows divers to reach further inside the cave but they are still a long distance from where the boys are believed to be.
– Sunday, July 1 – Divers inch further in, as an operating base is set up inside ‘Chamber Three’ and hundreds of air tanks and other supplies are pulleyed in.
– Monday, July 2 – Finally, a miracle: the 12 boys and their coach are found alive late Monday evening about 400 metres beyond Pattaya Beach by the British cave diving team.
Crowds at the teeming rescue site cheer the good news, but attention soon turns to the difficult task of getting the boys out safely.
– Tuesday, July 3 – Much-needed food and medical supplies – including high-calorie gels and paracetamol – reach the boys as rescuers prepare for the possibility that they may remain in the cave for some time.
– Wednesday, July 4 – Officials say the group are being taught how to use diving masks and breathing apparatuses. Teams pump out water around the clock to help clear the path for divers.
– Thursday, July 5 – Authorities say expected rains may force a complex rescue quicker than first thought.
– Friday, July 6 – Tragedy strikes: a diver helping to establish an air line to the boys dies after passing out while returning from the chamber, raising serious doubts over the safety of attempting a rescue.
Thailand’s Navy SEAL commander says oxygen levels inside have dropped. He warns the window of opportunity to free the youngsters is ‘limited’.
– Saturday, July 7 – Rescue operations chief Narongsak Osottanakorn says the boys are not ready to dive to safety.
A scrawled message emerges from the team’s coach, offering his ‘apologies’ to their parents, while in other touching notes the boys tell their relatives not to worry.
– Sunday, July 8 – Divers lead four of the boys out of the cave as night falls, sending them to the hospital.
Narongsak says late in the evening that the rescue mission will not start again for at least another 10 hours to allow oxygen and other supplies to be replenished.
– Monday, July 9 – As dusk falls four more boys are rescued. The Thai Navy SEALs greet another seemingly successful day with a social media post saying ‘Hooyah’.
– Tuesday, July 10 – On the third day of the rescue operation, divers bring out the remaining four boys and their coach, ending an ordeal that lasted more than two weeks.